So long, So You Think You Can Dance season 14, you were a predictable yet entertaining addition to our lives

The results are in! We voted and we voted until our fingers fell off, and in the So You Think You Can Dance finale, the winner was exactly who we all thought it would be. First, Kiki was knocked out. So long, “Daddy Kiki.” After Kiki’s elimination, Taylor got third. It was down to Koine, some of our roundtablers’ personal favorite, and Lex, the pretty-much assumed winner from the beginning. Predictably (but not undeservedly) Lex took the crown, with Koine coming in an excited second place – she literally threw her hands in the air when they announced Lex’s win.

RELATED | So You Think You Can Dance Roundtable 14×14

We cannot stress enough how fantastic this season has been. Although many of us called Lex from the very beginning (we’re talking auditions here) predictability does not equate to bad television. Watching the journey of these ten dancers has been an incredible few months. In fact, many fans cite this as one of the greatest seasons of So You Think You Can Dance in a very long time. Let’s take moment to discuss it with some of those very fans, for the last time this season.

One final time, please welcome our season fourteen 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. So, we have a winner! Lex (unsurprisingly) took the crown. Were you surprised at all by the results tonight?

Austin (@theaustinmayor): Not at all! I predicted the 4 placings, so it wasn’t a surprise when they came true. Kiki really only trained in his style, but pushed through every style, so that’s why he was top 4 but not any higher for me. Taylor was legs for days and a very elegant dancer, but she didn’t have the personality. Koine was all personality and that’s why people voted for her. And although Lex didn’t have the best personality, he definitely had the greatest dancing vocabulary.

Janine (@J9DH): No surprises here – last week I predicted Lex would win and Koine would be Top 2 with him. Lex is a very worthy winner-how he powered through a rotator cuff AND ankle injury just before the grueling demands of finale week is beyond me!! Congratulations Lex!

Brandon (@indigo_15): Not at all. Lex consistently did well, no matter what style he was given, throughout the season. And, he’s the only person in the top 10 who never fell into the bottom 3, and he also had a ton of vocal fan support on social media. This season was a lot like season 11 (the year Ricky Ubeda won), where it was fairly obvious who would win it all after only a handful of live shows had aired.

Tracy (@tjohn68): The only thing that caught me off guard was Kiki’s placement in 4th. I thought he had more of a surge than that. But otherwise, I think it worked out as expected as the season went on.

Terry (@rockinchick66): I wasn’t surprised at all and I called the top 2 last week!  Well deserved win by Lex!

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2. Amazingly, the majority of our roundtable picked Lex as a front-runner from his very first audition. Were you one of them? If so, what made him stand out to you so much so early on?

Austin: Heck yes I was! As soon as I saw his audition I knew he would go far. A lot of things made him stand out to me. Firstly he did so many tricks and flips that I’ve never seen even attempted before. Secondly he said that he was part of Shaping Sound, so you knew he must have been good. And thirdly, he was just unique and the fact that he freestyled his audition, made it even better.

Janine: What a blast from the past!!! I can’t believe I picked Lex and Koine as 2 of the 3 dancers who will go the farthest on the show!!! What?  Not bad for a Mom!! I also mentioned Zachary Downer who was shortly thereafter chosen to replace Ricky Ubeda in a lead role in CATS on Broadway!! Lex stood out right away as a very powerful and unique dancer. Lex’s brilliant technique and fusion of contemporary,  martial arts and hip hop moves are mesmerizing!

Brandon: I was! From the very beginning, I was enamored with his dance ability and athleticism. He was on a completely different level to most of the other dancers. It’s kind of rare for me to get chills during an audition, but I certainly got them watching him for the first time.

Tracy: was probably the only one hesitant to say Lex was the one, because of the whole personality thing. But Obviously, he got over that really quickly and his dancing just spoke for itself. So I’m really glad for him.

Terry: I was one of the ones who picked Lex as a front runner from the start!  I said, “Great musicality and technique all wrapped up in a great personality! His choreography was so original too!” It’s kind of ironic that I liked his personality as the judges later kept harping on him about his lack of personality! LOL

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3. Which throwback dance did you love most?

Austin: The group number choreographed by Mark! You don’t see much vogue on SYTYCD or even anywhere really, so it was great to see that! And the concept was super cool as well!

Janine:  I love, love, love the pizza dance with Lex and Koine!! Lex and Koine are funny, adorable and incredible dancers and all of their personality and talent shone in this number!

I also want to add that while the finale was incredible, I was disappointed that Kaylee and Logan weren’t featured in a call back routine. They were Top 5 and 6 and most definitely deserved a featured call back over Robert. I would have preferred to see a routine from each of the Top 10 than the performance by Vanessa.

Brandon: The piece that truly stood out to me was the group routine featuring Koine, Kiki, Taylor, and Mark, set to Maya Angelou’s “Still I Rise,” due to the timely subject matter. But there are so many honorable mentions for me, like Kiki and Koine’s salsa, Koine and Marko’s contemporary piece, and of course, the group routine choreographed by Mark Kanemura.

Tracy: Marko and Koine’s hanger routine wasn’t much of a throwback, but even in the couple weeks that it’s been, I felt that they performed it more confidently. And the emotional level of it was so strong.

Terry: Mark Kanemura’s “Call me Mother” group number is my absolute fave of the season.  I predict this will be the iconic number of the tour.

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4. Did you enjoy Vanessa’s performance?

Austin: Yeah I did! Both her and Shawn Hook sound amazing live! She did a good job in the dance part of it too! A little more fluidity and grace from her would have been better. But that’s just me knit picking.

Janine: I was interested to see Vanessa perform, but they should have put her performance in the beginning of the show because after the incredible dancing of the Top 10 and All Stars her performance was a bit underwhelming.

