Pod Meets Twirl'd: DWTS 3401

Summary

Pod Meets World: Pod Meets Twirl’d — DWTS 3401

Release Date: September 20, 2025
Podcast: Pod Meets World (iHeartPodcasts)
Hosts: Will Friedle & Rider Strong, with Producer Jensen Karp
Subject: Season 34, Episode 1 of Dancing with the Stars — Live In-Person Recap & Analysis

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Episode Overview

This special “Pod Meets Twirl’d” episode marks a hilarious and heartfelt detour for Boy Meets World alums Will Friedle and Rider Strong, as they recap “Dancing with the Stars” Season 34’s premiere — with castmate Danielle Fishel (Topanga) herself among the competitors. Broadcasting as absolute dance novices, Will and Rider offer a behind-the-scenes look at attending a live taping, learning the ropes of ballroom, and supporting a dear friend. The episode becomes equal parts sports commentary, fan experience, and a playful Boy Meets World reunion, packed with warmth, banter, and honest critique.

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Key Highlights & Discussion Points

1. Arriving at Dancing with the Stars – The Live Experience

• Formal Hollywood Vibes:
  • Guests receive an email requiring formal attire. Both hosts are caught off-guard, setting an upscale, “classy” mood.
  • “I love that though. That immediately put me in the right mindset. I was like, all right, we're not going to some sleazy Hollywood dance show. This is classy.” (Rider, 04:27)
• Guest List Snafus:
  • Will is delayed outside due to a mix-up, joking about being “the other guy from the show, not Topanga.”
  • Alphabetical check-in by first name baffles him: “I've never seen before, everything done alphabetically by first name.” (Will, 05:40)
• Venue Impressions:
  • The dance floor/studio is smaller than TV makes it seem but feels highly charged and energetic, especially for live TV.
  • “It was overwhelming... just the sheer number of crew and dancers... we were amazing. Courtside... dance floor side. Three feet away.” (Rider, 06:19)

2. Energy, Nerves & Supporting Danielle

• The live TV atmosphere is frenetic — pumped up by countdowns, constant DJ music, and the pressure of being “on” always.
  • “It made me so nervous... So much energy. And then... there’s a DJ constantly playing music, so there’s no quiet, there’s no calm.” (Will & Rider, 08:12)
• Danielle ("Topanga") appears focused and calm as a competitor, though Will, knowing her well, picks up on her subtle nerves when rewatching the episode.
• Rider marvels at how, despite nerves, Danielle is the right cast member for this kind of “live TV spotlight.”

3. Hosts' Dance Backgrounds (or Lack Thereof)

• Both hosts confirm they’re total dance amateurs, aside from Will jokingly “teaching” Danielle to tango on the Boy Meets World set, and Rider occasionally attending a ballet:

  • “So you were her coach?” – Rider
    “So I essentially taught Danielle...” – Will (11:17–11:25)

• Will cracks: “I think I've drunkenly danced at maybe two weddings... Not a dancer.” (Will, 11:46)

4. Dancing with the Stars – The Show Recap & Reactions

General Observations:

• The pro dance troupe and steadicam operator get lavish praise for their seamless, athletic artistry.
  • “Best dancer of the night, by far, was the steadicam operator… never once catch a glimpse of this guy... running around them in circles...” (Will, 18:00)
• Judges seem more technically focused (dance/timing) than on pure entertainment value.

Detailed Couple-by-Couple Breakdown:

[Jordan Chiles & Ezra Sosa – Salsa to “Break My Soul”] (19:20)

• Timestamps: 19:20–23:33
• Olympic gymnast brings athleticism; judges penalize for integrating acrobatics rather than traditional salsa style.
  • “She’s doing cool gymnastics, but is this salsa dancing?” (Will, 21:26)
  • Both hosts agree five out of ten is fair, especially as a first dance.

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[Dylan Efron & Daniella Karagach – Cha Cha Cha to “Milkshake”] (25:27)

• Dylan (Zac Efron’s brother) faces nerves. His partner outshines, compensating with intensity.
  • “I fell for him too. And I agree with the judges' score.” (Will, 27:15)
  • Both hosts: Fives are generous; in-person energy differs from on-camera experience.

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[Elaine Hendricks & Alan Bersten – Cha Cha Cha to “Woman”] (28:10)

• Elaine, an actor/dancer once sidelined by injury, returns strong.
  • Judges: “Broadway quality,” “the whole package.”
  • “I think I would have given them a seven.” (Rider, 29:52)

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[Whitney Levitt & Mark Ballas – Tango to “Golden”] (30:21)

• TikTok star and returning DWTS pro Mark Ballas deliver a highly musical, slick tango.
• Judges in minor scoring snafu (locked in eight, showed seven).
• “This was the highest scoring dance of the night... deserved.” (Rider, 33:12)

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[Baron Davis & Britt Stewart – Cha Cha Cha to “U Can’t Touch This”] (43:18)

• Retired NBA star’s discomfort shows; pro partner works hard to “dance around” him.
  • “He was really... it’s like watching us up there.” (Will, 43:36)
  • Both see him as a potential early exit, but note the fun he brings.

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[Alex Earl & Val Chmerkovskiy – Cha Cha Cha to “Circus”] (46:08)

• Massive stage production (dubbed “fire boobies” by Will), but dancing felt stiff and “dead inside.”
  • “Doing all the moves right... but 100% dead inside.” (Rider, 47:04)

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[Scott Hoying & Rylee Arnold – Tango to “Abracadabra”] (48:28)

• Pentatonix member is clearly out of his element, stiff—partner compensates.
  • “He was clunky and a bit stiff. She was overcompensating.” (Will, 49:14)

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[Danielle Fishel & Pasha Pashkov – Tango to “Stronger”] (50:31)

• The centerpiece for Will and Rider, Danielle brings a stripped-down, focused, and “human” dance:

  • “They had, for the first time... a real connection as dancers.” (Rider, 51:14)
  • Noted for a small, warm moment: “First thing she did was pat his shoulders down and fix his suit. Like the mom... That’s the most Danielle thing in the world.” (Will, 51:24)
  • Judges nitpick “shoulders,” but both hosts thought she shined and is well-positioned.

• History of Dance Mini-Segment: Will gives a humorous, “definitely not Wikipedia’d” history of tango (52:50) — “originated in the late 19th century in the Rio de la Plata region of Buenos Aires...”

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[Jen Affleck & Jan Ravnik – Salsa to “Nueva Yol”] (54:10)

• Secret Mormon Wife and influencer, recent mom of three, dances well considering physical toll; many lifts slow pace.
• “Just had a baby eight weeks ago... I thought she was incredible.” (Rider, 54:52)

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[Corey Feldman & Jenna Johnson – Tango to “It’s Still Rock and Roll To Me”] (56:04)

• 80s child star’s quirky “Michael Jackson” dancing and facial expressions don’t translate.
  • “Not a huge fan... a little bit much.” (Will, 56:51)
  • Judges give the first four of the night.

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[Lauren Jauregui & Brandon Armstrong – (Dance Unspecified)] (57:38)

• Fifth Harmony singer impresses both hosts.
  • “This was probably the best dance of the night.” (Rider, 57:47)

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[Andy Richter & Emma Slater] (58:29)

• Comic relief but struggling physically; self-deprecating humor might hurt with earnest DWTS voters.
  • “Why are you here?” “A paycheck.”... [That] even as a joke...turn off some people.” (Will, 59:09)

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[Hilaria Baldwin & Gleb Savchenko – Cha Cha Cha to “Let’s Get Loud”] (60:13)

• Alec Baldwin’s wife, former dancer, returns in style. Pro experience shows.

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[Robert Irwin & Whitney Carson – Jive to “Born to Be Wild”] (61:44)

• Steve Irwin’s son (and sibling of a former winner) blows everyone away with high energy, technical skill, and joy.
  • “He felt like he was her equal... I was watching two pros.” (Rider, 62:26)
  • The “house down” finale — but risks peaking too soon.

