After nine weeks of competition, season 27 of Dancing With the Stars came to an end on Monday, November 19 with the one-night finale! The night featured guest performers such as Robin Thicke, Dan + Shay, Tinashe, and the men of Bachelor Nation. We also got a supersized, parade-style opening number and some sexy routines from this season’s pros and troupe.
Alexis and Alan, Bobby and Sharna, Evanna and Keo, and Milo and Witney competed in the last two rounds of competition this season, including repeat dances and the long-awaited Freestyles! And, in a twist that left many viewers stunned and vocal about the results, it was revealed that Bobby Bones and Sharna Burgess came in first place, giving them the coveted Mirror Ball Trophy!
Later, it was revealed that Milo Manheim and Witney Carson came in second place, Evanna Lynch and Keo Motsepe came in third place, and Alexis Ren and Alan Bersten came in fourth place.
With thoughts on the final episode this season, here is Paul Bentley, along with scores chosen by The Readers through an online poll!
Round One: Repeat Dances
The four remaining couples who made it to the finale performed an enhanced repeat dance of one of their favorite performances they did this season.
[Order of the Judges’ Scores: Carrie Ann Inaba, Len Goodman, Bruno Tonioli]
Alexis Ren and Alan Bersten
Repeat Argentine Tango
4th Place
Swan Lake by Ray Chew Live
Original Performance: Week 1, Night 1 (New York City Night)
The Judges’ Scores: 9, 9, 9 (27/30)
The Readers’ Score: 9
Paul Bentley’s Thoughts: I loved this dance the first time, and I’m glad they got to redo it, this time without the tutu mishap. Although this time I think Alexis ripping open Alan’s shirt made her just slightly off time, causing her to have to rush for some of the following choreography. There was also some shakiness in this Argentine Tango again, but being that Alexis is not a professional ballet dancer, and that this choreography was so physically demanding of her, I think she did a respectable job. Alexis has some really beautiful lines, and a nice smile to go along with it. I think at this point of the competition, being that she and Alan had been in jeopardy so many times, they knew that they probably weren’t going to win, but it looks like they were just having a blast and enjoying the end of their experience anyway, which I like to see!
Paul Bentley’s Score: 9
#TeamRenTen 1(800)868-3401
Bobby Bones and Sharna Burgess
Repeat Cha-Cha-Cha
Winners (1st Place)
U Can’t Touch This by MC Hammer
Original Performance: Week 3 (Trio Night)
The Judges’ Scores: 8, 8, 8 (24/30)
The Readers’ Score: 8
Paul Bentley’s Thoughts: Maybe it’s those low crotch pants or that sparkly gold jacket, but man oh man, as much as I understand that this was more of a “comical” routine, I just find it incredibly awkward. I wish Bobby and Sharna would have chosen a different dance to repeat because their Cha-Cha-Cha was probably their weakest dance all season, and his Latin technique was still not anywhere as good as his ballroom technique. I do have to give props to Bobby and Sharna, though, because they had to pretty much re-choreograph the whole routine when turning the trio dance into a duo dance. I did see some refinement in Bobby’s composure, which I had been critiquing about him all season, but he never really got the “looseness” of the dance. Oh well, Bobby is a showman, and that’s exactly what he was in this performance!
Paul Bentley’s Score: 7
#TeamBeautyAndTheGeek 1(800)868-3402
Evanna Lynch and Keo Motsepe
Repeat Tango
3rd Place
Disturbia by Rihanna
Original Performance: Week 7 (Halloween Night)
The Judges’ Scores: 10, 10, 10 (30/30)
The Readers’ Score: 10
Paul Bentley’s Thoughts: I am just so proud of how far Evanna has come as a dancer on this show. She was always great from the start, but in these short nine weeks of competition, I’ve seen her refine her movement in every way to look like a pro! Her original Tango from Halloween Night was already nearly perfect, but that “stuttering” that I said I saw from then was completely gone this time around, making it even more perfect! She and Keo had a fantastic, tight hold, and they glided around that dance floor effortlessly. Even better the second time!