Brandon: Yes. I enjoyed it for what it was. I wasn’t really expecting an exceptional dance number from her, so it’s not like my expectations were dashed. I thought it was nice to see her try something different from what she usually does on stage. I was glad that she sang a bit at the beginning, and that she brought out Robert Roldan, who is arguably the most well-loved All-Star this year.

Tracy: I can’t say I’m a fan of Vanessa’s vocal, but I thought she did fine, and looked lovely. But I was ready for the results at that point.

Terry: Ugh. I don’t like speaking ill about a performer but I found her singing underwhelming.  Her dancing was pretty good though!

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5. Looking at this season as a whole, how do you think it stacks up in comparison to earlier seasons?

Austin: I think this was one of the strongest seasons. The all-stars are all amazing in their styles and can hold their own in many other styles too. As well, the competitions this season seemed to be that much better than seasons past. Dancers are constantly evolving and the unthinkable is becoming real.

Janine: I think this is probably the strongest season all around with the Top 10 talent, All Stars and choreography combined. Every routine in the past 4 shows has been outstanding and memorable, and most routines throughout the entire season were very strong.

Brandon: I think this is one of the show’s better seasons in at least two years, and one of my favorite seasons overall, despite the fact that we got a much shorter audition round, a top 10 instead of a top 20, and didn’t really get to know many of the dancers until the live shows started. I feel like the dance talent on the show is always strong, but this year’s was well above average, and that the contestants, All-Stars, and choreographers were all working at an extremely high level this season. It was great having Mary Murphy back as a judge, and I enjoyed Vanessa as a judge far more than the judges from the past two seasons. All in all, a very strong season, but by no means was it a perfect one.

Tracy: This season overall, was seriously incredible. They came back from the kids season with a fantastic new sat, the choreographers creativity was off the charts, and the dancers that made it to the live shows up or just incredible. They were sponges, they learned, and they all definitely grew as artist. I am excited to see what’s in store for them, and I’m sure we’ll see a couple of them back as All Stars! And if Fox has any sense at all, they will renew the show for season 15.

Terry: As a whole I would say the calibre of dance has been outstanding and the choreography was top notch!  The choreographers really stepped up their games!  Maybe it’s because they had such fantastic dancers to work with?

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6. Way back during the final week of The Academy, I asked you which All-Star team the winner was on. How did you do? If your prediction didn’t pan out, do you wish it did? Or are you happy with how things went?

Austin: I predicted it! Yay me!! I’m very happy with how things went. I’m so glad Gaby picked Lex (although I’m sure a different all-star would have snagged him anyways). He deserved the title of America’s Favourite Dancer.

Janine: Hmmm well, I said if Lex would show more of his personality he could win, but at that point I thought Dassy, Logan or Konkrete would win based on what we saw of their academy performances. So….I was and wasn’t correct haha (especially since I thought Jenna would pick Konkrete!). I’m happy with how things turned out other than Dassy leaving so early in the competition. I would have liked to see her go further.

Brandon: My prediction came true! And I’m thrilled that it did. To be honest, I would have been happy with several of this year’s top 10 going all the way, but Lex was always the standout to me, as much as I loved other dancers like Logan, Koine, Kiki, Taylor, Mark, and Dassy. Usually, I’m way off with my predictions, so it was nice to get one right for a change!

Tracy: yeah, some of my predictions did not come forth, and I’m totally fine with that. But I knew Robert Roldan would probably go far, because he always his partners well. And I’m really happy for Gaby that she had Lex and made it all the way. Ultimately, I am pleased that Jenna went with Kiki, but I would love to have seen how a season with Koncrete would have gone for her, because, it’s really hard for me to get that Academy routine out of my head.

Terry: I had picked 3 teams and Gaby’s was one of them!  I’m happy with the results.

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7. Which of this season’s contestants would you most like to see return as an All-Star next season?

Austin: I think Lex should be an all-star. He crushed every style he did, he is a great partner, he is trained by Travis Wall, and he won SYTYCD and that’s a good reason to become an all-star! I think Kiki could be one too if he got more training in other styles. Or he could definitely be a pro on DWTS.

Janine: would love to see Lex and Koine return as All Stars. They are both so versatile and great performers!

Brandon: There are a few I’d love to see return as All-Stars, but only if the format changes back to the old one, where there are no teams, and the All-Stars are called in to dance in their own styles, with different contestants each week. In that case, I would really like to see Lex, Koine, Dassy, and Kiki as All-Stars, because they are all absolutely brilliant in their respective styles. If the format stays the way it is now, with set teams, I’d say only Lex and Koine.

Tracy: Definitely I think a male ballroom presence is needed, so I would love to see Kiki come back as an all star. The strength he displayed in other styles, would also help a another contestant be able to grow throughout their season. And I think Taylor would be great for someone too.

Terry: I would love to see Koine as an all star next season!  She’s got a great personality and shone in whatever genre was thrown at her.  I think Kiki would be interesting too.  (if Dancing with the Stars doesn’t snatch him up first!)

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Final Verdict: Superb talent, outstanding choreography, and fan favorite all-stars made season fourteen of So You Think You Can Dance one to remember

The So You Think You Can Dance finale reminded us of all the reasons we have adored this season. The memorably (and often timely) dance numbers, the incredibly talented dancers, and the passionate fan base has made this year one for the history books. We will miss all of the dancers – every single one of this season’s top ten deserves to go on to great things, and we wouldn’t be surprised if we saw them all in various projects very soon. We will also miss the fans – Lex Nation, team Taybert, team Koko, and, yes, even the “Daddy Kiki” fan club. This season has been a whole lot of fun, and we’ve just loved gushing over it week after week with this lovely fandom. Just keep dancing, and we’ll see you next season!

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE returns NEXT SUMMER on FOX