Carrie Ann Inaba Was the Standout of the 'DWTS' Semi-Finals

I will be the first to admit that Carrie Ann Inaba has not always had the best reputation for being the fairest judge on Dancing With The Stars, especially towards women. Sometimes, I believe that she shows favoritism towards the male contestants and is way harsher on the women. Still, during the semi-final of the reality dance competition series, she was the best judge, and I enjoyed watching all of her interactions.

She had excellent things to say to each couple that danced last night. Her compliments and overall attitude seemed sincere. Even when she gave constructive criticism, it seemed fair to me. It was evident that she wanted to see all five of them succeed. Her passion for dance made watching the semi-final even better because she takes being a judge seriously, and put it to good use last night.

Showing Her Emotional Side Worked For Carrie Ann During the 'DWTS' Semi-Finals

One of my favorite aspects of watching competition shows is seeing how passionate the judges can get. When Nicole Scherzinger was a judge on The Masked Singer, her love for the music industry was clear from a mile away. Her tears when each masked celebrity performed made the show feel raw, which Carrie Ann achieved during the semi-finals.

I loved watching Carrie Ann tear up over Ilona Maher's performance. Ilona has come such a long way, and she earned her spot in the finals. If you go back and watch Ilona's performances during the first few weeks of the competition, you will see how much she has improved. I love that Carrie Ann pointed out how honored she felt to be able to watch Ilona dance. She even teared up while explaining to Ilona how beautiful she danced, and that is the Carrie Ann that I wish we got to see all throughout the season. Her treatment towards Stephen Nedoroscik warmed my heart as well because it was clear he had an off night and Carrie Ann still managed to make him feel great with her compliments. Carrie Ann has a great heart and wants to make each star feel great with their dances, and I think that is exactly what she did during the semi-final, but she also gave proper constructive criticism, as a judge should.

A Judge Has to Judge

It was quite obvious all season that Carrie Ann had high expectations for Chandler Kinney and her partner Brandon Armstrong, and that is why she was so hard on the couple all of Season 33. Although it was awesome to finally see Carrie Ann praise Chandler for her dancing last night, her critiques were valid. As Derek Hough always says, "A judge has to judge." Anyone who watches Dancing With The Stars knows how Carrie Ann feels about lifts, and it is true - Chandler's foot did come off the ground. When Carrie Ann pointed that out, not only did I think it was a fair point, but I did not understand why the crowd booed for so long because her job is to judge and that is exactly what she was doing. "Sorry, this is the semi-final, people. There's a lot at stake and I need to be fair" is how Carrie Ann defended herself, and I agree with her. The semi-final is the best of the best in this competition and Chandler did lift her foot off the ground. Her job is to judge and give feedback - which she did perfectly.

Yes, sometimes Carrie Ann's commentary is either unnecessary or a bit obvious that it is a dig, but I think she was the best judge of the night during the semi-finals. She was genuine towards each couple and wanted to help out as much as she could, while also giving constructive criticism. A judge's attitude on a competition show can make or break it, and Carrie Ann's emotional and happy side definitely made the semi-finals worthwhile.

Dancing With The Stars is available to stream on Disney+ in the US.