S12.E17: Finale Part 2: Winner Chosen

[Tara Ariano]

Season 12 concludes with the selection of America's Favorite Dancer.

[crowceilidh]

Twitch had better be performing a duet too:

 

Access Hollywood ‏@accesshollywood  10h10 hours ago
Big #SYTYCD news: @jennaldewan and @traviswall will perform a duet on the season finale! http://ahwd.tv/3aJrxS

[DollEyes]

 

Twitch had better be performing a duet too

 

  So should Jim and Alex Wong.

[crowceilidh]

Robert has a picture of Gaby pestering him up on twitter.

 

 

 

Nigel Lythgoe OBE ‏@dizzyfeet  2h2 hours ago
Are you talking about #LittlePhoenix ???
You will be after you've seen her dancing with #Cyrus tonight on the #SYTYCDfinale. @DANCEonFOX

 

 

Nigel Lythgoe OBE ‏@dizzyfeet  2h2 hours ago
I think it's an amazing #SYTYCDfinale tonight. #JennaDewanTatum dancing with @traviswall. Jim and Alex, Academy of Villains, @HermanCornejo

 

 

Jasmine Harper ‏@Dance10JasmineH  5h5 hours ago
finale!

 

 

Jasmine Harper ‏@Dance10JasmineH  17h17 hours ago
Thanks everyone!!! can’t wait for you to see what tomorrow’s #sytycd has in store! #WhatMovesYou :-)

 

[realdancemom]

Thanks for the updates/spoilers.  I'm excited for the finale!!  I'm watching this and recording DWTS.  Even though it's unlikely, I hope there is a Season 13.  Maybe, the producers will let it happen since Ryan's show was cancelled and Travis won an Emmy for the show this year.  Cat still needs her Emmy!!  

[Koffee Kup]

  So should Jim and Alex Wong.

They will be.

alexdwong Be sure to tune into the #SYTYCD finale tonight! I will be dancing 3 pieces including a new duet with Jim!

Edited September 14, 2015 by Koffee Kup

[poppy-]

Twitch had better be performing a duet too:

 

Access Hollywood ‏@accesshollywood  10h10 hours ago

Big #SYTYCD news: @jennaldewan and @traviswall will perform a duet on the season finale! http://ahwd.tv/3aJrxS

How old am I? I'm so old I add to google to find out who @jennaldewan is.

[Koffee Kup]

Too bad they couldn't just let Jim and Alex shine with ballet.   Travis, if you have to have a huge introduction to your dance to explain it before your dancers hit the floor, you are NOT a good choreographer.  Son meets father who has never been there and how son reacts to said father, contemporary dreck.

[akr]

How old am I? I'm so old I add to google to find out who @jennaldewan is.

I googled her and I can top that: I STILL don't know who she is! 

Edited September 15, 2015 by akr

[Koffee Kup]

I googled her and I can top that: I STILL don't know who she is! 

Neither do I and I thought the dance was not good.  Travis was like a mini fork-lift.

[Toaster Strudel]

Gaby won?  Who?  She made no impression on me at all.

[lyric]

Poor Jaja looked like she was really struggling - like she could barely get her legs up and couldn't really hit hard on the one small krump-ish move in one of her dances...she must have really done a number to her back.

[vibeology]

So I know its a moot point since the finale is over, but if Travis gets to dance with Jenna Dewan, Twitch and Channing Tatum should have done a number together.

 

I was happy to see Jim, Neptune and Yorelis again. I forgot just how she killed it in every Street group number. She's a total star who will book work once she's done here.

 

I'm not surprised Gabby won, but would have preferred Jaja. I really would have preferred Hailee, Jim or Yorelis but Gabby had enough solid work that I'm not mad. I just never warmed to her.

[MrsMoltisanti]

Boring show. Can't believe how fast this show has tanked from how good it used to be. Right until the end I remained unmoved and unimpressed by Jaja. All this show reminded of was how not so great she was. It was all compiled and condensed and delivered back tonight. I am not saying she cannot dance. I am just sayimg she is not nearly as great as the show wanted me to believe.

