It was the most emotional semi-finals in the history of ABC’s Dancing with the Stars.  Five couples were in the running and by the end of the two-hour broadcast on Monday night, one would be eliminated.

But no one expected it to go the way it did in a shocking and heartbreaking turn of events.  Considered by many the top frontrunner to take the Mirror Ball Trophy, former Dawson’s Creek star, James Van Der Beek, announced in tears during the broadcast that his wife, Kimberly who was pregnancy with their sixth child, miscarried over the weekend.

But things got even more painful from there.  In an attempt to make the finals next week each duo had to perform a “redemption dance” chosen by the judges as the worst dance from their season, followed by a new routine.

Van Der Beek and his pro partner, Emma Slater performed a Cha-Cha which did not go over well with the judges, causing them by the end of the night to be the lowest scoring couple on the leaderboard.  But it was before his second dance that Van Der Beek shared the news of his his wife’s miscarriage.  He then danced an emotional tango in her honor.

At the end of the episode after three couples were saved it, was between Ally Brooke and Sasha Farber being eliminated … or James and Emma  The judges had to make the horrific decision of who would stay and compete and who would be sent home.

Photo: ABC

Across the board the judges chose Ally and Sasha.  What followed was pure shock in the audience.  Then, Ally Brooke broke town in tears pleasing for the judges and the producers to give her spot to Van Der Beek in the finals

“Can I give it to James, please?” Brooke expressed through her tears.  Van Der Beek would not allow her to do that and the show went off the air with co-host Erin Andrews, judge Carrie Ann Inaba and the viewers in America, in sadness.

Van Der Beek took to his Twitter account to thank those who supported him and his family during their difficult time following the loss of their unborn child: “Wrecked. Devastated. In shock. That’s how we’re feeling right now after the soul we thought were going to welcome into our family has taken a short cut to whatever lies beyond this life. There are no words… thank you everyone for the love & support. It’s exactly what we need.”

So, what did you think of the turn of events that saw James Van Der Beek exit Dancing with the Stars on the heels of the news of his wife’s miscarriage? Share your thoughts via the comment section below.

Friday’s highly-touted episode of ABC;s General Hospital featured the return of Brad Maule in the role of Dr. Tony Jones, the adoptive father of Lucas(Ryan Carnes) and former husband to Bobbie (Jackie Zeman).

It has been years since fan favorite Maule graced the GH screens, but the writers found a way to conjure him up in Lucas’ mind as Lucas is in a pivotal moment in his life; his bio-dad Julian Jerome (William deVry) is blackmailing his husband, Brad (Parry Shen), and Brad is keeping secrets from Lucas.  All spell bad news to Lucas for raising his son, Wiley.  But as GH fans know, Wiley is not the baby that Lucas thinks he is raising with Brad- he is actually raising Nelle (Chloe Lanier) and Michael’s (Chad Duell) child, which Brad knows!

So, needing some clarity and visiting his adoptive dad’s gravesite, Lucas sees the vision of Tony, and the former father and son have a heart to heart.  Tony tells Lucas how raising him as  little boy gave him the strength and courage to go on through the hard times, and how to be their for his little boy.  Lucas is just emotionally overwrought and so burdened by the lies those who say that they supposedly love him have been telling.

At the same time, Julian is searching for Lucas, and happens upon Bobbie at the hospital. She really does not like Julian and the two land at the GH hospital wall where plaques of the beloved doctors and nurses who have passed away are seen.  Bobbie knows Julian could never be the kind of father, Tony was to Lucas.  Julian says he can never replace Tony, but he is Lucas’ father and wants to somehow do right by him.

Photo: JPI

Later alone, Bobbie talks to Tony’s photo and we see a heartfelt moment where Tony touches Bobbie’s hand and touches her on the cheek. Something Bobbie feels as she remembers this once great love of hers. At the end of the episode Julian finds Lucas at Tony’s gravesite. What will their confrontation bring?

Kudos to Ryan Carnes, who was the emotional heart of this episode and who made us feel every moment of Lucas’s anguish. And … how wonderful to see Brad Maule again!

So, what did you think of Tony’s visit to Lucas and Bobbie on Friday’s GH? Comment below. But first watch some key scenes between them.

WATCH: Tony Jones returns to give Lucas a fresh perspective on the issues he and Brad are having. @bradmaule @RyanCarnes1 #GH pic.twitter.com/dAimgtePGh

— General Hospital (@GeneralHospital) November 9, 2019

Monday’s episode of Days of our Lives showcased the nuptials of now long-suffering duo, Eli (Lamon Archey) and Lani (Sal Stowers).  In true soap opera fashion things didn’t look good for the couple to get hitched in the first place, especially with Gabi’s (Camila Banus) threats that she would literally blow Julie’s (Susan Seasforth Hayes) heart out of her chest, if Lani did not bust up with Eli at the altar.

As Marlena (Deidre Hall) is officiating the ceremony, things took a dark turn when she asked if anyone in attendance could show just cause why the couple should not be wed in holy matrimony.  Everyone is silent as Gabi, who is an attending the nuptials, is quite happy with herself broadcasting the wedding from her phone to Julie who is in the hospital.  Next, an emotional Lani tells Gabi how sorry she is for shooting Stefan.  Lani says she hopes Gabi can set aside their differences for the sake of Julie and Eli.  Gabi tells her she thought she made herself clear.  It appears that Lani decides she is moving forward with the vows, after standing up for herself and ignoring Gabi’s threat after tackling Gabi WWE Smackdown style.  Next, Gabi informs to everyone she just pressed the button on the app on her phone and Eli’s grandmother’s heart exploded. But hold the phone! In that moment, there is a twist.  We go back to Lani at the altar who snaps out of this blackmail nightmare she just played out in her head.  That didn’t really happen, but the audience sees her thinking process through it, which leads Lani in the present to break off the wedding to her beloved Eli.

At the altar, Lani tells Eli through her tears she cannot do this.  Eli is stunned and confused.  The bride tells him he doesn’t deserve this.  Next, Lani turns towards Gabi, and then tells Eli she is sorry and then runs out of the ceremony.   Gabi mutters that her “work is done here” which seems to be overheard by Will (Chandler Massey).

Lani says her decision is made. With tears streaming down his face, Eli cries, “So you’re leaving me? That’s it?” Lani confirms it is, and that she is sorry and then runs off.  Cue none other than Gabi to find a gut-punched Eli on the park bench, who she hugs! Looks like there’s a part two to Gabi’s heinous plan ahead.

The performances by Lamon Archey and Sal Stowers in this episode were top-notch – their work was and even though it was under the most outrageous of circumstances, you felt the love, the heartbreak and heartache of a couple torn apart, when they love each other so much.

So, what did you think of Lamon and Sal’s performances? What did you think of the final moments of the episode when Lani has to dump Eli for good? Share your thoughts via the comment section below.