S07.E25: Finale Wildcard

[Sammich63]

So, since it's a four person finale, will all four guys get a car?  I can't believe Usher is the only other coach to win.  Unbelievable! I'm happy Damien is the 4th one in the finale, as I felt T3N didn't sing as well last night.  Damien has really been consistent with iTunes rankings, but then so has T3N.  I kind of felt T3N seemed to phone it in last night.  I also think Damien was probably the actual 4th one in the rankings.  I just wish they would have had a 4 person finale during Cole Vosbury's season 5.  I think the votes between Cole and Will were very close, but I guess changing rules each season keeps the show fresh and not so predictable. 

[Valny]

You don't know how much I would love it if Craig wins,knocking off all Team Adam!

It could happen!  Plus, I always felt Craig would win this for a while now.

[selkie]

I fast-forwarded through all the coaches comments (which, really? in a one-hour show with 9 singers?); did any of them say anything meaningful, or make any useful suggestions?

I find the judge comments and puff pieces a lot more tolerable when I remind myself that their real purpose is to give the show's crew a chance to get singer, band, and set changed over and the lighting effects switched to the next song without breaking the fourth wall in some ways and showing that process to America.

 

Kind of wish they would show more of that actually, since the show is quite good at repositioning a band, 20 dancers, and the darn staircase in the space of 20 seconds of Adam 'I love it' babbling and a modest commercial break.

[fluffysheap]

Super happy - and completely shocked - that Damien won the wildcard.  Not just because he's talented, but because he may have been the 4th place contestant anyway, which makes the wildcard just as pointless as it could possibly be.  I've kind of been assuming that T3N was/would have been the 4th place in votes, but that's mostly because he has a better image - Damien's the better singer, certainly.  The wildcard blows up on the producers and the guy with the best voice ends up going through.  Couldn't ask for much more than that, except for me not ranking him as "no chance" at the start of the thread :)

Now, whether Damien can actually win, I'm not so sure.  I think it's between Craig and Matt.  But that's why they sing the songs.  I will probably be pulling for Chris, actually.  Damien seems like a good guy, but for maximum wildcard blowuppage, he unfortunately really shouldn't win.

[Primetimer]

It's Wildcard Night, and Carson can barely contain his excitement.

Read the story

[rollerblade]

No freaking way! I barely opened my eyes, turned on my phone to check results... and did a victory cheer in bed (ala Meg Ryan 90's movies style). Good thing I'm long gone from the dorms, or the roommate may have to call campus security. So surprise that the votes ended up Damien's way, it's not often the older guy won a popularity vote against a youngster. Is there a video clip of the announcement? I want to see the other 3's reaction.

 

This Wildcard thing is such a bad idea. If they are to bring back the WC, I hope they do it right after the live playoffs... where the 8 (two from each team) bootees get to sing for one spot, to form a Top 13. After that it's back to eliminating 2 a week until we get a Top 3.

[mercfan3]

Ugh. He's so boring though. And Adam's going to be unbearable..likely for the next three seasons. 

[car54]

You don't know how much I would love it if Craig wins,knocking off all Team Adam!

It could happen!  Plus, I always felt Craig would win this for a while now.

I saw Blake and Adam on some show yesterday and Blake was already setting it up for a Craig win.....he was saying "If Adam doesn't win with THREE guys at Final 5, it will be the most EPIC failure ever!"    The rivalry goes on!

[FineWashables]

Thank you, ennui, for supplying Wentworth Miller's name. You're absolutely right and I've been reaching for that all season.

Surprised that Damien made it through, but not displeased. He's a teriffic singer. His problem is that he oversings his songs and overacts as he sings them. Yes, the singer needs to connect with the song, but this is just wannabe Broadway, which I don't think of when I think of The Voice. Danica has the same problem.

Edited December 10, 2014 by FineWashables

[Padma]

I think it's Adam's strategy to gently praise the other team singers while also reminding them of what they did in the past to get voted off.

 

Damien won the wildcard! Yay America!

Excellent! With that nice result, I think the wild card idea is okay. It was actually nice to have an hour with nine performances rather than the usual three! (ITA this would have been nice during Cole's season). I'm happy for Damien. Hopefully he'll make another good song choice next week. (And I agree about the over-singing/over emoting. But that's very fix-able, if his coach were so inclined.)

 

Blake cracks me up, positioning Craig to collect all the anti-Adam, pro-anyone-on-Team-Gwen-or-Pharrell votes! "Even if you don't like country music, he's the underdog! Vote your heart, America!" lol

Edited December 10, 2014 by Padma

[sydneyjane]

It's so hard for me to get excited about these four guys. But, sadly, the women just weren't that great this year.  Disappointing, since, every since I started watching the show, there's always been at least a few standouts among the women. I missed that this year. Never thought I'd be wishing for a Grimmie-like contestant, but here I am! 

 

Hoping that Craig wins it, though....just to see Adam lose. Plus, of the four finalists, I think Craig is the only one that might have somewhat of a career after the show.