[crowceilidh]

I really enjoyed the show - Travis's duet with whatever her name was didn't really stun me, but everything else was pretty damn good.  I wondered how many of the group numbers were live - a lot seemed like they were not.  I had a weird glitch at the beginning of the ghost light routine which looked like they'd started it live and suddenly switched to a recording.  Also, I felt that the ballet dancer who danced the Corsaire (sorry, I've only seen him once before (he's gorgeous) and I don't remember his name) was injured during the performance.  Anyone else?

 

I hope the show isn't over, but if it is, they can be quite proud of this season.  It wasn't the best season evah, but it is a really good stab at a new format which had many successes and remarkably few faiilures.

[innocuouspuff]

I can't believe y'all claim to be SYTYCD fans and have never seen the first Step Up movie. In which Channing and the future Mrs Tatum are adorable, and pretty good dancers to boot. I might go watch it again, lol.

When Nigel and Paula were mimicking Jason's hand movements during the intro of the Ghost routine, I thought they were having another juvenile humour moment. Because, um, that looked like something else. But no, they just found it funny Jason didn't know the name of a made up prop. I guess the drinking had already started.

Oh, that ridiculous sexiness segment. The show still can't take poor Asaf seriously but at least Asaf is down with it.

Cyrus and Little Phoenix might have been great, but through my tv none of her movements were really visible on that tiny frame. According to both my ears and closed captioning Cat called her hip hop stank face, "skank face" but I'm pretty sure that's not the same thing.

Gaby's lovely, a perfectly fine winner imo.

Edited September 15, 2015 by innocuouspuff

[K-MAC]

Though the street v stage set-up was a farce in the end, I enjoyed this season and most of the dancers in contention. I would say I hope we have another season, but if it means even more Travis Wall, that would give me pause.

 

I was hoping for a Gaby win, though I had a great fondness for Hailee. Jaja over-emotes to me. I was happy to have a season free of Allison's over-the-top facial expressions, but Jaja took up the mantle for her.

 

Vigil is a doll. I was kind of hoping he would be the top street dancer, for what little that meant. I felt he really improved over the course of the show.

 

The duet with Travis and whoever that was was totally unnecessary. If he absolutely HAD to stick himself into all aspects of the show, then he should have at least danced with one of the earlier eliminated contestants. It should be about them, not Travis. In my eyes, he's gone from slightly annoying to full blown detriment to the show.

[Koffee Kup]

 

The duet with Travis and whoever that was was totally unnecessary. If he absolutely HAD to stick himself into all aspects of the show, then he should have at least danced with one of the earlier eliminated contestants. It should be about them, not Travis. In my eyes, he's gone from slightly annoying to full blown detriment to the show.

He has become the Derek Hough of SYTYCD but IMO he himself is neither a good dancer or choreographer.

[Jobiska]

I'm one of the few who felt that Gaby did have a personality, and I liked her, and I'm fine with the win, especially since if I let my mind run toward conspiracy theories I would have thought the fix was in for Jaja (who also does have a very sweet personality, and is good at what she does, but she did not impress me as much as Gaby or Hailee among the finalists).  I adore Virgil but he has such trouble keeping from looking happy (and hey, if that's his biggest problem in life....) (I came to the realization that Kate, whom I liked fine, has the opposite problem--resting cool patrician snobby looking face, and it hindered her).  

I did a lot of fast-forwarding.  I found there were few dances I needed to see on repeat.  I watched the ghost light one, the robots one, Jim's, the geisha one since I had actually missed that episode (somehow didn't record), and the one that Virgil did with the all-star, but I'm ashamed to admit I watched that mainly to see if he got manhandled quite as badly as he did in the first one.

I liked the team street new(?) group dance with tWitch in it but was amused that the two b-boys slid off the front and were gone for a while again.  

I was amused at the Twitter battle, especially when they said that sometimes contemporary dance choreography looks like they're flailing in fits or something like that (and showed an appropriate clip).  As you can guess from what I rewatched, I'm not keen on contemporary, so that made me laugh.