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5. Judging, Strategy, and Competitive Storytelling

• Production Value Disparity: Some pros use elaborate staging/props; others keep it simple. Producer Jensen Karp explains this is strategic, and “seasoned” pros like Mark, Pasha, and Val think carefully about staging (“strategy is everything in this game” – Jensen, 34:01).
• Hosts debate whether to “start small and grow” or “come out swinging,” both for dance content and set design.
• The show’s structure reveals little about the contestants’ personal lives, so “the dance is the storytelling.”
• Ongoing segments:
  • History of Dance — Will’s lighthearted research
  • Strong Incentive — Will tempts Rider to agree to appear as a contestant for an ever-increasing “bribe” (starting at $500,000)
    • “Hell no.” (Rider, 68:51)

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Being Unseen:
  • “Lance Bass was there… blocking us. So we were never seen by cameras, which is good.” (Will, 06:51)
• On Judging DWTS Without Dance Knowledge:
  • “I’m not sure what the relationship between the judges numbers and the votes are... Is it just a popularity contest?” (Rider, 10:05)
• On Danielle’s Tango:
  • “They felt so alive. They felt like they were having fun. It was sexy... it felt human. Like only these two could.” (Rider, 51:34)
• On Props vs. Simplicity:
  • “Watching just the people that danced without all the pageantry… they have a place to go with this. They can grow from here.” (Will, 35:29)
• On Robert Irwin's Jive:
  • “He won the night… for all the reasons, pageantry or not, he won the night.” (Will, 63:49)
• On Strong Incentive to Compete:
  • “Someone puts down a briefcase, it’s $500,000... Would you go on Dancing With the Stars?” (Will, 68:45)
    “Hell no.” (Rider, 68:51)

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Important Timestamps

• 03:19 – Hosts discuss their nerves and first impressions
• 09:16 – Discovery of Danielle’s nerves (subtle) vs. her professionalism
• 19:20 – Start of detailed contestant-by-contestant recap
• 34:01 – Producer Jensen discusses the “strategy” behind staging
• 50:31 – Danielle Fishel’s dance and emotional recap
• 62:07 – Robert Irwin’s standout jive performance
• 65:09 – Hosts place “bets” on who is on the chopping block

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Conclusion

A resourceful, highly entertaining episode that transports listeners from the nostalgia of Boy Meets World to the sequined spectacle of Dancing with the Stars. Will and Rider’s candid lack of dance expertise, coupled with their passion for their friend and honest (sometimes hilariously clueless) observations, make for a uniquely warm and compelling recap. If you want to relive the episode’s best moments, learn how the show works behind the scenes, and get honest, perceptive fan commentary, this episode delivers — sequins, sass, and all.

Danielle’s poised to go far — and the guys are loving the ride.

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For feedback or to follow:
Instagram: @podmeetsworldshow
Email: [e-mail]

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Transcript

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Bring the Boom X Boom. Welcome to Pod Meets Twirled the Dancing with the Stars recap. Hosted by two guys who can't dance. Don't want to dance. Friend Danielle has joined the cast for season 34. We're going all in. We are Will Friedle and Ryder Strong, AKA the two dudes. Steve standing next to Topanga, AKA Daniel Fishel's backup, AKA the Dan Yets.

[A]

Hi, Ryder. How are you?

[C]

Good. I see you've opened your shirt this morning.

[A]

Well, I feel that since we're going to be judging, we have to have one of us anyway. Has to be the really good looking one, Right. And the other one needs to be you, right?

[C]

Sure.

[A]

So I figured that's the best way to go.

[C]

Are you going to stand up every time after we cover a dance? Because did you notice Bruno, whenever he's.

[A]

Judging, likes he would ever just.

[C]

Take control. Oh, wow. You really kept the shirt open today.

[A]

I went open. There's one button at the bottom. And I'll be honest with you, with the shape I'm in, it's holding on for dear life.

[C]

All right, so we watched this. We watched this episode twice. Once live in person for our first Dancing with the Stars. Let's talk about that experience. It was.

[A]

It was amazing. Well, the first thing you get is an email inviting you to come. And the thing that shocked me was it's like they ask for formal attire. Right. So it was cocktail dress. The men, they want in jackets and ties and the women in. And sue and I are looking at each other like, oh, I guess cocktail attire. Yeah. Do we have cocktail attire?

[C]

I love that though. That immediately put me in the right mindset. I was like, all right, we're not going to some sleazy Hollywood dance show. This is classy. You got to be dressed now. They might kick you out if you don't show up with a jacket.

[A]

Exactly.

[C]

I really appreciated that.

[A]

I did too. I did not have a problem with that. There's nothing with the wrong with occasionally dressing up for a Hollywood event, I think.

[C]

Except that it was 95° and we got stuck outside waiting for a while.

[A]

We did. We did. And our spouses were not on the list to get in.

[C]

So that just apparently seat 4C wasn't listed.

[A]

There was no plus one for seat. There was no seat 5C. Right. So you. They just waved you in with Alex, right?

[C]

Yeah, yeah.

[A]

Okay. Because we had, like, we were. We were too. We waited in line for 45 minutes. We got there. We're supposed to be there at 3:30. We got there at like 3:40.

[C]

Right.

[A]

And so the. Yeah. We waited in line, and then they pulled us out of line to stand there, and then they had to. So this is not a joke. The woman who was helping us. There's people in red shirts everywhere with the little microphones that are helping everybody. And she turned to me and she said, yes. What's your name? I said, it's Will Friedle. She said, oh, okay. Oh, yeah, it's right here. They had, like. I've never seen before, everything done alphabetically by first name.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Which I've never seen done before. So there I am. No plus one. Susan's not on the list. So they say, you have to step aside. And she grabs the microphone and she says, yes, Carol, I'm here with Will Friedle. Will Friedle. Will Friedle. And then she turns to me, she goes, sorry, she's on the dance floor right now. And death. And I went, well, then what. Why the microphone? So, yeah, so then they finally got word that we were allowed in, but.

[C]

We were held out for a while. Topanga's friend.

[A]

Yeah, exactly.

[C]

The other guy from the show just let him on.

[A]

Not Topanga, not Chaos.

[C]

Yes.

[A]

This is our third guy.

[C]

So we walk into this stage, and having never seen the show, I didn't have this reaction, but I feel like a lot of people were like, oh, it's smaller in real life. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But it's still felt pretty overwhelming to me, just the sheer number of crew members and dancers. And it's beautiful. It's like decked to the nines. There's little, like, tables. We had great seats. We were amazing. Courtside, what do you call it?

[A]

Yeah, that would be court dance, Ballroom dance side.

[C]

I mean, dance floor side.

[A]

Three feet away. I mean, the flamenco sweat was hitting us in the chest. It was that close to the action, which was great.

[C]

Lance Bass was there. Yep, exactly. Blocking us. So we were never seen by cameras, which is good.

[A]

I. Well, I got. I was on camera because I got. I got people sending me screenshots. And of course, all the screenshots are like, mid clap. So it's me. Like, they're all brilliant, but yet. No, the. The other thing now. So my parents asked this because of course everybody's watching to support Danielle at this point. How many guests do you think were there? Like, if you the entire audience there from it was what, multi tiered, two different tiers. So the bottom, there's kind of stadium seating. And then the top there's like a balcony. People can. Right, 300 people.

[C]

Yeah, two or 300. Two or 300 people.

[A]

And so in not that big a space.

[C]

Right. Well, because you also have probably about 200 crew members.

[A]

@ least. At least an army.

[C]

Live television is such a different beast than we are used to. I mean, when we did our tapings of Boy Meets World, there was an energy, but it was also kind of relaxing. You know, you'd be like, oh, cut. And everybody's, you know, talking. There's never a moment, like, you always have a big clock to ticking down, somebody announcing, we're back in 90 seconds. We're back. And five, four, applause.

[A]

Y.

[C]

So there's so much energy going into this and.

[A]

And in between all that yelling, a DJ constantly playing music. So there's no quiet, there's no calm.

[C]

There's no.

[A]

Yeah, I.

[C]

It made me so nervous.

[A]

Yeah, I was anxious, too.

[C]

Really anxious. And then if I. We saw Danielle, like from a distance a couple times. Totally calm, totally seems like in charge. Looking beautiful.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

So I think the right person is doing dances with us.

[A]

That's what I was going to say, but I wanted to ask her because, you know, we watched it live and then we watch it back on camera. And watching it back on camera and knowing Danielle, I could see how nervous she was really, for the first time. Yet there were some. There were some, like, obviously her mouth was dry, so there was some, like lip smack and things that you recognize in another.

[C]

Criticizing Danielle. What are we doing here?

[A]

That's why we're here.

[C]

We're here to just.

