‘DWTS’ celebrates Halloween with 1st perfect score, sends 2 couples home

Halloween brought frightening performances and a major milestone to “Dancing With the Stars,” as one couple earned the season’s first perfect score while two others exited the competition.

Week 7 celebrated the holiday with Horror Movie Night, featuring routines inspired by iconic horror films. Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson stole the spotlight, earning the first perfect score of the season with a Contemporary that impressed the judges. 

Guest judge Shirley Ballas joined the panel for the episode. Known for her strict scoring, Ballas gave Julia Stiles and Ezra Sosa, as well as Tayana Ali and Jan Ravnik scores of 4. However, she had high praise for Shum Jr. and Johnson, calling their routine one of the best she has ever seen. 

The episode also marked Val Chmerkovskiy’s return after serving a one week suspension. Chmerkovskiy reunited with his partner Jenna Dewan, as the couple danced an Argentine Tango. 

With no couple eliminated during last week’s Dedication Night, the competition featured a double elimination. Jackson Olsen and Emma Slater were the first couple sent home. Despite their elimination, the pair earned their highest scores of the season, a 35 out of 40.

Tyler Cameron and Sharna Burgess followed as the second eliminated couple. They received the lowest judges score of the night, earning 26 out of 40. Cameron appeared visibly frustrated after the judges announced their scores and walked off camera. 

With two couples exiting the ballroom, eight remain heading into week 8. The leaderboard combines the judges scores from weeks 6 and 7, with a possible 80 points across both nights. 

Shum Jr. and Johnson lead the competition with 76 out of 80, followed by Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov and Dewan and Chmerkovskiy tied at 74. Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach earned 72, Connor Wood and Rylee Arnold received 69 and Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas finished the night with 67. Stiles and Sosa have 62, while Ali and Ravnik have 60. 

After a night of horror inspired performances, the remaining couples will trade scares for Disney songs.

The next episode will celebrate Disney on Broadway, with guest judge Cynthia Erivo joining the panel. The episode will air on Monday, Nov. 2, instead of its usual night because of Election Day coverage. 

Team dances will also return, with hosts Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough joining their respective teams on the dance floor. 

Individual performances will include Glenn and Pashkov dancing a Quickstep to “A Star Is Born” from “Hercules,” Wood and Arnold performing a Waltz to “I See the Light” from “Tangled,” and Frech and Karagatch will dance Samba to “Under the Sea” from “The Little Mermaid.”

Shum Jr. and Johnson will perform a Jazz to “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” from “Mary Poppins,” while Dewan and Chmerkovskiy take on a Quickstep to “Be Our Guest” from “Beauty and the Beast.”

Stiles and Sosa will dance a Paso Doble to “Satisfied” from “Hamilton,” Higgins and Ballas will perform a Jive to “You Can Fly! You Can Fly! You Can Fly!” from “Peter Pan,” and Ali and Ravnik will dance Contemporary to “Easy as Life” from “Aida.”

The team dances will feature Team Alfonso, led by Ali with Ravnik, Higgins and Ballas, Glenn and Pashkov and Stiles and Sosa. They will perform a dance to “Zoo” from “Zootopia 2.” 

Team Julianne, captained by Wood includes Arnold, Frech and Karagach, Dewan and Chmerkovskiy and Shum Jr. and Johnson. This team will dance to “We’re All in This Together” from “High School Musical.”

After surviving Horror Movie Night, the remaining couples are hoping their Disney performances are nothing short of magical.