#Dancing With the Stars: Did Carole Baskin Survive the First Elimination?

After skipping Monday this week, Dancing With the Stars returned to ABC on Tuesday night, and it marked the end of the line for a couple.

Yes, it was the first elimination, but before that, we had some more dancing, and there were some big surprised on the night. 

Let’s break down the latest performances before finding out which couples were left in jeopardy, and at the mercy of the judges. 

Nev Schulman and pro Jenna Johnson (Cha-Cha)

Nev continued to surprise during his second performance with Jenna. He seemed poised to be an early contender for the boot. 

But he showed great improvement in week two, and both performers felt natural together. They may be the ones to watch. 

They scored 21/30.

Skai Jackson and pro Alan Bersten (Samba)

Skai was an unsurprising success in week one, but something was terribly wrong with this performance. 

They missed moves, but they managed to finish the routine in the end. Ultimately, though, the judges had to take points away from them. 

They scored 15/30.

Johnny Weir and pro Britt Stewart (Tango)

Despite showing some improvement, this performance lacked the magic that of some of the other performances from better competitors. 

The moves don’t flow well, and there appears to be a disconnect between Johnny and Britt, which is a crucial thing that needs to be resolved. 

In the end, they scored 18/30.

Justina Machado and pro Sasha Farber (Foxtrot)

They really do dance well together, but will they have the viewer votes to stick around? As much as we hate to admit it, the series is a popularity contest. 

They scored 21/30.

Monica Aldama and pro Val Chmerkovskiy (Jive)

Monica is a cheerleading coach, so it’s refreshing to see her performing. 

However, she and Val are not as comfortable as they need to be to get all of those big moves completed with finesse. 

They scored 16/30.

AJ McLean and pro Cheryl Burke (Foxtrot)

After an unsurprisingly robust premiere week performance, they dialed it back a little. 

Coming from a boyband, AJ knows how to dance, but ballroom dancing is completely different to what he’s done in the past. 

Still, a score of 19/30 is decent. 

Anne Heche and pro Keo Motsepe (Foxtrot)

Anne has been a real surprise since her debut, and what is working for her is that she is receptive to feedback. 

Many contestants fail to make changes, but Anne is determined. 

They scored 18/30.

Nelly and pro Daniella Karagach (Cha-Cha)

Nelly is a charismatic man, and it’s shining through his performances. I don’t think the cha-cha was the best option for them. 

However, Nelly handled it with grace and helped them earn a score of 18/30.

Chrishell Stause and pro Gleb Savchenko (Rumba)

Chrishell is improving, so that’s a good thing. 

But it will all come down to whether the viewers will want to give her a chance. Thankfully, the Selling Sunset audience should be voting. 

The performance scored an 18/30.

Charles Oakley and pro Emma Slater (Cha-Cha)

Charles is still struggling to convince me, but at least there is improvement. 

Does he have the legs to stay in the competition? Not really. 

His score was 15/30. 

Jesse Metcalfe and pro Sharna Burgess (Foxtrot)

Jesse is a true bright spot among another otherwise mediocre crop of contestants. 

His facial expressions still need some work, but his chemistry with Sharna is undeniable. 

They scored 20/30. 

Jeannie Mai and pro Brandon Armstrong (Cha-Cha)

Jeannie is still struggling to get the footwork right, and that’s not a bad thing. We’re only on week two!

They scored 18/30. 

Carole Baskin and pro Pasha Pashkov (Viennese Waltz)

No other contestant screams “novelty act” more than Carole Baskin. 

She delivered a much better performance than last week, but why do I get the feeling people are watching to see her fail more than succeed?

She scored 16/30.

Kaitlyn Bristowe and pro Artem Chigvintsev (Foxtrot)

Kaitlyn wanted to be a part of the show for years, and she’s starting to emerge as a frontrunner. 

Kaitlyn and Artem dance well together, and they are going to make it far if they continue to score 22/30.

In the end, Carole Baskin and pro Pasha Pashkov and Charles Oakley and pro Emma Slater were the bottom two couples. 

The judges voted to save Carole Baskin for some strange reason. 

Hint: We think it was to keep viewers tuning in!

What did you think of the latest exit?

Hit the comments below. 

Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.