DWTS 5th Judge Premiere Surprises: Tori, Phaedra, Anna Delvey, and More && Who Fell Flat, Who Soared?

A new season is upon Dancing with the Stars fans, and it comes with the requisite controversial contestant. This season, that dubious honor goes to convicted con artist Anna Delvey, who wants everyone to know she's served her time and made restitution. The ankle monitor is about her visa status, which apparently expired while she was in prison for fraud. Aside from Anna, though, the season definitely brought some interesting stars -- with Tori Spelling, Phaedra Parks, Bachelor Nation's Joey Graziadei and Jenn Tran, and a couple of Summer Olympic stars in rugby standout Ilona Maher and "pommel horse guy" Stephen Nedoroscik. Perhaps one of the most entertaining pairings was when producers decided to partner 6'11" Dwight Howard with 5'3" Daniella Karagach. Let's just say, Daniella has some experience with tall partners, and she knows how to make it work, delivering the night's most entertaining routine. So who stunned the judges with premiere dances so strong, we're already seeing 8's in Week 1? Who fell flat on their face out of the gate and is in danger of an immediate exit during next week's double elimination? There's only one way to find out and that's to make our way through 13 debut performances. Fair warning, since I'm safe at home, I'm probably going to be a little harsher than my colleagues Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough, and Bruno Tonioli. But I might be nicer, too. Maybe. The professionals were definitely happy to be back in the ballroom, with lots of fun spotlights for returning icon Witney Carson, newest pro Ezra Sosa, and some of last season's standouts like Pasha Pashkov, Daniella Karagach, Jenna Johnson, Britt Stewart and reigning champ Val Chmerkovskiy. This piece was full of high energy and joy, along with lots of hips and arms and overall movement. It was designed to showcase energy and excitement for what could happen if only the stars were anywhere near this good … and it worked! (Cha-cha-cha - "Dancin' in the Country," Tyler Hubbard) "I can dance, but it takes a little bit of confidence to get it out," Joey said right at the top of the season. A big promise to launch his journey that hopefully he can live up to. When asked how he feels about giving sexy, Joey very accurately replied, "I think I give more golden retriever energy than sexy." He brought that joyful energy to this performance, which while a little heavy-footed throughout really showed he's got the ability to move, the rhythm, and some grace. We find ourselves agreeing that a little bit of confidence will probably produce a pretty great dancer inside of there. He's not afraid to get down and dirty with his hips and partnering chemistry is already strong. Once he feels more at home in these styles, he could emerge as a leading contender with more graceful arms and lighter footwork. He's off to a great start! Judges Scores: 7, 7, 7 My Score: 7 (Tango - "Piece of Me," Britney Spears) Brooks showed some cheer and dance team background from high school, saying she was coming back to "take back that ex." Right away, the newly-single model and Gleb certainly enjoyed the way they each looked, with Gleb having her do a little twirl and Brooks saying plainly, "He's hot." She added that they'll take this "healthy flirtatious vibe" and use it, without getting distracted. From the very opening of the show, though, she looked extremely nervous and that carried right up to the start of this dance. That trepidation carried into her movements, which were all about 60 to 70 percent where they needed to be. A straight, extended leg had a slightly bent knee as if she was in a hurry to retract it either to not be seen, or set up the next move. She was definitely in her head with this one, with restricted moves and a heaviness that lacked musicality. She needs to just give of herself fully. She also needs to get the work out of her face and bring performance there, too. Confidence will be key -- even the body language, crossed arms during comments. Judges Scores: 6, 6, 6 My Score: 4 (Cha-cha-cha - "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!," Shania Twain) Ilona shared that she wanted to do DWTS as this "big, muscular woman" who also feels "very beautiful and feminine." She explained, "I grew up not very comfortable, so I want to now make it easier for young girls to love your body. Right away, Alan noted that Ilona is going to have to rein in the strength and full-force power that made her an Olympic medalist in rugby. Later, she talked about an adorable "pyramid scheme" of confidence where everyone wins! We might recommend a bit of a course correction, though, as she went too small. Yes, she has a big, muscular body but that's what helps her to stand out. She needs to own every inch of it with full extensions and lines. She was surprisingly timid, though understandably way out of her comfort zone. We suspect she'll be watching the game tape back