Pod Meets World: Pod Meets Twirl’d – DWTS 3403

Podcast: Pod Meets World
Hosts: Danielle Fishel, Rider Strong, Will Friedle
Date: October 4, 2025
Episode: Pod Meets Twirl’d: DWTS 3403
Main Theme:
The Pod Meets World crew dives deep into their third week of recapping Dancing With the Stars Season 34, analyzing not only the dances and contestants but also expressing frustrations about the rules, fairness, and TikTok’s heavy-handed presence on the show. Danielle (who is also a DWTS contestant this season) joins Rider and Will to provide behind-the-scenes insights, critique the production, and revisit her own journey—all with the wit and banter the “Boy Meets World” fanbase has come to love.

Episode Overview

This episode centers on the hosts’ reactions to Week 3 of Dancing With the Stars, which featured TikTok-themed dances. The trio debates the concept of “professional” dancers in the competition, the intrusion of TikTok into television, and the nuances of the DWTS scoring and voting system. The hosts recap each performance with humor and candor, often framing their thoughts around Danielle’s own experience competing.

Table of Contents

1. Frustrations with Fairness and TikTok Night
2. Judging, Scoring, and What Makes a “Professional” Dancer
3. Dance-by-Dance Recap & Notable Quotes
4. The Elimination & Discussion of Who Should Have Gone Home
5. The “Strong Incentive” Game: What Would Get Rider on DWTS?
6. Fun Moments and Running Gags

1. Frustrations with Fairness and TikTok Night

Timestamps: 04:23 – 08:25

• Professional Dancers vs. Celebrities:
  Danielle voices her anger with what she sees as an unfair advantage for contestants with professional dance backgrounds.

“I feel like half of the cast are professional dancers. And that pisses—it really makes me angry.”
— Danielle Fishel [04:27]

• Rider suggests it’s almost like having two separate shows, comparing it to Top Chef mixing amateurs with culinary school graduates.

• TikTok Integration Backlash:
  Both Danielle and Rider are critical of the TikTok theme week, calling it “a giant ad for TikTok” and equating it to “Dancing with the Stars, sponsored by Marlboro.”

“This was a week brought to you by cigarettes. Like, literally, this is what this would have been.”
— Danielle Fishel [08:11]

2. Judging, Scoring, and What Makes a “Professional” Dancer

Timestamps: 06:47 – 16:49

• Is a TikTok Star a “Professional Dancer?”
  A lengthy, lively, and funny debate erupts over whether earning money doing social media dances constitutes being a “pro.”

“If you become famous for doing TikTok dances ... aren’t you a professional dancer?”
— Danielle Fishel [13:16]

• Producer Tara makes the parallel to writing:

“But what if you’re a writer at home and you finally get published in a magazine and get paid for it? Are you a professional writer?”
— Producer Tara [13:42]
Danielle agrees: “Yes. That’s my argument. You are.”

• Voting and Scoring Confusion:
  The group kind-heartedly complains about the convoluted rules for how scoring, eliminations, and voting work on DWTS, highlighting that even as panelists, they’re still confused.

“I think it’s so funny that this podcast has become 60 to 70% trying to figure out the rules of dancing.”
— Producer Tara [21:19]

3. Dance-by-Dance Recap & Notable Quotes

1. Marble Mouth & Jan Ravnick (Cha Cha Cha)

Timestamps: 09:02 – 11:11

• Opened with a strong, high-energy number tied to a viral TikTok video of dancing post-birth.
• Danielle comments on the fake pregnancy belly:

“The whole fake belly thing kind of made me uncomfortable ... it was a little weird visual for me.”
— Danielle Fishel [10:33]

• Both felt judging was harsher than in previous weeks.
• Danielle poses the TikTok professional dilemma.

2. Lauren and Brandon (Danced to Fifth Harmony song)

Timestamps: 17:01 – 19:41

• Danced to Lauren’s own song, themed after her music video.
• Will & Danielle found the ending (sitting at a table with her band) odd.
• Lauren’s elimination was shocking to the hosts.
• Bruno’s critique stands out:

“She’s always had an elegance, but she’s never quite nailed ... punch and pop.”
— Rider Strong [19:07]

3. Danielle and Pasha (Foxtrot to Sabrina Carpenter’s “Manchild”)

Timestamps: 22:40 – 26:01

• The hosts praise Danielle’s technical improvement and “most chemistry and charisma of any couple.”
• Carrie Ann’s “middle of the pack” comment is scrutinized.
• All agree scores should have been higher:

“I think Carrie Anne could have thrown an eight in there, personally.”
— Danielle Fishel [25:51]

• Fun Fact Segment: Will delivers a mock encyclopedic history on the origins of the Foxtrot.

“The foxtrot was invented around 1914 by Harry Fox, a vaudeville entertainer.”
— Danielle Fishel [26:08]

4. Jordan Chiles & Ezra Sosa (Tango to “Anxiety”)

Timestamps: 33:13 – 35:35

• Emotional package on Jordan’s anxiety as a young athlete.
• Both hosts loved the expressive, artistic style:

“This was like a full 10 for me.”
— Rider Strong [34:07]

• First triple-eight of the season.

