Pod Meets Twirl'd: DWTS 3407

Summary

Pod Meets World – "Pod Meets Twirl’d: DWTS 3407"

Date: November 1, 2025
Hosts: Danielle Fishel, Wilfred L., Ryder Strong
Special Guest Judge: Cheryl Burke

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Episode Overview

This episode of Pod Meets World (Pod Meets Twirl’d sub-series) dives deep into Dancing with the Stars Season 34, Episode 7—a Halloween-themed night marked by dramatic setbacks, creative choreography, and heated reactions to the judges' scoring. The hosts (and special guest Cheryl Burke) dissect every performance, praise standout moments, and vent frustrations—most notably regarding what they see as unfair treatment toward their cohost (and contestant) Danielle Fishel.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. General Mood and Reactions

• Wilfred and Ryder enter the discussion “angry” and frustrated with the unfairness in scores, specifically the way Danielle was judged compared to others.
• Danielle shares personal updates, including ongoing health struggles and how even her “highlight of the week” (a possible reprieve from sinus surgery) was overshadowed by the DWTS experience.
• All three agree this was an anxiety-filled, dark Halloween night: "I was on edge." (Wilfred, 10:47)

Notable Quote

"I held back the anger... at this point, it’s starting to feel like a personal thing."
—Wilfred L. (07:01)

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2. Contestant-by-Contestant Recaps

Whitney & Mark (zombie hospital theme)

• Performed to "Brain Stew" by Green Day
• Danielle notes, “they were way out of sync. How does that get a 10?” (12:08)
• Hosts agree it was visually impressive, but technically off; praise overall character work, criticize generous scoring.

Jordan & Ezra (mummy/harness routine)

• Rope/harness prop didn’t add much, felt like a missed opportunity.
• Judges, in hosts’ views, were too KIND—“Just eights across the board would have been fair.” (16:10)
• Discussion about Jordan’s competitive, athletic persona being potentially off-putting for audiences.

Andy Richter & Emma Slater

• Andy’s charisma and relatable presence are highlighted as a breath of fresh air among more “chiseled, beautiful” contestants (21:54).
• Performance is enjoyable if technically lacking. Emma praised as the "unsung hero" for guiding Andy.
• “He’s so likable... you want to vote for this guy.” (Danielle, 21:15)

Jan & Jenna

• Jan faces public criticism from another pro (background drama detailed at 26:36).
• Performance (to Taylor Swift’s “Canceled”) seen as a redemption arc, praised for its theatricality.

Elaine Hendricks’ Injury/Absence

• Major point of contention: injured Elaine is judged on rehearsal footage and receives high scores (all 8s).
• “She scored higher—the woman who was in an ambulance, not at the show, scored higher than Andy.” (Danielle, 35:12)
• Spirited debate about fairness and possible alternatives for scoring absent contestants.

Danielle Fishel & Pasha Poshkov

• Danielle’s performance is hailed as “incredible” (Wilfred, 49:23).
• Visually and theatrically strong, powerful storytelling in movement and costume (“her whole, ‘no no no no’ moment was… so good acting,” Wilfred, 49:23).
• Massive frustration when judges hand out eights and a nine: “How you look at that and see... and [give] them the same score?” (Danielle, 56:50)
• Discussion on why Danielle might be held to a higher standard—her “perpetually young” look and longstanding TV persona; possible need to share more of her personal life in packages for strategic advantage.

Robert Irwin & Whitney Carson

• Consistently strong, maintains “an 11” week after week; praised for commitment and creativity.
• Danielle: “Of all the couples, they’re by far the most consistent.” (63:44)
• Judges heap praise; some hosts feel bias affecting both Danielle’s and Robert’s scores.

Alex & Val

• High technical demands, theatrical drama (buried alive choreography).
• Danielle questions judges: “So you have to touch the whole dance? I don’t get it.” (69:50)
• Top scores, but a small technicality costs a perfect set.

Dylan & Daniela

• Noted for charming chemistry and handling an on-stage injury with grace; “super personable, very likable.” (73:24)
• Dance includes a “romantasy” theme and a blindfolded section.

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3. Monster Bash Dance-Off:

• Hosts call the dance-off “stupid” and poorly directed: “All it did was just make the top scorers top again.” (74:34)
• Cheryl Burke, an in-person guest judge, provides behind-the-scenes insight: the event worked live but was confusing on TV.

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4. Judges & Scoring Critique

• Extensive critique of judging inconsistency, favoritism, and lack of technical focus.
• Bruno’s theatricality and “corny quips” are lampooned—Wilfred offers alternative themed pun lines (40:34).
• Carrie Ann is accused of personal bias against Danielle:

“Kerryanne gave it the same damn score as the one before. Are you like—I know less about dance than anyone on the planet and I know that Danielle’s dance was better than that one.”
—Wilfred L. (52:19)

• Guest Judge Cheryl Burke is praised for her specificity and fairness:
  “Cheryl Burke—giving the best criticism and was the most fair all night long.” (Danielle, 43:08)

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5. Broader Thoughts on the Show & “Strategy”

• Hosts discuss the importance of relatability and personal storytelling in pre-dance packages.
• Wilfred suggests Danielle might need to “open up a little bit more personally” to attract more votes or favorable judge reaction (54:49).
• General agreement: emotional openness wins public and judges’ empathy.

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6. Notable Dialogue, Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the night’s dark Halloween themes:

  “Literally everybody went, like, bloody and scary. Nobody went, like, Nightmare Before Christmas fun, kooky Halloween... By the end, I was like, really? Another, like, sexy, bloody dance?”
  —Wilfred L. (07:29) & Danielle Fishel (07:53)

• Emma's role as Andy’s “unsung hero”:

  “She is the unsung hero of the entire show. She’s always so happy...talking him through every dance. She’s a rock star.”
  —Danielle Fishel (24:40)

• On reality TV competition fairness:

  "Any other thing you're in...you can’t go physically. That's it. You can’t go.”
  —Danielle Fishel (36:40)

• On judges’ inconsistencies:

  “It was like I was in the Matrix and everybody saw something different than I did.”
  —Danielle Fishel (54:01)

• On the show's emotional strategy:

  “Maybe it’s time for her...to open up a little bit more personally.”
  —Wilfred L. (54:49)

• On deciding to join DWTS:

  “My anxiety would probably get the better of me… it would definitely be 70/30 no to start with.”
  —Danielle Fishel (78:18)

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7. Timestamps for Key Segments

• Halloween Night Recap: 07:01 – 14:15
• Jordan & Ezra Rope Dance: 14:01 – 17:27
• Andy Richter Analysis: 20:49 – 24:47
• Elaine’s Scoring Controversy & Rehearsal Footage: 33:45 – 38:18
• Judges Critique & Bruno’s Quips Game: 39:21 – 42:22
• Danielle’s Dance & Scoring Frustration: 48:33 – 56:52
• Monster Bash Dance-Off Critique: 74:24 – 76:58
• Should Danielle Share More Personal Stories?: 54:37 – 55:49
• Would the Hosts Ever Compete on DWTS?: 77:00 – 79:40

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Summary Table – Dance Scores Key

| Couple | Theme/Dance | Hosts' Evaluation | Judges’ Scores | Comments | |-----------------------|-----------------------------|-----------------------|----------------------|--------------------------------------------| | Whitney & Mark | Zombie Hospital | Fun but out of sync | 9/9/9/10 | Too generous, says Danielle | | Jordan & Ezra | Mummy/Harness | Fell flat, creative | 9/8/8/9 | Rope under-used | | Andy & Emma | Halloween (Fog) | Refreshing presence | 7/7/7 | "Breath of fresh air" | | Jan & Jenna | Taylor Swift “Canceled” | Strong performance | 8/8/8/8 | Jan faced special scrutiny | | Elaine (injured) | Rehearsal Tape | Unfair to others | 8/8/8/8 | Major point of contention | | Danielle & Pasha | Viennese Waltz (Bloody) | "Incredible" dance | 8/8/9 | Massively underscored, say hosts | | Robert & Whitney | Argentinian Tango (Roses) | Excellent, consistent | 10/9/9/10 | “Most consistent couple” | | Alex & Val | Buried Alive/Tango | Great, technical | 10/10/9/10 | Minor technicality cost perfect scores | | Dylan & Daniela | Romantasy/Blindfold | Strong chemistry | 9/9/8/9 | Handled nose injury with grace |

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Takeaways

• Halloween Night delivered strong performances and creative risks but was marred by uneven judging and unclear rules for contestant injuries.
• Danielle Fishel, despite impressive storytelling and commitment, is viewed by the team as unfairly held to a higher standard by the judges.
• Pre-dance stories and personal vulnerability may matter just as much as technical performance in influencing public and judge perception.
• Guest judge Cheryl Burke’s feedback is appreciated for its specificity and fairness, standing out from other judges’ trends.
• The Monster Bash dance-off segment is regarded as a poor addition, mainly reinforcing already established rankings.

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Final Word

The episode captures the passionate engagement, friendship, humor, and honesty that define Pod Meets World. Whether analyzing the emotional nuances of a waltz or playfully imitating DWTS judge banter, the trio keeps the conversation accessible and heartfelt—making it must-listen content for DWTS fans and Boy Meets World loyalists alike.

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“Danielle Fishel is the star of the show. She’s a star. She’s a star. You’re fantastic, darling.”

—Wilfred L. (79:40)

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For more insight or to send listener questions, follow the show on Instagram @podmeetsworldshow or email podmeetsworldshowmail.com.

Transcript

[Wilfred L.]

This is an I Heart podcast.

[Ryder Strong]

Okay, confession time. I tried to host a Friendsgiving last year with, let's say, questionable results.

[Wilfred L.]

Yes, we remember. You made mashed potatoes that somehow had the consistency of drywall.

[Ryder Strong]

Well, this year I'm taking notes from you both. I'm stocking up at one of my favorite places in the world, whole foods market. Their 365 brand has everything I need without wrecking my wallet.

[Danielle Fishel]

Same I got a no antibiotics ever Turkey for just 149 a pound with prime and even snagged organic green beans and mushrooms for the casserole.

[Wilfred L.]

Now I'm hungry. I'm all about their frozen appetizers, Quiche trio, Butterfly shrimp. It's like hosting with cheat codes.

[Ryder Strong]

See friendsgiving redemption arc in progress.

[Wilfred L.]

Enjoy. So many ways to save on your Thanksgiving spread at Whole Foods Market.

[Ryder Strong]

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[Danielle Fishel]

You don't want to miss these extra big deals and more are coming every two weeks, so keep coming back.

[Wilfred L.]

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[Ryder Strong]

At cvs, so if you're not a member yet, join for free online or in store and start saving.

[Danielle Fishel]

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[Pandora Jewelry Representative]

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[Wilfred L.]

At Lowe's.