[A]

We're not even to talk about any of the other performers. It's just criticizing Danielle, her dancing? No. So it was. No, but it's just because I've known her for 30 years, so she. She can. And fake. It's not the right word. She's just a professional. So she's. She can entertain even. It's like a good entertainer. It doesn't matter what you're feeling inside. You go out and you entertain. And that's Danielle. So I know Danielle well enough to know, like, oh, she's nervous, but that was it. Nobody else would have picked it up.

[C]

Yeah, she seemed totally cool to me. All right, so what did you know about Dancing with the Stars before going to the show?

[A]

Probably as much as you. I knew it was a very popular television show on abc. I think I knew it was on abc. I knew that celebrities, athletes and social media stars go on. I know a little bit of it because my other podcast, Magical Rewind, my co host was a big celebrity dancer, Sabrina Bryan. She was also, it was I guess a big A to do because no one thought she should be kicked off. When she was kicked off like she only made it like six or seven weeks and that was a big thing. So I knew a little bit about it, but other than that, nothing. I knew exactly what you did. I didn't know how they scored it. I didn't know any of the stuff they do. I still don't entirely know how they.

[C]

Score it or what don't either how.

[A]

They kill people off.

[C]

Like I'm not sure what the relationship between the judges numbers and the votes are like, are they added up together? Do the votes ultimately count and the judges numbers are just there as like a guide. Like this is what the professionals think. But you can just, it's so is it just a popularity contest?

[A]

I don't know how then sub question asking this to add to the, to some fuel to the fire. How are our critiques going to kind of you know, match in with the judges critiques and the audience critiques because now this is going to be the preeminent, we're going to have judges, major star shows. That's what I'm saying.

[C]

So because people trust us as the new experts.

[A]

Exactly. That's all it takes is you know, a microphone and a smile. And now we're the experts too. So.

[C]

Okay, so let's talk about your experience with dancing. Have you ever done ballroom dancing? Do you know anything about ballroom dance?

[A]

I, I, back in the day when I was a kid, I think I took a ballroom dancing class when I mean kid like 10, 11 years old. And then strangely enough, one of the ways jokingly that Danielle and I would pass the time behind the set of Boy Meets World is I would grab her and we would fake tango or fake salsa or fake cha cha.

[C]

So you were her coach.

[A]

So I essentially taught Danielle you. Essentially.

[C]

Okay, okay. So you know he's the sensei.

[A]

Right.

[C]

And she's still learning.

[A]

I'm the hand, she's the clay. And I'm only as good as the clay that I have and the clay that I had back in the 90s, not that great. Right. So I think with the, some of the dancers she's working with now will probably pull a little more out of her than I could. But that's only because I was working on such A higher level of dance at the time. Right, that. Yeah. No, I. I think I've drunkenly danced at maybe two weddings.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

And then I was told about it later, so I don't even remember doing that. So. Not a dancer. Never been a dancer. How about you? What's your level of dance expertise?

[C]

Yeah, no, no, nothing. I have been to the ballet twice in my life.

[A]

Oh, that's.

[C]

And loved it both times. I went every year. Why don't I do this all the time? Because it's gorgeous. It's amazing. And when it's, you know, telling a story, especially, like, I just get so. So. But I just never think about it. I never think, like, oh, I should get tickets to the latest ballet, which I now I really want to start doing. All right, well, the extent of my experience is having seen the movie Strictly ballroom in the 90s. That's. That's my knowledge of actual ballroom dancing.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

All right, so let's get into the opening episode of season 34 of Dancing with the Stars.

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[C]

Opens with a big dance number done by these incredible dancers. We got to see it twice because they do a rehearsal first and then they do it again. I was amazed. Immediately thought these people are incredible.

[A]

Incredible.

[C]

Just seems like there's so many of them, they're moving everywhere. I don't understand how they're not bumping into cameras, bumping into each other. It's insane.

[A]

Well, I was just about to say, and I didn't know if we should save this to the end, but they're the best dancer of the night by far. Was the Steadicam operator.

[C]

Steady cam operator.

[A]

You never saw, because I watched this back last night. You never once catch a glimpse of this guy.

[C]

Nope.

[A]

You never see him on camera. He is up in this, the, he's in the dances. He is there with this giant rig.

[C]

On, running around them in circles and doing all the amazing shots which I, I could see what was happening while we were there. I could see this guy working so hard carrying this heavy camera rig. Uh, but then to watch back the episode, it was just beautiful. And you realize like this guy or this team, you know, all these camera people are making this show so much better than, than it would be if it was just like a static, you know, stage camera or whatever. It's incredible. It gives it so much energy. And I, I found my interpretations of the dances really changed. Seeing them on, seeing them on camera is a very different experience than being in the room.

[A]

It is so different seeing that. And so one of the things I noticed because when I was looking at the judges a lot of the time, obviously your eyes are over there to see what they know and they're staring down. They're not looking. They're either standing up, looking close, or they're staring down. So they must have monitors right in front of them connected directly to the camera, that is that they're watching all the little stuff going on because they clearly saw that in a different way.

[C]

All right, so after the opening number, we get introduced to our first dance couple, Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa. Yes, I will state clearly now. I did not know who anybody was. I don't know who any of the dancers are except Corey Feldman, similar generational actor, and Andy Richter. I, I, I don't think I've ever seen Andy in anything other than movies, but I knew who he was. Right.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[C]

So those are the two.

[A]

Not quite the same way. I knew Jordan Childs because I like, I like the Olympics. And obviously I knew gymnastics is big in the Olympics. So, yes, I, I'd heard her name, so I'd certainly seen her perform. But I'm kind of in the same boat with you. None of the dancers, obviously. I didn't know a single dancer there, but.

[C]

So Jordan Chiles made headlines at the 2024 Olympics when the bronze medal she won in the floor exercise final in Paris was stripped by the Court of Arbitration for Sport following a challenge by Romania. Crazy. She still holds two Olympic medals, a team gold from the 2024 Games and a team silver from. From the delayed 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. They danced the salsa to the song Break My Soul by Beyonce. I was pretty much blown away. I also, I, it. I've always wondered about the line between gymnastics and dancing because.

[A]

Well, that's what I want to talk about.

[C]

Please. Because, you know, I've always watched floor routines and gymnastics and been like, they're dancing. They're just doing so much more athletic, you know?

[A]

Right.

[C]

Like flips and whatnot. But, but to see this dance and to see some of that work integrated in, and then to hear the judge's response, which was not super positive about all the. Was, was kind of jarring for me because I was like, but come on, she can do these things, right?

[A]

But it's like salsa dancing. No, I guess that's the question.

[C]

Well, this question what this whole show is judging. I was like, yes. Bruno, Derek, guys, calm down. The woman just flew through the air and did all these crazy flips. Could you do that? But it doesn't matter.

[A]

No, exactly. If the show is called Magic with the Stars, and I'm awesome at juggling, did I do magic or did I juggle?

[C]

Right.

[A]

So that's the Thing is, it's like I watched it back and again knowing nothing of salsa other than it's phenomenal on chips. You could. It was one of those things where I was like, oh, she's. She's doing cool gymnastics, but is this salsa dancing?

[C]

So that gets to the heart of like, my conflict with the show is just not understanding enough about dance. But I'm getting better. I feel like having watched it twice now. I'm like, I could see what they were saying this time around. I was like, oh, yeah, it was just a little. Something was a little off. It was a little stiffer or more stilted than it should be.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

But I thought it was still so impressive. But I guess it gets into this question of, like the difference between entertainment or just doing a show and doing a dance.

[A]

Right.

[C]

Correctly doing a dance specifically. Yeah.

[A]

It's not just really.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

I think we also have to throw in. And this is a real thing. They were first.

[C]

Right.

[A]

On the first episode of a brand new season. It's like they're. Talk about nerve wracking. You're the first one to go. That's got to be really, really tough. So the question. Now I'm going to throw this question out at you every week. Would you rather go first and get it over with or would you rather sit there and watch other teams and then I think I'd rather go first to just get it over with. Yes. I agree. I agree 100%.

[C]

I'd be sitting backstage for the whole time just holding, freaking out. Ye.

[A]

Yes. Freaking. Same, same.

[C]

Okay, so they did their dance, the judges. I noticed Bruno standing to judge. I really like his energy. He's funny. He's great.

[A]

He's great.

[C]

But they both give amazing notes. Actually, like, especially watching it back a second time, I was like, yeah, this is really good feedback. They are super positive. And then they said that they were going to be harsh because it's the first episode. So.

