DWTS Season 34 has officially delivered its first major feud, and it came with a suspension, an apology tour, and a perfect score. It started on the Oct. 13 taping when Carrie Ann Inaba flagged an illegal lift in Jenna Johnson and Harry Shum Jr.’s samba. Jenna pushed back, and Val Chmerkovskiy jumped in with a since-deleted TikTok referencing Will Smith’s Oscars slap, which landed him a one-week ban. He returned Tuesday, apologized to partner Jenna Dewan, and hugged it out with Inaba.
Dylan Efron is backing the judge, telling reporters that Carrie Ann was“doing her job”and noting that each judge has a niche, with Inaba focused on emotion. It’s a fair point for a show where judging standards are basically a running debate. Inaba and Johnson reportedly made amends as well, and Inaba is now pitching a new lift rule, which honestly sounds like a smart way to avoid a rerun of this whole mess next season.
Then the ballroom did what it does best and made everything about the dancing again. Johnson and Shum Jr. earned the season’s first perfect score Tuesday night, turning the loudest week of the season into the biggest comeback story. So: is a new lift rule the right call, or should the judges focus on emotion like Carrie Ann always has? Vote below.
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Local Lawton
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