[Danielle Fishel]

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[Wilfred L.]

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[Danielle Fishel]

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[Ryder Strong]

So if you're ready to pursue your education goals, Rasmussen is ready to help you take that next step.

[Wilfred L.]

Head on over to Rasmussen Edu and check out the opportunities waiting for you.

[Danielle Fishel]

Your future is a bright one. Rasmussen University can help you get there.

[Wilfred L.]

Welcome to POD meets Twirl the Dancing with the Stars recap, hosted by two guys who can't dance, don't want to dance, and have now seen exactly seven episodes of Dancing with the Stars. But since our best friend Danielle has joined the cast for season 34, we're going all in. We are Wilfred L. And Ryder Strong, AKA the two dudes standing next to Topanga, AKA Daniel Fishel's backup, AKA the Dan Yets. I will Dan Yet. Hi.

[Danielle Fishel]

Ryder Daniels.

[Wilfred L.]

How you feeling this week in my.

[Danielle Fishel]

General life, or after watching whatever the that was.

[Wilfred L.]

Oh, I'm with you. I'm with you, bud. I'm angry. I wasn't angry other weeks, but I'm angry this week. What the hell? Let's take a step back and just how are you doing in general? How are you feeling in general?

[Danielle Fishel]

I'm doing okay. You know, it sounds like I've had a cold for the last four months of my life, and I finally met with a new doctor yesterday that now maybe I don't need the sinus surgery.

[Wilfred L.]

Which is a good thing.

[Danielle Fishel]

So I'm going to be doing this whole new steroid rinse, which apparently is going to help because as a voiceover actor, everybody knows since sounding sick all the time, great for your career. So I'm, I'm excited about that. But that wasn't, you know, actually that was the highlight of my week because.

[Wilfred L.]

What? Yeah, this was a tough one. What the hell? I know, I know. But, you know, I think it's actually going to work in her favor.

[Danielle Fishel]

I don't disagree.

[Wilfred L.]

I think, because I think everybody feels it. I think everybody sees it because I watch with my parents and my wife and my son who have not consistently watched every episode, and their reaction was exactly mine and yours, which was, wow, they are being harsh. Really. Like, why did they give her. Why did they give other people a pass and not her? Or as my wife put it, it's like, so the woman who didn't dance went home, got the same score.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yep. Basically. Other than one point.

[Wilfred L.]

Yeah, one point. And I was like, I know that seems a little.

[Danielle Fishel]

You think?

[Chase for Business Representative]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

The guy who couldn't make it to the swim meet tied for fourth or whatever. The foot. Like, what yeah. Now, we.

[Wilfred L.]

We.

[Danielle Fishel]

I was going to ask Tara this because she knows a lot more about this than we do. I have to imagine, with as physical a competition as it is, they've. They've had this happen before where somebody gets injured and can't dance. Right. I mean, this wasn't the first time.

[Wilfred L.]

Yeah. Is this exactly what they do every time? Like, they show. It's happened.

[Guest Judge Cheryl Burke]

It's happened before. Well, okay, there are two different ways. If it's the pro who's injured, there could be another professional dancer who steps in for the pro.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, that's almost worse.

[Guest Judge Cheryl Burke]

That's actually what happened with Sharna Burgess. She had Jenna Johnson step in for her a couple of years ago, and Jenna did the dance with her partner. And then there was one other time that they played the celebrity's rehearsal to judge, and I'm blanking on who it is. So while you guys are talking, I'm gonna look it up. But it has happened before.

[Wilfred L.]

Yeah, I actually thought the rehearsal was great. You know, I thought it was like, you could see, you know, I didn't.

[Danielle Fishel]

Think her dance was that good. I didn't. Sorry. And now I'm.

[Wilfred L.]

I'm like, now.

[Danielle Fishel]

I guess I'm looking for reasons. And again, this comes with the bias of having a friend on the show. I guess I'm looking for reasons why they would score this person one way and this person another way. And it's also arbitrary.

[Wilfred L.]

It is all arbitrary, but I'm getting better at predicting it now. I'm literally. I'm spot on every time because I shouted out to my family, it's going to be eights across the board. I feel the same 8 and 1, 9. Then there's only one last night that I actually messed up everything else. I've been. I've gotten to the point where. And I think that's just knowing the judges, you know, like, knowing, oh, Derek's gonna like that. Carrie Anne's got.

[Danielle Fishel]

Carrie Ann has her favorites. She'll have two or three that no matter what they do, they could walk on the stage, trip, hit their face, and she'd be like, you tried so hard. 9. And then Danielle does the best thing where she's doing triple flips, and she's like, you gotta hold your shoulders different, too. And it's like, what the.

[Wilfred L.]

I'm with you, man. I held back the anger. I. You know, I. I want to give them the benefit of the doubt, but I could see at this point, it's starting to feel like a personal thing. It is it's totally feels personal. Are you guys open to, like, the. The potential that Danielle might be working or, like, and I don't think she is. I don't think she has. She's not seen. We'll get into it. Okay. Halloween themed. One of my favorite, like, themes we could possibly do. Although interestingly, it was a very dark Halloween interpretation.

[Danielle Fishel]

Super dark.

[Wilfred L.]

Literally everybody went, like, bloody and scary. Nobody went like, nightmare Before Christmas. Fun, kooky Halloween, which I was a little surprised by. I was like, whoa. Everybody's, like, bloody and, like, kind of awful. But which. Which is so funny because that's actually more me. Like, that's more my taste. And in general. Yeah, like, I'm into it. But by the end, I was like, really? Another, like, sexy, bloody dance.

[Danielle Fishel]

Seriously, we couldn't have one person in a store bought Luke Skywalker costume. Exactly.

[Wilfred L.]

Like, when I think about Disney Night, which is like. Or TikTok, it was like, the opposite. And what I was craving then, I feel like they're all going way too far in the other direction. Yeah. I think in part because sexy has been working, like, really, like the darker, sexier stuff. Like Danielle's dance from the week before.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Wilfred L.]

Has been getting a reaction. And I think they're all feeling a little pressure to be like, let me be dark and sexy. Leading man or leading woman.

[Danielle Fishel]

And it doesn't. But it's weird to go scary, not spooky.

[Wilfred L.]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Especially on abc. Like, you figure they do. Somebody would do something spooky. Like just, oh, yeah, I'm a cat. Like, a little nothing. It was all like, I died four days ago.

[Wilfred L.]

This goes back to my criticism of the Disney Week. Way too good a makeup.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Wilfred L.]

I don't want this. It's like, look, it looks real on camera. Like, it's one thing to look good during the dance and real, but it is so real. Like, those contacts were freaking me out. Scary. It was, like, too much. I was like, that's so distracting. I'm like, I want to watch you dance. And like, there were three partners that had contacts and I wanted them all to. To, like, take them off right away. And then like, even, like, Dylan's, like, veiny neck thing going up his head. Like, no, guys, it's looking. And the blood looked too real. Like, when. What's it. When Robert was, like, chunky blood on his face, I was like, dude, I was in Cabin Fever. Take it off. Like, no. Like, this is not good. It was. It's so true.

[Danielle Fishel]

It was. It was dark after dark.

[Wilfred L.]

After dark. Too good makeup. I just want to tell the makeup team that you are amazing. You should all be working in horror films, but for this. Make it more cartoony. All of it.

[Danielle Fishel]

I don't disagree.

[Chase for Business Representative]

Little.

[Wilfred L.]

Little lighter, little more fun. Little for the stage. But they're playing it up for the camera and it's too real for me. I don't know.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, it was. But again, there were certain cool things. Like some of the ways they started the dances, like coming out of the dirt.

[Wilfred L.]

Dude. But I think. I think the one who pulled it off the best as far as atmosphere was the most playful and the only one that was. And that was Andy. I agree.

[Danielle Fishel]

Andy was great.

[Wilfred L.]

It was cinematic. Yep. It was so fun and it felt like an actual movie with, like, atmosphere and story. And they started in black and white, involved the camera moves. I was like, yes. And there was something a little, you know, wasn't gory. It wasn't like. It was more like, I don't know, almost whimsical.

[Danielle Fishel]

Scary. Whimsical, yes.

[Wilfred L.]

Which I thought we were going to get more of when we had to start with a giant sparkly skull, which I was like, yeah, Halloween, let's go. And then immediately we get Elaine's injury announced, which I was like, oh. Oh, crap. This is. This is like. What does this even mean? Yeah, sucks. Obviously felt bad for her.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, terrible.

[Wilfred L.]

Yeah. But, you know, that announcement immediately put me on edge. And I was like, oh, we're not going to have much fun tonight.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, seriously. And we didn't.

[Wilfred L.]

And our first. Our first dancers. I kind of didn't. No, I was on edge.

[Danielle Fishel]

Me too. This was an anxiety filled night.

[Wilfred L.]

Yes. All right, first up was Whitney and Mark, who actually, now that I think about it, were maybe a little light hearted. You know, I just got into the darkness later on.

[Pandora Jewelry Representative]

Yeah.

[Wilfred L.]

But even they, you know, they started with, you know, I guess a zombie theme. Right? They're zombies. They're like dead.

[Danielle Fishel]

I think so. Yeah. The undead.

[Wilfred L.]

Right.

[Danielle Fishel]

But like from a sanitarium.

[Wilfred L.]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

I think they're supposed to be in like a medical ward.

[Wilfred L.]

Right. So, like, crazy level of creepy.

[Chase for Business Representative]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Seriously, the dead. The dead isn't enough. You've got to be zombie dead. It's like, come on.

[Wilfred L.]

Right? So the song was Brain Stew by Green Day.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. Great song.

[Wilfred L.]

I don't know this song. Are you. You're like a Green Day fan, huh?

[Danielle Fishel]

I like Green Day. I do. I like. I've liked Green Day from. From before Dookie, which was their first real, real big One that hit. But yeah, I like the song. I like just starting with like the D. It. Yeah, it just kind of like got you into the night, you know?

[Wilfred L.]

Totally, totally. And it's a. And it's, it's. It's rare to have that kind of heavy hitting, like music beats WITH silence It was great, man. This was fun. I, I just like both of them. I like both of them as people, as dancers. I feel like they continue to show their personality and, you know, just make great moves.

[Danielle Fishel]

Like.

[Wilfred L.]

But I did notice and they commented on this, her timing was a little off.

[Danielle Fishel]

They're way out of sync. How does that get a 10? I like, I like the look, I like the style. I love the song. They're out of sync.

[Wilfred L.]

I know.

[Danielle Fishel]

So if I can notice that they're out of sync, how does that get a 10?

[Wilfred L.]

Well, you know what they do that almost better than anybody else in this competition is they do really good moves. But they're also, they always feel character based or emotion based. Like it always comes from somewhere. Do you know what I mean? And that's really hard to achieve because I feel like people are either technically very good. Like I think Alex, you know, is an amazing technical dancer, but it doesn't come from like inside emotional sort of personality based or character based stuff. And these two are both so good at that. They're actually hitting. But you're right, sync was off. I was like it was off.

