Well, it’s here! The first part of the two night season finale! How exciting is this? Now, I’m pretty sure we all know who’s going to win, but I’m still excited to see how it’s all going to play out. Let’s see how this all goes down!

First of all, we’re treated to a performance by Meghan Trainor. I love her, so this is already a highlight for me. Then the stars come out, and they’re even more beautiful than ever before. And then we’re on to the dances!

Carlos and Witney (Foxtrot)

Carlos and Witney are the only pair that haven’t received a perfect score, so they’re really feeling the pressure tonight. Bruno is their mentor judge for their performance, and he shows Carlos how to lift his arms for the perfect Foxtrot (lift with your back, Carlos!). Well the tutelage definitely pays off, because the dance is very elegant and sexy. The mist on the floor and her costume, added to their amazing dance moves, reminded me so much of something straight out of Dracula. It would’ve fit right in in the Halloween episode, except that tonight, he’s done the dance justice, something I’m not sure he’d have been able to do a few weeks ago. Julianne says it was a big improvement. Carrie Ann says it was his most dynamic performance.

Score: 30

Alek and Lindsay (Rumba)

Getting the perfect score really boosted Alek’s confidence, though it seems a bit shaken when they find out that they’ve got to do the rumba. Alek is usually very good technically, but he’s always had trouble with his hips, and Carrie Ann, their mentor this week, definitely wants hip action. Alek isn’t sure he can pull this off. The last time he did the rumba, it’d been with Emma, whom he really has a connection with. But Lindsay is like his sister, so obviously, he finds it difficult to be sexy with a sister figure. He mostly pulls it off, though the hip action is mostly non-existent. The dance is beautiful and emotional, but I’m not sure I see any hip action at all. All the judges make note of this, though they assure him that his determination and courage to dance is incredible.

Score: 27

Nick and Sharna (Jive)

Last week, Nick missed a few steps, which really knocked him off his game until Sharna’s mid-dance pep talk boosted his confidence. Still, the misstep had been enough to kick him to the bottom of the leaderboard. Nick’s not worried though. He figures he’s got nowhere to go but up. Julianne helps him out with his kicks for his Jive performance, and he really seems to pick up what she’s showing him. The dance itself is amazing. It’s full of energy and it’s so fast, I don’t even know how they can move that fast and make their movements so sharp at the same time. The judges all love it. Carrie Ann says that every move was fantastic and that he stands equal to Sharna tonight. Julianne says he danced the crap out of that performance. And Bruno called him a sex bomb and said he nailed the kicks.

Score: 30

Bindi and Derek (Quickstep)

Carrie Ann tells them that their dance this week is the Quickstep. The last time they danced this dance, it was a little sloppy, so the judges want to see how she improves. She also warns Derek not to break the holds like he apparently did in an earlier season. He follows Carrie Ann’s advice, and the dance is incredible. You wouldn’t even know that Bindi’s body is ready to break or that Derek has been sick all week. The dance is full of energy, and like Nick and Sharna’s dance, I don’t know how it’s possible to move that quickly while still nailing all of their moves. Julianne comments on Bindi’s incredible stamina. Bruno says it was a gem of a quickstep. And Carrie Ann says she herself feels like a better person when she watches Bindi dance.

Score: 30

After a great performance by Who Is Fancy, Meghan Trainor and Ariana Grande, it’s time for the freestyle round. The pros inform us that this round is the most important dance of the season because it’s the last dance before the final votes start rolling in. There are no rules, so they can do whatever they want. I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m excited to see this round. Let’s see how creative these guys can get!

Carlos and Witney

These two are planning on dancing a hip hop/salsa dance, and Carlos is a little bit worried about dancing as well as the pros they’ll be dancing with. They’ve decided that they’re going to include some of their past competitors in their dance, and after they get the go ahead from the producers, they bring in Hayes, Paula, and Alexa to dance with them for a few seconds. The performance is great. I love hip hop dancing, so it’s right up my alley. I was a little concerned that Paula would bring the dance down, but she didn’t really have to do that much, so there was nothing to worry about. The judges all comment on how great it is that he’d included his cast-mates in the dance. It was an important performance for him, and it could have backfired, as Bruno says, but it worked.

Score: 30

Alek and Lindsay

These two have decided that their dance is going to have elements of an obstacle course, because he’s had a lot of obstacles to get over. However, when they see the 8 foot wall that they’ve got to climb as part of their routine, even Lindsay has second thoughts. They pull it off though. His lifts are great as always, and they put that wall to good use. The dance seems effortless for them, and it really shows off their great connection. These two work really well together. Bruno says that no obstacle is insurmountable and that the choreography was outstanding. Carrie Ann says it was really creative and memorable. Julianne says it was physically and emotionally powerful.

Score: 30

Bindi and Derek

Bindi and Derek talk about her father and decide that they’re going to do a routine in his memory. Both of them are in tears as they talk, and it’s very clear, the connection these two have with each other. It’s beautiful. Their dance is beautiful too. Derek wants it to be stripped down and raw, and they definitely pull that off. It’s an extremely powerful dance, and before the end, I’m in tears, along with just about everyone else in the audience, especially when the photo of Bindi and her father is shown at the end of the dance. Carrie Ann says she’s a joy to watch and that she does each moment to its fullest potential. Julianne says she’s so special and that she’s taken everyone with her on her journey. Bruno says she showed them the power of dance and touched everyone’s heart.

Score: 30

Nick and Sharna

These two have decided that they’re going to dance to Larger Than Life, which is kind of risky, considering they’ve already done a BSB song, and because they can’t let it be predictable. But they want it to be a celebration of everything he’s achieved throughout the season. Since this could be his last moment on the show, they want to make sure they go out with a bang. The dance is really tight. He’s on stage with a bunch of other pros, and he definitely holds his own up there. The unison is incredible, and the lift he does with Sharna is really good. The judges all love what he’s done. Julianne says he nailed every bit up there with those pros. Bruno says it was a great way to finish the night. Carrie Ann says he finished the finals with his most incredible performance.

Score: 30

But now we’re onto the elimination. Not going to lie – I’m really nervous. I don’t want Nick to go, but it could happen, since his score was not so great last week. All four of these pairs are incredible. It’s anyone’s game. We find out that Alek and Lindsay are safe, and so are Bindi and Derek (shocker). So it’s down to Nick and Carlos. And in the end, it’s Carlos and Witney who have been eliminated tonight. I feel bad for him, but he’s incredibly gracious about the whole experience. It really makes me respect him even more.

So that’s it for tonight! That just leaves tomorrow night, when we’ll hand Bindi and Derek the trophy! (Because let’s face it – no one else is going to win.) See you then!

– Rebecca