With the remaining contestants all posing a credible threat to the coveted Mirror Ball trophy, this week's elimination was expected to be a difficult one. The latest casualty of the "Dancing with the Stars" stage was Hayes Grier and Emma Slater, who are both well-loved by fellow dancers and the fanbase alike.

"It's been an awesome ride," Grier wrote on Twitter. "Emma, you've been all I could ask for and more. I'll never forget this experience and the times on DWTS."

While Grier ultimately exited the show at the end, the 15-year-old actually put on a good fight during his time on the stage. The Vine star put on a jazz routine to "Once Upon a Dream" and the Grier showed off his versatility by transforming into a werewolf for the mature dance. The judges praised the pair for their performance, earning them 26 out of 30 points.

Perpetual frontrunners Nick Carter and Sharna Burgess struggled to find their rhythm, with a Frankenstein-inspired Argentine tango set to "Bring Me To Life." While the judges commended his commitment to the role, the performance did not prove to be sharp or smooth enough for the dramatic tango. The pair notched 24 points from the judges, a letdown after a near-perfect score last week.

Another strong contender only got 24 points as well: Tamar Braxton and Val Chmerkovskiy. The pair, staging a foxtrot to "People Are Strange," failed to impress the judges, especially since Braxton is one of the most natural dancers of the season.

Continuing their strong bid for the top spot in the competition, Bindi Irwin and Derek Hough find a scarier, darker persona with a vampire-themed Argentine tango to "Cry Little Sister." The judges praised the dancers' characterization and technique, awarding them with another perfect score and cementing their position as the team to beat in the "Dancing with the Stars" season 21.

The rest of the contestants stepped up their game to remain neck and neck in the competition: Alexa PenaVega and Mark Ballas with 27 points, Andy Grammer and Allison Holker with 26 points, Alek Skarlatos and Lindsay Arnold with 25 points as well as Carlos PenaVega and Witney Carson with 28 points.

The team dances are a highlight, with Carter-led Team #Nightmare notching in a win with a creative and cohesive routine that is Broadway-worthy. The team, comprising of Carter and Burgess, Grammer and Holker, Braxton and Chmerkovskiy and Grier and Slater, enjoyed a perfect score from the awe-struck judges.

Team #WhoYouGonnaCall, while impressive, failed to make a similar impression with their Ghostbusters-inspired number. According to Wall Street Journal, the loss is Derek Hough's first defeat in team dances since the section was introduced in the show's seventh season.