[Danielle Fishel]

And again, if you're, if you're doing a dance, it's like that's, you know, looked great. I know it started. You probably got jitters. It's probably the, the. Also you've got the adrenaline pumping. Like you just want to get going. But she was off. And so if you're off or frankly or he was off, who knows? They were off. So if that's the case, I get that. I still thought it was visually cool. I love that all of, all of their moves because again, I always talk about them as a professional dancing team. All of their moves are very precise. Like they're, they, you know, when they hit a dance move, like they're, they're finishing the move. They're. It's staccato when it needs to be. It's all what it's supposed to be.

[Wilfred L.]

It was out of sync. Right. So you think does that. I, I kind of agree with you that that means you should not be getting a 10.

[Danielle Fishel]

No.

[Wilfred L.]

Because the 10 is supposed to be perfect.

[Danielle Fishel]

That's the best you can get is a 10.

[Wilfred L.]

So Bruno was just, like, way too impressed because it's Bruno that gave him. Yeah, everybody else gave him.

[Danielle Fishel]

Very generous. All right.

[Wilfred L.]

They were given 9. 9. 9 and 10.

[Danielle Fishel]

Agree with the nines.

[Wilfred L.]

Yeah. Really?

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, I agree with the nines. Again, the way to start the show, the music, the costumes, like you said, they're both very good dancers, but you're out of sync. You don't get a perfect score.

[Wilfred L.]

All right, then we move to Jordan and Ezra again. Your face contacts, and, you know, she really got into the twitching this week.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, I'll say.

[Wilfred L.]

Every time she was on camera, she was, like, trying to be in character. It's like this weird, twitchy zombie mummy person, which was at first very funny, but then I was like, wow, this is a thing for you. You're, like, really into character.

[Danielle Fishel]

You also mix in genres. Are you a zombie? Are you a mummy? What are you?

[Wilfred L.]

Yeah, I think they couldn't do zombies because there's a lot of undead things going on.

[Danielle Fishel]

Nonsense.

[Wilfred L.]

Like, let's add a mummyish outfit that also maybe makes sense of the harness. Yeah. This was a little off for me.

[Danielle Fishel]

The. The ro. I thought the same. I thought the rope was. There was a possibility of, like, oh, wow, we're going to see something super cool with a gymnast attached to a rope. Like, oh, my God, this is. And then it was just kind of in the way.

[Wilfred L.]

One move that I thought was good was when he split the rope and then flipped her, and she was able to do the flip on her own, you know, but made it look like he was, like, he was doing her. But that actually doesn't require anything. Like, that could have been just as good if he did it without a rope. Like, if you just made a spell.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes. So I agree.

[Wilfred L.]

I didn't think they took advantage of, like, once they're, like, flinging her around with the rope. I know that it's difficult, but it just isn't as impressive to watch visually.

[Danielle Fishel]

It's also.

[Wilfred L.]

It's.

[Danielle Fishel]

That's a huge risk because when he pulls the rope at the. Like, in the middle to untie it, if, like, something happens and that snags and you've now got a rope on you for the rest of the show, you're screwed.

[Wilfred L.]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

So that was. That was a risk, but it didn't fully pay off for me.

[Wilfred L.]

No, because I think that whenever they, like, it's interesting because she's so athletic and she's so capable of big moves, but actually, when they. When they get away from elegance, when they get away from more dancery stuff and they get more like, it becomes less interesting. Like she's better with the pressure of like, let's be more sort of, you know, traditional in some way.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes.

[Wilfred L.]

When they, when they get expressive, I'm less interested for some reason, even though I know it's impressive what they're doing. I think the judges were a little too kind on this one. I would have only gone eights across the board.

[Danielle Fishel]

I was like, and what did they give? Nines.

[Wilfred L.]

No, nine, eight, eight, nine.

[Danielle Fishel]

That's right. Yeah.

[Wilfred L.]

For me it just, I don't know, man.

[Danielle Fishel]

I, I, it fell a little flat for me too. Yeah, it did.

[Wilfred L.]

You know, I, I actually in this case, I was judging their creativity activity. I was like, guys, if, if you're going to involve a harness, do something more interesting with it. And, and they didn't. But then also it wasn't like crazy technically so difficult or so like that, that the story, you know, like I would just forgive a like weird sort of half story because of these amazing moves. No, it was just kind of in between on both.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Wilfred L.]

So I was like, I don't know.

[Danielle Fishel]

Do you think the other thing I was wondering just from a personality standpoint.

[Wilfred L.]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

She, her, her entire life has obviously been competition, competition, competition. That's what she was born to do. It's what she's really great at. It also can come across as cold.

[Wilfred L.]

Yes.

[Danielle Fishel]

Because it's like, I am here to win. That's what I'm here to do. Do you think that's gonna hurt her in the long run?

[Wilfred L.]

I think it's hurting her already, yeah. Because I think, I think, yeah, she's approaching this as, as an athlete, as a gymnast, as a competitor. And I think if you didn't have pre show packages and post show packages, she would be doing way better.

[Danielle Fishel]

I don't disagree and I don't, I.

[Wilfred L.]

Like her in the pre show package because I feel like there's a lack of bull, honestly.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Wilfred L.]

There's a lack of presentation that I find so engaging and actually very cool because she's much more like, this is my job. What do I got to do? I don't care what people think about me. But I think that that was maybe part of my problem this week is that in the pre show she started talking about depression and she starts talking about her emotions, which I understand is coming from a genuine place. But then when the performance, honestly, it didn't feel emotional, it felt like performative emotion. It actually, like, if I had not seen the pre show package, I would have been more like, I would have been more invested emotionally, I guess.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Wilfred L.]

Because as it was, I was like, it doesn't feel. And that's not, that's not a knock. It's just. Why are you trying to make this about more than what it's actually about? Like, for, for. I think for her it's actually just about dancing well and winning. Right. Which is cool. But like, she can't say that necessarily. You know what I mean? She's got to make it about a personal journey.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Wilfred L.]

And that's, you know, that's my problem with this whole show in general is all the pre show and post interview stuff just feels so banal to me. It's so banal. It's either performative or it's just like it's very rare that, you know, unless it's like the dedication night, which, like I said, I cried most of the time. It's like Disneyland's fun. Halloween is scary sometimes.

[Danielle Fishel]

It is. It also gets a little, a little false sentimental where it's almost like, let's all sit down and you almost hear the producer or director and you know this isn't happening. But you also, you just hear them in their head. Like, is there something more personal you could talk about? Like if you lost a pet this week.

[Wilfred L.]

Exactly.

[Danielle Fishel]

Could we maybe talk about something like that?

[Wilfred L.]

Also would be fine if the pre show package began. Something like that. And then what's her name, the host, when she does the wrap up after the dance could ask anything interesting that develops it. Instead, what she tends to do is repeat like a question. She asked them a question that just allows them to repeat what they said in the pre show package.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Wilfred L.]

Or pre dance package. And it's like, dude, ask something more. Asking more. You know, it's. You said that you sometimes you've battled depression. Talk about that. It's like you already heard this. And so in inevitably what they say in the begin, it's like it's every week they just get to deliver a two sentence like thing. And it's like I have struggled with depression or I'm feeling this way about this. And then they just repeat it again. And I'm like, develop it. Why are we showing this? Why are we having this conversation? And it's frankly, it feels like we're killing time, which is all we are doing because we're waiting for the judges. But I think a real, like a better host, in my opinion would take what they're hearing. The person present before the dance and after the dance find a Way to, like, develop it and not just say, like, it seems like you really like your mom.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right?

[Wilfred L.]

Yes. I dedicated the dance to her.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. Okay. Sorry. Yeah, it seems like you really like your mom.

[Wilfred L.]

Seems like you dance with a harness. Yeah. Okay. Yeah, I agree. Judges gave 9, 8, 8, 9. I do love Jordan and Ezra. I do want them to stay. I feel like this week was a. They could have been judged a little harsher. And.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, I think. I think if you. If you set up that you're wearing giant trapeze wires and then don't do anything trapezi, then I feel like you've screwed me a bit. So. Yeah.

[Wilfred L.]

All right, next up, Andy Richter, Emma Slater. Um. Man, he just keeps plucking away, this guy.

[Danielle Fishel]

He does. And, you know, this is where. This is the perfect example of the pre show package saving you every week. Because he's so likable. Like, even Susan, we're sitting on the couch and he comes on, and we sit up a little straighter, we start laughing. He's funny. He's tongue in cheek. He's looking at the camera. You want to vote for this guy?

[Wilfred L.]

I know.

[Danielle Fishel]

I don't even need to see the dance. It's like, all right, I'll vote for him.

[Wilfred L.]

I know, and I think so. It's funny because he actually. He doesn't like. And this is not a knock on him, but, like, you are an incredibly witty, clever person. Like, you actually say things that just. If I saw them written, are so funny. He's not actually that, like, he's not like a. He's just kind of like a presence that's positive. Do you know what I mean? Like, you just like him.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes.

[Wilfred L.]

It's just like a natural charisma and a natural sort of like, normal guyness.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Wilfred L.]

Feels very comforting in a world of incredibly chiseled, beautiful people.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Wilfred L.]

You know, like all week, you're just looking at people like that. You're like, jesus. Everybody's got the cheekbones and the body and the muscles, and when I see him on camera, it's like, well, thank God someone's up there looking like me, you know? Or like, you know.

[Danielle Fishel]

It's true, though.

[Wilfred L.]

It's true, because he actually isn't doing that much comedy wise.

[Danielle Fishel]

Like, he's.

[Wilfred L.]

He's actually pretty earnest and just sort of straightforward. But it's more just like, physically and. And personality wise, he's not trying. It's just like a relief. Every time he's on camera, you're also.

[Danielle Fishel]

There's a weird journey. He's taking that. Very few. They mentioned it last week or the week before, but he's also losing so much weight.

[Wilfred L.]

Yep.

[Danielle Fishel]

That it's like we're watching him get healthier.

[Wilfred L.]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

And he's moving better on stage and it's making. You know, and it's. So it's one of those things where that's kind of an interesting journey to watch as well. This guy's got to be down 20, £25.

[Wilfred L.]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

That's significant. So. Yeah. But it's. I'm kind of changing my tune on him after coming off of everybody taking it so seriously, which I guess they. I get that they have to, and they should. But it's now, like, ramped up so much that to see the guy who's looking in the camera going like, hi, Derek, and just kind of having fun is a little bit of an amuse. Like, it's a.

[Wilfred L.]

It's a.

