Just like that, Stephen Nedoroscik and Rylee Arnold are back in business! After their Hercules-inspired outing last week, which left them with a rather disappointing score of 24, the duo had some serious work to do to climb back up the leaderboard. And guess what? They did it with flair. This week’s theme? Ghostly romance, and Stephen absolutely nailed the role of a spooky specter.

Decked out in shredded, eerie clothing and pale ghostly makeup, Stephen looked straight out of a haunted house, while Rylee glided around in a silk dress as the girl haunted by her mysterious “ghost.” The set was just the right amount of creepy, with a fiery background and eerie eyes and hands flashing on the screen behind them.

Both of them moved with precision, hitting every beat, and their chemistry was electric. Safe to say, this was the comeback we all wanted, and they scored a solid 28, grabbing their first 10 of the season! Finally, some justice for the ghost crew! Even Dancing with the Stars’ official account couldn’t help but gush. Posting a carousel of four intense stills from the performance, they captioned it: “Even in darkness, we never wanna run away from Stephen and Rylee’s hauntingly beautiful Contemporary!”

Fans had been buzzing about this being the episode where they finally snagged a 10, and they were pretty much right on the money. Before the performance, Rylee Arnold teased a sneak peek of their rehearsals on Instagram, and the comments lit up with excitement. While they didn’t receive 10s from all the judges, they’ve definitely put themselves back on the map.

Judge Carrie Ann Inaba was the one to drop the bombshell, giving Stephen Nedoroscik and Rylee Arnold their first-ever 10 for their ghostly performance. The moment she announced it, Stephen erupted with pure exhilaration and joy. It’s clear he’s been gunning for that perfect 10 since he joined Dancing with the Stars.

But hold up! Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli weren’t feeling quite as generous, sticking with 9s instead. Cue the fan outrage! Social media exploded with folks insisting that these two deserved 10s from every judge.

Fans are spooked by the outcome of Stephen Nedoroscik and Rylee Arnold’s dance this week!

One fan said, “IM SO MAD. That deserved all 10s….” Stephen Nedoroscik and Rylee Arnold’s performance this week seemed to be incredible. Keeping with the Halloween theme of the show, the duo danced to the song “I Ran (So Far Away)” by Hidden Citizens. The entire performance was based on the gymnast’s fear of darkness. It really connected deeply with the audience and thus earned such heavy praise. While Carrie Ann did give them a 10, many believed that all three of them should have done the same. This sentiment was echoed by many.

“How was this not a perfect score??? Best dance of the night, imo!!!” said one user. The highest-scoring performance of the night was by Chandler Kinney and Joey Graziadei, who both scored 29. On the other hand, Stephen’s score of 28 was also matched by Dwight Howard, Danny Amendola, and Jenny Tran. Only Ilona Maher scored less with 24. Thus, despite Stephen producing his heroics at night, he is still in danger of elimination.

However, if the judges had given him the perfect 30 that fans were hoping for, things would have been different. He would have guaranteed his safety for at least another week. But it was not, which made fans even more furious. “Absolute BS scoring, best dance of the night deserved all 10s!!!!!” said one user. Others noticed how much Stephen Nedoroscik has really improved a lot.

“THIS WAS HIS BREAKTHROUGH!” said one excited fan, and honestly, they couldn’t be more right. When Stephen Nedoroscik strutted onto Dancing with the Stars after his Paris Olympics triumph, he candidly admitted he knew nada about dancing and felt totally overwhelmed by the stage. Fast forward to now, and the U.S. gymnast has proven just how capable he truly is. This week? By far his best performance yet!

Everything clicked for Stephen. From his expressions to his moves—and let’s not forget that stunning look he rocked—it was all on point. The choreography was top-notch, but what really stood out was how he owned that dance floor. Watching him shine like this is nothing short of magical, especially for someone typically known for dominating the pommel horse! Sure, there’s always the possibility of elimination lurking around the corner, but no one can take away the incredible journey he’s had on DWTS. For an Olympic athlete who came in without any dance knowledge, Stephen has absolutely crushed it.