It’s Rock Week on ‘Dancing with the Stars,’ and with two performances from 70s kabuki-rockers Kiss planned for Monday and Tuesday, the whole ballroom is abuzz. Even the ‘DWTS’ logo has been Kiss-ified.

Host Tom Bergeron says we’re gonna “rock out with our lockstep out,” which isn’t at all how that saying goes but hey, kids are watching so we’ll let it go.

Kiss opened the show with the most family-friendly performance they’ve ever given before Brooke Burke-Charvet, dressed in black leather and silver studs but looking less “rock” than “subversive socialite,” did some introductory patter.

Judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Len Goodman, and Bruno Tonioli were also in place, so let’s do this thing.

Sherri Shepherd and Val Chmerkovskiy

Score: 21 out of 30 (7/7/7)


Weepy Sherri from last week is gone, and she’s ready to rock. She and Val did a tango to a watered-down version of Quiet Riot, and maybe it was just the costumes but the whole thing looked a mess. Len and Bruno liked it but said it needed to be a bit “sharper,” while Carrie Ann was less enthused, saying Sherri was “expressionless” and “lacking passion.”

Katherine Jenkins and Mark Ballas

Score: 24 out of 30 (8/8/8)


After getting the first 10s of the season last week, Katherine was feeling the pressure for her paso doble. Their performance proved she can fill out a catsuit quite nicely, but the dance wasn’t nearly as good as her previous performances. Len said it had “promise but it didn’t deliver,” while Carrie Ann said the intensity of the paso doble itself might’ve made the pair a bit sloppy.

Jaleel White and Kym Johnson

Score: 22 out of 30 (8/7/7)


Jaleel said he grew up in a household with “zero rock,” so when Kym said they were dancing to a Rolling Stones song, he seemed completely unaware of who Mick Jagger is. After being schooled, he compared Jagger’s walk to George Jefferson’s, which isn’t entirely off-base. It looked like Jaleel and Kym had a lot of fun during their tango to ‘(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction’ and the judges enjoyed it, but Len said it “needed more attack.”

Melissa Gilbert and Maksim Chmerkovskiy

Score: 22 out of 30 (7/8/7)


Melissa was excited to do the paso doble because she’s always thought of as the “good girl” and she’s ready to change some minds. Their dance was certainly energetic, but Maks slipped at the end — and just as with last week, the choreography seemed rushed, something Bruno acknowledged in his critique. Carrie Ann called it her best dance yet but said her confidence still needs work.

Donald Driver and Peta Murgatoyd

Score: 27 out of 30 (9/9/9)


Peta decided to take advantage of Donald’s muscular physique by having him dance their paso doble shirtless. Their routine to ‘Purple Haze’ was awesome — super-sexy and sharp, exactly what the dance is supposed to be. Carrie Ann called it “psychedelic, hot, and raunchy,” and Len was impressed as well, deeming it Donald’s best dance of the whole competition.

Gladys Knight and Tristan MacManus

Score: 20 out of 30 (7/6/7)


Being the only current competitor who’s been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Gladys said she was anxious to shake off her “goody two-shoes” persona (she could always take our suggestion from last week and start swearing profusely). Their tango to ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ looked a bit too relaxed to us and the judges agreed, with Carrie Ann and Len blaming it at least partially on the difficult rhythm of the song.

William Levy and Cheryl Burke

Score: 22 out of 30 (7/7/8)


Fresh off a 10 from last week, Cheryl had to give William lessons about American rock and roll. Their jive to ‘We’re Not Gonna Take It’ had a pretty big flub in the middle and timing just seemed all off-kilter. The judges of course called out the mistakes but also complimented William on his overall performance skills while saying he had to stop letting the crowd distract him.

Roshon Fegan and Chelsie Hightower

Score: 26 out of 30 (9/8/9)


The pair somehow got stuck doing a Viennese Waltz during rock week (bummer, that) but they made the best of it with a very smooth performance. Bruno called it “elegant and romantic,” Carrie Ann called him the “best dancer” among the men in the competition (wow, really, Carrie Ann?), and Roshon finally got his ultimate compliment from Len: “Good job, dawg.”

Maria Menounos and Derek Hough

Score: 26 out of 30 (9/8/9)


After they practically copulated on the dance floor last week, Maria and Derek had a lot to live up to, but bad news: Maria has a stress fracture in one of her feet (this after cracked ribs earlier in the season). But she’s carrying on, and her tango to Alice Cooper’s ‘School’s Out’ showed little signs of pain. Len said it had the aggression but lacked a bit of control, and Bruno called it “sex appeal by the truckload” and “brilliant.”

Gavin DeGraw and Karina Smirnoff

Score: 23 out of 30 (8/8/7)


Gavin said he’s fed up with being in the bottom two, and as a musician himself, he feels right at home with rock music. The pair’s tango was good, and Gavin even wore a black leather hat for the occasion (this week’s guess for what’s under there: a delicious and healthy snack). The judges criticized his frame, but Carrie Ann compared him to Johnny Depp, leading us to believe she’s drinking during commercial breaks.

Tom and Brooke said Melissa Gilbert injured herself during her dance and was whisked off to the hospital. How hurt is she? Guess we’ll find out on Tuesday night. See you then.

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