[Danielle Fishel]

It's a. Just a breath of fresh air in the middle of kind of this intense. It's. I mean, it's. It's a ridiculous equivalency, but it's the. It's the same as you're watching these high wire acts, these trapeze artists, the guys in the motorcycle doing the flaming thing. And then you just cut to the clown for. For a little bit in the middle of the circus and you go from there.

[Wilfred L.]

Perfect analogy.

[Danielle Fishel]

I mean, exactly.

[Wilfred L.]

It's so nice.

[Danielle Fishel]

You need it.

[Wilfred L.]

I mean, that's what the circus needs. That's. There's a reason that they have a clown troupe come out every three or four numbers to, like, it actually makes them more serious.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes.

[Wilfred L.]

You know, like, it actually elevates it because you get a break. Good call, man. Yeah. But I. I thought this was really fun. Me too. Style wise, like I said, in terms of, like, the lighting and the incorporation of story elements and stuff. But I'm sitting there with my parents who have only seen, at this point, I think, three episodes.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Wilfred L.]

You know, and my mom is like, well, he's just standing there. Yeah. And I was like, yeah, yeah, he is. Which only, like you pointed out last week, feels unfair when somebody else gets kicked off. It does feel.

[Danielle Fishel]

It does.

[Wilfred L.]

You know, but that is the nature of the game.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. I agree.

[Wilfred L.]

This game contest, as much as it is anything else, so.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, it could. If they had put any more fog, you couldn't have seen any of the dance.

[Wilfred L.]

Disappear at one point completely.

[Danielle Fishel]

It was just fog.

[Wilfred L.]

When he was dragging her, was like, is she even there anymore?

[Danielle Fishel]

And, you know, we. We have Very rarely, if ever really talked about her. I think she is the unsung hero of this entire show.

[Wilfred L.]

Right, right.

[Danielle Fishel]

Because she is always has a smile on her face. She's always so happy to be there. She's talking him through every dance. She's a rock star.

[Wilfred L.]

Well, he.

[Danielle Fishel]

I mean, he.

[Wilfred L.]

And he said it, like, when they asked. I feel like at one point during his interview, it was like, how. How are you doing? Or whatever. And he was, like, pointing to her like, she's making everything happen.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right? Yeah, I think so. I think she's awesome.

[Wilfred L.]

Yeah. I also liked having, like, a dance to Beethoven. It kind of felt, you know, I. Like, we all know the song, even if we don't know we know it.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Wilfred L.]

And so there was something like, ah. And again, like, I like kind of a classical feeling injected into. I don't know. It was. It was comforting.

[Danielle Fishel]

They also just. From the camera angles and the stuff they were doing, they made that stage look like it was 45 miles long. It was incredible. Yeah. Really well done.

[Wilfred L.]

Oh, let's see their score. 777.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, that's right. Derek. But we should talk about. Derek broke his six paddle. Remember that? He's, like, literally snapped the paddle. It was like, okay.

[Wilfred L.]

I mean, he's never gonna give sixes again, I think.

[Danielle Fishel]

Well, that's the thing that the dancers know now.

[Wilfred L.]

Yeah. The scoring has just been upped.

[Danielle Fishel]

It's right to the point where they're not gonna give anything below a seven anymore. And if you get an eight, that's essentially the equivalent of episode one getting a five. It's like, you saw them all get eights, and they're like, ugh. Whereas, you know, two weeks ago. Oh, my God, we got four eights. You're jumping up and down now. Four eights. They're like, that was. We failed tonight.

[Wilfred L.]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Weird.

[Wilfred L.]

It is weird. Great inflation. Great inflation. All right. Jan and Jenna then performed Canceled by Taylor Swift. And I have to say, I really enjoyed this. You know, most of the, like, professional. It's like, there's usually too many of them dancing for me to, like, really know who everybody is. But I was blown away by him, especially because, I don't know, I guess I've taken him for granted.

[Danielle Fishel]

Anyway, well, he got. He had a really rough week.

[Wilfred L.]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

If you followed all that stuff that was going on.

[Wilfred L.]

No.

[Danielle Fishel]

So Val's brother used to be a pro on Dancing with the Stars, and Val's brother. It's so convoluted. Sounds like. Like a soap opera. Val's Brother's wife has a podcast. So Max Chermonovsky went on his wife's podcast and talked about how, as a professional dancer, Jan has no business being on Dancing with the Stars. He's talked about how he could. He's. He's not right for the show. His base is wrong. His arms are wrong. He doesn't. He's not classically danced. He doesn't know the partner relationship. Like, he bashed this dude badly, which is. And then it kind of went viral and went everywhere, which is why Derek specifically at the end was like, jan, you've been doing a great job this first season on the show.

[Wilfred L.]

I felt it.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, he had a rough week. Everybody. You know, this guy just literally came out and just blasted him, saying, like, this guy has no business being one of the dancers.

[Wilfred L.]

Harsh. Well, that's interesting.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Wilfred L.]

And he's the newest. He's the only new one of the pros, right?

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, I think so. Yeah. Because he was Taylor, and everyone says the only reason he got booked is because he's. Taylor was Taylor Swift's dancer.

[Wilfred L.]

Well, I mean, I hate to say it, but maybe there's some truth to that, because this really blew me away. And this was not him dancing as a pro, part of a team. This was him dancing to Taylor Swift.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right. Which was a suit I talked about. This guy has probably danced to that song 8,000 times. So it was really good.

[Wilfred L.]

I thought it was really good.

[Danielle Fishel]

And I love her. She is a phenomenal dancer. She's got kicked off, what, week one or week two, but, oh, God, she's. So the two of them together was like. That was one of those things where you feel like you're sitting in a theater watching a performance. Exactly where I felt it was. I thought it was just really good.

[Wilfred L.]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

Anyone else ever get that nagging feeling your dog is bored? Like, my brunchie just stares at me sometimes with that really again? Look, and I instantly feel guilty.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, same here. Sammy has mastered the art of the disappointed sigh like she has bills. So mealtime needs to be more than just a pit stop. It needs to be an event.

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[Danielle Fishel]

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[Danielle Fishel]

You can serve Nom Nom as your dog's complete meal or as a topper to spice up their current diet. Cause honestly, would you want to eat the same thing every single day?

[Ryder Strong]

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[Danielle Fishel]

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[Ryder Strong]

Learn [e-mail] world that's spelled try n o m.com world. If there was a natural disaster and you had to evacuate, what's the first thing you guys are taking with you?

[Wilfred L.]

I'm grabbing my first edition books.

[Danielle Fishel]

I think my Charlie bear, the Teddy bear I grew up with.

[Wilfred L.]

Oh well.

[Ryder Strong]

With all of our Boy Meets World reminiscing, I'd immediately think of my pictures and home movies. But thanks to Legacy Box, which I can't wait to tell listeners about, you no longer have to worry.

[Wilfred L.]

It's been forever since I've looked to see where my old home movies are. They're probably moldy and damaged by this point.

[Danielle Fishel]

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[Ryder Strong]

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[Wilfred L.]

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[Wilfred L.]

I had some old tapes recently digitized with Legacy Box and was shocked to find some Boy Meets World behind the scenes footage I had never even seen before. I'm so happy it's now archived and safe thanks to the easy process at Legacy Box.

[Danielle Fishel]

For a limited time only, you can visit legacybox.com meets world and save 50%.

[Ryder Strong]

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[Wilfred L.]

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[Danielle Fishel]

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[Wilfred L.]

These are deals so extra that they absolutely cannot be missed. And every two weeks there's going to be more.

[Ryder Strong]

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[Danielle Fishel]

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[Wilfred L.]

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[Ryder Strong]

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[Danielle Fishel]

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[Wilfred L.]

Visit your local CVS store or cvs.com extra big deals to shop this week's deals and stock up on your favorite products.

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[Wilfred L.]

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[Danielle Fishel]

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[Wilfred L.]

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[Danielle Fishel]

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[Wilfred L.]

Okay, then we get to the Elaine. The Elaine Hendricks of it all. Man, this was rough.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. Can I ask why her pro still had to dress up like Gladiator? You know, if the guy's not dancing, did he have to go through wardrobe? I get him not being in in jeans and a T shirt but, like, did he have to get into full makeup and everything?

[Wilfred L.]

You know, that's actually an interesting question because it's funny you pointed it out. I kind of liked it because the rehearsal video, you know, part of the biggest problem with it is that they're just in, like, workout clothes right now.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Wilfred L.]

So I think seeing him in an outfit was like, oh, there could have been. What could have been? You know, I think if he had just been in rehearsal clothes or even if he had just been wearing a suit, it would have been like. But because it was like, you always felt like, what did her outfit look like? We never got to see it. Yeah. I don't know. I think it actually highlighted the absence in a. In a positive way that was. I don't know.

[Danielle Fishel]

Do you think. Now, dance aside, which we haven't even got to yet, do you think it's fair that if you can't dance, you're still in the competition?

[Wilfred L.]

God. You know, my instinct, like, my feeling last night was, yes, this felt fair. Until Danielle score came.

[Danielle Fishel]

Thank you.

[Wilfred L.]

And then I was really pissed off.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Wilfred L.]

I was like, really? We don't just give her fives across the board or something, you know, like neutral.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, they gave her eights. She. She scored higher. The woman who was in an ambulance not at the show scored higher than Andy. By. By every judge. And it's one. I mean, it's weird.

[Wilfred L.]

You know, it would have been fair to me. Is. Is. Is if they don't show the rehearsal video because it seems, like, questionable whether that's fair or not. What if they just. If you miss it, if you injure, if an injury takes you out, you just match the lowest score of the night.

[Danielle Fishel]

That's fair. Right.

[Wilfred L.]

So, like, in which in this case would have been Andy and Emma. So. So whoever gets the lowest, you also get the passing grade. Like, you also get the lowest. Yeah, see, I think that's it. You didn't make it physically.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Wilfred L.]

But we're also not going to, you know, completely give you zeros.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Wilfred L.]

So you're just going to be like, the person who also, you know, showed up and did their best but got the lowest of the night. I feel like that would be fair.

[Danielle Fishel]

That. That could be fair. The other thing that every other reality show does is a night like this. No one goes home, and two. Two couples go home next week. So it's like, that's. That's how you do it. That's fair. You're not here. Fine. We'll keep you in the competition. So no One will go home tonight, but we're sending two couples home next week because it's like that the whole situation was really strange. So. Yeah, it's, you know, any other thing you're in, like I said, you're in a swimming competition, you're in whatever and you can't go physically. That's it. You can't go.

[Wilfred L.]

I know.

[Danielle Fishel]

So.

[Wilfred L.]

And what if somebody just gets like food poisoning and feels sick or says they're nauseous or whatever? It's like you. How do you draw the line? You know, in this case, it sounds like she really, like, really hurt her rib and had to get out in the hospital. But you could also just fake it kind of.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Wilfred L.]

Not that I.

