Dancing With the Stars Season 27 Premiere and Episode 2 Review

It's the first day of the fall season, which means that Dancing With the Stars is finally back! After the disaster that was the Athletes season, I'm happy to see it back in its original form. I'm a bit disappointed with the cast that they've assembled, but I still love the show and its cast of dancers, hosts, and judges, so I'm still glad to have it back. Let's hope that some great choreography and dancing ability can overcome a lack of household names.

Mary Lou Retton & Sasha:

Night 1: This was a really fun way to open the season. It wasn't necessarily the best opening dance I've seen, but it was a treat to watch. It was filled with energy and I couldn't really sense any nerves. Mary Lou seemed really confident on the stage and I'm actually surprised by how good she was.
Score: 7
Night 2:
I thought this was the best dance of the night. It was definitely an improvement on Monday's dance, and it really made me question why and how she's in the bottom 5. She deserved to advance based on Monday alone.
Score: 8

Milo Manheim and Witney:

This was another dance that wasn't technically the greatest, but was still fun to watch. While Milo has some areas to improve on (some of these moves looked a little awkward, unfortunately), I do have to commend him on delivering one of the night's better performances,
Score: 7

Evanna Lynch & Keo:

I don't think the Foxtrot is the right dance for Evanna, because something was off here. While there were moments of greatness here, it just didn't really come together. I wanted to love it, and I wanted it to be magical, but it wasn't. It was just okay and forgettable.
Score: 6

Danelle Umstead & Artem:

Night 1:
Was this dance technically incredibly? No. But it sure was inspirational. It took some real courage for someone who can't even see to get out there and dance. And luckily, Danelle danced very well, better than a lot of the night's contestants who can see. I look forward to her next dance, because I think she's a contender this year.
Score: 7
Night 2:
This was a pretty decent dance, but I didn't really see much improvement from Monday. So in that regard, I was a little disappointed. That doesn't mean I didn't like it, but I just didn't love it.
Score: 7

Bobby Bones & Sharna:

Well that certainly was energetic. Too energetic. While I appreciate Bobby's enthusiasm, and it certainly makes for a fun dance to watch, it also made this pretty messy. That's not to say it was bad, it was just different. It was a bit choppy and unclean and that's my only real complaint. If he can find a way to stay energetic while still refining some of his movements, he'll be set.
Score: 6

Juan Pablo Di Pace & Cheryl:

This was quite good, even if I am quite disappointed that his first dance wasn't to ABBA's Fernando (it just makes sense!). But beyond that, I think this was a very strong start and was definitely one of the night's better dances. And on top of being technically strong, it was also pretty enjoyable, if slightly unremarkable.
Score: 7

Nikki Glaser & Gleb Savchenko:

Night 1:
I actually do have to agree with the judges on this one. It was a pretty awkward dance. That doesn't mean it was horrible, but I sure was disappointed. It was a bit hard to watch, and Nikki looked pretty uncomfortable. I'm hoping it's just first-night jitters, because I think Nikki does have potential, but she has to find that really quick.
Score: 5
Night 2:
This was a slight improvement, but it still had a lot of issues. I don't know if the salsa is just not her dance or what, but she seems to have really struggled with it. Unfortunately, she won't get the chance to make another impression on us with a different dance, but I guess that's just how it goes sometimes.
Score: 6

Alexis Ren & Alan Bersten:

Night 1:
I thought this was a great start for Alexis. I wasn't really sure what to expect from her since I'd never heard of her before the cast announcement, but she made a great first impression on me tonight. She was probably my favorite of tonight, as her dance was energetic and fun, in addition to having a lot of great jive aspects. I'm expecting great things from her in the future.
Score: 7
Night 2:
Unlike the judges, I actually didn't like this one any more than her dance on Monday. I didn't like it less, but I also didn't see too much improvement. It was probably just me, but I wanted more from this and I didn't get it.
Score: 7

John Schneider & Emma:

I have to agree with Len on this. That makes me sad to say. But it's true. I thought this was a bit rough, and I didn't really like it all that much. It just felt off, and it was honestly a little boring. I hope he gets a chance to try again, because I think he can improve, but still, not a great first outing.
Score: 5

Tinashe & Brandon:

This was a very solid first dance, made even better by the fact that this is new pro Brandon's first-ever DWTS dance. He did a great job in his first attempt, and Tinashe executed his choreography very well. It wasn't perfect, and there are some issues that need to be resolved, but it's very promising for this pair's future on the show.
Score: 7

Nancy McKeon & Val:

Night 1:
I'm a huge fan of The Facts of Life, so Nancy is the star I was most excited for this season. I wasn't disappointed in what I found to be a thoroughly-enjoyable first dance. I wasn't sure what to expect, since she's one of the older competitors in this season, but she did a solid job this week.
Score: 7
Night 2:
This was a decent improvement on night one, even though I did enjoy Nancy's first dance. It wasn't an excellent dance, but it did its job. I hope to see some more improvement next week.
Score: 7

Grocery Story Joe Amabile & Jenna:

No comment.
Score: 4

DeMarcus Ware & Lindsay:

That's how you close out the night! Though I didn't enjoy this performance as much as the judges, it was undeniably fun, supremely energetic, and it was really a solid first dance. Lindsay may take home the mirrorball for the second year in a row. Just saying...
Score: 7

Wrap-Up:
Night One:
This was an entertaining season opener, but overall I wasn't too thrilled by any of the dances tonight. Sure, there were a lot of solid dances, but nothing really wowed me like in previous seasons. I'm sure that will come with time, but I was hoping for a little more tonight. This was filled with a ton of just-average dances, many of which didn't really leave a mark on me. I'm hoping for a better night of dancing on Tuesday.
Score: 7.5/10
Grade: B-

Night Two:
This was just a pointless episode. 80% filler and only 20% dancing never makes for an entertaining episode of this show, but tonight was especially painful. I actually regret even watching the episode, because I really feel like I wasted my time. I actually ended up skipping through much of this episode, because I was so bored. But at least there were a few solid dances.
Score: 4.5/10
Grade: D-

What did you think of the premiere of Dancing with the Stars? Who was your favorite dancer? Who are you rooting for? Let me know in the comments below!