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‘Dancing With the Stars’ Recap: James Hinchcliffe and Calvin Johnson Tie for First; Maureen McCormick Goes Home

Every now and then it’s good to take a trip through time. On Monday, October 24, it was “Era Night” on Dancing With the Stars, which meant that celebrities would compete with routines inspired by various decades. While some — like Calvin Johnson and Lindsay Arnold‘s 1950s jive — synched flawlessly, others, including Marilu Henner and Derek Hough‘s 1920s Charleston, were rocky at best.

Related: PHOTOS: Dancing With the Stars Winners Through the Years: Mirrorball Champs From 2005 to Now

But learning a decade-themed routine was just the first task for the stars this week, as they also had to compete in team dances, which could boost or hurt their overall standings. At the end of the night, however, neither of these two dances mattered for the couple who went home. Here were the winners, the losers and the pair that was sent packing.

Related: PHOTOS: Most Disastrous 'Dancing With the Stars' Partners Ever!

Calvin and James Battle for First

As previously mentioned, Calvin and Lindsay performed a 1950s jive that knocked the judges’ socks off. Though the former NFL player couldn’t point his toes due to a football injury, he managed to show enough extension to please even Len Goodman (oh, yeah — Len was back!), who marveled at how much Calvin had improved over the course of the season. Carrie Ann Inaba gushed over their routine, calling it effortless, and Bruno Tonioli called it “spot-on.”

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Cheryl and Ryan

The only celebrity who could touch Calvin was James Hinchcliffe, whose 1940s jitterbug with Sharna Burgess dazzled. In their video package, it showed both of them about to crack under the pressure that came with being at the top of the board, but they got their act together before the dance that mattered most. Len dubbed him a “major contender” for the Mirrorball, and Julianne Hough praised Sharna’s choreography and commitment. For their efforts, both couples landed 36 out of 40 points.

Related: PHOTOS: Dancing With the Stars' Hottest Hookups!

Right behind them were three other couples, however, who all clocked in with 34. Laurie Hernandez and Val Chmerkovskiy, Terra Jolé and Sasha Farber, and Jana Kramer and Gleb Savchenko all had strong (if not stunning) showings that garnered praise and constructive criticism from the powers-that-be.

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Jana and Gleb

Ryan and Maureen Land at the Bottom

But it wasn’t a great night for everyone. Ryan Lochte and Cheryl Burke continued to struggle at the bottom of the board. In his video package, Ryan deemed himself the luckiest man alive because his fiancée stuck by him through thick and thin. He tried to bring his passion for his future bride to his 1990s rumba with Cheryl, but it didn’t seem to translate. Julianne gave him an A for effort, but said his technique fell short. Bruno argued that since Ryan was so weak when it came to actual dancing, he had to up his acting game, and Carrie Ann said he was obviously just doing whatever Cheryl said and had failed to make it his own. Len, however, offered a sunnier view of things, praising the couple for doing the routine without lots of props and distractions.

At the bottom with them were Maureen McCormick and Artem Chigvintsev. The pair performed a 1980s tango that involved Maureen dressing up like a cross between Madonna and Elvira. Artem didn’t fare much better in an Axl Rose–inspired wig. Again, Len focused on the dance content and praised them for including actual tango steps. Julianne tried to keep things positive also by urging Maureen to take her dominatrix outfit home. But none of that could save their score, and they, like Ryan and Cheryl, ended up with a paltry 28.

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Laurie and Val

Derek Hough Loses the Team Dance

Despite his very solid track record of winning team dances, Derek’s team lost this time around. Derek was on Team Future, which included Laurie, Jana, Terra and Marilu. They performed a routine loosely based on teen dystopia stories such as Divergent and Hunger Games, but it never really gelled. In contrast, Team Past, which included James, Ryan, Calvin and Maureen, went bold with a Viennese waltz to a folk song from the 1700s that happened to also be the theme to Outlander. In the end, Team Future clocked in with 35, while Team Past earned 38.

Who Went Home?

Then it was revealed that two couples were in jeopardy: Maureen and Artem (which made sense) as well as Jana and Gleb (huh?). Considering the fact that Jana and Gleb had gotten a perfect score last week, it was hard to imagine them going home … and they didn’t. Maureen and Artem were sent packing as Maureen said a graceful goodbye to the ballroom.

“There were times when I felt like I was floating and so beautiful, and I never thought that that could be possible in the dance world, and I mean the crew, the coolest most loving people work on this show. I love you guys,” she gushed as Tom Bergeron pretty much told her to stop talking because they were out of time.

Tell Us: Did the right couple go home?

Dancing With the Stars airs on ABC Mondays at 8 p.m. ET.

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