 

And, looks like Pharrell has not lost his Sugar-love. Although, it must have been hard for his other two contestants to hear him rave about her the way he did, and then not be as enthusiastic when it came to "selling" them.

[jjjmoss]

Craig would have the best story for a win given how he was thrown away by Blake only to get picked back up by him from the heap.

 

I think the people saying the producers would be displeased that another semifinalist made the finals are ridiculous. They don't give a shit about the "process." They just wanted to find a way to make more money, and be able to hype up another Twist. And if someone bitches about his/her (5th-12th place) fave contestant losing, they can say "Well too bad you failed to save your fave TWICE. Your problem."

Edited December 10, 2014 by jjjmoss

[MelsW]

I think the people saying the producers would be displeased that another semifinalist made the finals are ridiculous. They don't give a shit about the "process." They just wanted to find a way to make more money, and be able to hype up another Twist. And if someone bitches about his/her (5th-12th place) fave contestant losing, they can say "Well too bad you failed to save your fave TWICE. Your problem."

 

I don't think the producers care about the process, however it doesn't bode well for the latest and greatest twist when it all plays out the way it would have without the twist. The 4th place guy moves on, just as he would have without the "wildcard". That's a whole lot of hype for a big fat yawn result. I am assuming a shakeup would have made for better TV, like if Regan or Jessie went through. Adding a twist like the steal was a game changer. The wild card essentially did nothing.

Edited December 10, 2014 by MelsW

[NewRadical]

I am shocked Damien won. Good for him!

I am however not looking forward to THREE Adam Levine Duets. 

I am hoping Craig wins, because it will be hilarious. 

[rollerblade]

Damn, they must be up super early to film the reveal clip live for the EST audience.

[ChicksDigScars]

I think it's Adam's strategy to gently praise the other team singers while also reminding them of what they did in the past to get voted off.

 

And never give standing O's to any other judge's contestants, yet stands on his chair and motion for the audience to "get on your feet" for his own. He's so transparent. How many times has CWB sang, and the cameras panned to three judge's ALL standing for him, and Adam giving a golf clap on the end, looking bored. It's all about Adam and having his team make it through is more of a validation of HIMSELF rather than the singers. 

 

I am hoping Craig wins, because it will be hilarious.

 

Please make it happen. I want to see Levine's head explode on national television. Three vs. One, and the One wins. 

Edited December 10, 2014 by ChicksDigScars

[Noreaster]

I think the people saying the producers would be displeased that another semifinalist made the finals are ridiculous. They don't give a shit about the "process." They just wanted to find a way to make more money, and be able to hype up another Twist. And if someone bitches about his/her (5th-12th place) fave contestant losing, they can say "Well too bad you failed to save your fave TWICE. Your problem."

I think the producers mostly care about ratings, and having only Adam and Blake in the final is far from ideal. One main reason for the twist was probably to get another coach into the final. I'm speculating, but the producers might have thought early on there was a high risk of an all-Adam final, or an Adam&Blake-only final, or an Adam&Gwen-only final, or an all-male final, etc.  Or the producers might have been aiming for best case of all 4 coaches getting into the finals.  

 

I think the wildcard ended up being a fail for the producers. Seeing such dominance by one coach (and also by two veterans) in the finals is not as fun to watch. And I say this as a fan of Adam as coach.  I would much rather see Gwen or Pharrell there just because they're new and I like seeing strategies develop.  Would have also liked to see them duet with their contestants. Adam and Blake are same old, same old.

 

I'm really not a conspiracist when it comes to this show, but I'm going to speculate a bit. I think, as the season progressed, the producers were hoping Taylor would make it to the end. He is young, performs a genre/style that is somewhat unique compared to rest of the cast, and was given advantageous performance slots almost every week. The producers probably also hoped that Pharrell would have someone standing at the end. Arguably the biggest name on the panel and someone who was returning next season. A successful coaching job by Pharrell is pretty important. 

 

I think Damien is probably the worst-case wildcard scenario for the producers. He's a bit older, sings a genre that doesn't typically fare well on this show, and was given earlier performance slots.  And he's another member of Team Adam.

 

It's pretty hilarious how things played out.  I'm still cracking up.  

Edited December 10, 2014 by Noreaster

[jaimesommers]

I like the idea of a wild card but I'm not totally sold on how it was executed. But it was nice to have a results show with music instead of all the filler!

[basiltherat]

The producers are going to have to do a better job of "fixing" the finals if they wanted to include Pharrell and/or Gwen! (joking/maybe not)  Americer, she is hard to control.

[Padma]

From the point of view of someone in the audience, I thought the wildcard was a success. We got to hear 9 songs in an hour instead of 3 (yes, it -can-be done! Even 6 would allow some "backstory time".)  I enjoyed seeing people come back (would have enjoyed it more on every previous season, but .. no matter.)  Even though it's unlikely someone would come from behind to make F4 (and may not even be fair unless they just got booted for a bad night), it gives a nice one-last-time showcase--and chance--for someone who was eliminated. And they get to make the last stand with a song of their own choosing.

