‘Dancing With The Stars’ Season 25, Episode 4 Recap: Maks Chmerkovskiy Absent As Vanessa Lachey Fight Rumors Swirl

Season 25, episode 4 of Dancing with the Stars was “Guilty Pleasure” night, and the dancers appeared to have a blast. That may have been in part because there were no eliminations.

DANCING WITH THE STARS RECAP

The show started off with some choice words from host Tom Bergeron about bullying, on behalf of Paralympic gold medalist and this season’s dancer Victoria Arlen. “If I could just address kids watching,” he said into the camera. “If you’re going to school and you see somebody who’s different, don’t be an ass.”

Then we got to the dancing. First up were Drew Scott and Emma Slater with an Argentine tango to “Red Right Hand” by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Scott plays a sexy detective and Slater, a sexy witness. The dance is clean and Scott shows he is really learning how to put the choreography together. They earn a 23/30.

Then Derek Fisher and Sharna Burgess take the stage for a cha-cha to “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” by DJ Jazzy Jeff and Will Smith. The dancers dress up for the part in ’90s clothing and clearly enjoy themselves. The judges love the routine, but are not wowed by it – 21/30.

Next up are Arlen and Val Chmerkovskiy, who do a quickstep to the classic “Tubthumping” by Chumbawamba. They somehow make the song fit into Arlen’s incredible journey, and the dance itself looks crisp and clean. They get a 22/30 from the judges.

Vanessa Lachey and Alan Bersten are up next, and perform a jazz routine to Cyndi Lauper‘s “Girls Just Want to Have Fun.” Bersten is filling in for Maks Chmerkovskiy as he takes a personal day this week. Overall, the judges like the dance but it’s nothing special – 23/30. Online reports suggested that Maks was protesting Vanessa’s diva behavior.

Nikki Bella and Artem Chigvintsev take the stage next for a Viennese waltz to Rihanna‘s “Love on the Brain.” The couple are dressed as cover models for romance novels, Nikki’s guilty pleasure for the week. The waltz they perform is anything but traditional, but the couple walks away with a 21/30.

Next up is favorite Frankie Muniz and his partner Witney Carson for a samba to “It’s Gonna Be Me” by *NSYNC. Muniz’s dream is to be in a boy band, so he dresses like old school Justin Timberlake, while Carson takes on Britney Spears, both in denim. While the moment is fun, the dance is lacking in technical skill, leaving the pair with a 21/30 from the judges.

Lindsey Stirling and partner Mark Ballas excite the judges and the audience with a joyful jive to Wham’s “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go.” Stirling admits she is dealing with a break-up, but the routine in their pajamas livens things up. The judges applaud her for not being out-danced by Ballas, and they award the pair a 27/30 – the highest score of the night.

That transitions us to the worst performance of the night, by Sasha Pieterse and Gleb Savchenko. They do a jazz routine to “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)” by the Four Tops. Apparently her guilty pleasure is baking, and the judges are unimpressed by all of it. They receive a 19/30.

Nick Lachey and Peta Murgatroyd are up next with a jazz piece to “Jump (For My Love)” by the Pointer Sisters. The neon ’80s clothes are almost the best part of this routine, but the jazzercising is also great. Though the scores aren’t the best, this marks a turn in Lachey’s game. They get a 21/30.

Next on stage are Terrell Owens and Cheryl Burke who do a salsa to “The Breaks” by Kurtis Blow. Owens apparently loves breakdancing, so breakdancing he will do. He falls a bit out of sync with the backup dancers in the middle of the routine, but pulls it back together for the end, and he’s clearly having a great time. The judges give the pair a 21/30.

Last up are Jordan Fisher and Lindsay Arnold, who do the Charleston to “The Glory Days” by television music guru Michael Giacchino. The dance is an homage to Fisher’s love of comic books, and as Bruno Tonioli says, it’s a “visual feast.” The judges opine that Fisher hasn’t connected emotionally to the piece, but they can’t deny that he has the moves for it – 25/30.

Since this night didn’t end in elimination, the contestants can enjoy the night and prepare for next week’s episode.