‘Dancing With the Stars’ recap: ‘Immunity Night’ wasn’t safe for Andy Grammer

First off, “Immunity Night” had nothing to do with cold and flu season.

Instead, it was a new wrinkle added by the “Dancing With the Stars” producers so we don’t get bored with the ballroom now that serial flasher Paula Deen and disoriented philosopher Gary Busey are gone.

What was it all about? Extra points and real-time voting and fan input and blah blah blah. Here’s the important part: Dance off! Six couples met head-to-head in battle-arena “You Got Served”-style. (Not really. But they did have to go toe-to-toe, so to speak, while the “immune” couple looked on and tried not to be smug).

SIGN UP for the free Essential Arts & Culture newsletter >>

Here’s the other important part: Arrogance kills, but not on Monday. Tamar “Probably the Best Dancer in the Competition” Braxton stayed alive for one more week.

And maybe the most important part, aside from the Baby Backstreet Boy news? When Carlos PenaVega takes off his shirt, something magic happens.

The sad part? Andy Grammer was eliminated, and he did a handspring/worm combo on the way out. Wait! If he’d shown the folks that kind of energy earlier, he might still be in this race.

Co-host Erin Andrews was back after World Series duty – I kind of miss that wacky Leah Remini already – and contestants dedicated their routines to an influential person in their lives. Cue the water works, again, but Monday’s show wasn’t as much of a sobfest as week 4’s “Most Memorable Year.”

Here’s the happs, in chronological order:

Carlos PenaVega and Witney Carson

Salsa is not his bag, even though he’s a hot Latin guy. Maybe it was that upbringing as the only Spanish-speaking family in his Missouri town, Carlos said during his video package. And yet, his inspiration is Latino superstar Marc Anthony, who told him, “It’s in your blood, bro.” Carlos and Witney met the singer at a concert recently, with cameras in tow. And the former Mr. JLo was right, to an extent. The salsa to Anthony’s hit, “Valio La Pena,” was a little rough in spots, but it still sizzled. Those lifts? Daring, nerve-racking, entertaining. Julianne Hough thought it looked “free and improvised,” just as it should, and Bruno Tonioli compared it to the Kama Sutra and said he loved all the arm movements. Carrie Ann Inaba thought they started stiff but “took it through to a whole other level.”

Score: 27

Alek Skarlatos and Lindsay Arnold

Even heroes have bad days, Alek said during his rehearsal video, referring to his recent performance on the show. He’s been a little hangdog lately, and Lindsay has been dishing out the tough love. She said during rehearsal that he has yet to fully embrace his hero status, despite that ever-present “Team Takedown” T-shirt he wears. Alek’s hero is Chris Kyle, and the “American Sniper’s” widow, Taya, weighed in on what an extraordinary guy Alek is, and just like her late husband, “ready to take action.” Lindsay, a smart competitor, took full advantage of Alek’s strength, which would be his physical strength, with lots of lifts and climbing (her on his shoulders, for instance) in their contemporary routine to “Holding Out for a Hero” by Ella Mae Bowen. Bruno thought he looked like “a tower of strength,” and took great risks, but he noticed a few baubles. Carrie Ann said he “rose to the occasion,” and Julianne wanted more side-by-side dancing.

Score: 25, with his train takedown pals by his side

Andy Grammer and Allison Holker

Andy is a huge Stevie Wonder fan because the music is so joyous, without being cheesy. He dedicated the Viennese waltz, with Wonder’s “Isn’t She Lovely” as the soundtrack, to his late mother because it reminds him of their playful, loving relationship. He broke down in tears during the pre-show video, describing it almost presciently as “one last dance with my mom.” Unfortunately, the routine suffered from the same ills that have plagued Andy the whole time: inconsistency, dropped shoulders and foot faults. There was no lack of emotion, for sure, and hat’s off to him for being such a devoted son. Carrie Ann was “so uplifted” and felt his mom’s spirit but said his dancing suffered. His posture was “way off.” Julianne said ditto to those criticisms, though she loved it. Bruno said “the heart was in the right place,” but the Viennese waltz has to be exact in its form. “Technically, it was slightly challenged.” In short, technique, technique, technique.

Score: 22, boos from the crowd

Alexa PenaVega and Mark Ballas

Alexa chose David, as in the biblical David, as her icon, because “my faith motivates me,” she said during the video snippet. Mark the Method dancer was more than happy to choreograph something that used shadows and played with perspective to make it look like he was the giant Goliath during the opening of their Argentine tango to “Viva La Vida” by Coldplay. And then she killed him at the end. Sorry, Mark, she said after they finished, but not for the “throat slashing.” For the foot faults. Julianne felt her pain. Bruno thought it started like a Cecil. B. deMille epic but ended more like a Monty Python flick. Carrie Ann noticed the mistakes but didn’t see them skip a beat, she said.