[A]

Yeah. The number. They want to give themselves somewhere to go, Right?

[C]

Yes. Which made sense. Yeah. So they both only only gave this dance a five each, so it was a solid 10. I was amazed. Yeah.

[A]

No, out of 30 technically, because. Because the other thing we missed, the third judge. The third judge. And apparently from what everybody said is you and I have never seen the show, but apparently the third judge, the woman, brings a whole different level to everything. It balances out the. The judges and it's really different. I kind of. With the three of them, I kind.

[C]

Of wanted a little a third voice because these guys were kind of in agreement. They have different energies, but they were kind of in agreement with each other. And they seemed very. I mean, maybe this is everybody. But they seemed very focused on, like, dance and timing and like, less. Less blown away by somebody's ability to entertain, which.

[A]

Right.

[C]

Actually pretty great and kind of important, so.

[A]

Yes. Well, it is. It's. It's part. You know, I was. I think this would. This would fit. I was talking to you guys. Keep going back to magicians. But I was talking to a magician yesterday who said it's so much easier to take an entertainer and teach them magic than it is to take a magician and teach them how to entertain.

[C]

Wow.

[A]

So I wonder if it's easier to take an entertainer and teach them how to dance than take a dancer and teach them how to light up and entertain on the floor. Right, so.

[C]

Because I tend to agree with you. But then after watching the show, again, I don't know, the ones who were professional dancers when they were younger really stood out. There's something about. They have it in their bones in a way that even people like Danielle, who was amazing. They don't. She doesn't have it yet. You know, she doesn't have a certain dancer thing. So I was kind of. I'm surprised by the fact that they allow ex professional dancers to even be one of the stars. It seems like kind of counter to the whole point of the show, which is these people are not pros, but.

[A]

Right.

[C]

I guess, you know, everybody. It's gonna be interesting to watch this journey.

[A]

Me too. Wait, before we. Before we move on to our next pair, which we have to do quickly, do you agree with the judges scoring and would you have changed it in any way, shape or form? Would you also have given them the same amount in the room?

[C]

I was like, no, she deserved a six or seven, like, at least for. And. But then watching it back, yeah, I think five was a good way to go. If we're keeping the first episode, like, low to, like, give them room to improve.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

She should know that, like, she can't get away with just that. You know, the athleticism, it's. It's impressive.

[A]

Amazing.

[C]

Integrate it better, maybe.

[A]

Agreed. 100%. All right, good. So we're. We're both in agreement with the first 10.

[C]

Yeah. Yeah. All right. So. All right, then we had Dylan Efron and Daniella Karach. So Dylan Efron is Zack Efron's brother.

[A]

He was in middle school. Middle School Musical, which nobody saw.

[C]

One season three of a show called Traders, which I'VE also never heard of, but apparently is a big deal.

[A]

We keep saying that we're. Everyone's saying we're supposed to watch this.

[C]

Okay. So I felt, I felt for Dylan because in his pre show package he was talking about how he's really brave about doing adventurous stuff, like outdoorsy stuff, but the idea of dancing scares the crap out of him and that's why he's doing it. And I was like, yes, you're my guy. You're my guy. And given that, I really enjoyed his dance because, you know, I was like, dude, you're doing it. You're out there, you're putting yourself out there. Um, she was probably the best dancer of the night for me.

[A]

She was incredible.

[C]

Could incredible believe how good she was.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

And part of that is because I think she was working very hard to compensate, which I guess is kind of the balance. Right. Like these people, because she was just giving it everything. And it was so impressive for me. It was like, oh, is this. That's like the level that we can achieve. And actually, I don't think anybody really beat her. For me, I thought Daniela Karagach was like the most amazing dancer of the night.

[A]

She was great. They, they, yeah. But you could tell that he. It again, I don't know if it's nervous or whatever, but it was a stilted kind of. He just seemed very stiff in the room though.

[C]

I enjoyed it a lot more watching it back again, I was. I know, yeah. But there's something about him on camera. Like when he jumped on the table in person, it was fantastic start. And I was like, oh, he's doing it. When I watched it on tv, I was like, you're trying a little hard, but yep, yep. So I agree it's an in person energy. It was very different.

[A]

It is very different. But yeah, I feel I fell for him too. And I agree with the judges score.

[C]

And they were doing the cha cha cha to a song called Milkshake, which just didn't feel completely integrated. There's something a little. Yeah. And the judges said that essentially and gave them both. They both gave fives. So at this point I'm like, are we just going to give fives for the whole night? What?

[A]

You know? Well, you can see because when the judges said your timing was way off, when I was watching it there, I was like, it didn't seem way off. And then watching it on camera, I was like, no, the timing was off. He was doing one thing, she was doing another. So yeah, it was. The timing was off.

[C]

Get out your metronome.

[A]

Yep.

[C]

Dylan.

[A]

All right, so we agree with the scores.

[C]

Yes. Yeah.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

I mean, I need to.

[C]

Yeah. Actually, watching it back, I feel like they could have.

[A]

It could have been a little lower, a little harsher, but I don't think they were. They're trying to do that, and then they did that for some people. I was like, oh, they are going lower than 5. So, yeah, it was. Yeah, I agree.

[C]

All right, next up, we had Elaine Hendricks and Alan Burstyn. Elaine is.

[A]

Who is not Ellen Burstyn. I had to look that up. Totally different person.

[C]

Person. Elaine is an actor. She was in the Parent Trap. She played Meredith Blake in that. She's also appeared on Dynasty, Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll and Joan of Arcadia. I did not know who she was, but when I saw her face, I was like, oh, yeah, I think I've seen. I've seen her around. Yeah, they dance the cha cha to cha cha cha to woman. And I thought this was like, a really. The first. Like, oh, this is a great dance.

[A]

She knew what she was doing.

[C]

She knew what she was doing. Turns out she was a dancer in.

[A]

The past, so that had to give it up because she got hit by a car.

[C]

Yes.

[A]

Yikes. So she's got the chops and the story. Because I think this. The personal story is also hugely important for. Because you're voting. So, I mean, you have to keep in mind that this is for the country. And I think the story of a woman who wanted to be a dancer and then got hit by a car had to give it up and then can still do that. I think she's gonna go pretty far in this competition.

[C]

Yeah, she really. She did great.

[A]

She was great.

[C]

So the judges actually, Derek said something about her performance. He said it has a Broadway quality, and I thought that's really accurate. You know, it was an after dancing, and I could tell that she was more of an actor, but I liked that she was doing all these faces and, like, twiddling her fingers. And then they did that one, like, handshake at one point where they did, like, the, you know, like, the up down thing. Yes, it was great. So I. I was thoroughly entertained. And they. The judges gave them a six and a six. I. I think I would have given them a seven.

[A]

I agree. 100. I. I agree 100%. I thought she was great.

[C]

She.

[A]

It reminded me of, like, oh, that's the person you cast in Chicago. The movie. Or one of these kind of big D movies, because she had the whole package. The outfit Looked great. The start with the big hat. Her partner was awesome. She was just so happy to be there. She was, like, always coming along.

[C]

I know.

[A]

Hell, yes.

[C]

So it was. She's a contender. She's definitely a big contender.

[A]

She had. She had me. She was. She was great. And I agree with you 100%. I think they could have gone a little bit higher with her score.

[C]

So next up, we had Whitney Levitt and Mark Ballas. Whitney is a social media influencer and entrepreneur who stars alongside the fellow Dancing with The Star Season 4 cast member Jen Affleck on the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. She is a mom of three. She has over 2.5 million followers on Tik Tok.

[A]

Jeez.

[C]

But she is also a dancer. I thought she was really good. Yeah. The tango to the song golden from K Pop Demon Hunters, which is just like the best song of the night. It's like, it was such a good selection because it's so of the moment. Like, this is the song my kid is listening to. Every. Everybody's kid is listening to.

[A]

It's big.

[C]

Super smart.

[A]

Apparently her partner, Mark Ballas is like, this is the guy who's won a whole bunch of times. Okay. He is the man when it comes to the dancers, apparently. And I guess he had left the show, by the way, producer Tara, if anything we're saying is completely and totally wrong and you know the answer, please jump in with this stuff, because I. But I think he, like, left the show under some kind of. It wasn't controversy, but it was more like he just wanted to take off, and then he's recently come back. So I think this was kind of a big deal. Right?