Paul Bentley’s Score: 10
#TeamKevanna 1(800)868-3405
Milo Manheim and Witney Carson
Repeat Charleston
Runners-Up (2nd Place)
Living in New York City with a live performance from Robin Thicke
Original Performance: Week 2, Night 1 (New York City Night)
The Judges’ Scores: 10, 10, 10 (30/30)
The Readers’ Score: 10
Paul Bentley’s Thoughts: I don’t necessarily mind it when the show has live singers for dances, but did the cameras really have to go to Robin Thicke so much? I don’t mind when they put the singer in the background or when the camera is on them at the beginning or end of the performance, but cutting to the performer so much in the middle of the routine makes the viewing feel choppy, and it takes away from the performance value. But I digress. Milo and Witney attacked this Charleston so smoothly and with even more momentum than the first time! Milo is just so smooth and light on his feet now! And as Len pointed out, it had more Charleston swivel! This was the perfect dance for this couple to have redone!
Paul Bentley’s Score: 10
#TeamWitlo 1(800)868-3410
Round Two: Freestyle Dances
For the final round of competition this season, all rules were thrown out the window for the Freestyle dances. And after this round of performance, the season 27 winner of Dancing With the Stars was announced.
[Order of the Judges’ Scores: Carrie Ann Inaba, Len Goodman, Bruno Tonioli]
Alexis Ren and Alan Bersten
Freestyle
4th Place
Head Above Water with a live performance from Avril Lavigne
The Judges’ Scores: 10, 10, 10 (30/30)
The Readers’ Score: 10
Paul Bentley’s Thoughts: As much as I like Avril Lavigne, this was another dance that went back to the singer too many times. And in this case, I feel like the cuts made us miss some tricks that I would have liked to see fully completed, such as the dismount from one of the lifts and the transition into one of the side-by-side sections. But as for the Freestyle itself, Alexis really nailed the delicate strength that Alan demanded from her. I loved the mountain setup and the overall “tone” of this Contemporary-style number, especially with the strength she portrayed, which was in contrast to a lot of the “softer” dances she has done this season. Alexis and Alan had such a great journey on this show, and even though they didn’t make it past fourth place, they should both be proud of themselves. As for Alan, this season showcased some of the best material I have ever seen from him. And as for Alexis, she seemed to genuinely appreciate this experience, which I’m glad she was able to have in dedication of her mother. I don’t know how Alexis and Alan’s relationship will grow after the show, but it is obvious that they both truly care about each other.
Paul Bentley’s Score: 10
#TeamRenTen 1(800)868-3401
Bobby Bones and Sharna Burgess
Freestyle
Winners (1st Place)
The Greatest Show by Panic! At the Disco
The Judges’ Scores: 10, 10, 10 (30/30)
The Readers’ Score: 8
Paul Bentley’s Thoughts: This is completely random, but am I the only one who thought of the How Bad Can I Be? scene from The Lorax from this Freestyle? XD I have no clue why. Maybe it’s the costumes or the overall production, but upon rewatching both the dance and the scene from The Lorax, I realized that they are actually not all that alike… just to throw that out there. :P Anyway, this Freestyle didn’t really have a lot to it, and the little dance content there was was kinda stiff, but there’s no denying that this performance was 100% Bobby Bones! I also liked the “flossing” at the end with Tom and Erin. It didn’t really add anything, but it was a nice touch to showcase Bobby’s quirkiness. Bobby definitely came out of this season with a surprising win (at least my eyes), which makes this the first season where I was actually shocked by the final results! Bobby was obviously not the best dancer this season, but when looking back at this season as a whole, he definitely stood out, and I think that really helped him become successful from his fans, even when he wasn’t as successful on the dance floor! I did not expect this season to be Sharna’s first win, but she definitely helped Bobby make his mark on Dancing With the Stars with her choreography, and for that, I am glad she was able to get recognition for all of her hard work for the first time in 12 seasons!