 

The producers are probably disappointed that Pharrell and Gwen don't have anyone in F4 and that Adam is so over-represented. But, since I don't care much about the "game/competition" aspect of this, for more performances, I thought it was a great idea.  (And 3 Adam duets? I hadn't thought of that, lol. Be careful what you wish for!) 

 

Blake and Craig should be good. C'mon guys--do Brooks and Dunn, Waylon & Willie--no ballads, something fun.

Edited December 10, 2014 by Padma

[ChicksDigScars]

think the wildcard ended up being a major fail for the producers. Seeing such dominance by one coach (and also by two veterans) in the finals is not as fun to watch.

 

Which is why Blake seemed to almost back off in talking up Jake Worthington last season. He was 17, had plenty of time, was basically an unexpected (underdog) surprise finalist, and Blake seemed to know that having Usher win (because Shakira had already been eliminated by then) was best for the show. He talked up Jake, but didn't beg and plead like Adam did. Adam still WANTED to win. I think Blake was actually hoping that Usher would.  It was best for the show. 

 

And unfortunately, that is not possible this season, now. Not that Pharrell or Gwen had anyone left that I was interested in. They started off with such strong teams, to the point that Adam was looking a bit grumpy during the blinds and knockouts, but all their team members seemed to lose momentum as the process went on. 

Edited December 10, 2014 by ChicksDigScars

[Noreaster]

Ehh, that's arguing that the coach should throw his contestant under the bus. I personally don't like that. It's not the coach's job to get the results the producers want. I think Adam tried hard with all 3 of his contestants, and rightfully so.  

 

I am surprised that the producers weren't more deliberate with their influences though. Like slotting Damien/Matt/Chris in the 1st or 2nd slots every week.  But maybe they just couldn't get away with that because the rest of the cast sucked too much. Still have to put out an entertaining show every week. 

[Nedsdag]

It's sorry that TPTB (I'm looking at YOU, Mark Burnett) did not think the WC thing through. If this was the case, have Damien and Keanu Lincecum sing it out for the Twitter audience as has been done previously.

 

Had they thought it through, what they should have done was to put the coaches on the spot and FORCE them to pick ONE singer from their teams that were Tweeted off and have them sing. For example, Pharrell should have to choose between DaNica, Luke, and Sugar/Sophia, Gwen to choose Anita, T3N, and Prince Ryan, Blake to choose Reagan, Jessie, and whatshisname, and Adam to choose Damien and whoever to sing in the wild card, not all of them. Enough of this blowing smoke up these singer's behinds. Make it cutthroat and make it worthwhile television.

[Diana Berry]

I don't really think Craig is a longshot. I've felt he could win it for a while. But it would be close with him and Matt.

[crocosmia]

I'm pleased that Damien was the one chosen to return.   His style and song choices have been a bit dated and uncool in comparison to the other three finalists, but he really does have the most beautiful voice.  

 

I'm looking forward to the finale next week.  The four guys are a diverse group in looks, musicality, and performance styles.   They're all four talented and charming in their own ways, so no matter which one of them wins, I won't be disappointed. 

[Universalhunter]

Craig isn't a longshot at all. He and Matt will come in first and second place, the order is just a toss up. I think it's a toss up for who will come in 3rd and 4th as well. Damien and Chris each had to be saved recently, and I think this finale order will actually come down to the performances.

[MaryPatShelby]

Enough of this blowing smoke up these singer's behinds.

This cannot be repeated often enough; but I'll limit myself to only twice.  Enough of this blowing smoke up these singer's behinds. Enough of this blowing smoke up these singer's behinds.

[Noreaster]

These were the itunes results as of vote closing:

(http://headlineplanet.com/home/2014/12/10/voices-taylor-john-williams-takes-lead-itunes-following-wildcard-round/)

 

24) Taylor John Williams’ “Wicked Game”
40) Damien’s “Grenade”
60) DaNica Shirey’s “Without You”
70) Luke Wade’s “Have a Little Faith in Me”
119) Anita Antoinette’s “Waiting on the World to Change”
125) Ryan Sill’s “Marry Me”
136) Sugar Joans’ “Back to Black”
156) Reagan James’ “Put Your Records On”
201 – approx) Jessie Pitts’ “Zombie”

 

I just realized that there were no shock eliminations this season. The contestants who went home all did poorly that week.  It also didn't seem like any frontrunner faltered. Maybe Luke a little bit? But he seemed hampered by Pharrell's song choices and arrangements. Actually Taylor was pretty good all season but he came undone at the wrong time. 

 

My goodness, what a boring season.  I personally don't even care that much about any of the finalists. 

[ToxicUnicorn]

So happy Chris made it to the finals.  He's grown the most, in my book, and he's developing an interesting, consistent style.  Plus, he's getting sexier by the week.  I would love for him to pull off a true underdog win.  At the end of the day, I always root for the contestant, not the coach.

 

The rest, not necessarily in order:  I liked Luke's performance a lot.  He has musical ideas, and sometimes they really work.  Last night was one of those times.  I could maybe listen to his future work.