[phoenix780]

The opening number reminded me that this show can still give me magical moments, so I hope this isn't the last we get.  I hope it comes back as some kind of showcase, with new choreographers (by, Travis...congrats on your Emmy), or as something other than the typical eliminate-weekly reality competition (the format itself is a bit played out, imho).

 

I can't say I remember a single routine Gaby was in, but good for her nonetheless.  I was rooting for Jaja.  I think Megz might be my favorite of the season, though, probably because she was the freshest to me.  

[crowceilidh]

Herman Cornejo - I've just watched 3 Corsaires (Nureyev, Tidwell, Wong) and feel none the wiser.  

[ketchuplover]

Too much Cyrus not enough lil' Phoenix imo.  Kudos to Gaby.  Wishing all the dancers and fellow posters all the best going forward 

[grumpypanda]

I thought that JaJa was a lock for the win so I'm pleasantly surprised that Gabby won. Not that I cared much either way. I actually liked this season better than the last season but it still wasn't amazing. There were only two routines that I loved all season and neither one was shown tonight.

Anyway, I have a confession to make, I really liked Travis and Jenna's routine. I thought it was way better than the emo choreography we usually see.

[rollerblade]

Anyone know if the reprise dances are actually reprises and not just video replays?

[kechara]

I thought they could have done so much more with Alex and Jim. Kind of disappointing.

Spent a lot of the show watching The Fall on my iPad

[allypenguin]

I only saw bits and pieces of the show, but though I wasn't rooting for her, a well-deserved win by Gaby. I was really pulling for Jaja, but Gaby is just so versatile and killed every single genre she was given (sans ballroom, but what can you do). I don't even like Virgil that much but my heart broke seeing him cry, and seeing Cat tear up too :(  Hailee definitely knew she wasn't winning, but she's going to do awesome things and work a lot. I really grew fond of her over the course of the competition.

 

And Jim and Alex <3 I'm glad I missed the (I think) overwrought  story of the dance. Thank you dance gods. I can't believe it actually happened. I love watching the two of them dance, and together too! I just wish the routine was longer and had a little less fluff.

 

Academy of Villains was also fantastic.

[Zuleikha]

Robert and Gaby's long hug after their dance made my family wonder if they're dating, especially after Robert was so happy for Gaby's win. My Google-fu is failing me on this. Does anyone know?

 

I was rooting for Jaja, but I was happy with Gaby. They're both great talents. 

 

It does seem unfair that with all the Travis stuff, including a special duet, that we didn't get any tWitch dancing.

[Mertseger]

Thank goodness SYTYCD remains an Emmy factory: maybe we'll get an S13 after all. Of course, it will be the worst season ever (just like all the other seasons according to this board and its TWoPian predecessor).

 

Honestly, I think this was one of the better finales.

 

I liked Jenna and Travis. A ballet expert would have to judge, but does't she have really good feet?

 

One advantage of this format is that with the extra female finalists we got extra dosages of Robert, Alex and Josh. (I'd still like to see Katee again someday.)

 

Congratulations all on another worst season ever: may there be many more.

[Cuatro1234]

 

I wondered how many of the group numbers were live - a lot seemed like they were not.

My friend (who comes over every Monday night to watch with me, because my husband hates this show) picked up on that too.  She said after each routine, they cut straight to commercial.  And as a dancer, she said it would be really hard to get all that white stuff out of their hair, and dried and styled again during the commercial break. 

 

As a HUGE Alex fan, I thought Jim gave him a nice run for his money :)   I wonder if that routine was choreographed for Top 4 with Jim, and then Hailee beat him out of Top 4?  Nigel said the routine was choreographed for the show already, or something along those lines.

 

I would have loved to have seen the Jaja/Alex Bollywood--I wonder if her back problem made that a harder dance somehow, or it just didn't measure up to the Alzheimer's dance?

 

Count me in as hoping for Season 13.  I'll be watching every (whatever) night!

[Lii]

Nigel: "People have been writing in (whatever what means in 2015) all season asking for this..."

Me: gets body ready for Alex/Jim ballet FINALLY.

Nigel: Except it's going to be a fucking contemporary piece, lol you thought you could have nice things.

Goddammit Nigel.

