"DWTS" Season 20 Finale Recap—and Results!

Whew! Anyone else exhausted after the two-day, three-hour finale of “Dancing with the Stars”? I can’t even imagine what the dancers must feel like! But before we get to the celebrating (Go, Rumer! We knew you’d win.), let’s do a quick recap.

All the magic started back on Monday night: The three remaining couples (Noah Galloway/Sharna Burgess, Riker Lynch/Allison Holker and Rumer Willis/Val Chmerkovskiy) performed twice—first reprising their favorite routines from the season. The stars did improve: Noah’s musicality got tighter, Riker didn’t flub the partnered floor spins and, even though it seems nearly impossible, Rumer got even more intense, in all the best dancey ways:

And then came the couples’ smoke-and-tear-filled freestyles.

What Sharna and Noah’s routine lacked in fancy dance tricks, it made up for in performance. And I’m not talking about their faces. The best part about this emotionally-charged piece was that both Noah and Sharna let the choreography (and the music) speak for itself—they didn’t mug their way through it.

Riker and Allison’s glittering Fred Astaire–themed freestyle proved that routines don’t have to be sad (or hopeful or angsty or full of meaning) to be successful. While Riker apparently didn’t get our STOP LIP SYNCHING memo, he fabulously took the lead—and killed it—in Allison’s pretty demanding choreo.

Rumer and Val’s freestyle was perfect—except for one thing: Rumer’s lack of footwear. Val wore shoes, the movement was clearly ballroom-based—why go barefoot? Heels would’ve certainly helped hide Rumer’s limp biscuits. (Insert your flashback to Meryl Davis’ floppy feet last season here.)

But as much as I wanted Rumer and Val’s freestyle to get an encore on Tuesday night’s show—this time in shoes—it was Allison and Riker who scored big with the Twitter vote. After a big opening group number created by Mandy Moore, #TeamRikerson performed the revamped “I Won’t Dance” again.

“Again” seemed to be the theme of the first hour. Every couple eliminated from Season 20’s competition got to reprise their favorite routines.

If you look hard enough, you can spot Left Shark in between Left and Right Crab. (Kelsey McNeal/ABC)

 

Luckily, there were some really fabulous new performances, too. Upcoming “So You Think You Can Dance” judge Jason Derulo sang and danced his way through his “Want to Want Me.” Our girls in Fifth Harmony—backed up by the “DWTS” pro women—performed “Worth It” and a group of shirtless, muscly “DWTS” pro men gyrated to Flo Rida’s “Going Down for Real.” (Erin Andrews thanked the producers for that one…ditto.)

Magic Mike 2 could learn a thing or two from the “DWTS” pros. (Kelsey McNeal/ABC)

The best performance of the night, however, came from Sia and—no, keep reading—the Hough siblings and two superstar minis: Emma York from Danceology Performing Arts Campus in San Diego, CA, and Joey German from Prodigy Dance and Performing Arts Centre in Plano, TX. Emma and Joey seriously stole the show.

Hough siblings eat your hearts out! Presenting Emma York and Joey German in Sia’s “Elastic Heart” (Adam Taylor/ABC)

If you missed the “Elastic Heart” performance, check it out below. And try not to get as worked up as I did when the cameras kept insisting on panning over to Julianne and Derek’s side. Show us the future, guys!

Toward the end of the evening, the three couples underwent their final dance-off challenge. The hottest competition was between Rumer and Riker—but, lbh, most of Riker’s flash and dazzle came from the lovely Allison Holker and the two tiny pieces of cloth that somehow formed her dress. In the end, the true winners were, of course, Rumer and Val, and they took home the golden 10th anniversary mirror ball trophy. Congrats, you two!

Rumer has it…they’re the champions! (Adam Taylor/ABC)

Welp, guys, that’s it for this season. What did you think of the outcome? What was your favorite performance of the season? Let us know in the comments, and we’ll see you back here for Season 21! (And for Season 12 of “SYTYCD,” which starts up in less than two weeks!)