Though I would prefer a Zack win tonight, since I find him more interesting to watch, I wouldn't be terribly upset with any of the four winning. I do think the two guys and Jessica are more skilled than Valerie, but I can see her appeal as a favorite.
While I realize Nigel has to have one of those every season, I disagree with the "growth arc" slot for Zach. Of course, they have all improved somewhat, but Zack is the one who first made me say "Whoa! Who is THAT?" from the very first African Jazz they did week one. While I still wasn't sure who he was because of the make-up and costuming of that piece, I began to rewatch group numbers, trying to figure out which one was "that guy" who often stood out for me. For example, in an early hip-hop group number, I felt Marquis and "that guy, whoever he was" were heads above the rest. At first, I thought it was Casey, based on height alone and costuming continued to make it difficult to be sure. But when I checked, I was surprised that it was Zack.
Ricky has freakishly flexible feet and lovely extensions. However, I thought Stanley matched him in extensions and light, airy movement. I was disappointed that Stanley left so soon. Ricky is the type of dancer that I would enjoy as part of a contemporary troupe, where my enjoyment comes strictly from the movement itself. Then we have dancers like Jakob, who to my eye, is equally as skilled as Ricky, but had that something extra in performance that brought out the "whoa, Jakob!!" in me. One example was a 4 second stare into the camera as he moved forward, snapping his fingers during Wade's group piece Comanche. it wasn't a particularly difficult move, but he brought that indefinable something that made it memorable. I can still see it in my mind's eye. The same goes for Danny in Mia's The Moment I Said It. I don't remember any moment's like that from Ricky. He would be 5th or 6th on my list of SYTYCD contemporary guys simply because I haven't connected with him as a fully rounded performer. This is similar to my reaction to Will in season 8. I could have seen the logic of his winning, because he was very good. But I never really looked forward to a single one of his performances during that season. Like all the All Stars after their return, I have a softened view of him now, but more as a full out hottie than a performer.
I don't think there is a true disparity between the abilities of Zack, Ricky, or even Jessica (I didn't rewatch much that she did, so I'm not solid in that opinion of her). Zack has lovely extensions, though Ricky has the edge there. Zack has the edge, imo, on sharper upper-body movement. I noticed Zack's isolation of neck/head movement outpaced Ricky's in their hip-hop. I would put Zack's transitions and fluidity, even when out of his genre, on par with Ricky's. His skill in tap equals Ricky's skill in contemporary. Point by point, they both have strengths and areas for development. The only thing I would dislike about a Zack win would be hearing Nigel chirp endlessly about how "it was okay that the BEST dancer didn't win". He's spent years apologizing for the losses of Allison,Travis, Kathryn, and Twitch, thus subtly disparaging the winning guy or girl for those seasons. If Zack wins, it will be because he's a great dancer along with being a favorite. The same will be true for Ricky, Jessica, and to some extent, Valerie.
No matter who wins tonight, I wish all of them well going forward.
