It was a surprisingly chipper “Best Year of My Life” week on Dancing with the Stars -– only two contestants cried in their rehearsal packages, and no one cried during the live show.

Contributing to the good mood, nines flowed fast and freely, with all but two couples getting at least one. I emotionally prepared myself for nothing! Instead of tears, the producers tried to instill anxiety into everyone by saying, “Counting only the votes, a woman will be heading home.” This was not really that dramatic – considering a majority of the contestants left were women (5 out of 9), and that it’s mostly women voting (so they’ll naturally vote for the attractive guys). I could have told you that. Perhaps it was supposed to prepare us for what was supposed to be a shocking elimination, that of…

Christina and Mark! It doesn’t really come as much of a shock – despite the couple’s high (read: inflated) scores, they never seemed that popular or memorable, as evidenced by them having been in Not Necessarily the Bottom Two before. This is the third time Mark has come in ninth place, following season 9 (with Melissa Joan Hart) and the All-Star Season (Bristol Palin). Mark is the first former champ to be eliminated this year. As Christina said, at least she got to go out on top. She must have had a really abysmal number of votes, though, to be eliminated despite finishing in first place.

The opening number, set to Avicii’s “Wake Me Up” with Aloe Blacc singing it live, was fantastic. The pros were in their element, doing a unique routine with a lot of chair choreography, and the song sounded great live. It must have been a strenuous routine, since Val sweated entirely through his shirt. And then we got a proper intro to all the couples – yes, DwtS was back in fine form this week! Throughout the show, Aloe Blacc kept singing as the Troupe danced going in and out of commercial breaks. This was more satisfying than much of the music the couples danced to throughout the night, which included awful pop songs like Katy Perry’s “Roar” or Britney Spears’ “Work Bitch.”

There was an intriguing segment where the pros talked about whether prior dance experience is an advantage or a curse on this show, and the answer is not as clear-cut as it would seem. It boils down to two things: if a person can dance, if they can learn choreography and have musicality, that’s a huge advantage in terms of getting the star to the final weeks; but there is usually a public backlash against them that prevents them from winning (ie. Mel B, Mya, Sabrina Bryan, Zendaya, etc.).

Now, let’s welcome our stars!

First Place (tie), 28 points: Corbin and Karina (Foxtrot). An emotional ballroom dance set to a country song is right in Karina’s wheelhouse (remember Apolo’s Viennese waltz in the All-Star Season?), so this was a beautiful number. Corbin was dancing to honor his twelve-year-old sister, who got diagnosed with scoliosis in 2011. Corbin’s dancing was impeccable, and this number was definitely worthy of a 10. Sure enough, it did get Bruno’s first 10 of the season, and Carrie Ann would have given a 10 had it not been for an alleged lift.

First Place (tie), 28 points: Christina and Mark (Cha-Cha). Did Len drink some funky tea back in England?! This dance didn’t deserve nines, and to give it the first 10 of the season? Perhaps the judges were hoping to save Christina from elimination, or wanted to let her go out on top, if they knew she would be eliminated. Christina’s technique was decent, although her body was weirdly positioned at times; her feet should be underneath her, not a yard away. But there was barely any cha-cha here (as per Mark’s usual content-less choreography). The couple seemed hacked off about Julianne’s comment last week, despite (or perhaps because of) it ringing true. The story was nothing to write home about – Christina’s husband cheated on her and they divorced. Sorry Christina, but the iconic “Forget You” cha-cha will always be Kirstie Alley’s, and not only did Kirstie do it with triple the content and 10 times the sass, but she also did it several times (it was the favorite dance she repeated in the finals).

Second Place (tie), 27 points: Jack and Cheryl (Waltz). And the Valerie Harper Award for Invoking Tears goes to Jack this week! Jack’s story was about how he was diagnosed with MS right after his daughter was born, and how awful he felt about potentially not being able to provide for her. Most of this was told through tears, so the stage was set for an emotional number. Jack’s Waltz was superb – great footwork, good frame and posture, and his movement flowed without a single interruption. What I found curious was that Jack was the second star to perform – usually the really weepy stories are saved for the end. None of the judges were even crying, because they hadn’t gotten into the swing of things yet.

Second Place (tie), 27 points: Brant and Peta (Contemporary). Oddly enough, it was the men who were the most emotional tonight. Brant’s dance was all about his dad, who had been extremely supportive but passed away a few years ago. Brant’s voice was catching throughout his rehearsal package, and he really conveyed how much his dad meant to him. The staging of this dance was great – just a circle of really bright lights surrounding the couple. I’m thinking Peta will never allow Brant’s chest to be covered again, since the open shirt seemed a touch gratuitous here.

Second Place (tie), 27 points: Snooki and Sasha (Jazz). Snooki had a really good week! She performed an impressive routine with Sasha, staying in sync the whole time. The number was dedicated to Snooki’s son. The rehearsal package was an especially good one. Snooki first spoke about her past truthfully, admitting she was obnoxious and annoying (and fessing up to still being annoying). Sasha gave her a ribbing about enjoying laundry. She then got into a debate with Sasha over whether turning her life around is a 180 or a 360. In short, she was fun to watch this week, and her dancing was good. Let’s hope it stays this way!

Third Place (tie), 26 points: Amber and Derek (Foxtrot). Before Len started criticizing this dance for not having enough foxtrot, I had no idea this was supposed to be a foxtrot. I really love Derek, but this is just getting obnoxious – once in a while he does whatever he pleases with the dances, doesn’t worry about Len’s criticism, and awaits his de facto nines and 10s from the other two judges. Honestly, everything about this was underwhelming. Amber’s rehearsal package was about twenty seconds long, and considering her best year was getting cast on Glee, I expected a better tribute to Glee – dancing to “Bust Your Windows,” or at least wearing red. The dance was to “Try a Little Tenderness,” which Amber sang towards the end of Glee season 2, and which failed to chart. Amber’s dancing was great, but I expected something more, along the lines of Elizabeth’s tribute to her show.

Third Place (tie), 26 points: Elizabeth and Val (Jive). What a great number! Sure, Elizabeth’s feet were not pointed to perfection, but otherwise this was pretty much a flawless jive. It was incredibly fun, and a fitting tribute to Saved by the Bell. Elizabeth kept up with Val’s jiving, which was no mean feat. At the beginning of the number, she contemplated taking “DWTS Jive Pills,” which I totally wish were a real thing. As I said last week, I expect Elizabeth and Val to make it pretty far.

Fourth Place, 24 points: Bill and Emma (Viennese Waltz). Much better than usual this week for Bill! He was out of the music, and his feet seemed to be on the toes more than they should, but the Viennese waltz is still more Bill’s speed than any of the dances he’s recently done. His dance was honoring his wife of thirty years, which was so sweet. His explanation of it oscillated between sweet and hilarious, as he recounted how his wife wouldn’t do anything sexual with him before they got married.

Fifth Place, 22 points: Leah and Tony (Contemporary). Even though I, like Tony, know nothing about contemporary dances, this one seemed lackluster. One of the best parts about contemporary routines is when the couples do a lot of fast moves in sync, which didn’t happen here. It was mostly lifts, which did not look that impressive with Leah doing them. The story was about Leah fighting and becoming independent. And though she never expressly said it, this was about her breaking away from the Church of Scientology. Is Katy Perry’s “Roar” really the best empowerment anthem she can think of? Everything about this number was meh, and when she was in Not Necessarily the Bottom Two, I would have been fine with her going home.

Are you shocked or sad to see Christina leave Dancing with the Stars? Whose personal story affected you the most? And do you think Snooki has done a 180 or a 360?