DWTS Week 4 recap: Von Miller, the farting Prince Charming

“Dancing with the Stars” welcomed many an NFL player over its first 21 seasons, but Season 22, which premiered on Monday, March 21, features three: newly-minted Super Bowl MVP Von Miller from the Denver Broncos, Pittsburgh Steelers All-Pro Antonio Brown and former Heisman Trophy winner Doug Flutie, a Canadian Football League legend who also spent 13 years in the NFL. We’ll be posting recaps each Tuesday morning until all three are eliminated – or one wins.

Antonio Brown leads off the show this week; it’s Disney Week, and Brown and partner Sharna Burgess are dancing a jazz number to “Friend like me” from “Aladdin.”

Last week, the three NFL players were at the bottom of the scoreboard, with each posting a 20. Burgess notes that the judges aren’t happy with Brown to this point, and the pair needs to “change something up” if the receiver is to stay in the competition.

In rehearsal, Burgess tells Brown, “You have a white fedora with a purple band around it, so you’re kind of like the 2016 pimp version of Aladdin.” Which is great work if you can get it.

Dancing with four professional male dancers, Brown has to stand out, and he does. His high stepping (they ended with Rockette-style high kicks), smooth routine drew a big cheer from the crowd and raves from the judges. Co-host Tom Bergeron noted it would be a tough act to follow for the other nine celebrities.

Head judge Len Goodman told Brown the dancer finally came out of him, and guest judge Zendaya, a Disney Channel actress and former runner-up on DWTS, told the Steelers wideout, “That was so much fun! I was smiling the entire time…I thought it was amazing.”

Bruno Tonioli, as often happens, was unable to contain himself to his seat, rising to declare, “The Disney magic is working already! You’ve been pimped for the top!”

Wait, what?

Carrie Ann Inaba said she wished she had a friend like Brown (being able to tell a corny joke seems to be a special talent of these judges).

His hard work was rewarded, and Brown gets a fantastic score of 35 out of 40; Goodman gives him an 8, with each of the other three judges giving him a 9.

Odds of winning: 4/1

Flutie and partner Karina Smirnoff are also doing a jazz number, to the Mary Poppins classic, “Spoonful of sugar.”

The dance requires some intricate footwork, and the pair dancing with canes; in rehearsal, we see Flutie cursing and smashing his cane on the floor, breaking it.

“I consider myself a passionate person; when I go into something, I’m all in. So when I struggle, there’s frustration,” he explains to the camera.

Flutie and Smirnoff do a high-energy routine, the crowd clapping along to the happy song. At one point the pair climbs onto the judges’ table to do some high kicks, and to these untrained eyes, the 53-year old does a good job.

The judges, however, were not as impressed.

“I saw the makings of a good routine, but I don’t think you actually delivered on it,” Inaba tells Flutie and Smirnoff. “It just did not come together tonight.”

“What I liked is you got into the character of the dance, you made it fun, you made it entertaining. It was enjoyable to watch,” said Goodman.

Remarked Tonioli, “The second half actually wasn’t bad. Once you got into it, you stopped worrying about it and embraced the situation.”

Last week, Flutie did an emotional performance in remembrance of his parents, who died on the same day last November; his story and tear-jerking dance drew enough votes from fans to keep him safe for next week despite being tied for the lowest score. However, he will need fan votes again if he’s to remain beyond next Monday, as his score of 24 (all of the judges gave him a 6) is the lowest of the night.

Odds of winning: 10/1

Von Miller and his “Barbie drill sergeant” partner, Witney Carson, dance the first Viennese waltz of the season, to “A dream is a wish” from Cinderella, with Miller as Prince Charming and Carson as Cinderella.

“I’m Prince Charming on a daily basis, so it fits me,” Miller jokes to the camera. “I just have to get the waltz down and I’ll be ready to go.”

Carson tells Miller in the rehearsal studio, “You are a prince in this, so you have to act like one. I expect you to be on your best behavior. You can’t stick your tongue out, and no farting.”

Thanks to the magic of editing, we then see Carson reacting to one of Miller’s frequent farts – “That reeks so bad!”

“I guess I’m not Prince Charming, but I can act like one this week,” Miller says.

Miller dances without his trademark glasses, and is in a bedazzled white tux and tails, one arm dutifully tucked behind his back as he glides across the floor with his Cinderella.

The judges loved seeing the pass rusher as a prince.

“What a staggering transformation since last week! I am totally enchanted!,” Tonioli raved. “You can do suave, sophisticated, elegant, light on your feet…I’m telling you, you are kingly. You are royalty.”

Inaba: “You are not Prince Charming, you’re Prince Champion out there! I know you might not take this as a compliment, but you were adorable, you made it like a fairy tale come true.”

Goodman acknowledged that someone will get Grumpy Len on this night, “but Von, it’s not you. Last week was drab, this week is fab!”

To which we felt a strong desire to snap our fingers in a Z formation.

At any rate, Miller gets 8s across the board.

Odds of winning: 5/1