Most Memorable Year night is always a tear-jerker on Dancing with the Stars. This cast has a lot of great stories that I only touch upon here. I recommend checking out this episode online or on demand. It's inspiring.
In other news, Marcia Brady was a coke head?! For 5 years?! I don't know how I didn't know that. But anyway, Maureen McCormick turned her life around by 1985 the year she married her husband and that was her most memorable year. She performed a lovely Foxtrot with Artem Chigvintsev. While watching I thought, "I guess this is okay, but it doesn't seem much better than last week." The judges gave her some really great feedback then, they gave her the same scores as last week. Slow and steady indeed. 24
Calvin Johnson Jr. is so stinkin' adorable. His most memorable year was when he beat Jerry Rice's single season receiving yards record. He and Lindsay Arnold performed a motown-inspired Jazz and it put his personality in the spotlight. He's so charming! The highlight was the end when Jerry Rice, DWTS alum, threw Megatron a little pass, when he was expecting a cast member. Stupid stuff like this is what keeps me eating this show up. Love it! Jerry Rice was such a fun competitor, it was great to have him make an appearance. And yet again, the judges gave him all this praise, then gave him all 8's. When are these middle-of-the-packers going to make a break for it?! 24
Stupid Jana Kramer made me cry. Gah! The year her daughter was born was her most memorable. She dedicated her Contemporary to her daughter and it was exquisite, by far her best dance. I was impressed by Gleb Savchenko's choreography. 26.
It seems as though Ryan Lochte is slowly transforming in front of our very eyes. He dedicated his Contemporary with Cheryl Burke to his mom. 2008 was his most memorable year, when he broke a world record at the Olympics. I was impressed with Ryan's performance although I didn't really "like" the dance. I don't know if the was the beatless music or the choreography, but it wasn't my cup of tea. Regardless, Ryan showed something this week that he has been struggling with the entire season, maturity and commitment. 24.
I'm wondering if I've mentioned that I love Laurie Hernandez. Not this week yet, right? So, I love Laurie Hernandez. Her most memorable year was (is?) 2016, winning gold at the Olympics. However, it was quite a battle for her to get there. There was the usual "blood, sweat, and tears", but also, coming back from injury. In this week's package, she showed her vulnerable side when she took issue with Valentin Chmerkovskiy and how he handles her mess ups. While I don't want to see her cry, it was refreshing to see her speak up for herself and be real. Her Paso Doble was fierce. While it wasn't quite flawless, it was still a heckuva presentation. I was surprised that she only got one 9 (Juliane). 25.
Marilu Henner upped her game in a big way. She dedicated her Viennese Waltz to the memory of her mom. Her most memorable year was 1978 when she lost her mom and then a few weeks later got her part on "Taxi". She revealed in her package that she was "scared" of Derek Hough and really feared letting him down. I don't know what he did to make her realize her talent, but wow. She was at complete peace. She was so comfortable and so confident, it was amazing. My favorite dance of the night, maybe the season. A well-deserved 27 for Marilu.
Last week I said that the wigs they keep putting Amber Rose in stole her mojo. No wig this week for her Samba and I'm gonna say, no mojo. She dedicated her dance to her 3 year-old son. I loved the concept and the presentation, but she lost her fierceness, and I missed it. She said she was very happy with her 8's, but I noticed a twinge of disappointment. 24.
James Hinchcliffe has quite the story. He survived an unsurvivable crash 18 months ago. His doctor didn't think he'd race again for 2 years and he's currently killing it on DWTS. His Tango with Sharna Burgess was on point. Their chemistry is perfection. They are a phenomenal pair on the floor. Not quite perfection with the judges, but close. 29.
Tera Jole’ is such a force to be reckoned with. She and Sasha Farber have chemistry similar to James and Sharna. There's just something there. Her most memorable year was 2013 when she lost her father. She didn't get to have a father/daughter dance with him at her wedding so, this Contemporary was her tribute to him. It was beautiful. She leaves everything on the dance floor. I'm impressed every week with her dedication. She is the real deal. 27.
Just about half of the Stars tied for last place with 24. There was no elimination this week, but come next week, one of those 24's has to go. My bet is Marcia Brady, because her fan base has the weakest out of the lot. Next week, there is no results show, performances and eliminations happen all in one night. The 24's need to bring their A games.
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