DWTS 500th Episode Elimination: Was It a Shocker?

Heavy/ABC Dwight Howard and Daniella Karagach were eliminated.

The new episode of “Dancing with the Stars” that aired on November 12 was a big one. It was the 500th episode of the long-running show, and viewers were treated to fantastic performances ahead of a potentially difficult elimination.

Not only did the remaining six couples of DWTS season 33 compete, but performances were highlighting the show’s history.

Ahead of the episode, fans speculated that there may be no elimination at the end of the episode, given the celebratory feel of the show.

Many others were hoping to see Dwight Howard eliminated, feeling the other contestants deserved a spot in the semi-finals.

“I am sorry but Harry Jowsey moved more in his Argentine Tango – Dwight walked for a straight 20 seconds,” one viewer noted on Reddit after his performance.

Ahead of the episode, another Reddit user declared, “He should’ve been gone weeks ago, I’ll be upset if he’s in longer.”

“It is time for Dwight to go,” added someone else.

At the end of the night, Howard and Karagach were eliminated.

The Remaining DWTS Contestants Delivered Fantastic Performances

According to ABC’s press release, each of the remaining six couples was slated to dance twice during the November 12 episode.

First came routines that were inspired by iconic performances from past seasons.

Chandler Kinney and Brandon Armstrong received a score of 30 out of 30 for their Argentine tango. Their performance was inspired by the dance previously done by Kellie Pickler and Derek Hough.

Stephen Nedoroscik and Rylee Arnold received 29 out of 30 points for their Viennese waltz. Charli D’Amelio and Mark Ballas performed the original version.

Joey Graziadei and Jenna Johnson scored 28 out of 30 for their contemporary routine. Their contemporary performance was inspired by Riker Lynch and Allison Holker’s previous dance.

Ilona Maher and Alan Bersten danced a quickstep inspired by Jordan Fisher and Lindsay Arnold. They received 28 out of 30 points.

Danny Amendola and Witney Carson danced a quickstep and received 27 out of 30 points. Helio Castroneves and Julianne Hough did the previous dance that inspired it.

Dwight Howard and Daniella Karagach shared an Argentine tango and the judges gave them 26 out of 30 points. James Hinchcliffe and Sharna Burgess performed the original.

Chandler Kinney & Brandon Armstrong Received the 1st Perfect Scores of DWTS Season 33

In addition, the remaining season 33 “Dancing with the Stars” took part in the “Instant Dance Challenge.” They had only a few minutes to prepare their dance after finding out the song and genre.

• Kinney and Armstrong earned 30 points for their cha cha.
• Graziadei and Johnson earned 27 points for their rumba.
• Nedoroscik and Arnold’s jive earned 25 points.
• Amendola and Carson got 24 points for their jive.
• Maher and Bersten’s salsa received 24 points.
• Howard and Karagach received 22 points for their paso doble.

After all of the dances and before the elimination, the leaderboard looked as follows:

• Kinney and Armstrong’s combined total was 60 out of 60 points.
• Graziadei and Johnson had a combined total of 55 out of 60 points.
• Nedoroscik and Arnold earned 54 out of 60 total points.
• Maher and Bersten received a total of 52 out of 60 points.
• Amendola and Carson earned a combined total of 51 out of 60 points.
• Howard and Karagach had a combined total of 48 out of 60 points.

Once all of the performances wrapped, co-hosts Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough walked through the elimination process. Ultimately, they announced the elimination of Howard and Karagach.

The elimination of Howard and Karagach wasn’t entirely a surprise to many “Dancing with the Stars” fans.

“Chandler does more in a single 8 count than Dwight does in his whole routine,” suggested a critic on the show’s subreddit.

“If Dwight just lifts the whole time and gets a 10 and Chandler does technical dancing and gets a 9 or lower AGAIN, I’m punching my tv,” another Redditor wrote ahead of the episode.