 

Damien and Danica have stunning voices.  I love that old style "uh, uh" soul singing thing he does, which is miles different from the (in my opinion, unwelcome and bossy "put your hands together" thing that everyone does now).  My problem with Damien is that he doesn't seem to do variety well.  And my problem with Danica is that she shows off.  What she does to the song doesn't sit right with me, somehow.

 

Anita, on the other hand, I thoroughly enjoyed.  I liked the way she changed that song from something incredibly bland to such a lively, original tune.

 

Ryan gave his best performance. To me, he finally delivered a beautiful and un-smarmy performance   I also really liked Sugar's song.  The world must be spinning off its axis.

 

If I haven't mentioned them so far, it means either I don't remember or don't care to remember.

 

Last, but not least, I liked Pharrell's hat for the first time.  He did not look like he got dressed in the dark for once.

Edited December 11, 2014 by ToxicUnicorn

[pivot]

Instead of the wild card, they should just go back to the format that guaranteed each coach got 1 contestant in the finale. It was so more interesting that way IMO as it kept all the coaches interested through the whole season. I think they could tweak it so it was 100% determined by audience votes and instead of having a coach lose 1 contestant a week, they could have it a free-for-all until there is only 1 contestant left for a coach. Then, that contestant would be "locked in" for the finale and the person eliminated would have to be from one of the other teams. I think that is the only way to break the Adam/Blake juggernaut at this point.

[rollerblade]

they could have it a free-for-all until there is only 1 contestant left for a coach. Then, that contestant would be "locked in" for the finale and the person eliminated would have to be from one of the other teams. I think that is the only way to break the Adam/Blake juggernaut at this point.

 

Then there would be no point in competing when Blake was down to just Craig, which was 3rd week of Lives? It's terribly unfair for a contestant to cruise to the finals by being the survivor of the weakest team, regardless of his/her performance.

 

I much rather them eliminate 4 each week (1 per team), but that won't happen because there's no room for Twitter Saves. Blerg.

 

The only way to break the juggernaut is to get Usher back. :p

[Padma]

Craig isn't a longshot at all. He and Matt will come in first and second place, the order is just a toss up. I think it's a toss up for who will come in 3rd and 4th as well. Damien and Chris each had to be saved recently, and I think this finale order will actually come down to the performances.

I don't think Craig's a longshot. I think Blake will -position him- as a longshot/underdog, the only country guy, a man who's come so far, struggled so long (esp. compared with young 'uns like Chris and Matt) and now is facing the Team Adam juggernaut.

 

I agree Blake dialed it down for Jake so Usher could have a chance to win. I'm not against that idea, but here there's no reason to have Adam tie it up at 3:3. He'll never stop talking about it if he does. If Blake gets the 4th, he'll still be talking about how "it's not about the coaches, it's about the singers." I can live with that.

[fluffysheap]

I just realized that there were no shock eliminations this season. The contestants who went home all did poorly that week.  It also didn't seem like any frontrunner faltered.

The twitter save makes a shock elimination all but impossible. There would need to be basically a whole shock bottom three. This is a big part of why the wildcard is absolutely, totally unnecessary. I'm not sure this season had a frontrunner fall apart like say Matthew in S5, but I think the falling apart story this season is Pharrell having the strongest team at the live playoffs and then getting wiped out with two weeks to go.

Instead of the wild card, they should just go back to the format that guaranteed each coach got 1 contestant in the finale.

This would mean two or three contestants getting bussed every week. No thanks. Best case, this season that would mean Anita/Ryan and Luke/Danica instead of Chris and Damien. I don't think that's an improvement. In S5, it would have meant Caroline or maybe even Kat instead of Will or Tessanne, which would have really not been an improvement. It's about the contestants, not the coaches, and who cares if they're bored? They get paid just the same and it's not as if a bored coach can't deliver the same mind-numbing pap comments.

It also would mean four finalists, which is way too many finalists. The simplistic "first past the post" style of voting used by reality shows (and American politics) works poorly when you need to pick one winner out of a large group of candidates, which is why we have a two-party system in the US. The more candidates, the less meaningful the first-place result. This is OK up until the finale, because you can look at the entire series of rounds as an elimination runoff system; the fact that The Voice likes to eliminate huge chunks of candidates such as in the top 8 round is one of the problems with the show's format as it distorts the effectiveness of the elimination-runoff system. Anyway, with four candidates and the voting system used, you may as well just pick one at random. Narrowing to two candidates on the other hand means you can get crap finale situations like AI season 10, or more generally, having a problem where you don't have enough musical styles represented in the finale. So three is the right number. It's another reason the wildcard sucks.

[MaryPatShelby]

It also would mean four finalists, which is way too many finalists.

 

But, isn't that what we have this year?

[Noreaster]

So happy Chris made it to the finals.  He's grown the most, in my book, and he's developing an interesting, consistent style.  Plus, he's getting sexier by the week.  I would love for him to pull off a true underdog win.  At the end of the day, I always root for the contestant, not the coach.

