Seems like that tension between the judges and Maksim Chmerkovskiy hasn’t entirely fizzled on Dancing with the Stars. During Monday’s performance episode of the ABC show, Carrie Ann Inaba was explaining how the couple’s Argentine tango lacked fluidity when she singled out a suspicious look on Chmerkovskiy’s face. ”You can smile like that Maks, it’s okay,” she quipped sarcastically.
A confused Chmerkovksiy replied by saying, “it’s nothing to do with me.”
Afterwards, Hope Solo tried to offer an explanation to Brooke Burke in the celebratorium. “Maks is smiling because we should be smiling! So Carrie Ann, thank you. Maks is smiling. This is my partner. Finally, we’re happy!”
Huh? What the heck was that all about, Maks?
“F— Carrie Ann,” Chmerkovskiy quipped to reporters after the show. “Next question.”
He was kidding around (we think). “I think Carrie Ann has an issue,” Chmerkovskiy continued. “I don’t know what it is. I would love to know what it is so I can address it. But as of now, I have no clue … I think it was a great night. I totally disagree with the scores, but what else is new?”
“They’ve [the judges] wanted to get us off since day one,” Solo adds.
“I go to sleep with a very clear conscience because I say everything that is on my mind,” Chmerkovskiy continued. “I’m good. Whatever judges say or don’t say, it’s fine.”
Actually, it’s not since the judges put Chmerkovskiy and Solo at the bottom of the leaderboard Monday with 49 points. (All the couples had to perform three routines). Though disappointed with the scores, Solo was pleased with her performance considering her ailing shoulder and how hard the routine was to master. ”Maks put so much into this Argentine tango and it’s something to be proud of,” she said. “He basically broke his body picking me up and teaching me to do this dance and I pulled muscles doing it. It wasn’t easy and then to come with 8s, I was like, there is no other couple here that do what we just did!”
“But that’s not the point,” Chmerkoskiy said. “The idea is to validate all the effort that you did in dress rehearsal for that one time during the performance. Our dress rehearsal wasn’t great. This was great. I’m happiest that that’s what worked. She validated her effort. To me …. it was a great tango.”
Now smiles everyone, smiles! — With reporting from Carrie Borzillo
