The second week of Dancing with the Stars season 35 saw the departure of Giada De Laurentiis and partner Alan Bersten. This "Viral Hits Night" episode on ABC and Disney+ concluded with three different couples sharing the top of the leaderboard.
The 21-point deadlock between Glenn, Frech, and Dewan
The leaderboard for Dancing with the Stars week two was uncharacteristically crowded at the summit. As the report notes, three separate duos—Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov, Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach, and Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy—all secured identical scores of 21 out of 30.
Amber Glenn, an Olympic figure skater,earned her top spot with a tango to "All the Things She Said," while Paralympian Ezra Frech achieved the same score with a cha-cha to Flo Rida's "Low." Jenna Dewan's jive to KATSEYE's "Animal" also landed her in that leading tier, establishing a high bar for the remaining contestants.
Giada De Laurentiis falls short with a 12-point salsa
The elimination of Giada De Laurentiis marked a significant shift in the season's momentum.. The celebrity chef and her partner, Alan Bersten, struggled to find their footing during the themed episode, earning only 12 out of 30 points for their salsa performance to "Bella Ciao."
Following the announcement , De Laurentiis told host Julianne Hough that while she tried her best, it simply wasn't enough to stay in the competition. Other performers also struggled with the scoring; the report highlights that Guillermo Rodriguez and Witney Carson also finished with 12 out of 30 points for their paso doble to Rihanna's "Where Have You Been," despite receiving an enthusiastic response from the ballroom audience.
TikTok trends drive the 'Viral Hits Night' scoring
The "Viral Hits Night" theme reflected a broader media trend of integrating social media popularity into traditional broadcast television. By utilizing songs from artists like Billie Eilish, Karol G,and Earth, Wind and Fire, the producers on ABC and Disney+ aimed to capture a younger, digitally naive audience.
This strategy of using TikTok-friendly soundtracks is becoming a staple for reality competitions looking to maintain relevance in a fragmented media landscape. the inclusion of viral hits ensures that the show remains a topic of conversation across multiple social platforms, even as the technical dancing remains the core of the competition.
Will the judges' one-word rule impact future scores?
While the episode was a ratings-focused success, several elements left viewers wondering about the show's direction.. The implementation of a "one-word" review rule for the third judge was designed to keep the broadcast on schedule, but it remains to be seen if this will diminish the technical depth of the critiques provided to the dancers.
Furthermore, the source notes an instance where the audience booed Carrie Ann Inaba's feedback to Harry Shum Jr., raising questions about how much the judges' opinions are being shaped by crowd sentiment rather than pure technique. As the competition moves into "Yacht Rock Night," the balance between social media engagement and professional judging will be critical to watch.
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