So You Think You Can Dance 14×14 was the best episode yet… until the ending.

So You Think You Can Dance 14×14 ended with a shocker. The bottom three has been consistently surprising all season long, however, this week may have been the most confusing yet. Dassy, Koine, and Kaylee ended up in the bottom three and in a shocking move, Mary, Nigel, and Vanessa eliminated none other than fan favorite Inyoung “Dassy” Lee. The live audience was mad, twitter was mad, and, yes, our roundtable is mad. The remaining contestants are: Logan, Kiki, Kaylee, Taylor, Mark, Koine, and Lex.

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Obviously, much more happened this week than just Dassy’s elimination. The top eight partnered up for the first time this season, which resulted in some amazing routines. Of course, the contestants once again impressed the judges in their routines with their all-stars as well. The judges decision couldn’t have been an easy one this week, but really – they messed up.

So, here to get just a little angry and to discuss what comes next is our roundtable:

Austin (@theaustinmayor) – Dancer, choreographer, and teacher

Janine (@J9DH) – Mom of 2 and fan of talent shows like SYTYCD and American Idol

Terry (@rockinchick66) – Asset Manager by day, Wife, Kitty Mama and SYTYCD super fan by night!

Tracy (@tjohn68) – Dance fan, TV fan, Superhero fan

Brandon (@indigo_15) – Writer, dance enthusiast, lover of pop culture. Supporter of imaginations running wild.

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1. Who was tonight’s MVP?

Austin (@theaustinmayor): I think tonight’s MVP was Taylor! First she kicks it off with a Luther Brown HIP HOP number…like what happened to the sweet, innocent girl?!?! And then she goes out and blows it away with Lex in their duet!! What can’t she do?!

Janine (@J9DH): This has to be a tie between Kiki and Lex.  Kiki nailed both routines, and made Koine look like a ballroom expert, while Lex showed his broad range of skills in his genre which he was given for the first time this season.  Kaylee gets an honorable mention for having to shine (which she did) doing ballroom with Cyrus and shadowing Logan who has legs for miles!

Brandon (@indigo_15): My MVP for tonight was Koine. She delivered a fun and dynamic jazz performance with Marko. It was a nice change of pace for her since there was no story to tell, just dancing. And I was a bit worried for her when I saw that she’d be doing a salsa with Kiki, but she nailed it. I was so pleasantly surprised with how well she did that I couldn’t not name her my MVP.

Tracy (@tjohn68): The question should be more like, who wasn’t an MVP tonight?! Everyone was so strong, both with their All-Star and with their fellow contestant partner. I honestly can’t pick just one person because they all did so well!

Terry (@rockinchick66): I would have to say Koine.  I honestly don’t think there’s any dance she can’t do.  She is quickly becoming my fave (especially now that Dassy Lee is gone – sob!)

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2. Which combo of contestants made the best pair?

Austin: Okay…Taylor and Lex are amazing on their own, but when they got put together…OMG THEY ARE THAT MUCH MORE AMAZING!!! The lines on both of them are out of this world!! I have a strong feeling they will be the 2 remaining in the end…

Janine: I think Kiki and Koine made the best pair.  They seemed like an experienced ballroom pair which deserves kudos considering this was Koine’s first attempt at ballroom.

Brandon: All of the contestant duets were great, but I keep going back and forth between Lex & Taylor’s jazz routine, and Kiki & Koine’s salsa. Two completely different pieces, but equally entertaining for me. I re-watched both of them and still can’t choose between them!

Tracy: I’m torn between Koine and Kiki and Taylor and Lex. Koine blew me away with how she kept up with Kiki in that salsa! Very spicy any hot! Lex and Taylor were so beautiful in that Spencer Liff routine! It felt so classic!

Terry: This is a tough one because there were a few really good pairings tonight.  I would have to say Koine and Kiki.  Their salsa was hot hot hot!  They definitely earned a spot on the hot tamale train!

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3. Which dance (aka the lighting, choreo, costumes, and story) did you most enjoy?

Austin: I most enjoyed Logan and Alyson’s contemporary hip hop number. I absolutely love the song, so that’s what started it for me. And then throughout the routine, they complimented each other so well, and it was such a different style of hip hop and that’s what made it so enjoyable!!