Paul Bentley’s Score: 9
#TeamBeautyAndTheGeek 1(800)868-3402
Milo Manheim and Witney Carson
Freestyle
Runners-Up (2nd Place)
Ain’t No Sunshine (Lido Remix) by Bill Withers
The Judges’ Scores: 10, 10, 10 (30/30)
The Readers’ Score: 10
Paul Bentley’s Thoughts: Wow. This Freestyle was absolutely incredible. I might go as far as saying that this dance is in my top five Freestyles of all time! Like, this wasn’t just good… this was insanely good! Sometimes bigger Freestyle numbers tend to fall flat, but this dance was absolutely captivating in every sense of the word! Milo was a fantastic leader in front of the troupe, standing out from all of the pro dancers! Everything from the flips, to the umbrella choreography, to the bit with the water at the end were all very engaging. Nothing felt like a gimmick, and everything just felt like it worked. I didn’t know if Milo and Witney were able to top themselves after having so many stand-out dances this season, but they gave us this dance! And I think Carrie Ann’s jaw drop perfectly summarized the trance we were put in by this performance! I loved watching Milo and Witney from day one, but I somehow ended up loving them even more by the end! They embodied what DWTS is all about!
Paul Bentley’s Score: 10
#TeamWitlo 1(800)868-3410
Evanna Lynch and Keo Motsepe
Freestyle
3rd Place
It’s Oh So Quiet by Björk
The Judges’ Scores: 10, 10, 10 (30/30)
The Readers’ Score: 10
Paul Bentley’s Thoughts: Keo’s first ever finale Freestyle was a hit! What a wonderful Broadway-style routine this was! It was so dynamic and cheerful routine that exemplified the excellence in Evanna’s acting and ease of movement. And after rewatching this dance a few times, I find myself liking it even more and more after each viewing! Evanna has become such a firecracker on this show, and this Freestyle is the exact evidence to prove that! XD I have become such a fan of Evanna as a person from watching her on DWTS, and I have become even more of a fan of Keo through the process, too. When I look back on this entire series years from now, Team Kevanna will always stick out in my mind!
Paul Bentley’s Score: 10
#TeamKevanna 1(800)868-3405
Week 9 Scoreboard
Dancing With the Stars Season 27, Week 8 Scoreboard
| |||
Couple
|
Dance Style
|
Judges’ Scores
|
Overall Score
|
Alexis and Alan
(Fourth Place)
|
Argentine Tango
|
9, 9, 9 (27/30)
|
57/60
|
Freestyle
|
10, 10, 10 (30/30)
| ||
Bobby and Sharna
(Winners)
|
Cha-Cha-Cha
|
8, 8, 8 (24/30)
|
54/60
|
Freestyle
|
10, 10, 10 (30/30)
| ||
Evanna and Keo
(Third Place)
|
Tango
|
10, 10, 10 (30/30)
|
60/60
|
Freestyle
|
10, 10, 10 (30/30)
| ||
Milo and Witney
(Runners-Up)
|
Charleston
|
10, 10, 10 (30/30)
|
60/60
|
Freestyle
|
10, 10, 10 (30/30)
| ||
Semifinals Awards
Most Entertaining Dance: Milo and Witney’s Freestyle
I’m still not over how awesome Milo and Witney’s Freestyle was! It is now in my Freestyle Hall of Fame along with Abmer and Derek’s Freestyle from season 17, Sadie and Mark’s Freestyle from season 19, and other amazing and memorable Freestyle routines! The Freestyles are always longer than usual dances on this show, but I wanted this routine to be even longer!
Best Costumes: Evanna and Keo’s Freestyle Costumes
I’m not usually a fan of sets that are overly colorful or costumes that are as plain as Keo’s, but when all of the troupe cam together with Evanna and Keo, everything came together. The bright, cheerful nature of this routine is sort of a metaphor of Evanna’s personality and the amount of joy she gets out of performing through the art of dance!
