Dancing With The Stars is officially halfway through the season, airing episode 6, Monster Night, on Tuesday. Monster Night is the classic Halloween episode that is done year after year, and a fan favorite for many reasons.

The episode was a two-parter, starting with typical themed dance per couple, and then moving on to a Dance Monster-thon. There was also a guest judge, Niecy Nash-Betts, who was a previous contest on the show.

Guest judges can be a toss up as to the way they vote. Sometimes, they are the sole high score, giving one to two points above the regular judges. Others, like Niecy, often underscored the stars, giving them one point below the other judges.

Jason and Daniella kicked off the night with a mummified contemporary dance. It was good, but not quite to the same level as some of Jason’s other performances. He didn’t seem like he was grounded or solid on the dance floor, slipping or stumbling more than he has in the past. Daniella’s choreography was still top-notch, and they incorporated lifts for the first time, which was a great way to show progression through the competition.

Alyson and Sasha were up next, dancing a Buffy-inspired Argentine tango. Alyson hasdefinitely improved throughout the season, but it’s interesting that Sasha always seems to spend the first twenty to thirty seconds of their dance doing something other than dancing. Last week, it was the umbrella, the week before it was a canoe, and this week it was spinning capes. As mentioned, Alyson has improved but she still lacks some of the finesse and refinement some others have. 

Xochitl and Val returned to the dance floor with a resurrective contemporary piece, coming off the heels of their first score of 10 last week. The story, choreography and technique were all outstanding. Xochitl brings her acting experience to the forefront, and a level of refinement that other contestants are hard-pressed to find. Her skill also likely allows Val to create more intricate choreography, leveling up their dances even more. 

Harry and Rylee took the floor next, with an Argentine Tango. Harry started off by speaking on the hate he’s received as a contestant on the show. Although he hasn’t shown the progress others have, he has greatly improved from where he started. This dance was one of his best, earning him 7’s, and the choreography from Rylee had much more movement, bringing a new challenge for him. Harry and Rylee are also 100% the people’s choice in this competition. They have been at the bottom of the judge’s leaderboard almost every week, yet has stayed in due to his great chemistry with Rylee and their skillful marketing.

Next up were Barry and Peta. The pair still didn’t break out of the middle of the back. While Barry has great personality and solid delivery, it seems like his dances are always just slighlty slower paced. The wolf character he took on in the dance seemed to take over, letting the character overtake the technique. However, his stamina is always impressive. The dance was also a little cheesy, but that is more because of the costuming, not the choreography.

Ariana and Pasha were up next with another Argentine Tango. Ariana has been a frontrunner for much of the competition, this dance being no exception. She nailed the steps, the choreography was clean and crisp and she deliver on the performance. It seemed like it was lacking energy just slightly, but otherwise was another hit from the pair.

Brandon and Lele performed a Paso Doble, hoping to breakout from the middle of the pack. They were unsuccessful, unfortunately. Brandon’s choreography was amazing, eye-catching and powerful, but he seemed to be carrying the piece rather than Lele. She still brought amazing energy and facials, just needing to work on her refinement and smoothness as she dances. They were able to make it out of the Halloween episode, something Brandon hasn’t achieved for the past few seasons.

Mauricio and Emma followed with one more Argentine Tango. The piece was good, but nothing magical and at a similar level to their past dances. Mauricio still delivered well, with a stoic and strong performance, but it wasn’t as dynamic as it could’ve been.

Charity and Artem were the only couple on Monster Night to dance a jive. The concept was cute, and carried out the whole piece. However, Charity lacked the attack and sharpness that the jive should have, a comment given to them by the judges. She is still one of the top contenders of the competition, but this style wasn’t the best suited for her. Similarly to Lele and Brandon, eyes were drawn to Artem rather than Charity.

The Monsterthon was up next. For this portion, the stars and their partners were all out on the floor together, dancing the Charleston and the Hustle. The judges tapped out pairs one at a time, and the stars got points in accordance to how long they stayed on the floor. 

As a viewer, the dancing and eliminations were quite hard to follow, as all the couples were dancing at once and the camera only showed certain couples at once.

The last three on the floor were Lele and Brandon, Ariana and Pasha, and Val and Xochitl. Val and Xochitl won, taking home 5 extra points, cementing their position at the top of the leaderboard.

The couple on the chopping block this week was Mauricio and Emma. While the elimination was sad, at this point in the competition, every couple that goes home has developed solid dancing abilities, making voting even more important.