DWTS 5th Judge Shocker: Frontrunner Booted After High Scores on Disney Night -- What Is Happening?

With more people getting involved in this democratic process, it's creating some truly wild and unpredictable results. If Lauren Jauregui's elimination last week was a shocker, this week's results have only one thing to say to that, "Hold my Disney ears, you ain't seen nothing yet!"

Jaws dropped as one of the season's most consistent front-runners and most impressive performers was sent packing -- so yes, we suppose we're spoiling that this season's least impressive bottom-runner, Andy Richter, survives yet again.

That part we weren't surprised about, as it often happens at this phase of the competition that a beloved personality outshines poor dance, but it tends to correct itself within a few weeks. It was who went instead that had us flabbergasted. This truly is going to be a wild ride -- like those you've been able to find at Disneyland for the past 70 years (see what we did there?).

So who did all those 40 million-plus voters supporter, and who did they send packing? You know the drill.

Fair warning, since I'm safe at home, I'm probably going to be a little harsher than my colleagues Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough, and Bruno Tonioli. But I might be nicer, too. Maybe.

("Be Our Guest," from Beauty and the Beast) While it was fun to see Lumière (Danny Gardner) step over from Broadway to the DWTS stage, we have to admit that it was a little odd to see him completely outside of his Beauty and the Beast realm with none of his usual friends. Seeing Lumière surrounded by classic Disney characters like Mickey and Minnie instead just made him feel out of place for us. Now, the song is a good fit for welcoming us to "Disney Night," but why not just lean a bit more into the original movie (or musical) and bring along some of his friends? There's not much to say about the dancing in this one because there wasn't a whole lot of it, but it was a cute (albeit strange) way to kick off the night.

(Quickstep - "Life Is a Highway," from Cars) They needed a little more oomph on that slide through the leg to get Dani moving, but they covered that small misstep well. A little more problematic was falling off the time a few bars later, and Dylan's right elbow also got a little round, but this was overall another strong performance from him. There was a bit too much hop creeping to the upper half of the body, but it was a testament to the strength of his quickstep footwork. Maybe this style isn't as scary as it used to be for these stars.

Judges Scores: 7, 8, 8

My Score: 7

(Quickstep - "I Wan'na Be Like You (The Monkey Song)," from The Jungle Book) This was a very fun piece with a whole lot of dense quickstep choreography and we could see Danielle powering through it, though she lost her energy a bit. She did lose her timing a bit in the lindy hop, but she stayed strong with her partner in frame (for the most part), and kept it looking light throughout. This was easily her most confident performance, and a big step up for her to make a statement that maybe she deserves to rise from the "middle of the pack," as she was told last week.

Judges Scores: 7, 7, 7

My Score: 7

(Salsa - "Bop to the Top," from High School Musical) The conceit of the piece being arguing siblings may have helped cover up some missteps, as it can be argued it was just them losing the piece to bicker a bit. That said, it did go wrong at least at one point in a notable way -- those arms were pretzeling -- but Scott continues to grow in confidence and presence. He owned this character and we could see the fun he was having. Plus, the salsa elements were pretty strong toward the top as he and Rylee really embraced the style with strength, confidence, and flair.

Judges Scores: 7, 7, 7

My Score: 7

(Viennese waltz - "Once Upon a Dream," from Maleficent) This was the best choreographed piece of the season so far, with a sinister tension throughout. The puppeteering sequence at the beginning was timed perfectly, creating a genuinely spooky prelude to what was a very sharp and yet elegantly beautiful Viennese waltz. Those pivots were pivoting like wowzers (we got dizzy) as Alix was pro level, moving through the floor on this one, perfectly embodying the character and the style -- and owning Val every second. This was her best performance so far, and she's been strong for a while now.

Judges Scores: 8, 8, 8

My Score: 9

(Quickstep - "Cantina Band," from Star Wars: A New Hope) Honestly, we think Hilaria could have done more challenging choreography than that, but we'll give it to her that she was in it throughout, maintaining composure, carriage, and most importantly, momentum. This was an incredibly strong and confident routine. The reason we say she could have done more is because she was so capable in what she was given, taking to it like she'd been doing quickstep for years -- even though she said this was her first time.

Judges Scores: 8, 7, 8

My Score: 8

(Viennese waltz - "Le Festin," from Ratatouille) This was the perfect role for Andy, as Emma predicted, but we still need a lot more dance out of him to score him higher. There were a few moments of waltz when they were gliding across the floor, but in many sequences, he was more walking than dancing; loosen those joints. Then, he'd lose the timing entirely (and his role) waiting for some arm extension or hold. Look, it was extremely sloppy, but Andy continues to be sweet and charming and at this stage of the show, sometimes that's enough. His journey is up to the audience at this point, because the dancing just isn't there.