[B]

Yeah. So he basically. He's been on. His first ever partner was Sabrina Bryant. Oh, yes. And that was his first season. And he left. He had an injury. I think it was. I can't remember what kind of injury, but he had an injury. So he wasn't dancing regularly because it's very hard on your body.

[A]

Yeah. But he came back and won with.

[B]

Charlie d', Amelio, and he just. He basically talked about that he's been healing and taking care of his body.

[A]

And he wanted to come back.

[B]

So there was no controversy.

[A]

It was just okay. But he was like, am I wrong that he was, like, the face of the male dancers for Dancing with the Stars for a while? He was like, the guy. Right.

[B]

It was always like him and Derek were on at the same time.

[A]

Derek, right. Who's the. Who's the judge?

[B]

Yes. And then we have Max, who's Val's brother. There was a lot of those key players.

[A]

Yeah, man.

[C]

All right. This. This. This one with Whitney And. And Mark was like. I was like, oh, it's gonna keep getting better. Like, this was.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Oh, the last one was the best of the night. Now it took it to even the next level. I was like, well, this is great. The judges gave him a 7 and an 8 in a weird, controversial moment.

[A]

Oh, yes. So apparently, yeah, you have to. It's one thing apparently. And they. We heard the. The voice over the loudspeaker saying. Which they cut out from the live show. You. You have to lock. Oh, no, they had it in the live show. You have to lock in your number first. So apparently the judges, they have to literally hit a button to lock in their number and then pick up their paddle. He locked in an 8, but picked up a 7. So when they then cut later to the. To Julianne Hoff talking about it, she got a message in her ear, Pierce saying, no, they actually. You put an 8. So that was a 14. And then went up to a 15 because apparently he had locked in the 8 button, so.

[C]

Which I think it deserved.

[A]

I do, too.

[C]

I feel like pretty much overall, this was the highest scoring dance of the night from the judge's point of view. I think it was probably top.

[A]

Top three. It was one of the top. Agreed, 100%. I don't think it was the best. But I also have a question, which we're going to have to talk about as the show progresses. Especially is the balance between stage props and flashy stuff going on and just dancing.

[C]

Who makes these decisions?

[A]

I think they do okay.

[C]

Because there were some that had such high production value and then others like Danielle Fishel. She's very straightforward. And just think about the dance and in the room, I was like, well, we should be having all the fire. But then watching it back, I was like, no, there's something to being classy and subdued and, like, also, you can grow.

[F]

This game is strategy.

[A]

Yes. Yes.

[F]

And there is strategy involved in every decision that's made on this show. And Danielle and pasha and all the. That dancers that you saw are making decisions based on what they want on the stage, what they want their creative to be. They all have their hands in it.

[A]

Right.

[C]

And they're telling a story in such an interesting way because, like, when I. You know, I have watched American idol for years. I've watched other competition shows where they spend more time with the contestants behind the scenes. Where you. You. The part of the storytelling is like, getting to know them as people or like their families or whatever. There's very little of that in this show. We get the. The, like, one minute package to introduce each one of them. And I'm very curious to see how that happens every week, like, because, well.

[A]

It'Ll grow because as people get kicked off, the package is going to get longer because then there's only six people. So I imagine the dance gets longer and the package gets longer, I would think.

[C]

Yeah. So I guess what. What I'm saying is the dancing is the storytelling.

[A]

Right.

[C]

Do you know what I mean? So watching these people now that we've, like, sort of taken notes and watching them progress is going to earn more appreciation, you know? So, like, that's going to be very interesting to see somebody who probably out of the gate was just a solid dancer and then maybe stays there over the course of the season and the people who get better and better. And I feel like, yeah, I'm going to be invested in those. Those stories without even knowing anything about, you know, them as people or really seeing them, like, hanging out that much or like, I think that's really cool. That's something about this.

[A]

I agree. But watching. Watching it back and watching just the people that danced without all the page tree on the stage, it let. It made me think they have a place to go with this. They can grow from here. Whereas if you started a 10, I know, where do you go? It's like, okay, that's amazing. You killed it on the first night when nobody's going to be kicked off. But where. You know, you got to ramp this up every week. Now how do you do that?

[F]

So I. My question to you then is strategically about Dancing with the Stars. If you are given the opportunity to have a car on your stage or something like that, and you can do it in week one, do you say no? Because week two and three, you don't have it anymore or you can't do.

[A]

That Every week I say no. I start exactly how Danielle started, which is two people dancing to great music with great costumes.

[F]

And I will make. I will make. This is no inside baseball because I would have noticed this just by watching the show. But Mark and Pasha and Val are three of the most seasoned veterans on the male side. Two of the three had no nothing on the stage. And the Val had Alex Earl the influencer, and he put a lot on the stage with fire and, you know, ring of fire. And I think she needs that because she is a very showy celebrity. But you would notice the other Two strategically did not do it. So we'll see.

[A]

Well, I also have a question when it comes to the actual dance aspect of the show. So if you're a male professional dancer on the show and Danielle Fischl is your partner. Great. You, come on. I'm going to teach you how to dance. I'm the man, so I lead. That's traditionally how it works when the woman is the professional dancer. Is the woman leading or is the woman not only teaching the dance, but teaching the man to lead? Does anybody know?

[F]

That's all. It's all of it.

[A]

It's both.

[C]

It's both, Yeah. I mean, I think. I think. I mean, you can see that they're working with what they've got.

[A]

Right, Right.

[C]

But no, I think technically the man always has to lead. So. Yeah. That determines whose arm is which arm in which direction.

[A]

Yes. Because it's like, not only do I have to teach you how to dance, but I have to teach you how to lead me.

[F]

This is a whole strategy, though, because it's all plays into it because I think it's easier for the men because dancing, ballroom dancing has a focus on the female, and you're mostly looking at the female in any case, where he's the frame. So. So it's harder. You could argue both ways. It's easier for the male celebrity or it's more.

[C]

I don't know if. I mean, I definitely think they're leading, but I'm not sure if leading necessarily means that it takes more skill.

[A]

Right.

[C]

You know what I mean? It's just a different skill.

[A]

Did you also notice in most of the dances, which of course, we do not see when we're on the stage, there are many a time, especially with the women, where the women professional dancers, where they are speaking to the dancers as the dance is going on. Like at one point for the Corey Feldman dance, she says to him, before he does his own thing. And I rewound it and rewound it and kept reading her lips. I'm pretty sure she says, do it. They love you. And so she's like pumping him up before. So I think the women are really trying to like. Yeah.

[C]

Smile.

[A]

You saw smile a lot. Because you're probably in your head trying to think of the dance steps. Yes. And so it's like, smile. So the women especially were really leading the men with like, okay, smart. You can do it. You're. And it was amazing to watch that back. You could really see them talking to them while they're dancing.

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[A]

Baron Sports ball.

[C]

Yeah, he's a basketball player apparently. I really liked him, his energy. They sang or they, they danced the cha cha cha to. You Can't Touch this by MC Hammer.

[A]

Great song.

[C]

Yeah. So this was the first like, ah, now I'm watching somebody who really.

[A]

Yeah, really is like watching us.

[C]

Yeah, exactly. You know, as much as, as, as Dylan Efron was sort of saying that he was uncomfortable. Like, you know, Baron was also dealing with an older body and like, and injuries and everything else between being an athlete, you know, and then being a dancer where it's like, it's a whole different body thing and you're using your body differently. And he was visibly uncomfortable, but he gave it his all. I thought it was Fine. And super entertaining.

[A]

He was really. There's a couple times. And he wasn't the only one where there you could really tell that somebody has no dance experience. Probably does not. How to. Cannot move particularly gracefully. This would be me. Yep. And so it's one of those things where it's like, you're essentially gonna move a little bit and hold your hands up and I'm gonna dance around you.

[C]

Exactly. And that's. And that's what Britt was like. Daniela just killing it.

[A]

Yes.

[C]

And then. Fantastic. You know, he's kind of static while she's like spinning all around him. And, like, kept giving him time to, like, do like, little moves on his own. Yeah.

[A]

Point that way. Right. I don't know. I would say. No, it was. It just. And again, you're right. This is where we're. We're trying to balance the younger. You've got somebody like Jordan Childs who's also a. An athlete like Baron Davis is, but somebody who's an athlete who is probably still in her 20s, who's been flipping all over the place, is a gymnast. So it's like you. It's easier to cover. Maybe you don't have the dance aspect when you're doing splits in midair and all this other stuff where he's probably like, I'm 50 something years old and my body's a little bit wrecked. So, yeah, I'm gonna do the Running man, which was kind of cool. And it's more. That's more about the personality and the entertainment than anything else. Now we have to see if they progress actually, as dancers. I know.

