DWTS Season 24 - Episodes - General Discussion - *Sleuthing - Spoilers*

mindless wrote:Yes, it goes without saying that the eliminated couple has the lowest combined total, which is why it stuck out to me that they spelled it out. Made me think the other couple, as in Nick and Peta, had no business being in jeopardy really except that it perhaps made the most sense based on their performance last week.

Is 'Dancing with the Stars' Season 24 the Same as Season 16?

John Kubicek
Senior Writer, BuddyTV

If you're getting a strange sense of deja vu while watching Dancing with the Stars season 24, there's a good reason for it. In many ways, the cast perfectly resembles that of season 16, and it's entirely possible that it could serve as a blueprint for what's to come.

DWTS is no stranger to casting certain types for every season, but when you compare season 16 to season 24, a lot of similarities emerge. Here's a side-by-side look at how the 12 stars from both seasons match up.

-Olympic Figure Skater: Dorothy Hamill and Nancy Kerrigan
-Olympic Gymnast: Alexandra Raisman and Simone Biles
-Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Star: Lisa Vanderpump and Erika Jayne
-Bachelor: Sean Lowe and Nick Viall
-FOX Reality Singing Star: American Idol's Kellie Pickler and The X Factor's Normani Kordei
-NFL Player: Jacoby Jones and Rashad Jennings
-Actress Who Danced on Her Previous Show: Shake It Up's Zendaya and Glee's Heather Morris
-Two Comedians: Andy Dick/D.L. Hughley and Chris Kattan/Charo
-'80s Icon: Wynonna Judd and Mr. T
-Athlete from an Individual Sport: Victor Ortiz and Bonner Bolton
-Guy in His 40s: Ingo Rademacher and David Ross

I'll admit the last few are a stretch, but it's almost scary how much it lines up. Adding to this comparison, in both of these seasons, Peta Murgatroyd was paired with The Bachelor and Gleb Savchenko was paired with the Beverly Hills Housewife.

Obviously the similarities aren't precise. On season 16, the figure skater Dorothy Hamill was the first one out, only because she had to withdraw due to an injury. Meanwhile, Nancy Kerrigan is looking good and may last a very long time.

But will the results end up the same for others? In season 16, Lisa Vanderpump finished in 10th place and Sean Lowe made it to sixth place, setting expectations for Erika and Nick. If that holds up, Erika will be going home this week.

It also seems more than likely that the two finales could feature the exact same archetypes. In season 16, Kellie Pickler won against Zendaya, Jacoby and Alexandra. If the pattern holds and history repeats itself, then Normani will win against Heather, Rashad and Simone. I wouldn't be surprised in the least if that turns out to be the actual Final 4 this season.

The larger point may be that Dancing with the Stars needs to revamp it's casting. When the show starts repeating itself and bringing in carbon copies of past contestants, the formula is getting stale. We need something new and different, something exciting, and if season 24 ends the same way that season 16 did, the point will be even more obvious.

Dancing with the Stars airs Mondays at 8/7c on ABC.