Edited September 15, 2015 by Lii

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Too bad they couldn't just let Jim and Alex shine with ballet.   Travis, if you have to have a huge introduction to your dance to explain it before your dancers hit the floor, you are NOT a good choreographer.  Son meets father who has never been there and how son reacts to said father, contemporary dreck.

ITA - a dance should speak for itself. It shouldn't require the choreographer to explain what it's about. If the audience can't get the story without an explanation then the choreographer hasn't done a great job. Of course, that's assuming that every dance needs a fucking story. Did I miss Travis's explanation for the story behind his dance with Jenna? Was it about a guy who always wanted to be a forklift?

[Haleth]

Robert and Gaby's long hug after their dance made my family wonder if they're dating, especially after Robert was so happy for Gaby's win. My Google-fu is failing me on this. Does anyone know?

After the first time they performed this dance (when they also hugged for a loooong time) I commented that there might be some spark there.  But then Hailee seems to have a huge crush too.  Although, who wouldn't?

 

I enjoyed the finale and was delighted that Gaby won over the overrated Jaja. I do wish all 4 of the finalists long and happy careers!  (Jennifer Lopez should take a look at Hailee too.)

 

a dance should speak for itself.

 

Hear, hear!

[St. Claire]

Happy for Gaby (Gabby? Gabi?) and I will also be happy for her if she has a blossoming romance with Robert. I did notice how long the hug was and how he kissed her on the forehead before leaving the stage. I think Hailee will have no trouble finding success even though she was not in the top 2. Virgil, although not in the top 2, will also have great potential for success (he's already got a Broadway show under his belt, which is quite an accomplishment).

 

I got all excited when they teased Alex and Jim, but was let down by having contemporary instead of ballet. Phht.

[Wootini]

I'm pleased that this season America's Favorite Dancer ™ was also the best dancer. That doesn't ALWAYS happen, so it's nice when it does. I like Jaja, and I think she's terrific, but as far as being the most well-rounded dancer, Gaby outshone her.

 

I got the impression that all the big costumed group numbers were pre-taped. I don't think they were actual replays of the original performance, but they couldn't have been done live with all the hair and makeup. But all the duets seemed to be live on stage.

 

And add me to the list of people who got super excited when Nigel introduced a new routine with two dancers everyone had been begging to see dance together… only to be disappointed when it turned out that they were doing a Travis contemporary routine instead of ballet. They danced it beautifully, but the best part of it was towards the end when they were just doing all the spins and kicks in synch with each other. All the emoting and grasping at air was… well, it wasn't using those two amazing dancers to their fullest ability. Also, when Nigel was explaining the concept of the dance as a father and son, I was like, "Yeah. Because all that crap about how sad it is we can't have romantic dances between two men was just lip service." Because if you didn't hear Nigel's explanation, it could just as easily been two ex lovers encountering each other. And honestly, I prefer to look at it that way. Up yours, Nigel.

 

Also, remember when Travis first started choreographing for the show and it was actually kind of amazing? What happened to that guy? Did he get lazy and start relying on the standard tropes, or are we all so used to seeing contemporary dance that we just accept that it's become a collection of tropes? They really need to keep bringing in fresh blood to choreograph because we need to kick things back into gear. I read on TV Line that a 13th season is a "sure thing" so I'm hopeful we can keep some of the choreographers that were good this season and bring in some new ones and make next season better. (Also, get Cat that freakin' Emmy already! I mean, seriously, Jane Lynch wins again instead of Cat? There is no justice in this world!)

Edited September 15, 2015 by Wootini

[crowceilidh]

I was absolutely sure that I'd seen Alex and Jim's choreo somewhere else.  Maybe watching Travis's antics on youtube or something.  Anyhow.

 

I've never thought Robert was hetero because he's just way too good looking (how's that for a bias?).  The interwebs seem to believe that he's hetero though.  With Gaby, I had the impression of someone who was intensely comforting someone younger who had been having a fragile time NOT of romance.  Hailee and Robert's dance was hilarious for me because I sure didn't see her at all and I kept imagining trying to have a conversation with Robert and knowing that it would be well nigh impossible to talk.  How he's gone on from being a rather handsome young man to being ridiculously transcendent is beyond me.  I hope he has a couple of years of that glow left in him.  Hailee's kiss just seemed unfortunately rapacious in all the punny senses of that word.  She reminded me of Ursula the sea witch.

