DWTS Fans Disappointed 500th Episode Missed the Mark

Heavy/Getty/ABC Was the 500th episode a flop for fans?

Many “Dancing With the Stars” fans were disappointed after watching the 500th episode of the show.

The press release teased some big happenings for Tuesday night, but after the opening number featuring the return of Sharna Burgess, there really wasn’t anything else special about the show.

“The night kicks off with an electrifying opening number, choreographed by Pasha Pashkov and Daniella Karagach. And as a thrilling nod to the past, our dancers will perform a routine showcasing the very same song that opened the first episode of ‘Dancing with the Stars’ in season one. Plus, get ready for the dazzling return of some fan-favorite faces to the ballroom,” the press release read, in part.

Indeed, there were some fan-favorites in the ballroom, including Burgess, Lindsay Arnold, Allison Holker, Mark Ballas, Artem Chigvintsev, Peta Murgatroyd, Maks Chmerkovskiy, and Anna Trebunskaya, when it comes to pros. However, most of them were never even shown on camera.

There were also tons of returning competitors, including Kristi Yamaguchi, Kaitlyn Bristowe, Ginger Zee, Lindsey Stirling, Amanda Kloots, Melissa Rycroft, Adam Rippon, and more. The only person to get air time in the group was Zee, who promoted a behind-the-scenes segment that aired on “Good Morning America” on November 13.

Many DWTS Fans Were Left Disappointed & Confused After Watching the Episode

After the episode aired, dozens of fans took to Reddit to react. Overall, people were disappointed.

“What happened to the tribute to len like ???? yeah they mentioned but wasn’t much a tribute at all,” one person wrote.

“No fr it was so disappointing!!! Would’ve loved to see every Pro from their ironic routine at LEAST do like… a Zoom call to talk about what the routine meant to them and how the Star could channel the OG energy??” someone else wondered.

“Missed opportunities abounded in the ballroom. Even just hellos and quick chats with the former pros would have been something better than the instant dances… just so many possibilities,” a third comment read.

“Were there more commercials this episode or was it just me going crazy. Also, the opening number was great but the rest of the episode was underwhelming. Why didn’t they have more ex-pros dance? I’m glad at least Sharna was there,” a fourth Redditor weighed in.

A ‘Tear-Jerking Tribute’ to Len Goodman Was Supposed to Be Part of the Show

Many fans expected to see some video footage from seasons’ past. Additionally, there was supposed to be a tribute to late head judge, Len Goodman.

Prior to the show airing, People magazine exclusively revealed that something was planned to honor Goodman. He retired after season 31 and died in April 2023.

However, anything that mentioned Goodman was simply in passing. There wasn’t any big moment or “tear-jerking tribute,” as was reported.

Fans can only speculate about what happened or why the night played out the way it did. It’s unclear if this was the plan or if the producers simply ran out of time.

The only thing truly different about the 500th episode was that fans could watch the second half of the show on TikTok Live. Emma Slater and Ezra Sosa hosted a behind-the-scenes look of the Instant Dance Challenge, which brought mixed reviews overall.

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