[C]

I'm really hoping they do because I did find it entertaining. It was fun. I did too.

[A]

But he's also on my list of it's real possible that he's on the bubble to go.

[C]

I think so.

[A]

And this is where we're gonna see if it's about dancing or it's about a personality contest. Because there's two or three. If it's just about dancing where it's like, okay, they're clearly not dancers, you know. Oh.

[C]

They both got fives from the judges, giving them a total score of 10, which seemed like a.

[A]

A bit of a gift. Yes. And a bit of a gift since later people got a little bit lower. That easily could have been lower, but I think his personality pushed it over the edge.

[C]

Yeah. Next up, we had Alex Earl and Val Chmerkovsky. Alex is an online influencer. Her effect has been dubbed the Alex Earl effect, referring to her ability to make products Go viral.

[A]

She has an effect. She's big enough to have her own effect, I guess. So. Like the butterfly.

[C]

They danced the cha cha cha to Britney Spears Circus. This was a. This was the biggest set of the night.

[A]

The big fire boobies behind. Did you see the fire boobies circle? Well, they did. When you look at it straight on, it looked like two pairs of fire boobies.

[C]

Really? I thought it was just one circle. What do think you talking about?

[A]

No, this was fire boobies in the back. There's two things like spinning that look.

[C]

Like she started on a little stand with a whip. It was. There was a lot going on, and frankly, I don't think they needed it. I think she. I think she was a very good dancer. But going back to, like, what. What. What Elaine Hendrick brought to her performance, this was like the opposite of that. I felt like she was kind of stiff.

[A]

Stiff. Agreed.

[C]

100. Doing all the moves right, but you're 100% dead inside.

[A]

There was. It was.

[C]

Yes.

[A]

There's no soul. It felt like it was a little bit soulless. Like, it was technically very good, but there was kind of no soul behind it.

[C]

I feel like all the fireworks and fires and whips was all an attempt to kind of distract from that 100%. So the judges gave them a seven and a six.

[A]

Fire boobies do it every time. I would have to, because.

[C]

And it's. It's interesting because, you know, I feel a little unfair because we're saying, you know, but by the criteria of, like, was. I was watching her going, well, yeah, you can dance, but I don't know if I want to keep watching you dance. Isn't that weird?

[A]

It's not fully entertaining. And. And also, I notice, like, fire boobies is a perfect example, which I'm going to keep saying as often as I can. It's a perfect example of when we were watching. When I was watching it back on tv, I was watching all the stuff going on around her, all the fire and the flames and everything else, and then I was like, oh, that's right. Wait. Constant straight on her dancing. I. It was secondary to everything else that was happening on stage.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

So I. Yeah, it's. There's a lot going on. There's a lot going on. Yeah.

[C]

All right. So you. Would you have kept the.

[A]

I agree with you 100%. No, I would have. They gave a one gave a seven and one gave a six. I would have probably done dual sixes or maybe even a five and a six. Yeah.

[C]

I think they're really Reacting to the dancing more than the. The entertainment. And yes. All right, next up we had Scott Hoin and Riley Arnold. Scott is a Grammy and an Emmy award winning musician from the group Pentatonix.

[A]

Yeah. This on our Christmas playlist. Their little drummer boy brings the, Brings the house down, my friend. Their real life pitch perfect.

[C]

Yeah. I want to check them out. They've. They've sold over 13 million albums.

[A]

32 billion albums. Yeah.

[C]

Wow. They did the tango to Abracadabra by Lady Gaga. You could tell in his package, his pre dance package, that he was uncomfortable and kind of an awkward dancer. And he said this thing about being more vulnerable than singing, which I found really interesting. I was like, do I feel that way? Because singing is also very vulnerable.

[A]

Right. But not when you're. He's in a group with like six other people doing harmony. So it's like you're there with your friends. Like when I go on stage by myself, I'm terrified. When I'm there with you and Danielle, I'm totally, completely relaxed. Yeah, that's true. So, yeah.

[C]

So what'd you think of the dance?

[A]

I thought he was clunky and a bit stiff.

[C]

She was overcompensating a little bit.

[A]

100%. 100%. She was trying hard. And I think one of the things we also never talk about and should never in the history of this show, by the way, we're halfway through our first episode, that the professional dancers have to be pretty, you know, pretty nervous as well.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

So I felt for the first time that the professional dancer was a little bit nervous and that, like you said, pushing it a little bit. And it was not my favorite dance of the night.

[C]

What a hard job to be these dancers.

[A]

I couldn't imagine.

[C]

I mean, you. No idea what you're dealing, what you're going to get, and you have to work with what you've got. Right?

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

So when you, when, when, you know, Baron shows up and he's wanting to do something like hip hop related, but you're trying to do, you know, like that's a challenge. Or when I'm on.

[A]

I'm not so sure. Sue and I were talking about this. I'm sure that when they find out who their celebrity is, there's a bunch of them that are like, oh, I'm not gonna win this year. Like, there's no. Because I think winning's a big deal for the dancers. So it's. I think there's times where they get paired with somebody where they're like, okay, well, It'll be fun. They'll be nice, but there's no way we're gonna win anything this year.

[C]

So, yeah, the judges gave them five and five.

[A]

I thought it was fair. It could have gone a little lower.

[C]

Could have gone a. Could have.

[A]

Agreed. Agreed. But I thought it was fair but lower.

[C]

Next up, the one and only one.

[A]

Let's skip this.

[C]

Daniel. We should just skip this one.

[A]

Let's just skip this one.

[C]

Danielle Fischel and Pasha Poshkov. If you don't know who Danielle is, look her up.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

I thought these guys killed it.

[A]

Yes, I did.

[C]

We are obviously biased, but for all the reasons we've already sort of talked about, it was stripped down, it was focused. It was delightful. I in the room, I liked it a lot. Seeing it back, I liked it even more.

[A]

100% agree with you.

[C]

They had. So they did the tango to Stronger by Kelly Clarkson. They had, for the first time, I felt, and maybe the truly the most of anybody, a real connection as dancers. It was.

[A]

Did you also notice it started with the most Danielle thing you'll ever see in your life?

[C]

What?

[A]

Well, it started and the lights come up, and she fixes his suit.

[C]

Really?

[A]

Yeah. It's the first thing she did was pat his shoulders down and fix his suit. Like the mom and Danielle is always there taking care of her partner. And that's so the first thing I was like, that's the most Danielle thing in the world.

[C]

They felt so alive. They felt like they were having fun. It was, like, sexy and, like, it was still technically good, but it felt human. It felt like they were owning it, like only these two people could. And that, to me is like, the greatest thing.

[A]

That's it. And they were just dancing. There's no fire. There's no. When she's grabbing the back of his head and looking him in the eye. You believed that almost more than you did anybody else who was dancing tonight. 100%.

[C]

Yeah. So the judges gave them six, and six gave her a note about her shoulders, which I didn't notice, but I guess is a common note. And I took the shoulder only note, which was like a generic, like, oh, do your shoulders thing. Okay.

[A]

And they even said they commented on how they're going to say that all season. Long shoulder, shoulder, shoulder, shoulder, shoulder. That's a thing?

[C]

Yeah. I think. I think Derek should have probably given them a seven. I'm not sure why.

[A]

I don't disagree with you. I thought they were absolutely wonderful. But I also thought, you know, a word. I love a George Bush word. Strategy. Thinking of strategy. They have a lot of places to go now with where they can. I'd also like to take a very brief pause here because I'm going to be introducing a little segment here every week that I am calling Will's History of Dance.

[C]

Oh, please.

[A]

Now, yes. Because, you know, I don't dance myself. But the other thing you might not know is all I do is read and study about dancing.

[C]

Really.

[A]

So all of this is off the top of my head. I just want you to know. So every week, I'm gonna be doing a very, very small and brief history of the dance that Danielle is doing. Unless she doubles up, and then we'll pick on some. If she does the tango again, we'll do something else. But we're gonna get everybody the Brief History of Dance. So just off the top of my head, I wanted you to know that tango originated in the late 19th century in the Rio de la Plata region of Buenos Aires, Argentina and Montevideo, Uruguay.

[C]

Oh, you're not reading this? No, this is.

