Less than 24 hours until we find out who's taking home the season 21 Mirrorball Trophy! Monday night's episode of "Dancing With The Stars" was an emotional one, as finalists Bindi Irwin, Alek Skarlatos, Carlos PenaVega and Nick Carter danced their hearts out for a spot in the final three. Unfortunately, one of the men had to go home, leaving the remaining three just that much closer to holding that iconic glittery trophy.
The night was filled with incredible performances, including a very special one with Meghan Trainor, Ariana Grande and Who Is Fancy of his new song "Boys Like You."
During the first round of judges' choices, PenaVega and his partner Witney Carson received their first perfect score of the season for their foxtrot while Carter and his partner Sharna Burgess and Irwin and her partner Derek Hough also received perfect scores. Skarlatos fell a little short with 27 out of 30 for his and his partner Lindsay Arnold's rumba, but he showed has come a long way in the competition.
The second round was the most exciting round of the entire season, as the four teams danced their freestyle routines and we really got to see just how incredible these pro dancers are at choreography. The round started off with a hip-hop/salsa hybrid with a little help from former contestants Paula Deen, Hayes Grier and even PenaVega's wife Alexa, and they were rewarded with another perfect score for their action-packed and booty- shaking routine. Skarlatos and Arnold then wowed the judges with something that has never been done on "DWTS" before: They brought out an army-themed obstacle course and really showed off his strength with wall climbing, stunts and a perfect routine to go with it.
Irwin and Hough decided to do a much more emotional and moving routine for their freestyle, which really showed off Irwin's true talent. There wasn't a dry eye in sight as the two honored her late father Steve Irwin with one of the most beautiful dances of the season. "Sometimes during rehearsals it feels like there's three people in the room," Irwin said. "Derek put that into this freestyle." They duo received a perfect score for their flawless routine.
Carter and Burgess ended the show with a bang by dancing to The Backstreet Boys' "Larger Than Life," and it was the most exciting dance of the night, and possibly Carter's best of the season, as they made '90s kids' dreams come true. They too received a perfect score, and after such a talent-filled and eventful night, it became clear that these four really deserved to go this far in the competition.
When it came time for elimination, PenaVega had to go home based on the judges' scores and viewers' votes from the previous two weeks. At this point, it could have been anyone going home, and he was just happy to have had this opportunity and to have finally received not one, but two perfect scores.
"Wow, first of all, I thank God for this opportunity because it has been life-changing. My marriage is so much stronger, I've made some amazing friends," PenaVega said with a huge smile on his face. "Most importantly I've learned so much about myself and I have the best partner in the world."
"We did it!!" he wrote on Instagram. "We went the WHOLE season without a perfect score...And here in the finals we got 2!! A 'perfect night' !!! @witneycarson thank you for allowing me to share who I am with you and the rest of the world! This journey was incredible and I would not change A THING!! Love you sister from anotha mister!!"
Carson then shared an adorable photo of herself, PenaVega and his wife Alexa hugging at the end of the night. "I didn't get a Mirrorball this time around but I got two of the most genuine human beings," she wrote. "I couldn't be happier and more proud to call them family! Good luck to the finalists still in this thing. You have all my love and support!!"
PenaVega then shared another photo, reflecting on his night and wishing the remaining three contestants good luck in the finals. "What an incredible finale tonight was!!" he captioned a photo of all four pairs. "So many amazing numbers...I laughed...I cried...It was truly an amazing night! To the rest of you couples left...I am so excited for you! You are all at rehearsals as I type this...You are almost there...Give it all you got!! I will be rooting for you tomorrow night!! Sending you my love...And so many thanks for everything you have taught me these past few months!! LOVE LOVE LOVE you guys!!"
His wife Alexa then shared the same photo as Carson, thanking her for being such a good partner to her husband. "I love this photo so much!! It could not represent the journey that we went on any better. It truly felt like the three of us were a team," she wrote. "I'm so proud and impressed with @WitneyCarson and @therealcarlospena's partnership! I would hear things about them 'lacking connection' ... Could not be more wrong. These two brought it! Every single week they teams up and worked so hard together...You were always there for Los and you weren't afraid to push him to his highest potential!!! You believed in him! I can't thank you enough for taking him on that journey. I believe you helped him find a whole new level of himself that he didn't know existed. You were a blessing. Thank you for an amazing season!"
During tonight's live finale, Irwin, Skarlatos and Carter will perform two extra special routines for judges' scores. First, they will take part in a repeat dance from the season to show how much they have improved, and then they will dance a completely new routine which is part of a "24-Hour Fusion Challenge," as HNGN previously reported. This challenge consists of two contrasting dance styles that have already been performed this season fused together for one epic result, and the hard part is, they have less than 24 hours to prepare. The judges will score them based on these challenging routines, and then the winner will be revealed based on the judges' scores and the viewers' scores from the previous night. With all of the previous contestants from this season returning for some fun performances, it's looking to be one of the most exciting "DWTS" finales ever!
Tune in to the finale on ABC tonight at 9 p.m. EST to see who comes out on top.
