After famous movie scores provided the soundtrack for Week Four of Season Thirteen, the results show opened with a performance from Raphael Saadiq. Even the band backing him was dancing, and the audience and the judges were clapping along in rhythm; it was a rousing way to kick off the show…especially because it also brought Carrie-Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli, and Len Goodman to their feet.
A short segment featured brief interviews with celebrities who happened to be in the audience for the competition show, but quickly gave way to the second musical guest of the night: Susan Boyle, wh performed “Unchained Melody” (not “Enchanted Melody,” as host Brooke Burke-Charvet introduced it) – known for its inclusion in the soundtrack of Ghost, starring Demi Moore and the late Patrick Swayze – accompanied by professionals Val Chmerkovskiy and Peta Murgatroyd on the dance floor. Boyle’s soaring voice faltered a bit in a few sections of the song that called for strong soprano notes, but overall, it was a lovely performance and a beautiful rumba from the eliminated pros.
Seventeen minutes into the show, they finally got around to making the first round of announcements. With Rob Kardashian, Ricki Lake – who earned the first two 10s of the season last night – and J.R. Martinez waiting to hear their fates, Burke-Charvet and Tom Bergeron revealed that Lake and Martinez would move on safely to dance in Week Five, but Kardashian was still in danger of elimination.
It was then time for two-time champion Julianne Hough (currently starring in the remake of Footloose), to return to the ballroom for the first time in two and a half years. Hough, who won Dancing With the Stars with partners Apolo Ohno and Helio Castroneves, took to the floor with Footloose co-star Kenny Wormald (stepping into Kevin Bacon’s dancing shoes in the film) for a dance to a medley of “Holding Out for a Hero” and the title song “Footloose,” performed by the third musical guest of the evening, Blake Shelton.
Upon completion of the dance (and a subsequent standing ovation by the audience), Hough was extremely emotional, giving the audience, the competitors, and the judges and hosts heartfelt thanks for welcoming her back so warmly.
Once the commercial break was over, Chynna Phillips (who forgot part of her routine last night), Carson Kressley (in full Pirates of the Caribbean regalia), and Chaz Bono (whose performance elicited tears from both Carrie-Ann Inaba and his mother, Cher, who was in the audience) were told that Bono and Kressley hadn’t filled their dance cards yet, and would get a chance to dance in Week Five, but Phillips’ future was still uncertain.
Another filler segment featuring the celebridancers’ reactions to the strain of the rehearsal process and the fast-paced environment of the ballroom took up a couple of minutes, but then Julianne Hough returned to the floor for a jumpin’ jive with her brother, Derek (partnered this season with Ricki Lake). To the delight of the audience and the judges, the Hough siblings boogied their way around the ballroom in what had to be a terribly exhausting dance even for two professionals. (But there really is nothing better than watching two pros, especially two who are so comfortable together, doing their jobs, and this jive was no exception.)
The third announcement brought Hope Solo (whose commitment to the competition was questioned by Head Judge Goodman following her dance last night), Nancy Grace, and David Arquette to the stage. Solo and Arquette were announced as having been voted through while Grace joined Kardashian and Phillips as the three facing elimination.
In a surprising turn of events, Grace received the good news that she had been granted a stay of execution by the viewers’ votes, leaving Kardashian and Phillips as the final two. Phillips’ missteps during the performance show, however, proved too much for viewers to overlook, and the singer became the fourth-eliminated contestant of Season Thirteen.
Week Five’s performance show will air Monday, October 17, 2011, at 8/7 Central on ABC.