The cuts are in: Tori Spelling and Anna Delvey are out of “Dancing with the Stars.”
That’s the headline from Tuesday night but there were plenty of other tidbits worth considering.
Delvey, the first contestant to wear a government-issued ankle bracelet, talked about the negative reaction she received after attempting to improve her reputation. When she was asked what she would be taking from the competition, she had a one-word answer: “Nothing.”
Spelling was more generous, if not a little disingenuous. She said she wanted her children to learn that they could do anything. Unfortunately, she couldn’t hang in past the second week on the show.
Surprisingly, Eric Roberts and Reginald VelJohnson, easily the worst of the first episode, managed to stay in. Both had stronger ties than the others to the night’s theme – "Oscars Night." The concept started out OK. Films like “The Godfather” and “La La Land” got salutes, but then the premise devolved into “music from films.” Huge Oscars and a quick look at the Academy Museum suggested this would be a little more informational but that didn’t last. The closest tie “Oscars Night” had was that it’s on ABC. (At the Oscar museum, there are plenty of displays that could have prompted specific dances – and producers could have shown the memorabilia. Alas, they did not.)
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If we’ve got a frontrunner at this point, it’s actress Chandler Kinney who got the “Barbie” number and offered a stunning rumba that showed off her ballerina-like legs. She was at the top of the leaderboard both weeks and should stay there.
“Bachelor” Joey Graziadei and Olympian Stephen Nedoroscik have staying power.
NBA star Dwight Howard continued to impress with that “La La Land” foxtrot. (He’s definitely one for the playoffs.)
And “Real Housewife” Phaedra Parks improved, and model Brooks Nader worked the “are they or aren’t they?” thread about her “extra” time with partner Gleb Savchenko. She wasn’t that good, but she’ll stay in for a while.
The scene stealer, though, was rugby star Ilona Maher, who executed a fun “Dirty Dancing” routine and lifted partner Alan Bersten. She’s a charmer who could give Nedoroscik a run for his Olympic fans (he, by the way, did a “Superman” routine, playing right into the hands of his online stardom).
Roberts and VelJohnson may have the “old dancer” love on their side but neither did what could be mistaken for dancing. Both were halting and, unless there’s a big voting bloc supporting them, should go home in the next two weeks.
What’s fascinating is how quickly old tricks are coming out (smoke, for example, to hide Spelling’s footwork; shirtless male dancers to divert attention). Old dogs can learn new tricks but it might be best not to employ all of the diversion tactics just yet.