Reality Roundup: “Dancing with the Stars” Season 34 Episode 3 Review

“Dancing With the Stars” Season 34 Recap: TikTok Night Brings Energy and a Shocking Elimination

“Dancing With the Stars” Season 34 returned for Week 3 with the show’s first-ever TikTok Night.

The evening kicked off with a troupe dance featuring special guest and Season 31 Mirrorball champion Charli D’Amelio, performing to Charli XCX’s “Apple.”

The remaining 12 couples geared up for a night celebrating iconic TikTok songs and dances, starting with Jen Affleck and her partner, Jan Ravnik.

They danced a cha-cha to “She’s a Bad Mama Jama (She’s Built, She’s Stacked),” a song Affleck used in one of her most viral TikToks.

The cha-cha showed improvement but was nothing special, earning them 19 out of 30 from judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli.

Next up was Lauren Jauregui dancing a cha-cha to her own Fifth Harmony song, “Work From Home.” She and partner Brandon Armstrong fell a bit flat, scoring 18 out of 30.

Danielle Fishel danced to “Manchild” by Sabrina Carpenter after receiving an encouraging video from her lifelong friend and “TV daughter.”

She and Pasha Pashkov were elegant on the floor, earning 21 out of 30 for their foxtrot.

Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa once again did not come to play this week, dancing a fiery tango to “Anxiety” by Doechii.

Their routine was sharp and technically sound, with impressive choreography from Sosa. They earned 24 out of 30 — the highest score of the season at the time.

Following them were Dylan Efron and Daniella Karagach, with a clean and simple foxtrot to “Yukon” by Justin Bieber. They scored 23 out of 30.

Elaine Hendrix then hit the floor with a spunky tango to “Gnarly” by KATSEYE. She and her partner, Alan Bersten, earned 21 out of 30 for their routine.

“Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” star Whitney Levitt was up next with a samba to “Shake Ya Ass” by Mystikal. She and her partner, Mark Ballas, scored another 24 out of 30.

Scott Hoying finally broke out of his shell with a jazz dance to “Like Jennie” by Jennie, alongside Rylee Arnold. The 22 out of 30 routine may be the breakthrough the Pentatonix star needs.

Hilaria Baldwin and Gleb Savchenko followed with a samba to “Shake It to the Max (Fly) [Remix]” by Moliy, Silent Addy, Skillibeng and Shenseea.

Inaba praised the dance, saying, “Len [Goodman] would’ve loved that samba.” They scored 22 out of 30.

America’s sweetheart Andy Richter was next with a foxtrot to “Northern Attitude” by Noah Kahan and Hozier. His graceful performance with Emma Slater brought tears to the ballroom, earning 18 out of 30.

Robert Irwin and his partner, Witney Carson, performed a salsa to “Million Dollar Baby,” which had fans screaming when Irwin ripped his shirt off. The duo earned 22 out of 30.

The final couple to perform before elimination was Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy, who ended the night with a quickstep to “Pop Muzik” by Robin M. Scott. They earned 23 out of 30.

At last, it was time for the elimination.

Hosts Julianne Hough and Alfonso Ribeiro announced the safe couples until three remained: Elaine and Alan, Andy and Emma, and Lauren and Brandon.

In a shocking result, Jauregui was the eliminated star, leaving everyone in the ballroom stunned. J. Hough asked how she was feeling, to which her only response was, “Pissed.”

Next week, the 11 remaining couples will travel to the most magical place on Earth for Disney Night — and you won’t want to miss it. — Sarah Gavlak

Sarah Gavlak is a fourth-year majoring in telecommunications. To contact her, please email sng5393@psu.edu.