[Danielle Fishel]

We're not saying she. Is she perform. Of course not, but.

[Wilfred L.]

But you would know that you could possibly get a score. Yeah, yeah. You know, I deal with. Anyway, I like their rehearsal video.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. See, I disagree. I didn't like. I didn't like their dance at all, frankly. I would love to. And maybe it's because I was so thrown, but I. This was, I think my least favorite dance of the night. Just dance wise. I think this was my least favorite dance of the night. And so.

[Wilfred L.]

Oh, interesting.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, it just.

[Wilfred L.]

I thought the final lift was pretty awkward and painful. Like, didn't feel smooth, but otherwise I was like really into it and I wish I could have seen it.

[Danielle Fishel]

That's the thing is, I think the problem with rehearsal is you don't necessarily finish all your moves. So like when she leaned against him, she like kind of leaned against him where I'm sure she would have gone one or two inches deeper when.

[Wilfred L.]

Yes.

[Danielle Fishel]

You know, she's committing. So. Yeah.

[Wilfred L.]

So it's like little things like that injury and stuff.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Wilfred L.]

I don't know. Okay.

[Danielle Fishel]

Wasn't even at the show. All eights.

[Guest Judge Cheryl Burke]

Just to jump in real quick, there was three other times that people were scored based on their rehearsal footage.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Guest Judge Cheryl Burke]

Season eight, there was Steve O in week two, Melissa Rycroft in week eight, also season eight. And then Tamar Braxton in season 21, and then Elaine.

[Wilfred L.]

So.

[Guest Judge Cheryl Burke]

So this is the fourth time they've done it.

[Danielle Fishel]

Now, what if. What if. I mean, then if you couldn't rehearse, are you then kicked off the show? I mean, if there's no rehearsal footage, like if she can't go next week, is she then done? I mean, imagine she would have to be. Right.

[Guest Judge Cheryl Burke]

I mean, she got cleared by doctor like they said. But if something else were to happen and she couldn't learn the dance. Then I don't know.

[Danielle Fishel]

Then that would be it.

[Guest Judge Cheryl Burke]

I think it would be a decision between the show and doctors and her. I think it would be, like a bigger decision made.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Wilfred L.]

I also think I like the Argentine tango a lot.

[Danielle Fishel]

Do you really?

[Wilfred L.]

Yeah. Because I love Danielle's dance. Last week and watching Elaine and Alan do the Argentine tango ghetto. I was like, I think this is my favorite dance.

[Danielle Fishel]

Do you know how many people pointed out to us that Buenos Aires is in Argentina? Even though that was the joke?

[Chase for Business Representative]

Oh, yeah.

[Wilfred L.]

Well, I didn't get it at first. I was like, isn't Buenos Aires in Argentina? And that's why I doubted it. I was like, I have to. I have to check. I wasn't sure.

[Danielle Fishel]

I was like.

[Wilfred L.]

Because you said it so quick. I was like. And then I was like, am I wrong? Classic.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Wilfred L.]

All eights. Yeah, all eights. Now, let's take a moment here to talk about the Bruno of it all, because I. Bruno's been really getting into my head. And right about at this point in the night is when my family stopped because my parents were in town and. And we had ordered a big sushi feast.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, nice.

[Wilfred L.]

And so we took a pause and we all, like, had our sushi laid out and, you know, my son and my wife. And at one point, you know, somebody asked like, my wife is like, you know, oh, how's the albacore? And I you, not.

[Danielle Fishel]

My.

[Wilfred L.]

What was happening to my brain is I wanted to stand up and go, this albacore is fantastic, darling. It is amazing. I just. I have Bruno in my head. It's like everything coming off of me is just like the most exaggerated. The soy sauce it needs. Of course. Of course. But you're doing this with the chopsticks. I love his excitement.

[Chase for Business Representative]

Oh.

[Wilfred L.]

I just always. I want to be. I want to be as expressive and free and positive. But when he's negative, okay. You know, he has, like, this rhythm to it.

[Danielle Fishel]

He does.

[Wilfred L.]

I love that. I love that. Here's what I don't love. I cannot. The, like, cheesy, corny quips related to the theme of the dance. Yeah. Drive me nuts. It's like, if it's a. If it's a police themed. It's like. You are arresting, darling. Shut up. Oh, it's a chef themed. It's like. That was a full course meal and a cake. What? So here's what I want to do, because I think your brain works better than Bruno's. Oh, God. I'm gonna give you a quiz.

[Danielle Fishel]

If you.

[Wilfred L.]

If you See, a dance based on a certain theme, what would you say? Oh, God. Where's your corny quip? Okay, are you ready?

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Wilfred L.]

It's a New York themed foxtrot.

[Danielle Fishel]

A New York themed foxtrot.

[Wilfred L.]

Okay. Tell them it was wonderful and it.

[Danielle Fishel]

Was a good foxtrot. Sure.

[Wilfred L.]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay. It would be something like, after that dance, darling, everyone is moving uptown.

[Wilfred L.]

All right, now it's a Willy Wonka themed dance. Go, Go.

[Danielle Fishel]

The dance is open. Go.

[Wilfred L.]

So much pressure. You are the music maker.

[Danielle Fishel]

You are the dreamer of dreams. We are all getting a golden ticket, darling.

[Wilfred L.]

Right now, it's a Lord of the Rings dance. Oh, Jesus.

[Danielle Fishel]

You are gonna hold the mirror ball at the end and it will be your precious.

[Wilfred L.]

See, you're already better. He has all week because, you know, he knows the theme of the dance. You, in 30 seconds come up with better quips than him. It's always that his are the cheesiest.

[Danielle Fishel]

They are. They're pretty. They're. It's. It's pretty funny too.

[Wilfred L.]

Oh, my God.

[Danielle Fishel]

Well, did you also notice, I think Carrie Anne and Derek don't like each other?

[Wilfred L.]

Yeah. There was that weird beat where he kept being like, she's like, blah, blah, blah. And I was like, what? What? And she kept trying to interrupt. I don't know.

[Danielle Fishel]

And then there was also a time he's like, oh, wow, thanks. I got no. No time left. And you heard her like, you've got plenty of time left. It was like, oh, God.

[Wilfred L.]

Yeah. I mean, you know, surprise, surprise. Dancers that are, like, paid to be judges have opinions and have egos. Have egos.

[Danielle Fishel]

Should we. Did we. We didn't mention we had a guest judge this week. Cheryl Burke. The one thing I will say, I thought she was giving the best criticism and was the most fair with her judging all night long, frankly. I mean, it was like.

[Wilfred L.]

Well, she was also. I mean, it was interesting because in some ways it felt like she was coming from a place. Like, I feel like the judges in the first four weeks were giving very good technical notes.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Wilfred L.]

On a pretty regular basis. And then they sort of now are just like, we know who you are. We know your story. And so I'm judging you accordingly. Whereas she was coming in, like, with a fresh perspective and, yeah. Giving technical notes again. It felt like. It felt like a first four week judge, which I appreciated.

[Danielle Fishel]

I did, too.

[Wilfred L.]

That's why they bring in a guest. You know, I swear to God, at.

[Danielle Fishel]

Some point, because I think we've talked about this before, the first few seasons of the show they were much more harsh. And some network note or something came down and said, we are not American Idol. We don't want the harsh judging. Lighten it up. And I feel like they've been like. Cuz now they're going like, ha. You know, I love you. You're the best. Oh my God, you're great. But maybe do your hand like this. Like they're like trying to.

[Wilfred L.]

It's weird. I don't know if that's the producers. I think that's just in response to social media. Yeah. The popularity thing. Like, you know, I think that we're at a different age than when, like, Simon Cowell was like, Mr. Harsh.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Wilfred L.]

And even then I feel like people. People kind of liked that. Loved it. Now I feel like being negative is just not as appreciated.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Wilfred L.]

Even when they're correct, you know, and they would rather their careers are sort of. It's better to be more positive. I mean, even the way that we feel about Carrie and right now, based on, you know, how she talked to.

[Danielle Fishel]

Danielle, that's a whole other conversation. Yeah. Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

Big things are happening at your local cvs. Extra big.

[Danielle Fishel]

So hurry on over because extra big deals are here.

[Wilfred L.]

These are deals so extra that they absolutely cannot be missed. And every two weeks there's going to be more.

[Ryder Strong]

So you've got to keep coming back so you can keep saving on all the brands and products you and your family use every every day.

[Danielle Fishel]

And speaking of saving, extra care is the way to save at cvs. So use your extra care card to unlock savings every time you shop.

[Wilfred L.]

And if you're not a member yet, now is the time to join.

[Ryder Strong]

And the best part, it's completely free. Just sign up online or in store and you'll start saving instantly.

[Danielle Fishel]

And always be sure to check the CVS health app for deals and savings.

[Wilfred L.]

Visit your local CVS store or cvs.com extra big deals to shop this week's deals and stock up on your favorite products.

[Pandora Jewelry Representative]

I don't know about you guys, but I love to buy gifts. I love it so much. I love it so much more than getting gifts. But the one thing that I do love, especially when it comes to my daughter, is getting matching things. I know it's such a cliche, but I love it so much. So I have the perfect brand for you. Pandora Jewelry can make their holiday unforgettable with the gift that says it all from Pandora Jewelry. And a gift that tells a story and shows, you know, theirs that doesn't just sparkle, but speaks from new festive charms to forever rings and personal engravings. This season, give a gift that's perfectly theirs. Whether you're shopping for a shiny surprise for your significant other, matching bracelets to celebrate your friendship, or a heartfelt gift for a family member. Say more this holiday season with Pandora. Shop [e-mail] or visit your closest Pandora store.

[Wilfred L.]

From nursing and healthcare to business and it, Rasmussen has a range of programs to fit your goals and passions, no.

[Danielle Fishel]

Matter what your day to day looks like. Rasmussen's programs allow you to balance school with life while you pursue your degree.

[Ryder Strong]

So if you're ready to pursue your education goals, Rasmussen is ready to help you take that next step.

[Wilfred L.]

Head on over to Rasmussen. Edu and check out the opportunities waiting for you.

[Danielle Fishel]

Your future is a bright one. Rasmussen University can help you get there.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Hey, it's Ryan Seacrest for Albertsons and Safeway. Now through November 4th. Shop the annual beauty event and save $5 when you spend $25 on select beauty products. Shop in store or online for items like Dove Body Wash, Native Body Wash, Cetaphil gentle skin cleanser, Dr. Squatch body wash, Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel, Dial Liquid Hand Soap and Olay Body wash, and save $5 when you spend $25 or more. Offer ends Nov. 4. Restrictions apply. Offers may vary. Visit albertsons or safeway.com for more details.