Judges Scores: 6, 6, 6

My Score: 4

(Cha-cha-cha - "Try Everything," Zootopia) Robert can strike a pose with intention, he can swivel his hips, he can mark the right moves at the right times. He needs to work a bit on his transitions between those moments to create a more cohesive whole. The tool shed is full of all these wonderful things to make dance, so now it's time to build a smooth, cohesive cha-cha, and he didn't quite get there this week. He's still a frontrunner because when he's on the mark, we are standing at the attention he is commanding, so we're offering small criticisms to keep improving.

Judges Scores: 7, 7, 8

My Score: 8

(Quickstep - "Space Mountain," from Space Mountain ride) Huge props to Elaine because her energy level and timing did not wane at all throughout this nonstop piece. Alan did not hold back or give her a moment to breathe in this choreography, keeping it quick and moving from start to finish. There were definitely some cute elements between them, and the character work was fun, but mostly this was sharp, consistent footwork. We could have used a little more flair in the higher kicks, but there's very little to call her out on here.

Judges Scores: 8, 8, 8

My Score: 8

(Foxtrot - "The Room Where It Happens," from Hamilton) Are you kidding us with this? How is Whitney a contestant in Week 4 and she comes out and just absolutely owns this piece like she's a part of the Broadway cast. The shaping, the pictures, the frame, the movement, even the little character flares. This piece had absolutely everything and is now the best dance of the night -- earning the first 9 of the season -- and may be one of the best routines in the history of the show. Mark killed the choreography, but Whitney was there step by step bringing it to magical life.

Judges Scores: 9, 8, 8

My Score: 10

(Quickstep - "Special Spice," from Tiana's Bayou Adventure ride) A joyfulness permeates this partnership as it's been progressing, and it beautifully infected this routine, creating a fun experience from top to bottom. Jordan's intense competitive side can sometimes make her look a bit intense as a dancer, but she looked relaxed throughout this piece, without giving a step. The work was there, she's just getting stronger at layering the performance aspect on top of it. She's got the pieces in there to make magic on the dance floor with strong technique and big heart.

Judges Scores: 8, 8, 8

My Score: 8

(Jazz - "Friend Like Me," from Aladdin) A fun and loose piece, it was clear that Jen was having a great time, and showing off some pretty impressive athleticism (lest we forget, she had a baby not long before this season started). The strength she put on display and the trust in partnership she has for Jan is really helping them. That said, she needed to hit her marks a little harder and sharper, get those arms and legs out there, snap into position with authority so we almost feel slapped. She looked like she was hitting her mark while tired and looking ahead a bit instead of owning each moment.

Judges Scores: 7, 8, 8

My Score: 7

We're not even really going to go into the Andy Richter of it because there was a real strong chance he would survive the week heading into these results. It happens every season and people get worked up every season, but these fan-favorites almost never boot out a strong contender for the Mirrorball, so what's the harm, really?

That said, this is actually a pretty tough and competitive season with a lot of ups and downs, as evidenced by Robert Irwin riding closer to the bottom than the top of the Leader Board. He's still above Andy, Scott Hoying, and Danielle Fishel, despite the Boy Meets World star having her strongest outing of the season.

But Robert has felt like a contender to win the whole season until this week's scores knocked him back into the pack. We have no doubt, though, that the fanbase will be there for him. And that's where it gets really tricky, though.

Andy clearly has his fans, Danielle has those rabid BMW supporters, Scotty is part of the Pentatonix social juggernaut, so does that mean we have to jump ahead of Robert and look at Dylan Efron, Hilaria Baldwin, and Jen Affleck? MomTok is strong, but is it splitting votes? And while Dylan is lesser known, Hilaria has faced some backlash in her career. But honestly, it feels to soon to be having those conversations.

And so, for us it comes down to Danielle or Scott. Both have had kind of slow starts, but both are finding their power now as dancers and performers. Based on the show's audience, though, we'd give the edge to Danielle, so Scott going was our prediction heading into the results.

The first four couples sent into next week were Jen & Jan, Jordan & Ezra, Dylan & Daniella, Elaine & Alan. They were followed by Whitney & Mark, Robert & Witney, Scott & Rylee, and Alix & Val, meaning Scott survived the vote. Is it time for Boy Meets the Exit door?

The Bottom 3 (though not necessarily by votes, they have to tell us) were Andy & Emma, Danielle & Pasha, and Hilaria & Gleb. That's the bottom two with judges' votes and one from the upper middle of the pack. Hilaria has been a contender all season. Could the backlash against her -- and against Gleb after the whole Brooks Nader thing last season -- really knock them out with scores that high?

Turns out it absolutely could, and you could not paint more shocked faces than those on Andy & Emma and Danielle & Pasha. Back to back shock results, what is happening this season? Maybe Andy will become the next Bobby Bones and just popular vote his way to victory. At this point, anything feels possible!

Dancing with the Stars returns for "Dedication Night" next Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+.