[A]

I just figured you'd want to know this. I'm not reading this. Reading it. As a fusion of musical and dance traditions from European immigrants and African rhythms initially. This is interesting. The expression of immigrants and outcasts in the slums and bordellos. Tango gained popularity by the turn of the 20th century, spreading to the middle class, into the upper class, and then eventually becoming a global phenomenon, notably in Paris today. It encompasses. It encompasses various styles, with Argentine tango remaining a cherished cultural tradition alongside ballroom and North American variations.

[C]

Do you regularly just throw the word bordello's into. I do.

[A]

I was going to say brothels. That's. But, you know, I. I thought everybody would want to know that. Again, just to h. Baby, Top of the head. I thought everybody should know what was going on. We're going to do that every week because I have it all in madom. So I'll just let you know.

[C]

Okay. Next up, Jen Affleck and Jan Ravnick. Jen is the other secret Mormon wife. Wife. Wives. Wife. Are they all married to the same person? No. That's illegal. Right?

[A]

That's not. They're not polygamists. There's just. And I think there is something comical about the fact that there's multiple Mormon wives.

[C]

They're dancing. All right. They dance the salsa to Nueva Yol by Bad Bunny. I thought this was pretty good.

[A]

I did, too. I did, too. I thought they were actually dancing the salsa. Yes. It wasn't a bunch of fluff. It was dancing the salsa in the.

[C]

Pre show package, they announced that she had just had a baby eight weeks ago.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

What is that crazy? Like, we thought Danielle was taking on a lot doing this. Like, seriously, she has three kids, all under three and she took this on. I thought she was incredible.

[A]

Amazing.

[C]

Not even, just, even if I hadn't known that, but knowing that, it makes it even more incredible. Yeah, I could tell that it was. It was a bigger production. Again, she was being tossed around a lot. Yes, she. But that kind of makes sense given she had a baby eight weeks ago. Yeah. So. But the judges actually commented on the lifts, the amount of lifts, slowing down the flow, which I did feel.

[A]

I. I got that as well. But I also thought there was something interesting about seeing what I imagine. And again, I could be wrong. A traditional salsa. The music there, the costumes, the pageantry. It seemed like this is what traditional salsa is. And again, I could be wrong, but that's what I. It seemed like to me.

[C]

Right.

[A]

And it was hugely entertaining.

[C]

Well, the judges gave it six and six, so that's fair.

[A]

I think that was fair. Really?

[C]

I'm wondering if it was a little high.

[A]

Really? Yeah.

[C]

Because if, if we're going with the first week, you know, challenge yourself mentality. I think, I think one of them could have probably given them a five.

[A]

Interesting. Okay.

[C]

Them on their toes.

[A]

Fair enough.

[C]

All right, next up, Corey Feldman and Jenna Johnson. Corey, you know, I've actually never met Corey. You haven't seen.

[A]

Corey's an interesting dude.

[C]

Yeah, yeah. So he was a child star in the 80s from stand by Me, the Goonies, Lost Boys, Teenage Mutant Ninja turtles in the 90s. And he's been a musician lately and is. Has this dance history, but it's all very Michael Jackson focused. Apparently.

[A]

It is straight up Michael Jackson micro.

[C]

So they danced the tango to. It's still rock and roll to me. Yeah, this, you know, this was one of those examples of somebody bringing a lot of personality, bringing a certain skill set. But is it the tango also?

[A]

I. I was not a huge fan. You're talking about personality. Wasn't a huge fan of some of his facial expressions. I thought it was a little much at times.

[C]

Okay.

[A]

I thought it was a little bit much. And yes, he's. He talked about how he has scoliosis. So, you know, I'm sure he can't. Mobility is probably an issue with some of it, especially since every single dance ends with the woman bent over and the guy holding her for some reason. Every single dance, the whole night. But yeah, this was, this was one of those kind of stiff, a little cringy ones for me. Yeah.

[C]

The judges gave it a four and five. This was the first four of the night.

[A]

I thought that was fair.

[C]

You see, I didn't at the time when we were live because I was like, come on, the guy is doing everything he can. But when I watched it back I was like, yeah, it's not, it's. I want to see you actually pull off.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

The dance moves.

[A]

I agree.

[C]

Not, not just do your little Michael Jackson stuff.

[A]

Yes.

[C]

So, yeah.

[A]

And she was talking to him the whole time. Yeah, you can see. Go back and watch. She's talking to him the whole time. Yep.

[C]

All right, then we had Lauren Jauregi and Brandon Armstrong. Lauren is a singer known for the girl group Fifth Harmony.

[A]

I.

[C]

This was incredible. I thought this was probably the best dance of the night.

[A]

She's up there. It's not my favorite one, but she's certainly up there. As, as. I mean, it was really, really bad for Irwin.

[C]

Aren't you.

[A]

I could not. But how do you know? How can you not be? I mean, the guy brought the house down at the end. It was so good. But there's a problem with that. Which we'll get to. But yes. No, she was, she was great. All of it. I mean, it was super entertaining and yeah, she was personable and the. Yeah, great. Yeah, great. Totally great.

[C]

All right, the judges gave seven and.

[A]

Six and it could have been double sevens.

[C]

I think it could have been double sevens.

[A]

Agreed. I agreed. Yep. This could have been higher. I agreed 100.

[C]

All right, next up we had Andy Richter and Emma Slater. So this was another example of a non dancing man, well known for comedy coming out and doing his best. I felt the age.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Which is a bummer. He said he was worried about his legs holding up and you could feel that tension.

[A]

You can tell it. You could tell.

[C]

And you know, he was so entertaining to watch. His, his faces were great. He had a, you know, this sort of fun mugging quality, maybe we'll call it. But it totally worked for me. But I wanted to see him pushing his body a little bit farther, which I don't know if he can.

[A]

He also lost it in the interview because they asked him, why are you here? And the first thing he answered was a paycheck. And when you say that even as a joke, you're going to turn off some people.

[C]

Right.

[A]

So I feel like he kind of might have lost it in the, in the. Well, you know, he's on the bubble.

[C]

To me, he's A very much comedian. Right. So he's used to a sort of a level of irony that probably doesn't feel appropriate to this show. This show feels very earnest. You know, the show is very much like beautiful people doing beautiful things and.

[A]

Like, it takes care of. Seriously.

[C]

Yeah. And I think if you try and like do that in any sort of ironic or mocking or, you know, self. Even somewhat self deprecating way, I don't know if it works.

[A]

No, I don't think so either. Self deprecating is fine, but this is. They want you to stand up there and say, I'm so happy to be here. I was, you know, this has been a struggle for me. That's what they're looking for. They're looking for that open, honest, and so even kind of making light of like, well, I'm here for the paycheck, like we thought. Think it's funny we know where he's coming from because we live in kind of a world of comedy. But for the voters, I'm not sure that was the way to go.

[C]

All right. They ended up with a score of 9. Next up was Hilaria Baldwin and Gleb Savchenko. So Hilary Baldwin is Alec Baldwin's wife and she's a yoga instructor, podcaster and author. They have seven kids.

[A]

Seven kids.

[C]

How many children people have?

[A]

Yep.

[C]

Wow. And apparently was a dancer and had an injury and had to take a. Take a long time off. They came back with the cha cha cha. Let's get loud by JLo. And this was just wonderful. It was great. She was incredible. And this is like clearly like the beginning of a. Or a return for her to something that she's really good at.

[A]

Yeah, I think so too. I think, I think there's between her and Elaine.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

I think the two of them are probably going to go very far. And you can tell these are people with dance experience. I mean, you can, you know, the whole show's about racing cars and two of them used to race cars. You're gonna be able to tell. So it's, you know, they used to dance and you can tell that they used to dance and it was great. Can she win them back? If she's good enough and humble enough, can she win them back as the greatest?

[C]

Well, her story is pretty great. You know, that she's rediscovering her dance self is pretty. That is a good story. It is.

[A]

I would argue it's a good story if you don't know the backstory. And since I didn't really know the Full backstory until my wife let me in on it. Then it's kind of like, oh, so, yeah, I don't. Again, Jensen's right. It's gonna be. It's gonna be. If it's a popularity contest, you got to see what's going to happen.

[C]

Right. Right.

[A]

So. But, yes, the dance was wonderful, and I thought they deserved the scores they got.