[Chase for Business Representative]

Being a small business owner isn't just a career, it's a calling. Chase for Business knows how much heart and effort go into building something of your own. That's why we make your business growth our priority. Our team takes the time to understand your mission, where you are now, and where you want to go. Our broad range of solutions is designed with you in mind so you can bring your ideas to life. From banking to payment acceptance to credit cards, you can conveniently manage all your business finances all in one place with our digital tools. Looking for tips and advice? Our online resources are always available to give you the solutions you need to help your business thrive. See how your business can go farther with Chase for Business. Learn [e-mail] business chase for business Make More of what's Yours the Chase Mobile app is available for select mobile devices. Message and data rates may apply JP Morgan Chase Bank NA Member FDIC Copyright 2025 JP Morgan Chase & Co.

[Wilfred L.]

Up next, Danielle Fishel and Pasha Poshkov. I thought watching the rehearsal, watching Danielle be a director as she is, right? And an actor as she is, and a dancer as she's become was so fun.

[Danielle Fishel]

Great.

[Wilfred L.]

I was Just like, dude, you have, like, found your stride, literally. And this is so fun. Like, I'm. She, like, yeah, was making a story, was having such a blast. And I was watching the rehearsal where she was making all her little. I was like, yes, because that's the way she is. And like, she even did like a little karate sound at one point. It's like, oh, my God, I love you so much. And then the dance itself, I thought was incredible.

[Danielle Fishel]

And I thought, incredible.

[Wilfred L.]

What the actual. Yeah, no, to me it was like, oh, nines, like across the board. Maybe. Maybe a 10. Because, like, her whole, like, you know the moment when she was saying, no, no, no, no. It was so good acting just in the moment in a way that, like, you know, they talk about her being like, like, not worried about her steps. I was like, she nailed this and was in control of the dance. And like.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. I also love the visual of starting clean. And then his hands have. His hands have the blood on it, which is all, you know, is physical and metaphorical. And then his hands are on the white dress. So now her white dress is getting covered in blood. Awesome. And I was like, God, this is great. Oh, my God. She might be doing better than last week.

[Wilfred L.]

Like, oh, man.

[Danielle Fishel]

No one could say anything negative about this.

[Wilfred L.]

This is incredible. I was nines. Nines across the board was my. My. I was like, 100% going to be great. It's going to be great. Maybe even a 10.

[Danielle Fishel]

I thought she was going to get her first 10 of the night from Bruno. I thought he was going to give a 10 because he was being very generous all night long. I was like, oh, my God, they're going to do it. They're going to get a 10. She's going to freak out. This is absolutely breakout from the pack like she did last week. And then they went in front of the judges.

[Wilfred L.]

I think they're holding her to a higher standard.

[Danielle Fishel]

For what? For what? To what?

[Wilfred L.]

Because. Because a. She looks young. So I don't think. I think they're treating her as, like, she's in the same category as, like the 30 somethings that are or even early 20 somethings. And it's just not the case. Right. This is. This is a mother. This is somebody who is 45 years old. And I think that they're not because she looks so young and they still associate her with. As Topanga. They think of her as like a young American sweetheart. And it's like, that's not really fair. I don't know. That's a fair Assessment of who she is as a person and how hard she's working physically to keep up. So that's, like, I think part of it. And then I think she's very popular. And I think that because she's so popular, there's a little bit of, like, you know, you can deserve. You can take a little harsher from the judges in a way that I just don't think. They're just not on her side. They're not rooting for her in the same way. I think.

[Danielle Fishel]

Don't get it. Carrie Ann, tonight, last night, it felt personal. I can't explain it. I'm sure it's not. I don't know. But it felt personally like she does not like Danielle. And I don't know what the hell. Daniel. Did she take her parking spot? Is there something we don't know? Because it. How you can watch that after watching a rehearsal tape and give it the same score Because Kerryanne gave it the same damn score as the one before. Are you like. I know less about dance than anyone on the planet, and I know that Danielle's dance was better than that one. Even if you want to give Danielle an eight, then the other one was a six. It's like, what the hell is going on?

[Wilfred L.]

Yeah. I don't know. I mean, she's got a chip on her shoulder, I think. Carrie Ann's got a chip on her shoulder, I think. I mean, I think most. I think there's a sense of, like, Danielle being maybe too good at everything. Yeah. She's just like the popular girl, you know, and, like. But which is just knowing her, it's like she's the most loving, kind.

[Chase for Business Representative]

Yeah.

[Wilfred L.]

Like, non exclusive. Like, Danielle never gives off the vibe that she deserves anything. She works hard and enjoys herself.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Wilfred L.]

And I. But I think that there's a potential that. As opposed to, like, Robert, who goes next? Right. Robert feels like even though it's supposed to be the stars, he is a celebrity who doesn't feel like he belongs here to a certain degree. Right. There's a sense of, like, oh, wow, he's. He's famous because of his dad and because of his, like, you know, environmental work. But for the most part, he's kind of an everyman. Same with Dylan. There's a sense of, like, people coming from, like, you know, whereas Danielle, there's a little bit of, like, you, you know, you've been a star all your life. You've been the center of attention for a long time. And I don't know what it is working against her.

[Danielle Fishel]

I don't know what it is, but it's like, I don't know what else she can do. Like, that's the thing is you're setting an impossible standard when you have that kind of dance. Which I then went back and I was like, all right, maybe I'm wrong. Maybe she screwed up. This. Screwed up. I watched this thing, like, three times, and I was like, nope, great dance. And then it gets to Cheryl, who's like, we do everything big in ballroom. We dance to the ceiling. We do all this. I was like, did you watch the same thing we did? Did you see the facial expression she was making and pointing the way she was and ripping open her dress and she's covered in blood? You didn't see all that. That's what you point out is she needs to act bigger. Really?

[Wilfred L.]

I know.

[Danielle Fishel]

It was so. It was like I was in the Matrix and everybody saw something different than I did, and I was just sitting there going, like, how is. What.

[Wilfred L.]

How is that possible?

[Danielle Fishel]

I don't get it. Like, I get the Robert Irwin thing. The other thing with Robert is he's instantly become America's little brother.

[Wilfred L.]

Right. Like, he just said that about Dylan, too. But.

[Guest Judge Cheryl Burke]

Right.

[Wilfred L.]

So. But here is something that could be taken into consideration in terms of Danielle's strategy, which is, has she opened up personally as much as most other contestants? In other words, has Danielle talked about her family?

[Danielle Fishel]

No.

[Wilfred L.]

Has she talked about her journey as a child actor, moving into directing, or. And no, she has. She has not. She has worked her off to prove that she can do the technical side of the dancing.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Wilfred L.]

She is. She has leaned into her, you know, her public Persona, but she has not talked about her husband. She has not talked about being a mother in the same way that almost every other contestant has had at least one moment where they opened up in that way. And I think maybe it's time for her, you know, because even in this one, she told a fun story and it was great, but it wasn't like, this is the way I think of marriage, and sometimes I struggle with my husband. You know, it didn't have any of the like. So she hasn't. She hasn't connected, maybe in the same way that everybody's had at least one moment where you're like, oh, you are an entertainer, you are an actor, but you also have this, you know, like, Andy has his daughter. You know, everybody has had. And she chose for her dedication to do Bill, which we know is personal, but it's also what she's already Known for. So I wonder if, strategy wise, it's time for, you know, the only, like, real, like, she, you know, in the beginning, she had her injury. She's talked about that. But it might be good for her to open up a little bit more personally, maybe.

[Danielle Fishel]

But I also. I think there's a strength to what she's doing, too, though. I mean, this woman was dealing with cancer, and she hasn't mentioned that since the very, very first episode.

[Wilfred L.]

I know.

[Danielle Fishel]

Cause she's like, I don't want to. I want to dance. I don't want to go out and mention that.

[Wilfred L.]

Right. And so I guarantee you, everyone's already forgotten that.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right, exactly. But it's. I don't know. Maybe you're right. Maybe next week she needs to open up more about everything that's going on. But just from a dancing perspective, how you look at. And again, we look at it through I love you, goggles. I get that. But how you look at that and see. And I'm not trying to bash Elaine. This poor woman has had an incredible journey. Was hit by a car. I mean, yes, she's had a ton of problems and was probably crushed she couldn't dance last night. But how you look at that dance and then you look at Danielle's and give them the same score. I don't. I don't. I. I. That's when I just kind of threw up my hands. I was like, okay, none of this makes any sense. Like, it just. None of this makes any sen. She got eight.

[Wilfred L.]

Eight, Eight and nine.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Wilfred L.]

Good old Bruno came through with a nine.

[Danielle Fishel]

She was also rider. We should talk about what she was doing. She was dancing the Viennese Waltz.

[Wilfred L.]

Oh, yeah. Tell me about the Vienna.

[Danielle Fishel]

So we're gonna talk a little bit about Will's history of dance. This was in. The Viennese Waltz was created in Buenos Aires. I'm kidding, of course.

[Wilfred L.]

I don't know if you're Buenos Aires. Austria.

[Chase for Business Representative]

Right?

[Danielle Fishel]

Austria. Yes. It is a. A fast, rotary ballroom dance characterized by its constant turning, which is either to the right, which is called a natural turn, or to the left, which is called a reverse turn. Unlike the slower waltz, it lacks the pronounced rise and fall, as I like to call it, because of its high speed, which is about 60 bars per minute. Key techniques include maintaining soft knees and a stable posture, taking small steps on the inside of a turn, and transitioning between rotations and change steps. That's your Viennese Waltz, my friend.

[Wilfred L.]

Cool.

[Pandora Jewelry Representative]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Figured you'd want to know that.

[Wilfred L.]

Yeah. So are you always turning the same direction. Is that the idea? Or you can switch it up.

[Danielle Fishel]

No, you can switch. You can either go natural turn or reverse turn. So like as they would say it would be in skateboarding and everything, isn't that a right turn or goofy foot, I think they call it is when you spin the other way. Or that might just be which way your goofy's when your left foot's forward. Right?

[Wilfred L.]

Right.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay. Yeah. Are you interesting.

[Wilfred L.]

It's my right foot that's forward. Nice. Even though. Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

So, yeah. That's the Viennese waltz.

[Wilfred L.]

Thanks, dude. Good to know.

[Danielle Fishel]

You're welcome.

[Ryder Strong]

Big things are happening at your local cvs. Extra big.

[Danielle Fishel]

So hurry on over because extra big deals are here.

[Wilfred L.]

These are deals so extra that they absolutely cannot be missed. And every two weeks there's gonna be more.

[Ryder Strong]

So you've got to keep coming back so you can keep saving on all the brands and products you and your family use every day.

[Danielle Fishel]

And speaking of saving, extra care is the way to save at cvs. So use your extra care card to unlock savings every time you shop.

[Wilfred L.]

And if you're not a member yet, now is the time to join.

[Ryder Strong]

And the best part, it's completely free. Just sign up online or in store and you'll start saving instantly.