[realdancemom]

Nigel: "People have been writing in (whatever what means in 2015) all season asking for this..."

Me: gets body ready for Alex/Jim ballet FINALLY.

Nigel: Except it's going to be a fucking contemporary piece, lol you thought you could have nice things.

Goddammit Nigel.

LOL!!  Not just any contemporary but a Travis contemporary that looks like his other ones.  I saw parts that looked like How It Ends and then he put in a bunch of contemporary leg extensions.  Alex and Jim did outstanding for what they were given.  But I wished they brought in a real ballet choreographer.

[Primetimer]

Just how did America blow a popular-vote reality show this time?

Read the story

[OakGoblinFly]

Just how did America blow a popular-vote reality show this time?

http://previously.tv/so-you-think-you-can-dance/really-her/"> Read the story

 

 

Can you really 'blow' a popular vote?

 

For me, Gabby was more entertaining, more well-rounded, and more enjoyable than any of the final four and I am very happy that she won.

Edited September 15, 2015 by OakGoblinFly

[Jesse]

So I know its a moot point since the finale is over, but if Travis gets to dance with Jenna Dewan, Twitch and Channing Tatum should have done a number together.

 

I don't know that FOX would have let them recreate the number from Magic Mike XXL, but.... ::fans self::

 

Anyone know if the reprise dances are actually reprises and not just video replays?

At least Gaby's makeup was better in the ninja whatever routine. 

[innocuouspuff]

Yeah, I realise I have limited emotional investment in who actually wins these shows these days. They're fun to watch and whatever happens is whatever happens.

If anyone wants to watch Jenna Dewan Tatum dance some more, a compilation of the Channing/Jenna practice scenes from Step Up. Which is basically a silly millenial retelling of Dirty Dancing, with Jenna in the Patrick Swayze role and Channing as the untrained natural talent. :)

And the movie's last dance sequence, it's no Time of My Life, but she's gorgeous imo. Cat and I are gonna go start a fan club. :)

And now I want to go watch Dirty Dancing, hee. I carried a watermelon!

Edited September 15, 2015 by innocuouspuff

[innocuouspuff]

At least Gaby's makeup was better in the ninja whatever routine.

Yep, I definitely noticed they toned down the sketchiness there. I guess the show can take notes after all.

[Anothermi]

Yep, I definitely noticed they toned down the sketchiness there. I guess the show can take notes after all.

 

I wish that were true, but I think the toned down makeup had more to do with the fact that Gaby had more routines/costume changes for this show so the make up had to be able to morph quickly from one routine to the next. That requires a level of basic-ness that the original didn't. 

[BensBritches]

OK, I'll admit it... I switched off between this show and DWTS. I would never have thought I'd be in this place in all my years of watching SYTYCD (since season 2).  I liked all of the top 4, but that's just it, I liked them.  I didn't love any of them.  I didn't care who won, any of them would have been fine with me.  I probably was wishing Jaja would win, even though I did think she over-emoted a lot and got cut more slack for lack of technique than some "stage" dancers got for not "getting down and dirty" with their hip hop... but I digress.  I partially wanted JaJa to win so we'd have our female street dancer winner finally.  But I guess that will be the agenda for next season.

 

I was so disappointed in the Alex and Jim routine.  Why not let them do ballet?  That's what "we" wanted to see.  Not Travis' overwrought contemporary choreography.  I mean, Alex and Jim slayed it, but it seemed to be lacking in dance.  Too much reaching, grabbing, standing still rocking, running backwards from each other.  Do all of Travis' piece end with one dancer walking away from the other?  Can we please, please, please put a moratorium on that move???

 

Since none of the routines really stood out to me this year I didn't care what they reprised.  It was all fine.  Not great, not bad, fine.  I want and expect better from this show.

 

I did tear up when Virgil started to cry.  He seems like a lovely man and I wish him a great career.  I wonder if Fik Shun's recent win worked against Virgil?