5. Dylan Efron & Daniela Karagach (Bubblegum Pop)

Timestamps: 36:08 – 38:10

• Hosts have become big fans of Dylan, praising his likability and improvement.
• Both hosts note the positive impact of a well-matched partner.

6. Elaine Hendricks & Alan Burstyn (Tango to “Gnarly”)

Timestamps: 38:10 – 40:03

• Noted the “sexy” trend of the night, calling it “Ballroom After Dark.”
• Felt performance was “off the music”/a bit laggy.

7. Whitney & Mark (Samba to “Shake Your Ass”)

Timestamps: 40:17 – 41:57

• Whitney is called out as a professional dancer, raising the fairness question again.
• They wonder if the audience will eventually vote against pros.

8. Scott Hoying & Riley Arnold (Jazz)

Timestamps: 42:30 – 44:07

• Both hosts finally “fall in love” with Scott. Praise for side-by-side choreography.
• Wardrobe critique:

“Put him in a suit. I want to see him do, like, a full tuxedo, you know?”
— Rider Strong [43:04]

9. Hilaria Baldwin & Gleb Savchenko

Timestamps: 44:57 – 46:36

• Performance called “fast and furious” but lacking joy or soul:

“She can hit all the steps. I mean, she looks like a dancer, but there’s something there that’s not there. Something missing.”
— Danielle Fishel [46:12]

10. Andy Richter & Emma Slater (Foxtrot to “Northern Attitude”)

Timestamps: 50:29 – 51:42

• “Lowest score of the night with sixes across the board.”
• The dance was “sweet and emotional”; even Danielle’s wife Susan cried.

11. Robert Irwin & Whitney Carson (Shirtless Routine)

Timestamps: 51:43 – 54:54

• Both disappointed:

“Frankly thought this was his worst dance so far ... trying a little hard.”
— Danielle Fishel [51:54]

• Ripping off his shirt likened to “Magic Mike”—felt unnecessary.

“If you’re gonna rip your shirt off…give this dude his shirt back!”
— Danielle Fishel [52:17]

12. Alex & Val (“Peptobismol Pink” Routine)

Timestamps: 54:54 – 55:59

• Distracting costumes (“outfits threw me ... this dance sponsored by Peptobismol” – Danielle [55:42])
• Forgettable performance.

4. The Elimination & Who Should Have Went Home

Timestamps: 56:04 – 58:58

• All shocked Lauren was eliminated.
• Group debates if Andy should have gone instead, but settle that Lauren simply had a not-so-good week, proving “you have a bad week, you can go home.”
• Hosts ultimately would have sent Hilaria home, citing low entertainment value.

5. The “Strong Incentive” Game: What Would Get Rider on DWTS?

Timestamps: 59:00 – 62:42

• A running gag where Rider is offered escalating incentives to join DWTS.
  • This week: $500k, a luxury Airstream van, and Shawn Hunter’s (his character’s) lost leather jacket.
  • Rider still refuses:

  “I would never feel comfortable wearing that jacket in public. I want the object ... but, no, it’s not worth the pain and humiliation ... I would be dying inside.”
  — Rider Strong [61:20]

6. Fun Moments & Running Gags

• Use of “Dan-yet” as an ongoing play on Danielle’s name.
• Wild asides about Smurfs/Snorks gender ratios, Gargamel, and edible Smurfs. [03:24–04:13]
• Will’s mock “encyclopedia” of dance, always delivered straight-faced by Danielle.
• The show's constant struggle to understand the rules of DWTS becomes its own meta-joke.

Notable Quotes

• “This is a week brought to you by cigarettes. Like, literally ... Dancing with the Stars, sponsored by Marlboro.”
  — Danielle Fishel [08:11]
• "I think it's so funny that this podcast has become 60 to 70% trying to figure out the rules."
  — Producer Tara [21:19]
• “[Jordan Chiles’ tango]—This was like a full 10 for me.”
  — Rider Strong [34:07]
• “If you become famous for doing TikTok dances and ... you’re making millions of dollars ... aren’t you a professional dancer?”
  — Danielle Fishel [13:16]
• “She's hitting all the steps. ... But there's something there that's not there, something missing.”
  — Danielle Fishel on Hilaria Baldwin [46:12]
• “I would never feel comfortable wearing that jacket in public … it’s not worth the pain and humiliation.”
  — Rider Strong (on the iconic Shawn Hunter jacket) [61:20]

Final Thoughts

The hosts balance passionate opinions on fairness, pop culture’s creep into legacy shows, and their own emotional stakes in DWTS Season 34. Their charming refusal to take the show (or themselves) too seriously, coupled with genuinely insightful dance analysis and constant joking about their DWTS cluelessness, makes this a must-listen for fans of both “Boy Meets World” and reality TV critique. The question of what truly makes a celebrity dancer or a compelling contestant—talent, journey, improvement or personality—remains up in the air.

To hear their next take—and whether Rider will ever succumb to the Strong Incentive—tune in next week!