Janine:  I most enjoyed the choreo, costumes, lighting and story of Kiki and Jenna’s pop art routine. I was mildly uncomfortable yet intrigued while watching it and ultimately remember it the most of all of the routines.

Brandon: Logan and Allison’s lyrical hip-hop was my favorite piece of the night. I loved Chris Scott’s choreography and story. It reminded me of a couple of my favorite lyrical hip-hop routines in the show’s history, “Bleeding Love” with Mark Kanemura and Chelsie Hightower, as well as “Sexy Love,” which also featured Allison, with Ivan Koumaev.

Tracy: Taylor and Lex! The choreography, the lighting, the costumes, the makeup, it was all just so beautiful. And they both executed it so perfectly! I really loved it! A very close second place was the opening contestant and all star routine by Mark! So much attitude and drama! So fierce! So fast! the costumes were incredible! Robert dragging Jasmine on that amazing train made throw up my hands!!

Terry: Another tough one to choose.  I loved the bird routine by Spencer Liff for Taylor and Robert.  The costumes and staging were amazing.  My fave routine of the night though was Lu Brown’s hip hop for Robert and Taylor!  Where has this Taylor been all season?  She looked amazing and I loved the song too.  Oh!  but I also loved the hand clap routine by Mandy Moore for Koine and Mark.  Loved everything about it.

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4. Which three all star/contestant dances were the best?

Austin: Lex and Taylor…as Nigel said, one of the best routines seen on the stage! Kiki and Jenna…the makeup was on point and the different angles that they both created was just superb! The last all-star number…the use of the plastic or glass was so creative and i think it’s one of my favourite routines that I’ve seen in a long time tbh!

Janine: I think Kiki & Jenna, Fik-shun & Dassy and Lex & Gaby had the strongest all-star/contestant performances. I feel as though Koine & Marko were slighted by having to perform a routine with no story line.

Brandon: I’d go with Logan & Allison’s lyrical hip-hop (for the reasons I gave earlier), Lex & Gaby’s contemporary (is there anything they can’t do?!), and Koine & Marko’s jazz number, which was just pure fun. I couldn’t wait to re-watch them!

Tracy: Loved Taylor and Robert! I don’t know where that Taylor came from. Maybe it was the ponytail, or maybe it was that fabulous camo coat. Whatever it was, she was hitting hard and it was so strong! Also really enjoyed Comfort and Mark! I love the way Mark is able to get into his characters! And I just have to love on Comfort! She has been phenomenal all season! She was just so gorgeous and sexy! And Fik-Shun and Dassy get my final vote,! I loved that choreography from Jaci, and Dassy was wonderful! it was so interesting, and intriguing, and filled with tension, and just beautifully executed!

Terry: Everyone was so fantastic tonight and the choreographers really stepped up their game this week.  Hmmm if I had to narrow it down to 3 it would be:
Taylor and Robert – Hip Hop by Lu Brown
Koine and Mark – Jazz by Mandy Moore
Lex and Gaby – Contemporary by Mandy Moore

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5. Which three dancers maybe could’ve done better?

Austin: This is really hard…I’d have to say Dassy, just because she went home. Mark, because I feel he could have shown more personality like he usually does and his technique could have been better. And Kaylee, because I honestly didn’t notice her at all when she danced behind/beside Logan and you need to match your partner.

Janine: Overall this was the strongest night of dancing yet, so this is tough to answer.  I wasn’t as thrilled as the judges were over Taylor’s hip hop performance with Robert. The costumes were more bad ass than their performance. I think Koine did as well as she could on the clapping performance considering there was no story line, but ultimately this performance wasn’t as strong as some of the others. Can I say Cyrus lol?  My favorite animator isn’t a good ballroom dancer!

Brandon: This is a such hard one, because everyone did so well tonight. I guess I’d say Kaylee, Taylor, and Kiki. I feel really nit-picky saying this, because I enjoyed all three of them tonight. I thought Kaylee was just okay in her cha-cha with Cyrus, and that Taylor could have been a bit stronger and sharper in her hip-hop with Robert. And while I’m sure Kiki did what Travis asked of him in his jazz piece with Jenna, is it just me, or did Travis not give him a lot to do?