Yes, I agree.  I haven't cared about Chris much all season and would have preferred Adam pick Taylor Phelan over Chris in the live playoffs. But talk about peaking at the right time. It seemed like Chris just got more comfortable week after week.  His improving stage presence combined with decent vocals (in songs that helped to highlight his strengths) led him to the finals. This is a bet that paid off for Adam (and the producers who gave Chris favorable performance slots).  

 

The twitter save makes a shock elimination all but impossible. There would need to be basically a whole shock bottom three. This is a big part of why the wildcard is absolutely, totally unnecessary. I'm not sure this season had a frontrunner fall apart like say Matthew in S5, but I think the falling apart story this season is Pharrell having the strongest team at the live playoffs and then getting wiped out with two weeks to go.

I guess I meant there wasn't even a shock bottom 3.  It surprised me when Matthew in season 5 landed in the bottom 3 because I thought he built up enough goodwill to get past one bad performance. In season 6, Bria Kelly was sort of a surprise in that she was very clearly touted as a frontrunner early on.  In season 4, obviously there was Judith Hill (though conspiracy alert: producers slotted her very early in her last couple of weeks).

 

It also would mean four finalists, which is way too many finalists. 

I think a 4-person finale format is okay. It worked out fine in season 2 (I didn't watch season 1), and I enjoyed seeing all four coaches still involved.  But that season's format in general was problematic because it allowed too much coach control and some really good contestants left "too soon".  In season 3, I'm pretty sure the producers were going to go with a 2-person finale (Carson mentioned it on the show early on), but then changed it to 3 when it looked like it would only be Blake at the end (Cassadee and Terry).

 

For this season, I don't know how to think about it.  Is a 4-person finale of Matt/Craig/Chris/Damien any worse than a 3-person finale of Matt/Craig/Chris? Substitute Damien with a Team Gwen or Team Pharrell contestant, and I would say no problem. Having another coach involved is more entertaining. Even if it was another Team Blake member instead of Damien, it might not be too bad. Actually, I take that back. It's pretty bad as it just highlights how the veterans are outplaying the newbies. But with Damien, it's just horrible. It's almost all Team Adam, and the idea of one coach dominating is not appealing at all.

 

Also, I said this before, it does put all of Team Adam's contestants at a disadvantage because we have this "underdog" mentality that will be applied to Craig/Team Blake. I'm not going to argue it's "unfair" or anything because this is a game and that's just how it played out.  But if Adam was being purely strategic, he would have made sure his 3rd team member did not make the finale.  Guess what everyone...Adam might actually care about his contestants more than himself.  And he might care about the contestants more than the show.  I think praising Blake for not pushing Jake as much last season is kind of funny. (Same goes for the excuses made for Blake only getting Cole to the semifinals in season 5.)  Sure, Blake, you're great for throwing your contestants under the bus.  

Edited December 11, 2014 by Noreaster

[Padma]

Another bad thing about Adam having all three make the finals is that it will add to his strength/credibility in getting 3 and 4 chair turns. I'll guess that many future contestants will think of how Team Adam dominated in the finals and forget some of the great 4 chair turns who might have gotten farther beginning on other teams (less of a problem now than in the beginning because of the added steals, but still a big problem for such a talent-heavy team from the beginning.)

 

I think even though she isn't in the final 4, Gwen has shown ample reasons to be selected as a 4 chair turn's coach. She seemed to do pretty well with song selection, gave lots of thought to presentation (whether I agreed with her styling choices or not--mostly not--but appreciate the thought she gave it) and stayed positive for all her team even when she had a little crush (imo) on one of them and he knew how to keep using it (as in singing to her and giving her that smile. It worked every time!)

 

Pharrell's failure as a coach was a huge disappointment. He may yet salvage something by getting a hit record out of Luke or Sugar, but other than that, he didn't give singers ANY reason to choose him at all.  I thought he'd be much more competitive with Adam, but after this season, I expect Adam's team to be even more weighted with 4 chair turns than ever.

[abelard]

It's striking that whoever wins The Voice this season, Pharrell clearly lost The Voice.  Pharrell came in riding high from one of the best career peaks that any contemporary performer has ever had, at the height of his fame, performed admirably in the blinds (one could even say Pharrell dominated - over Adam, even) -- and over the lives, Pharrell demonstrated he really does not know what he is doing on this show.  The domination of the vets tell me this show is a game that must be strategically played, and Pharrell's strategies all came to naught (or, he didn't really have any interesting ideas about how he was going to position his contestants in the first place).  IA with the person above who said that Gwen did much better than Pharrell, her strategies did work often, I actually blame T3N for falling at the last hurdle.

 

Super, super glad the WC went to Damien and I just love that it was a huge F U to the producers of the show, who I'm sure would have rather had a Team Gwen or Pharrell female in the mix.  Oddly enough, the fact that the 4th spot went to the guy who would've got it anyway reassures me that the producers don't "fix" absolutely every outcome of every voting night.