Score: 25

Nick Carter and Sharna Burgess

There have been plenty of influential people around him, from teachers to fellow boy-band members, but his wife, Lauren, is his idol, he said. They both talked in the pre-dance video about their struggles to have children, including a painful miscarriage. But Lauren is 16 weeks pregnant now, and Sharna had a feeling he’d connect to her touchy-feely choreography for their contemporary routine to “Can’t Help Falling In Love” by Haley Reinhart. And did he ever. That was so beautiful and impressive. It floated, and it was stunning, and there was not a single missed step or beat. Bruno said it was, “a love poem perfectly visualized through dance,” and Carrie Ann said he took her breath away.

Score: 30, highest score of the night, highest score of his run on the show, and then he and Lauren opened a big box of blue balloons, revealing that they’re having a boy

Bindi Irwin and Derek Hough

Adorable little Bindi practiced through bruises, lost toenails and disgusting blisters, which would’ve made her idol Grace Kelly proud. Derek has praised her for going the extra mile every week, studying their rehearsal and performance clips like an NFL coach before Big Game Day. And she’s toughing out all her injuries, but that didn’t show one bit in that foxtrot to “Grace Kelly” by MIKA. There was a little Broadway, a little Fosse, a little Busby Berkeley in that number, and it was high energy without looking overwrought. She’s never been lacking in the personality department, but she’s also become an accomplished dancer, evident by holding her own with Derek. Julianne said she’s trying to find something wrong because she can’t just give 10s all the time. She found one errant chin move, but said Bindi’s “in a class of her own.” Bruno called her a “Hollywood sweetheart,” but he nitpicked about her shoulders.

Score: 28, and the audience was not happy

Tamar Braxton and Valentin Chmerkovskiy

Both she and Val took to social media in the past week to try to blunt some of the criticism of her statement from the last show’s video package. Remember? She said, “I’m probably the best dancer in the competition.” Is that so? Popular opinion counts here, and she might’ve done herself more harm than good by that display of overconfidence. She back peddled only a little this week, saying in the video package that it’s “amazing” to still be in the contest and she needs to boost her own self-esteem with positive reinforcement. Her idol is her sister, Toni, who’s shown her how to overcome adversity. Whomever she had in mind when she took to the floor, it worked. The style choice (paso doble to Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way”), the sharp choreography and the scarlet gown were spot-on for her. Julianne noted her “two sets of arms,” one better than the other, and Bruno dubbed it a pure paso doble “down to the core,” with the flavor of Spain “tangible.” Carrie Ann said she hammered that paso doble, minus the lift.

Score: 28

Dance-off time, in which the higher-scoring contestants picked their side-by-side competitors. Here’s how it stacked up:

Bindi and Derek vs. Carlos and Witney: they attacked a jive on opposite sides of a big line drawn down the middle of the dance floor. It was “so thrilling, so unexpected,” Bruno said. The judges unanimously chose Carlos and Witney, while the viewers picked Bindi and Derek. Carlos logged a few extra points. Huh? Whatever.

Tamar and Val vs. Alexa and Mark: those were hot cha-chas, and Alexa’s frilly skirt got ripped off (on purpose). Carrie Ann said one competitor had more flavor, while the other had more traditional moves. Judges were split, with Tamar and Val taking the lead. Alexa and Mark won with fans, snagging the two points.

Andy and Allison vs. Alek and Lindsay: neither of these couples had ever danced the samba on “DWTS” before. Andy busted out a handspring and the Worm, and we all learned that those are part of the samba. Actually, no, they are not. Carrie Ann wasn’t fooled by the shenanigans and said there wasn’t much samba going on there. Bruno wasn’t so harsh because, well, samba is hard, y’all. Andy and Allison picked up the extra points from judges and viewers.

Safe this week: Bindi and Derek, to no one’s surprise, Tamar and Val, Alek and Lindsay, and Alexa and Mark. In danger: Carlos and Witney, Andy and Allison. So long, dapper Andy! I would’ve rather seen you stay, because you're a joy to spend a few hours with on the TV. Just a few more weeks now until it gets to the nitty-gritty Mirrorball smackdown. Who will take it home? (If you guess Bindi, you’re probably right).