Tracy: I know people are going to not agree but I wasn’t into Gabby and Lex’s routine by Mandy. I just didn’t get the connection that I feel that they should have at this point. But I did think it was beautifully executed, It was just lacking something for me. Kaylee and Cyrus did better tonight, But it wasn’t the best cha-cha I’ve ever seen.  Koine and Marko’s Mandy Moore routine Felt a little careful to me. I liked it overall, but just felt it was missing some energy that I wanted from it.

Terry: I honestly can’t pick even one.  They all did fantastic. Can we just have a week that nobody goes home (like on Amazing Race?) “This is a non-elimination week…” LOL

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6. Can you believe Dassy went home?? It’s an outrage, right??

Austin: Yeah I’m a little disappointed that it was her and not Kaylee. I thought they would be the bottom 2 and that they would save Koini, but I think they got it wrong with who they saved. Dassy and Fikshun are a great partnership, and Kaylee and Cyrus aren’t as strong a partnership I feel. Dassy had emotion and personality and her popping skills were out of this world! The only thing that stands out for me with Kaylee is her blue hair.

Janine: Dassy was my favorite dancer of the Top 10, so I am disappointed she went home, especially after last week’s horrible ballroom performance by Taylor who didn’t even end up in the bottom 3. All of the dancers are strong now, so it will be hard to see any of them go. I wasn’t so surprised given Dassy’s bottom 3 showing last week, but I am sad she left.

Brandon: I usually agree with the judges’ eliminations, but they got this one wrong. The fact that they were unanimous in their decision is completely baffling to me, nearly as baffling as the fact that Koine was in the bottom at all. Don’t get me started. Yes, Kaylee (who I also love) had what was arguably her best night so far, but Dassy has had a much stronger season overall. I thought for sure Kaylee would be the one eliminated. I don’t get the judges’ logic at all here.

Tracy: here was no reason Dassy should’ve gone home this week! Kaylee had a good week this week, but Dassy had a better week. I don’t know why the judges picked Dassy!

Terry: I am SO pissed off that Dassy went home! (You all know my love for Dassy and Fik-Shun knows no bounds).  First of all what is up with Dassy and Koine being in the bottom 3???  When Cat Deeley announced who was in the bottom 3 I thought for sure Kaylee was going home.  She has been consistently in the bottom 3 and Dassy and Koine have been fantastic throughout the season.  The judges basing their decision on Kaylee having one good week is ridiculous!  They blew it this week.

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7. Now for everyone’s favorite question: Who’s headed home next week?

Austin: Kaylee. I’ve been saying it for the past 3 weeks. She didn’t stand out at all when she danced with Logan and even Nigel critiqued her on not straightening her legs. She’s a great solo person, but not the greatest duet person I feel..

Janine: I think the producers are blackballing Kaylee a bit, making her Logan’s shadow (costume and makeup were unappealing, and come on, how could anyone other than Lex properly shadow Logan) and assigning her ballroom with Cyrus, so I am expecting to see her in the bottom 3. Koine was slighted with her first routine having no storyline,  so I expect her to have another bottom 3 showing. I would say Mark but it seems he has girls fawning overy him so maybe Taylor will finally hit the bottom 3.

Brandon: I have no idea anymore, because Dassy’s elimination came out of left field for me. I’m still going to go with Kaylee, though. I think she’s had the most inconsistent season out of all of the contestants.

Tracy: I’m going with Kaylee again. I think it’s finally her time. Her growth has been slow over the last few weeks and I just think she’s running out of steam now.

Terry: Who knows?  Should we even bother with this question each week?  LOL  As I said last week (and I believe the week before) I predict Kaylee will go home.  If another one of my faves goes and she stays I will be livid.

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Final Verdict: Dassy Lee’s elimination has us shook. Are you even voting, America?

With Dassy Lee gone, it’s time for her fans (including some of our roundtablers) to choose a new favorite to root for. Fortunately, Dassy’s exit coincides with the strongest night of dancing yet, and everyone on this show is killing it. You can’t go wrong rooting for any of these dancers. Taylor was especially outstanding tonight, garnering new attention from the judges and fan base alike with her incredible performances. As always, Lex Ishimoto also shines brightly, and something tells us his star power will not burn out anytime soon. Season fourteen of So You Think You Can Dance is truly anyone’s game, and we’re just happy to be along for the ride.

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE returns next MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 4th at 8/7C on FOX.