[Danielle Fishel]

And always be sure to check the CVS health app for deals and savings.

[Wilfred L.]

Visit your local CVS store or cvs.com extra big deals to shop this week's deals and stock up on your favorite products.

[Pandora Jewelry Representative]

I don't know about you guys, but I love to buy gifts. I love it so much. I love it so much more than getting gifts. But the one thing that I do love, especially when it comes to my daughter, is getting matching things. I know it's such a cliche, but I love it so much. So I have the perfect brand for you. Pandora Jewelry can make their holiday unforgettable with a gift that says it all from Pandora Jewelry. A gift that tells a story and shows you know theirs that doesn't just sparkle, but speaks. From new festive charms to forever rings and personal engravings, this season, give a gift that's perfectly theirs. Whether you're shopping for a shiny surprise for your significant other, matching bracelets to celebrate your friendship or. Or a heartfelt gift for a family member. Say more this holiday season with Pandora. Shop [e-mail] or visit your closest Pandora store.

[Wilfred L.]

From nursing and healthcare to business and it, Rasmussen has a range of programs to fit your goals and passions, no.

[Danielle Fishel]

Matter what your day to day looks like. Rasmussen's programs allow you to balance school with life while you pursue your degree.

[Ryder Strong]

So if you're ready to pursue your education goals, Rasmussen is ready to help you take that next step.

[Wilfred L.]

Head on over to Rasmussen. Edu and check out the opportunities waiting for you.

[Danielle Fishel]

Your future is a bright one. Rasmussen University can help you get there.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Hey, it's Ryan Seacrest for Albertsons and Safeway now through November 4th. Shop the annual beauty event and save $5 when you spend 25 on select beauty products. Shop in store or online for items like Dove Body Wash, Native Body Wash, Cetaphil gentle skin cleanser, Dr. Squatch body wash, Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel, Dial Liquid Hand Soap and Olay Body wash. And say, $5 when you $25 or more. Offer ends November 4th. Restrictions apply. Offers may vary. Visit albertsons or safeway.com for more details.

[Chase for Business Representative]

Being a small business owner isn't just a career, it's a calling. Chase for Business knows how much heart and effort go into building something of your own. That's why we make your business growth our priority. Our team takes the time to understand your mission, where you are now, and where you want to go. Our broad range of solutions is designed with you in mind so you can bring your ideas to life. From banking to payment acceptance to credit cards, you can conveniently manage all your business finances all in one place with our digital tools. Looking for tips and advice? Our online resources are always available to give you the solutions you need to help your business thrive. See how your business can go farther with Chase for Business. Learn [e-mail] business chase for business make more of what's yours the Chase Mobile app is available for select mobile devices. Message and data rates may apply JP Morgan Chase Bank NA Member FDIC Copyright 2025 JP Morgan Chase & Co.

[Wilfred L.]

Moving on to Robert Irwin and Whitney Carson.

[Danielle Fishel]

What can you say?

[Wilfred L.]

Really great. Really great. Like I said, I think I love the Argentinian tango.

[Danielle Fishel]

He's. I also thought this was in my opinion, the coolest stage of the night.

[Wilfred L.]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Just the look with the. But the giant thing of roses behind them and then her coming up on like they're lifting her up on the cello.

[Wilfred L.]

Oh, sick.

[Danielle Fishel]

Way to start. That was cool.

[Wilfred L.]

Yeah. And fun to see him go a little like more dark.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Wilfred L.]

You know, there was nothing goofy about this. It was just like full commitment. Halloweeny. Yeah. I thought this was great. He's. I mean, clearly. I mean, part of. Okay. Like honestly part of my thing. I started to turn on Robert Unfairly probably because he's so beloved by the judges that I was like, derek, we. We get it. You love him and his family because you dance with his sister. Can you give Danielle Fishel a little credit here, Like. But, yeah, no, so I was. Yeah, I. But the dance itself was so fun. This was.

[Danielle Fishel]

It was.

[Wilfred L.]

Best dances of the night. Totally deserved.

[Danielle Fishel]

Love her too, by the way. She's. She's such a good dancer. The two of them together just work. They look great. Her choreography is phenomenal. There's. I think there's only been one of the seven weeks so far where it's been like, eh, not the best.

[Wilfred L.]

Right.

[Danielle Fishel]

They're just. And I think that's one of the things they are. Of all the couples, they're by far the most consistent.

[Wilfred L.]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Like, they're just.

[Wilfred L.]

We.

[Danielle Fishel]

And that was the thing we joked about after the first episode was like, well, where do you go from here, Robert? You started at an 11. Good luck with that. And then it's like, oh, he's. He's actually maintaining that.

[Wilfred L.]

Yeah, he's done really well.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, he has.

[Wilfred L.]

They got 10, nine. Nine and 10. Which. Yeah, when Carrie Ann threw out a 10, I was like, really?

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, of course.

[Wilfred L.]

Really?

[Danielle Fishel]

She loves him. And she's like, you're a leading man. Like, okay, sure.

[Wilfred L.]

All right, next up, Jen and Jan. Yeah, I mean, I. You know, it seemed pretty obvious right away that tonight was going to be kind of between.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yep.

[Wilfred L.]

Jen and Andy.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yep.

[Wilfred L.]

As far as who's going to get kicked off, I think it's probably inevitable that Andy will get kicked off next week, but you never know.

[Danielle Fishel]

Never know because.

[Wilfred L.]

Yeah, I thought this was one of Jen's best, actually. And again, I felt the judges were a little too harsh on her.

[Danielle Fishel]

Agree with you. 100.

[Wilfred L.]

Yeah. Because I feel like they've decided something about her and maybe something about Jan that we don't know. A little behind the scenes, like you were talking about that. It just. It just feels like they're. I don't know, they're. They're getting. They're falling through the cracks. And they did fall through the cracks, so I thought this was actually pretty great.

[Danielle Fishel]

Thought they looked great.

[Wilfred L.]

They look great. I thought she gave it her all, but, you know, eights across the board. And again, I was like, really? Not a nine in there. Nope.

[Danielle Fishel]

Same score as the person who didn't dance.

[Wilfred L.]

Yeah. Seems a little.

[Chase for Business Representative]

It just.

[Danielle Fishel]

It's. Again, that's why they're just kind of arbitrary. And did you see this was the first time you. That at least I saw the celebrity not holding their emotions back when she was getting her scores. She was pissed, and you could see that she was pissed. She was just like, okay, well, great. I guess I can't do anything was kind of the face that I think got.

[Wilfred L.]

And I think, unfortunately, the favorites are so clear at this point. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think that the only people, like, the judges are being so predictable, which became really obvious during the. Whatever. The Monster Bash dance off at the end of this, which we'll talk about, which really pissed me off.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Wilfred L.]

You know, the judges have set their. Their path at this point, and. And unless you. The only way to upend it is with the popular vote, it seems like. And I think Jen was not competing with a pop in the popular vote. She doesn't stand a chance against Andy and Danielle and the other people that are not, like, getting tens and nines every time. Therefore, I think she went into tonight knowing that she just was at a disadvantage. And that sucks, because I think also.

[Danielle Fishel]

They had again, with all the press that they were getting and Jan was getting, I think this was overall just a rough week for them. I mean, can you imagine sitting there as your first year as a pro? You're on the biggest dance stage in America. You're probably loving life, enjoying it. You're just with Taylor Swift, and one of the other pros comes out publicly and is like, you don't belong there. It's like, oh, dude, that sucks.

[Wilfred L.]

Weird.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. So that. And I thought he's, again, knowing nothing of dance. He seems like a very nice guy, very personable, and, you know, they.

[Wilfred L.]

I thought they were good.

[Danielle Fishel]

I definitely thought they were good. And then seeing him dance the pro dance, the interlude dance there. This guy can dance.

[Wilfred L.]

That's what I thought.

[Danielle Fishel]

So, yeah, this is. That was rough, though. But this was the first time I actually saw the contestant, like, yeah, I can't do anything else. They're just. They're gonna keep giving me eights no matter what I do.

[Wilfred L.]

Yeah. Which sucks, because, like you, it's probably bad for her career to react this way. Right, right, right. The only thing you could do is just be like, I had a good time. Which she says all the right things, but I felt the energy like you did, especially during the final judging when they wouldn't even look up.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Wilfred L.]

No one.

[Danielle Fishel]

No one likes the guy who argues with the ump. But, like, nobody. Nobody likes that guy.

[Wilfred L.]

So if you know you're getting off the show, just leave with a smile.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yep. Hold your head up high. It Was an honor to be here so hard and then smash the window in your dressing room. That's not. That's what you. You know, that's what you do. You do that privately. But that was. It was tough for her to hide her. I mean, again, these are not actors. She's a tick tock star dancer. So this is. Nobody classically trained it. The things like that we knew where you put a big smile on your face and then you go and you complain to your agent or your publicist. They didn't any of that. You just. You wear your emotions on your sleeve. But, man, it was noticeable. She was. She was angry and I think rightfully so, but you still got to hide it.

[Wilfred L.]

All right, next up was Alex and Val. I mean, these two are just pretty. Pretty damn great. During the whole pre show package was like, you're going to be harsh with me this time. And Val was very strict. And. And then they did a great dance.

[Danielle Fishel]

They did.

[Wilfred L.]

And what's so funny is they spent all this time talking about, like, the technicality. But actually I thought this dance was more fun for its expressiveness and its storytelling. Like all the, like, buried alive stuff.

[Danielle Fishel]

That buried the way it started and the way that it ended were so cool. So great. It is very. And I do not know this man, so I could be 1000% wrong, and if I am, I apologize. But it seems like it's kind of all about him. I mean, he's mugging to the camera a lot and it's all. And they're. The judges are congratulating Val. They're like vintage Valley. It's like, okay, he's the pro, so. But it seems like he's. It's a. It's. It's about Val. When you're dancing with Val, but got the dance.

[Wilfred L.]

I mean, to her credit, though, she's keeping up. Right? That's the point is they looked great together.

[Danielle Fishel]

They looked great together. And hitting them in the. In the head with the shovel at the end.

[Wilfred L.]

At the end was hysterical and just perfect.

[Danielle Fishel]

It was a great dance.

[Wilfred L.]

Yeah. Really, really, really top notch. So 10, 10, 9 and 10.

[Danielle Fishel]

I want to talk about the 9 real quick because I, I agree with her, but I don't get what she said. She. So she said there's a cardinal rule in tango that you don't break contact. Like, you don't break the hold.

[Wilfred L.]

Right?

[Danielle Fishel]

So. But does that mean the whole dance, you have to be touching. So at the beginning, you can't start separate.

[Wilfred L.]

Is that what you haven't. They Always break in to do like a lot of times in almost every dance, I feel like they have one point where they split up. Right. You a thing. Are you not ever supposed to do that with a tango?