 

I am positive that the producers did tell Blake last season that he simply could not win again (and I'm super glad that Usher, not Adam, took it), so I am wondering what they're thinking this year in terms of Blake vs. Adam.  I personally would much prefer Blake and CWB to win because I like Blake more than Adam and CWB more than the other three, but maybe they want Adam and Blake to tie at 3-3? 

[ChicksDigScars]

And my point was NOT that Blake threw anyone under the bus. He gave Jake songs that played perfectly to his strengths and Jake got further than anyone expected him to. There is a way to dial it down without insulting your singer by giving him crap to sing. I think we've ALL noticed when that has happened. Jake seemed to appreciate his spot in the finale, and knew he was basically playing with house money. Blake just seemed to put himself on cruise control for the FInal. "We made it. Let's just give them a great show."  If Jake won, well, that would have been great (for them) and they would have celebrated the fact. BUT, do I think that Blake realized that it was better for the show if Usher won and not Blake or Adam? Yes. 

 

 

 

It's striking that whoever wins The Voice this season, Pharrell clearly lost The Voice.  Pharrell came in riding high from one of the best career peaks that any contemporary performer has ever had, at the height of his fame, performed admirably in the blinds (one could even say Pharrell dominated - over Adam, even)

 

Disappointing. Pharrell seemed to have the BEST and STRONGEST team coming out of the blinds, to the point where Adam was totally flustered. Do the coaches pick the artists assisting them? Didn't he have Diana Ross for the knockouts? Yeah, she would have been great to have....25 years ago. 

Edited December 11, 2014 by ChicksDigScars

[Padma]

And my point was NOT that Blake threw anyone under the bus. He gave Jake songs that played perfectly to his strengths and Jake got further than anyone expected him to. There is a way to dial it down without insulting your singer by giving him crap to sing. I think we've ALL noticed when that has happened. Jake seemed to appreciate his spot in the finale, and knew he was basically playing with house money. Blake just seemed to put himself on cruise control for the FInal. "We made it. Let's just give them a great show."  If Jake won, well, that would have been great (for them) and they would have celebrated the fact. BUT, do I think that Blake realized that it was better for the show if Usher won and not Blake or Adam? Yes. 

 

 

 

 

Disappointing. Pharrell seemed to have the BEST and STRONGEST team coming out of the blinds, to the point where Adam was totally flustered. Do the coaches pick the artists assisting them? Didn't he have Diana Ross for the knockouts? Yeah, she would have been great to have....25 years ago. 

I agree and I think he also may have felt Jake had done so well but at 17, without the maturity and probably smarts, of a Danielle Bradbury, he may have also felt that winning might not be the best thing for Jake, either. Plus, he keeps in touch and helps contestants. It wouldn't surprise me if he gives Jake's career a boost post-graduation.

 

Usher was so competitive (in a good way) really studied the show (obviously studied what Blake was doing, even repeatedly mentioned it) and thought about how to stand out as a coach with his own techniques.  I know Pharrell was texting him song choice ideas and I hoped that Usher could have influenced how Pharrell was as a coach, helped him prepare something other than an "I'm a bland, but very loving guy" shtick. I even think he was worse than CeeLo. He wasn't as checked out, but at least CeeLo had extensive knowledge of music and occasionally unleashed his creativity with his team performances. Pharrell brought a great big "zero" to the mix, sadly.

[NewRadical]

I wonder if to fix the imbalance, if Adam will be directed to not turn around for every four chair turn worthy performance. I always thought then when Blake was the only one (I think) who did not turn around for Kristen, and then urged her to chose Shakira, that he was trying to help Shakira out. Additionally, I felt like when an artist came on singing in Spanish, all coaches would turn around knowing that the person would likely pick Shakira- hence giving her a couple 4 chair turns.

I am not sure if that is what is actually happening, but I just could never understand why Blake would not have turned for Kristen then just tell her she is fantastic but that Shakira would know what to do with her voice. I like Shakira but Blake clearly knows how to help country artists.

I think that is maybe where the producers need to intervene, encourage more balance on the terms going into the battles. That being said Pharrell had the talent he just really messed up. Luke and Taylor Phelan had a lot of hype before lives- putting them against each other at the knock out stage was just ill thought out and wasteful. I think Taylor may have had the most popular audition song on iTunes ... well maybe Matt has passed him now, but going into the lives, I think he had it. So to get rid of a serious contender when the other options on his his team were not as strong did not make sense

[realdancemom]

I don't think Pharrell was into the game.  Even when Sugar and Luke were in the bottom, he basically said that he was going to help them anyway.  It's kind of hard to  have the urge to vote for them if you think that they will be o.k. since Pharrell was going to help them with their albums.  I don't recall he ever said that to DaNica.  Previously, I have mentioned that Luke and Taylor should not have been paired for the knockouts.  But it seemed like Pharrell was more interested in R & B/soul singers.  Taylor's style of music does fit Adam more than Pharrell.  So maybe, he thought that Taylor would get stolen anyway and it would be best if he was on another team.

