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Dancing with the Stars: A Perfect Score and a Questionable Elimination

Someone's Disney dreams got dashed

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Lindsay MacDonald

Are you still trying to get that stupid "It's a Small World" song out of your head from tonight's Dancing with the Starsintro? Me too, let's look into filing a class action suit.

In all seriousness, it's nice to know you can always count on this show to really lean in to the cheesy factor when Disney Night rolls around -- all while super subtly reminding you which Disney projects are about to hit theaters this year, of course.

But it wasn't Happily Ever After for everyone, as the night had to come with an elimination. Let's recap what happened!

Drew Scott and Emma Slater, Dancing with the Stars

Drew Scott and Emma Slater, Dancing with the Stars

Eric McCandless, ABC

Victoria Arlen & Valentin Chmerkovskiy - Jazz - "Steamboat Willie" from "Steamboat Willie"

The dance: This was another super fast dance for Victoria, with so many lifts that it had to be dangerous for her. If she landed wrong on her ankles just once... yikes. Val took good care of her though, and even though you could tell he was being careful to watch her landings every time, it still seemed effortless. It was an utterly adorable number, especially for anyone who's a big fan of the original Mickey Mouse, and it was a nice way to lighten up the tone from her heavy, emotional routine last week.

What the judges said: Len wasn't a huge fan of the small twerking section (and who could really blame him, this is a jazz number people!), but he and the other judges were still all smiles.

Score: 27/30
Even from last week, but not a bad score to stay at!

Vanessa Lachey & Maksim Chmerkovskiy - Waltz - "Un Jour Mon Prince Viendra" from "Snow White"

The dance: Once you get over the super cheesy intro package and the ridiculous Snow White costumes, this was actually a really beautiful waltz. Yet again, there were a couple missteps on Vanessa's part that kind of killed the mood. She just has a hard time holding her balance on her turns, and that's something the judges are always going to call out.

What the judges said: If we had to name the judges, there'd be Grumpy, Happy and Sleazy (I'll let you decided who's who). To her credit, Vanessa blamed her mistakes on the fact that she'd been "asleep for a while." Vanessa, you so funny.

Score: 24/30
Also even from last week. Is there an echo in here?

Lindsey Stirling & Mark Ballas - Foxtrot - "When You Wish Upon a Star" from "Pinocchio"

The dance: What happens when you're as talented as Lindsey Stirling is you get to stop concentrating on the steps and start having fun with the number. That's exactly what she did, and it's exactly what keeps her at the head of the pack when it comes to scores. While it's obvious this waltz was super difficult, Lindsey made it look effortless. And that choreography? God, it's good to have Mark Ballas back!

What the judges said: "One of the finest holds I've ever seen," Carrie Ann gushed. The judges could really tell she let the dancing do the work instead of any character or story they were trying to tell. Len even gave it a 10!

Score: 28/30
That's her first 10 and she totally earned it!

Nick Lachey & Peta Murgatroyd - Quickstep - "The Bare Necessities" from "The Jungle Book"

The dance: Maybe it was the super fun nature of the dance, but is Nick Lachey actually getting better? It may have been an easy beat to follow with simple choreography, but he just let loose and had fun with this one, which made it enjoyable. People don't tune into this show to watch stellar dancers performing flawless routines. They watch it to see celebrities make dorks of themselves, and Nick Lachey delivered. Plus, we got to see his abs. Done deal.

What the judges said: Len, shut up about the droopiness of his arms, he's having a blast, and so is everyone else. It's supposed to look like a bear hug, THEY'RE BEARS!

Score: 22/30
Nick didn't improve as much as he hoped, so he's still at the bottom of the leaderboard.

Drew Scott & Emma Slater- Viennese Waltz - "Rainbow Connection" from "The Muppet Movie"

The dance: First his brother shows up to dance with him, and now he gets a personal endorsement from Kermit? Drew sure has the gimmick factor down pat. He's two for two on wardrobe as well -- where else are you going to find a bedazzled tux, complete with tails? The dance itself was pretty on par for Drew (awkward with a side helping of razzle dazzle). He's getting better technically, but probably not fast enough to threaten the kids on the top of the leader board. There was that one aerial shot that really made you stop and stare too.