[C]

Yeah. Frankly, Final dance of the night, Robert Irwin and Whitney Carson. Yeah. So Robert Irwin is the. The son of Steve Irwin, and he's a global advocate for wildlife and conservation. His sister, one Indy, won season 21. I can't believe how many repeat people and groups like everybody. Everybody feels like they already have some relationship to the show.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Which I guess makes sense. They did the jive, which I don't even. Didn't even know was a type.

[A]

I didn't either.

[C]

I didn't to Born to Be Wild by Steppenwolf. And, yeah, this just blew the house down.

[A]

It was amazing.

[C]

And watching it back, he was really good.

[A]

He was great.

[C]

He felt like he was her equal.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Which I won't. I don't think I can say about any of the other men.

[A]

No. He also felt like he was so excited to be there that he's wanted to do this for years and he just couldn't wait to get out there.

[C]

He's also, what, 19?

[A]

Something like that?

[C]

20, 21.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

He's so young, and you feel like, oh, there's a part of dancing that is just a young man's game.

[A]

Yeah. Andy Richter's not jumping off a car. No.

[C]

Your body has to be going for it. And he has not only the physical capability, but also that energy that he can hurl his body around, you know, safely.

[A]

Yeah. So he's also did this last. I mean, he had to sit there all night and watch everybody else go, and the nerves could have gotten to you. And he just. Everybody jumped to their feet when we were done.

[C]

Where's he got to go from?

[A]

That's the question. If you start out of this, one goes to 11. Well, that's great. Where do you go from there?

[C]

Yeah, but always go to 11.

[A]

But this goes to 11. But, yeah, it's this. He was amazing and incredible, and it seemed like this should have been a fourth or fifth week performance.

[C]

See, I. I wonder if that's all part of an actual strategy where you blow it out and then you can sort of take it easy for a.

[A]

Little while and just show a dance or something next time. I don't know either.

[C]

Watching it Back like he. His rhythm is perfect. His physicality is really spot on. And like I said, he kept up with her to where I felt like I was watching two pros agree. In the opening dance number, you have all the people that I was like, oh, he fits in with this crew.

[A]

So he won the night. In my opinion, he won the night for all the reasons, pageantry or not, he won the night. It was just. It was really entertaining to watch. And somebody who has no dance background, knows nothing of dance, doesn't like dance, whatever you want to say, would watch that and be like, all right, that was entertaining.

[F]

I. I will say I. My wife is on the show. He had the. He's number one. I, I don't. I don't have any. Any doubts about that. I just wonder the position he's put himself in.

[C]

Yeah, that's exactly interesting because we want to see him grow. That's what I mean. Everybody else has room to grow. And. And part of the journey is going to be watching them tell that story. Story through the dance.

[F]

I mean, you guys, can you not imagine. I can. I can give you an exact wording. A judge might say, you know, I'm not sure you've captured what you had that first week.

[A]

Yes.

[F]

Exact sentence.

[A]

Yes. But the thing is, if he does grow every week, and that's where he started, no one's gonna catch.

[F]

Well, then he's Ben Vereen at the end.

[A]

Exactly. That's what I'm saying. So Ben Vereen. Oh, my God. Yeah.

[F]

Come on.

[A]

Gregory Hines.

[C]

Ben Farin. No Gregory Hines name.

[F]

Barishnikov.

[C]

No.

[F]

Dance. Have you heard of dance?

[C]

Dance, Dance, dance. What's he right, man?

[A]

Yeah, no, that was. It was a way to bring. It was a great way to end the show. I just wonder if he just started too heavy out of the.

[C]

Okay, so let's talk about who we expect to get kicked off and our top five.

[A]

I think on the bubble, you're going to have Feldman. Yep. It's going to be. Corey Feldman's going to be on the bubble. I think you're going to have. Andy Richter is going to be on the bubble. And hot take. I was talking about this with sue last night after watching it again. Hot take. I think Jordan Chiles might be on the bubble. Does. Those are my three possible on the bubble. I think because of his personality, Baron Davis is going to get through. I think I do. I don't think so. I think people. I think his personality is going to be enough to get him through. That's my, My Guess I feel like just picking.

[C]

You can't touch. This also aged him up a little.

[A]

Bit, but that I think you want to play into the fact that let people know, man, let's give him another time. He's. He's older, so. Yeah.

[C]

Deeper cut. Do you know what I mean? Like to do like the big mainstream hit from when you were a teenager or whenever it was cool to dance to. This song ages you up and made it. It felt like, you know, dad.

[A]

So then he's. He. So who's going home? Those are my three on the bubble. Who do you think's going home?

[C]

Yeah, I. I agree with you. I think Corey Fe Feldman's gonna stick around for another week. So.

[A]

So you think it's going to be Baron Davis and Andy Richter that are going to go.

[C]

Yep.

[A]

Very, very. I think the women clearly did better than the men. I think even the. The quote unquote, older women had dance experience and you could tell they had dance experience where the older men, Andy Richter, Baron Davis clearly did not.

[C]

I think we're going to see some real shine from Dylan Efron as the show goes on, because I think so too. I think he's gonna. Now he got it out of a system and I think he's gonna be like, oh, I can do this. I'm gonna figure this out.

[A]

Yeah. I think Lauren has a lot of potential. I think both the Mormon wives have a lot of potential, frankly. They're very, very good.

[C]

I think Danielle has positioned herself perfectly. Perfect that she displayed an ability to do the actual dance, what it's supposed to do, and have personality and really draw you in to the dance itself. So. So she's really great position.

[A]

I think she's a. A, a soft four, strong five position right now. And I think that's kind of exactly where you want to be after the first week. Gives you room to grow and you're not at the bottom.

[F]

Fair number. That's a fair number.

[A]

Yeah.

[F]

I think that's in between soft three, probable four. You know, very low five. You know, high five five.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. No, she's. And that's again, room to grow. So amazing. She did I. We couldn't have been prouder of her. It was because this. It be really easy for us to sit here and do the show and be like, Danielle wasn't great, but she was. We don't have to lie. It's awesome because she killed it and she had such a strong connection with. With her partner. It showed she trusts. They trust each other. You can tell and it was just. It seemed like this was their fourth or fifth dance, not their first one. Yep, it was awesome. There is one more thing that I'd like to do, Ryder, before we end here, and it's another little segment I'm going to be doing every week called the Strong Incentive. And now what we're going to do is we're going to start low, and then we're going to keep adding every week. And the point of this is to see what it would take to get you Rider strong to be a contestant on Dancing with the Stars.

[C]

Oh, God. I don't think there's a price.

[A]

Well, we're going to find out. We're going to start this week with just a price, but then every week, we're gonna add onto that price not just with money, but with other strong incentives.

[C]

Oh, God.

[A]

To see if. What it would take to get you on Dancing with the Stars. So we're gonna start just very easily. Someone knocks on your door.

[C]

Yep.

[A]

They put down a briefcase. It's got $500,000 in cash. Would you go on Dancing with the Stars?

[C]

Hell no.

[A]

Okay, well, we will see you again next week. And add to that $500,000 incentive.

[C]

Yeah, that's just. No, it's not, because it's not money. It's. It's like. It would just be so painful. I mean, God.

[A]

Well, we'll see.

[C]

We.

[A]

We're gonna see what's gonna take.

[C]

And I. I take it to the next level of like. Well, you're being selfish because that money could go to whatever you want, like charity, if you want.

[A]

Oh, well, there you go.

[C]

There's.

[A]

Well, that's. That's week one. It's gonna get harder, I can tell you. I wouldn't go on the show for one reason. Because there is not a dancer in the world that could teach me how to dance. And that's the honest truth. But the strong incentive. We are starting at 500k in cash, and that is a hard no from Ryder Strong. Let's keep this up, people.

[C]

All right, that's it for this first episode of Podmates Twirled. Join us next week as we Continue watching season 34 of Dancing with the Stars, a journey that's teaching us way more about sequins and sambas than we ever expected. But in the end, mostly it's reminding us what we already knew back in Feeny's class. Daniel Fischl is the star of the show. Pod Meets World is an iHeart podcast produced and hosted by Danielle Fishel. Wilfred L. And Ryder Strahd, executive producers Jensen Karp and Amy Sugarman, executive in charge of production Danielle Romo, producer and editor Tara Sudbaksh, producer Maddy Moore, engineer and boy Meets world Superman Easton Allen. Our theme song is by Kyle Morton of Typhoon. Follow us on Instagram odmeatsworld show or email us at podmeatsworldshowmail.com.

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