 

It seems like TPTB wanted either a Team Gwen or Pharrell as the final 4th spot.  Their members were the last ones to go.  Even Blake tried to help.  After Luke went, he said something like, "As much as I like Reagan and Jessie, team Pharrell is really bringing it." 

 

Why does everyone assume Damian was the 4th place finisher on Monday?  It could have been Taylor.  Wasn't Taylor's ITunes rankings higher? 

[Kcat1971]

Yes, I agree.  I haven't cared about Chris much all season and would have preferred Adam pick Taylor Phelan over Chris in the live playoffs. But talk about peaking at the right time. It seemed like Chris just got more comfortable week after week.  His improving stage presence combined with decent vocals (in songs that helped to highlight his strengths) led him to the finals. This is a bet that paid off for Adam (and the producers who gave Chris favorable performance slots).  

 

 

ITA!  I was rooting for Taylor Phelan over Chris as well.  I thought Adam made a terrible choice.  But Chris has won me over.  He is most likely to get my votes for the finals.  Unless he falls apart and Matt has an amazing performance.  I don't care for the style of Damien or Craig. So its unlikely that they will get my votes.

[Noreaster]

So, with Jake, Blake did a good job toeing the company line. I prefer a coach though that would bat for me until the end.  Not dial anything back because that's better for the producers.  

 

In this wildcard episode, I can just imagine the producers getting annoyed at Adam.  Picture this: after the 3 finalists are named, the producers talk to Adam through his earpiece.  "Hey Adam, it's fantastic, you got 2 guys in the finale. Now we really need you to help us out. Please dial back your comments on Damien. We really don't want him in the final. And remember it's not good for you either with the possible vote-splitting. You know Damien won't win anyway. And actually it would be really great if you could get behind one of Pharrell's contestants. DaNica especially. We need a female.  So please, Adam, for the show."  

 

Then after Damien sings and Adam pretty much makes the perfect pitch ("Damien deserves it!  He's the fourth finalist!  Everyone, vote for him!"), the producers lose their shit. "Goddammit, Adam! What the hell is wrong with you?  We don't care that Damien deserves it.  We don't care about the contestants.  We just need good ratings next week.  Screw you, Adam!".

[NewRadical]

 But it seemed like Pharrell was more interested in R & B/soul singers.  Taylor's style of music does fit Adam more than Pharrell.  So maybe, he thought that Taylor would get stolen anyway and it would be best if he was on another team.

I agree with you in that he seemed to favour the soul singers. Though I do think he should have avoided taking them in the first place. I am definitely biased cause Taylor P was my fav. But Adam seems to favour his original picks. So if Pharrell had no intention of taking them to the finals, then that is a dick move.

I think I would have liked a TJW Gwen duet. It's too bad neither of the new coaches will get a chance to do that. 

[Padma]

So, with Jake, Blake did a good job toeing the company line. I prefer a coach though that would bat for me until the end.  Not dial anything back because that's better for the producers.  

 

In this wildcard episode, I can just imagine the producers getting annoyed at Adam.  Picture this: after the 3 finalists are named, the producers talk to Adam through his earpiece.  "Hey Adam, it's fantastic, you got 2 guys in the finale. Now we really need you to help us out. Please dial back your comments on Damien. We really don't want him in the final. And remember it's not good for you either with the possible vote-splitting. You know Damien won't win anyway. And actually it would be really great if you could get behind one of Pharrell's contestants. DaNica especially. We need a female.  So please, Adam, for the show."  

 

Then after Damien sings and Adam pretty much makes the perfect pitch ("Damien deserves it!  He's the fourth finalist!  Everyone, vote for him!"), the producers lose their shit. "Goddammit, Adam! What the hell is wrong with you?  We don't care that Damien deserves it.  We don't care about the contestants.  We just need good ratings next week.  Screw you, Adam!".

"Adam Levine, the Hero of the Little Guy!" lol. I'm not as anti-Adam as I probably sound (I actually like him most of the time), but I don't get the point of the above. I -do- agree that it was good Adam still advocated for Damien even though he might split votes away from Chris and/or Matt and give more room for CWB and country music. But you "gotta dance with the one that brought you" on a show like this. If he seemed lukewarm toward Damien (something he's been criticized for being toward his less favored team members in previous seasons) he would have gotten a lot of criticism--AND probably a lot of sympathy votes for Damien.

[ToxicUnicorn]

Now that you mention it, it'd be kind of fun to have the power to talk into the coaches' earpieces like that during the live shows.  Can you imagine the stuff you could say to Christina?  Ha.

 

I think even though she isn't in the final 4, Gwen has shown ample reasons to be selected as a 4 chair turn's coach. She seemed to do pretty well with song selection, gave lots of thought to presentation (whether I agreed with her styling choices or not--mostly not--but appreciate the thought she gave it) and stayed positive for all her team even when she had a little crush (imo) on one of them and he knew how to keep using it (as in singing to her and giving her that smile. It worked every time!)

Off the cuff, I think Gwen has been the best coach in terms of seeing improvement in her contestants.  (I refuse to call everyone an "artist" until I think they deserve it.)  Just imagine what she would be able to do if she weren't handicapped (or if she wouldn't keep shooting herself in the foot) during the blinds.

