“Dancing with the Stars” Finale Ends with J.R. Martinez and Karina Smirnoff Taking the Mirrorball

Season thirteen of “Dancing with the Stars” is in the books, and J.R. Martinez and Karina Smirnoff walked away with the Mirrorball trophy. It was a very close finale, and any of the three couples could have won. Rob Kardashian and Cheryl Burke finished in second place, with Ricki Lake and Derek Hough taking third.

The dance that clinched the title for J.R. in my book was his freestyle. This “anything goes” performance is usually the most anticipated dance of the season. I watched the dances of Ricki and Rob but still felt like I wanted a bit more. And then J.R. delivered. Dancing last, he and Karina came out with latin rhythm, extremely risky lifts, and pure excitement. It was a perfect way to end the night. This is the last dance that the viewers see before their final voting, and that probably catapulted J.R. and Karina into first place.

This was the first win for pro dancer Karina Smirnoff, and the first time that Derek Hough has lost in the finals. Ricki and Derek were eliminated early on the final night, leaving Rob and J.R. one last “instant” samba to create and complete before the last vote tally. Judges scores and audience votes carry 50/50 weight in calculating the winning couple.

There was to be no rest for the finalists yet—they all appeared and danced on “Good Morning America” this morning. Fellow competitor Carson Kressley was also on hand working the crowd. After a season full of ups and downs, the ending seemed just right.


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