Warning! The following contains spoilers for the Dancing With The Stars Season 33 Semi-Finals. Stream it with a Disney+ subscription and read at your own risk!
I'm officially forgiving Dancing With The Stars for how upset it left me with the previous week's Instant Dance Challenge. I assumed that the surprises were over with the Semi-Finals underway, but the Season 33 penultimate episode had one big curveball left to deliver to fans. In an announcement made at the very last minute, there was no elimination, and every remaining couple will compete in the finale. I couldn't think of a better ending to the episode.
It's a little anticlimactic to learn that this week's scores will roll into the finale, but I think ABC made the right call. We haven't had an ending to an episode this buzz-worthy since Anna Delvey's closing remarks upon elimination, and it was the best way to set up the Dancing With The Stars Season 33 finale. Here's why.
No One Would've Been Happy With Ilona or Stephen Going Home
Assuming the scoring process tonight wasn't a sham and they were the actual Bottom 2, I was 100% prepared to write a disappointing reaction if Ilona Maher or Stephen Nedoroscik went home. These two Olympians brought their best this season, whether it was Maher's show-stopping Encanto dance or Nedoroscik, who has been beloved by fans ever since his viral pommel horse routine.
These two contestants and their pros have shown the most consistent improvement on a week-to-week basis. While they may not dominate at the top of the leaderboard, I think they're both just a couple of good dances away from stealing a win with some help from voters.
Any Of These Remaining Couples Could Win It All In The Finale With The Right Dance
I don't think that applies to just Ilona Maher or Stephen Nedoroscik either. Each and every competitor left in this competition has a solid chance of winning that Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy. While Chandler Kinney and Joey Graziadei feel like the frontrunners with their consistently good scores all season long, you can't rule out contestants like Danny Amendola. He is my dark horse pick to win it all, but I could be biased in the fact I'm a New England Patriots fan. It may also help that his dancing pro partner Witney Carson shared the same perspective I had on the Instant Dance Challenge.
Regardless, I've watched a few Dancing With The Stars seasons where heading into the finale, it was clear which couple or couples would be in the mix for that trophy. I don't think it's a stretch to say every single competing couple from the penultimate episode could win, and fans would be happy. They all deserve it, as they did deserve to advance and get the chance to win!
Dancing With The Stars Season 33 will conclude on ABC with a three-hour finale that starts on Tuesday, November 26 at 8:00 p.m. ET. If I haven't made it clear by all I've said so far, this isn't one that you want to miss, so make sure to set that DVR!