 

I'd love to see a Gwen, Christina, and Alicia Keys panel.  Plus Usher.  He could handle being the lone male.
 

Pharrell's failure as a coach was a huge disappointment. He may yet salvage something by getting a hit record out of Luke or Sugar, but other than that, he didn't give singers ANY reason to choose him at all.  I thought he'd be much more competitive with Adam, but after this season, I expect Adam's team to be even more weighted with 4 chair turns than ever.

 

I don't think Pharrell has been all that bad.  I am starting to hear what he must have heard in a few people who I dismissed early on.  I value him for championing his musical tastes, too.  I just think he has been terrible at song choices.

 

Adam's song choices have been pretty good this season, I think.  Also, I think he has seemed more even-handed with his contestants.  Even though I think he prefers Matt, he also seems to praise Chris (without dialing his comments back strategically), and he even has been very generous with Damien.  At least for me, he hasn't been objectionable this season as he has in seasons past.

[Noreaster]

"Adam Levine, the Hero of the Little Guy!" lol. I'm not as anti-Adam as I probably sound (I actually like him most of the time), but I don't get the point of the above. I -do- agree that it was good Adam still advocated for Damien even though he might split votes away from Chris and/or Matt and give more room for CWB and country music. But you "gotta dance with the one that brought you" on a show like this. If he seemed lukewarm toward Damien (something he's been criticized for being toward his less favored team members in previous seasons) he would have gotten a lot of criticism--AND probably a lot of sympathy votes for Damien.

I wrote it up just for fun because I'm still laughing over the wildcard and 4-person finale outcome.  I don't even think my scenario is far off from how the producers were thinking. And how they might have talked to Adam either during the show or in meetings/conference calls leading up to the show. Everyone must have known that an Adam-dominated finale was a very real possibility.  Don't we all agree that it's likely not what the producers wanted?

 

You can fill in the blank on Adam's motivations. I'm guessing not "hero of the little guy". All I'm saying is Adam probably didn't do what the producers preferred. Maybe Blake would have, who knows.

 

I agree that Adam likely would have gotten criticisms if he was lukewarm toward Damien. My question is would Blake?  He's being viewed very generously with the Jake situation.  

[mercfan3]

Also..I feel like there's a little bit of giving Blake too much credit. I almost believe that the producers quietly said that to him in season 5. Almost. (Although I have a different opinion.)

 

But Jake went far further than he should have and Blake clearly bonded with him. He doesn't do anything differently with any of his contestants. They all get safe mid tempo country songs (at least the country singers..sometimes not country singers.). That gets votes and it sells on itunes. It's kind of boring for me, but it works in general. Jake beat the juggarnaught that was Christina Grimmie (Two weeks in a row)..while not being nearly as good. I think the idea that Blake phoned it in there is silly. 

 

Personally, I think one of the most brilliant things that Adam has done on the show was to label Blake as the country coach. So, although if Blake gets a great country singer, he's nearly unstoppable..he actually struggles to get any other type of great singer. 

 

I also don't buy that they tell the coaches they can't win. These coaches all have egos..and part of what keeps them engaged is the competitiveness of the game. (And don't be fooled by Blake, he's clearly competitive too. And he's better at the manipulation aspect than everyone else.)

Edited December 12, 2014 by mercfan3

[ToxicUnicorn]

(And don't be fooled by Blake, he's clearly competitive too. And he's better at the manipulation aspect than everyone else.)

Agreed.  Having watched Blake every season, I get the feeling he's smart like Dolly Parton is smart: very much so, including the good sense to hide some of it as part of his image.  He gets even more credit for smarts from me, for that!

 

As for Jake, a lot of his success (aside from his lovely, but underdeveloped vocal skills, in my opinion) was because he had a naive, sincere charm and boy next door relatability.  Blake knew that and played that card.  Whereas I get the feeling Adam, no matter what he is saying about how wonderful a person Tessanne or Matt or whoever is, really tends to favor and respect the people who have the voice (and his pitches to the public mainly rest on this).  As everyone on his team can't be dead even on sheer talent, he seems to treat people differently.

 

I don't think Adam is as strategic as he's frequently given credit for on the internet.  He strikes me as a much more transparent player than practically anyone, to be honest.

[mercfan3]

I completely agree. 

 

He can be a bit too honest. I know some were upset about him essentially declaring Matt the winner with two other finalists still around. But really, he knows the show wants Damien gone, Chris had been in the bottom 3 weeks ago, and Matt has dominated on itunes more than anyone since Cassadee Pope. I wonder who the favorite to win on Adam is. 

 

It's the same thing as Tessanne/Will in season 5. Sure, Will was still in the competition..but everyone and their brother knew that it was really between Tessanne and Jacquie, and Will was just there.

 

People's problem with him, IMO, is that he can be too honest. No, Blake or Usher would never say that. But they are both thinking it. 

Edited December 12, 2014 by mercfan3