What the judges said: "You're getting more and more polished every week, despite having the wingspan of a 747," Bruno said during the judges round. The most important judge was obviously Kermit though; "Thanks to the lovers, the dreamers, and Drew."

Score: 25/30
Kermit obviously gave it a 10, but his vote doesn't count.

Dancing with the Stars: Did Maks Skip Guilty Pleasures Night Due to Chemistry Issues with Vanessa?

Sasha Pieterse & Gleb Savchenko - Rumba - "Kiss the Girl" from "The Little Mermaid"

The dance: Sasha and Gleb aren't under any delusions that their 24 from last week has improved their stance on the leaderboard. Sasha almost made sure to update us on on her weight loss project -- she's lost 37 pounds since the start of the season, which just proves how hard she's been working. As for the dance... well, it's hard to pull off a sexy rumba when you're in a bright red wig,

What the judges said: Carrie Ann said she was mesmerized, and Len thought it was lovely and well-crafted. Bruno was gross, as always, but at least this time Gleb took the brunt of it.

Score: 24/30
We may have hit a score ceiling for Sasha and Gleb.

Terrell Owens & Cheryl Burke - Quickstep - "I Just Can't Wait to be King" from "The Lion King"

The dance: Not to kill the illusion for any of you, but how on earth were the judges supposed to have SEEN any of that routine with the trees moving in and out of position? Yeah, yeah, they have monitors, which probably helps, but I'd rather think the whole thing is RIGGED. But if it's rigged in favor of The Lion King routine taking home winning scores, I'll excuse it.

What the judges said: "For a big guy, you dance with speed and control," Len complimented. It seemed to be the note Terrell has been looking for. When you're so tall, it's way harder to get the footwork and the frame right.

Score: 25/30
The look on his face, when Terrell got his first nine? The cutest!

Frankie Muniz & Witney Carson- Argentine Tango - "Angelica" from "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides"

The dance: Bless his poor, nerdy heart, Frankie Muniz knows that he's not a sex icon and he still tried to be one anyway for this routine. It helps when you've got someone as hot as Witney looking at you like she wants to eat you alive. Like seriously, did their pelvic areas ever disconnect? If so, I didn't catch it. The smolder was there, and the technique was not far behind.

What the judges said: The choreography got a stellar shout out from Bruno (go Witney!) and the execution got a shout out from everyone. The only mistake that got called out was actually Witney's because her heel got stuck in her dress. See, even the pros mess up!

Score: 29/30
Frankie won't be walking the plank any time soon.

Jordan Fisher & Lindsay Arnold - Foxtrot - "You're Welcome" from "Moana"

The dance: Is it weird to dance along to your own song? Not for Jordan Fisher. He's so into the dance, you start to believe he doesn't have to think about it at all. I feel like this is what Carrie Ann meant when she said Vanessa Lachey seemed to stop breathing during her routines. If you focus so hard on the steps people are going to notice. Jordan obviously doesn't need to hold his breath, he's too busy using his breath to sing along.

What the judges said: Carrie Ann called him unstoppable, and she's so, so, so right. Even Leb couldn't hate on the breakdown in the middle for Lin Manuel Miranda's rap section. Bruno made the good point that this is how you would dance a Foxtrot in the 21st century.

Score: 30/30
That's the first perfect score of the season, and we officially have a leader of the pack.

Nikki Bella & Artem Chigvinstev - Jazz - "Remember Me" from Disney•Pixar's upcoming animated feature, "Coco"

The dance: The problem with getting a song from an "upcoming" project? No one gets that sense of Disney nostalgia during your routine. I am super jealous that they got to see the movie in advance though, so they could get the feel of the story. The one super cool part of the dance? When all the guys lifted the girls up in a circle and spun them around. That's a lame way to describe something that looked really cool visually, but sometimes the written word fails, okay?

What the judges said: This dance had "all the flavors of Mexico" according to Len, not to mention Nikki's best dance so far. Carrie Ann gets the "upcoming" problem, acknowledging that it's harder to introduce us to a movie than cash in on the feelings we already have about it.

Score: 27/30

The Elimination: Sasha and Gleb joined Frankie and Witney as the bottom two couples of the night. Which is NUTS, since both couples were not on my list of potential elimination candidates. Sasha and Gleb were the ones who ended up getting eliminated though, which is kind of tragic.

Dancing with the Stars airs Mondays at 8/7c on ABC.