[Danielle Fishel]

I don't know. Because I thought that's what a side by side is, is. It's like you, you gotta also dance side by side. So part of me was like, I respected the fact that she said it's a cardinal rule. You don't break hold. So I'm giving you a nine. Essentially, it's like it wasn't perfect and that's what a 10 is for. But at the same time I was like, then do they have to touch the whole dance? Like, I don't, I didn't understand it.

[Wilfred L.]

I don't know. But it's, it's. I kind of feel like if that is the case, then like they all should have kind of held to that.

[Danielle Fishel]

Maybe that's why I said I, like, still would have been like one of the Charles.

[Wilfred L.]

They would have been the top scorers if they had gotten nines across the. The board. Right.

[Danielle Fishel]

I don't know. Somebody got a 10, Robert got a 10.

[Wilfred L.]

Right. But I don't know. They still would have been one of the top scorers. Oh yeah, they had gotten all nines.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Wilfred L.]

And you could have just said like, hey guys, rules are rules. We're going to be technical about this.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Wilfred L.]

I don't know.

[Danielle Fishel]

I don't know. It was, it was interesting. But yeah, it's. They were great. They were, they were dance of the night for me. I thought all the way around and, and that's saying something because Robert had a great dance. There's a couple of people that had great dances, but this one was just kind of on another level tonight.

[Wilfred L.]

All right. Then we had Dylan and Daniela. Your fave with the, the nose break.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, she felt so bad too. You can tell. She was just devastated that she broke this Adonis face. She put an elbow into his nose.

[Wilfred L.]

He could sue her for all the millions he's not going to make, by the way. Couldn't tell at all. Like, I see where his. No, you know.

[Danielle Fishel]

No.

[Wilfred L.]

Yeah. Super interested that he likes Romantasy. I was like, all right, good for you, dude. Have you read Romantasy books? I know you're a big fantasy person, but not Roman.

[Danielle Fishel]

Not really. Romantasy is not my. Not my.

[Wilfred L.]

So, like Twilight is Romantasy, right?

[Danielle Fishel]

I would think so. I think the original. What's the one they made a huge show about where she's Married, but then goes back into the past and is banging a guy there, too. Outlander.

[Wilfred L.]

Outlander, yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

So that is. I think that's also romantasy. If there's a wizard and the word throbbing, that's Romantasy, I think, is what I would say. Yeah.

[Wilfred L.]

All right. I thought these guys were great. I just love the two of them together so much. I thought the fact, you know, like, Danielle Fischl, he came in with, like, a point of view and wanting to, like, influence the story in a way that I think is so fun and impressive and. And should be considered as part of, like, the. The cool thing about you're growing as a dancer, you're wanting to express yourself more. You're not just taking instructions from a pro. You're, like, having a partnership with your pro where they're listening to you and. And, you know, I feel that from these two. They're just dancing together so well. And, yeah, she also.

[Danielle Fishel]

I thought it was super cool that she started this thing blindfolded.

[Wilfred L.]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

I mean, just the idea where it's like, I'm the pro, but I'm putting myself totally in your hands. I'm going to be blindfolded. Like, that was. That was a neat twist that you've got to do the first half of the dance blindfolded was pretty great.

[Wilfred L.]

Yep. They got nine. Nine, eight, nine. I would have given them nines across the board.

[Danielle Fishel]

I would have, too. I would have to. Cheryl. But Cheryl was. She was harsh. This, you know, and maybe she's the most real of all the judges. I don't know, but I know.

[Wilfred L.]

I thought from more of an outsider perspective.

[Danielle Fishel]

I thought it was cool. They. They look great together. I just. My heart broke for her. Like, his nose broke for her when. Because she just. She. You could tell. She just felt so bad that this happened. But, yeah, he's great. He's super personable, very likable. He's gonna be there at the end. They're not kicking this guy off anytime soon. They announced that he also won the sexiest Tattooed guy for the People magazine.

[Wilfred L.]

I don't know what they were talking about, so.

[Danielle Fishel]

So you know how People magazine does Sexiest Man Alive every year? Well, there's also subcategories. It's like, sexiest funny guy sex. So he was like, sexiest tattoos.

[Wilfred L.]

So they were actually referencing People magazine. Yeah. Who cares?

[Danielle Fishel]

People. That's why it's in the title. Just ask the Throbbing Lizard. Yeah. Things that you would do with your wand take on a whole different thing in Romantasy So, yeah.

[Wilfred L.]

All right. Then we had this dance a thon thing, which stupid was really dumb.

[Danielle Fishel]

It was so stupid.

[Wilfred L.]

I like it in theory. But then the fact that the story scoring ended up being almost exactly the order of the night, like, they were in the order of their scores to the night. All it did was just make the top scorers top again. Yep. It was like, why are you doing this? You're literally going to eliminate them in the order of, you know, like, the only. It seems like the only. It came down to, like, whether Robert, you know, and Whitney or Alex. And it was just like, the. The same people are going to win that we're already going to like. It's so dumb.

[Danielle Fishel]

This was also the first thing of the entire show that I thought was really poorly directed. Yeah, they're like. They're kicking people off who aren't even on camera. Like, what? What's happening? What the hell is going on? It was just a mishmash of. It was weird. The whole thing was just. I didn't get it. And the two points at the end, like three points at the end. Does that really matter anymore?

[Wilfred L.]

It's.

[Danielle Fishel]

You give your arbitrary scores and America votes, you know, it's.

[Wilfred L.]

But yeah, when they kicked Andy and Emma off right away I was like, really? Yeah. We didn't even get to see them for any. And then it was like, oh, we're just gonna kick the people who are down and just like. And then we're just adding more to the same. I don't see this as a bonus at all. I just as like, more, I will.

[Danielle Fishel]

Say from a physicality point of view, especially the people that were there at the end. You gotta dance for, like three or four minutes straight. I remember when I took boxing lessons once. My first lesson was I had to just hold my hands up with boxing gloves on for one round, which is three minutes. And it was horrifying. So the idea that you've got to dance for three or four minutes straight is that in itself is just physically impressive. But the whole thing just. I was like, wait, who did they kick off? What's happening? There's a grim reaper who we're not cutting to. What the hell's going on?

[Guest Judge Cheryl Burke]

I'll just say I was in the audience this week.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Guest Judge Cheryl Burke]

And it played out so much better in person than when I watched it back on tv because I was, like, watching everyone on the floor and you would see the grim reaper come over. So what they would do is they would hold up a sign saying, like, Andy and Emma are out. And then the grim reaper would come over and pull them away and take them out. So in the ballroom, it made sense on tv. It didn't translate.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. Well, then they cut. They should cut to the judges holding up the placard and then cut the guys out. I mean, it made no sense.

[Wilfred L.]

Probably just too much visual.

[Guest Judge Cheryl Burke]

It was just too much happening. I think that's why. Yeah.

[Wilfred L.]

Hard to direct something like that, you know? So they kept cutting to the overhead shot.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Wilfred L.]

Okay.

[Danielle Fishel]

Weird.

[Wilfred L.]

All right, Well, I guess we don't have a Will Rider be on Dancing with the Stars, since I.

[Danielle Fishel]

The only thing I was going to say to up the the ante was I unfortunately just got a call from abc, and to do Dancing with the Stars, you have to sign a dual contract. You also have to hop over and do American Idol. Never.

[Guest Judge Cheryl Burke]

Never.

[Wilfred L.]

Just have to sing.

[Danielle Fishel]

You have to first dance and then go on tour, and then you have to go and you have to sing on Idol. You have to start all over, and you have to sing on Idol, and then after that, you have to go on Top Chef, and then for some reason, you have to go on the Chef.

[Wilfred L.]

I would do, like, something like. But singing and dancing are just too close to my heart.

[Danielle Fishel]

I know.

[Wilfred L.]

It's too close.

[Danielle Fishel]

I know. So, yeah, I got. The game's over. You're on the show. We got to come up with a new one.

[Wilfred L.]

All right.

[Danielle Fishel]

I don't know what it is. People have said, you have to ask me what I would do to be on the show. But there's.

[Wilfred L.]

I think we could do that maybe.

[Danielle Fishel]

But there's no but again, I said no for different reasons. I just don't think I'd ever learn how to dance. Like, the social media stuff, I don't do social media at all, but I could do it and forget it. Like, I would have them run my social media platform. I would have nothing to do with it. I wouldn't look at it.

[Wilfred L.]

If they just asked right now, like, let's just say they just ask for next season, you'd probably do it then.

[Danielle Fishel]

Maybe not. My anxiety would probably get the better of me because I have anticipatory anxiety. So the closer I got to having to do stuff like, oh, my God, I have to dance tonight, I think my anxiety would probably get the better of me.

[Wilfred L.]

Okay. Let's just say they outright offered it to you based on having listened to this podcast and you know that it's based on your personality and them wanting you because who you are and knowing that you're gonna, you know, probably not be a great dancer. That you might be like Andy.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Wilfred L.]

But be beloved. Like, it wouldn't that, wouldn't that make you feel comfortable? Maybe.

[Danielle Fishel]

I mean, maybe. I would certainly think about it. It wouldn't be an instant. No, I would definitely think about it. But I. It's just not for me. It's.

[Wilfred L.]

It's like, it's not for you. But, yeah, I think that would be part of the chart. Maybe, you know, if they, if you're coming in as, like, hey, I'm a funny guy, I would love to get in better shape. This all works for me. But ultimately, I'm gonna be a horrible dancer, I think, and then everybody's along for that journey. You'd be cool. That could work.

[Danielle Fishel]

I mean, that could work. The thing that would also save me, though, is I would tell Danielle's story. So I'd be like, sometimes being with Jensen's not the easiest thing in the world, you know? Yeah. I don't know. I mean, again, it wouldn't be an instant. No. But it also, there's. It would definitely be 70. 30. No. To start with. And then my wife would probably have something to say about it, too. So we'd have to.

[Wilfred L.]

All right, that's it for this episode of Pod Meets Twirled. Join us next week as we Continue watching season 34 of Dancing with the Stars. We may not know a Charleston from a cheit, but we know what we learned way back in Feeny's class. Danielle Fishel is the star of the show. She's a star. She's a star. You're fantastic, darling. Pod Meets World is an iHeart podcast produced and hosted by Danielle Fishel, Wilfred L. And Ryder Strong, executive producers Jensen Karp and Amy Sugarman, executive in charge of production, Danielle Romo, producer and editor Tara Sugbash, producer Matty Moore, engineer and boy meets world Superman, Easton Allen. Our theme song is by Kyle Morton of Typhoon. Follow us on Instagram odmeatsworldshow or email us@podmeetsworld showmail.com.

[Danielle Fishel]

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[Wilfred L.]

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[Danielle Fishel]

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[Danielle Fishel]

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[Wilfred L.]

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[Danielle Fishel]

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