 

And if there is a 'next season' I hope we go back, way back, to original recipe SYTYCD... 20 dancers from a wide range of genres, dancing in all different (that includes ballroom, folks!) genres and no all stars.  Season 4 is still my favorite season and I'd like to be amazed each week like I was back then.  Hope that's not too much to ask for!

[marcee]

tWitch + Channing would have been so magical. Why did you have to put that thought into my head? Now I'm even more disappointed with the finale.

[lightbeam]

Sadly, I fast forwarded through a good 70% of the finale. I didn't have an emotional reaction to Gabby winning. She's a good dancer, but to be honest, I never connected with her and never once rewound any of her dances. Ho Hum. 

 

I find DWTS incredibly cheesy, so I won't be watching that. Nothing takes the place of SYTYCD and I'm practically relieved to be done with it and have the 2 hours a week back on my DVR.

[dcalley]

Happy for Gaby (Gabby? Gabi?)

It's Gaby, baby! (Kind of weird looking, isn't it?) Were her parents salsa dancers or am I making that up? If they were, then it seems like she might have been able to handle a salsa herself.

 

From Joshua, I see the season 4 sign is still alive and well.

 

I was not as impressed with the ABT dancer as I thought I would be, and it made me worry that Alex and Jim wouldn't be dancing together after all.

 

And then they did, and I was disappointed to hear that Travis was the choreographer, and the story seemed kind of awkward. I don't know why they couldn't just dance ballet together. I will rewatch it and I liked it, but only because I like Alex and Jim and they are such beautiful dancers.

 

Jenna wasn't great (esp. her legs, though I am not a dancer, so what do I know) and is not nearly famous enough to make up for it.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

remember when Travis first started choreographing for the show and it was actually kind of amazing?

Nope, he sucked from the beginning as a choreographer for me so it's just been years of the same flailing routines since they let him come back.

 

Edited because "If" is not the same as "of."

Edited September 16, 2015 by ElectricBoogaloo

[cali1981]

Although I thought that Hailee was the better all-around dancer, Gaby winning was OK. It was unfortunate that Nigel had telegraphed the final two for a couple of weeks making the actual results anti-climatic.  I still think that Hailee will be he busiest pro dancer out of the group.  Did they make it clear at any time that the final votes would not necessarily determine the actual order of finish this season?  I don't recall Nigel or Cat ever saying that the final four's votes would be counted in their own group and then the winner would, I assume, have the highest overall vote total.  Did Hailee or Virgil finish third or fourth in the vote totals?  What would have happened if Hailee got more votes than YaYa?  I guess we'll never know especially since the premier of DWTS clobbered SYTYCD in the ratings and that could be another nail in the latter's coffin.

[tarotx]

Jaja was second so I think it's fair to assume that the order announced was the official order. No reason to announce Hailee 4th behind Virgil 3rd unless that was the result.

https://twitter.com/DANCEonFOX/status/643611965244370944

 

And since Hailee is a trained commercial hip hop dancer as much as she is a jazz dancer I can see her being like Jasmine Harper. But Gaby is also of that vein as well. Jaja is already a working street dancer. She isn't the most trained but she does her thing like no one else. Virgil is such a cutie. I think he would have already been a star if not for his height. He's a working dancer as well. I think he will be able to get commercial work and not just street or street Broadway. 

Although I thought that Hailee was the better all-around dancer, Gaby winning was OK. It was unfortunate that Nigel had telegraphed the final two for a couple of weeks making the actual results anti-climatic.  I still think that Hailee will be he busiest pro dancer out of the group.  Did they make it clear at any time that the final votes would not necessarily determine the actual order of finish this season?  I don't recall Nigel or Cat ever saying that the final four's votes would be counted in their own group and then the winner would, I assume, have the highest overall vote total.  Did Hailee or Virgil finish third or fourth in the vote totals?  What would have happened if Hailee got more votes than YaYa?  I guess we'll never know especially since the premier of DWTS clobbered SYTYCD in the ratings and that could be another nail in the latter's coffin.

[crowceilidh]

I noticed that they showed the 4 final dancers' dance picks in the order they let them go.