Best Choreography: Milo and Witney’s Freestyle
Milo and Witney’s performance is what the Freestyles are all about—innovation! Sometimes using props like umbrellas and water can feel sort of forced into a routine, but instead, Witney utilized them as tools to utilize Milo’s skills in a way to end this season off as sort of a mic drop for all the amazing content they created together!
Strongest Couple: Bobby and Sharna
While Bobby and Sharna might not have been the strongest couple in the technical sense, they were clearly a strong matchup to end up winning the Mirrorball, even when a whole six points behind the top two couples, and that is nothing to scoff at!
Most Improved Celebrity: Milo Manheim
What more can I say about Milo? Once you thought Milo has done his best work on the show, he goes ahead and tops himself yet again! It’s hard to find great dancers like Milo who are able to keep it fresh in a variety of different themes of styles, and able to have strengths in all of them! Milo looks like a pro dancer now!
Stand-Out Moment of the Night: Bobby and Sharna’s Mirrorball Win
I think I’m speaking for a lot of viewers when I say that I was amazed at this win! I thought for sure either Milo or either Evanna were going to win this thing, but in the nature of Bobby Bones, he made for a big surprise, just like he did all season!
Furthermore
Paul Bentley’s Thoughts: Well, well, well. This was quite the finale. I know that this season was originally apparently supposed to have a two-night finale, but I actually didn’t mind this being just one night. It made things move at a bit of a faster pace, and because it was still two hours long, I feel like we didn’t really miss out on much from it not being two nights.
I wasn’t necessarily rooting for Bobby and Sharna to win the Mirror Ball (I was rooting for Evanna and Keo the most), but they won the show fair and square, and I respect those results. Bobby clearly had an impressive fan base for pulling off a win like we have never seen on this show before, although I wonder how many of those people who voted for him are actual fans of Dancing With the Stars itself, and not just Bobby.
I ran a poll on Twitter to see who you guys were rooting for, and based on the results, a lot of you wanted Milo to win. But as we have learned from the past, it is not the online hype that matters, but rather the actual votes that people put in online and on the phone.
While Bobby’s win is sort of a good underdog story for him, I have to wonder that if Bobby was able to win with such consistently low scores this wholes season, does that make the effort of all the other contestants sort of useless? Like, would it have even mattered what scores anyone else got if Bobby had such a large following helping him get through the competition. I know the voting system on this show has been pretty much the same from the beginning, but with all of the “too soon” eliminations we’ve had this season (at least in my eyes) such as Tinashe, DeMarcus, and Juan Pablo, it seems to me like the system is flawed. But I do have to remember that this has always been a popularity contest, and without it being like that, I wouldn’t have had some of my favorite people such as Tommy Chong make it as far in the competition as they did!
I do have a lot more to say about this season, but that will go in a separate retrospective season 17 DWTS post coming later, which will feature some more commentary.
But as for now, I want to thank everybody who reads this blog and interacts with me on Twitter once again! Blogging this show is always so much fun, even when I get some heat in my Twitter mentions. XD
The Future of DWTS
Season 27 of Dancing With the Stars might be over, but season one of Dancing With the Stars: Juniors is still continuing for a few more weeks on ABC, so be sure to watch the rest of that show into December (and read my tweets and blog posts, too)!
As for the main show, it was confirmed that DWTS will return next year, which means we are definitely getting a season 28. Tom Bergeron has said that a Fall season is likely, but it still unknown whether or not the show will return in the spring. The fate of DWTS: Juniors is also yet to be determined.
So, no matter how many seasons of DWTS we are getting next year, I am planning on continuing to blog about the show, just like I have been since season 20!
Links
So that’s it for season 27! What did you think of the finals this season on Dancing With the Stars? Which couple did you think improved the most in their repeat dance? Which Freestyle stood out to you the most? What did you think of Bobby and Sharna’s win? And what did you think of Milo and Witney coming in second, Evanna and Keo coming in third, and Alexis and Alan coming in fourth? What did you think of this season overall? What do you hope to see from this show in the future?
#DWTS #DWTS27
#DWTSFinale
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