'So You Think You Can Dance' Finale Predictions: Who Will Win? Who Should Win?

As we count down to this week's season finale of 'So You Think You Can Dance' (Wed. and Thu., 8PM ET on Fox), the race comes down to two of the three finalists: Sexy but strong Lauren Froderman from Phoenix and small-town wunderkind Kent Boyd from Wapokoneta, Ohio.
California boy Robert Roldan will also compete in the finale, but although we and the judges love him, he's been in the bottom three so often that we're almost as shocked as he was that he made it to the finale.
So, who will it be: Lovely Lauren or kooky Kent? We make the argument for who will win and who should win.
WHO WILL WIN: KENT BOYD
We could debate endlessly how this season would have turned out if some of the most talented contestants, like professional ballet dancer Alex Wong, hadn't been sent home with injuries. After Alex's untimely departure, the judges quickly settled on Kent as their new favorite. Audiences agreed, with in-studio crowds erupting in cries of "We love you, Kent!" Home viewers love him as well: He's the only remaining contender never to have been in the bottom three.The judges have not given him an entirely free pass this season. Mia Michaels repeatedly told him to control his facial expressions, something he admitted he had trouble with, saying, "That's just me, that's just what comes out" when he dances. His "golly gee" grins perfectly suited his snappy Broadway routines, like the memorable 'Damn Yankees' number with Neil Haskell and the energetic Spencer Liff duet with Jose Ruiz, but in other genres, including his disastrous disco number, the perpetual smile was distracting.
I have to admit, I haven't been a Kent believer for much of the season. His exuberance, while sweet, wasn't always well-channeled and his wide-eyed expression often seemed out of place. And then came last week's performance, when he and Neil danced the hell out of an emotional Travis Wall routine. The Ohio farm boy finally grew up, right before our eyes. The hurt and rejection was so real and so moving, I'm sure I wasn't the only one wiping away a tear. Kent, you might not be my favorite, but I finally see what America sees in you.
WHO SHOULD WIN: LAUREN FRODERMAN
Lauren started off strong and has only grown stronger as this season has progressed. In her first competition number, she seemed shocked to learn that her cheerleader-like presentation -- with smiles directed at the audience and a tendency to ignore her partner -- wasn't the way to connect with the judges or voters. But she took the judges' notes and from then on, threw her all into her partnering. It was hard to take our eyes off of her, no matter who she was dancing with, whether it was hip-hip maestro tWitch or ballroom expert Pasha. It was also hard to see much to critique. She handled everything thrown at her like a pro, from an intense routine with Dominic about abuse to a hip-shaking Tahitian number. The fun, flirty, silly girl we saw in video clips believably transformed last week into a man-eating femme fatale opposite Pasha and Ade. Adam Shankman summed up her appeal succinctly: "I want to hire you." If the competition were for the best dancer (which, of course, it's not), then Lauren would waltz away with the title. She's eminently employable and, I would argue, far more mature and ready for a professional dance career than Kent.
Win or lose, she's America's favorite female dancer and in a season that's been brutal to the girls, that's saying something.
WHO I'M VOTING FOR: ROBERT ROLDAN
I've been a fan of Robert's since I first interviewed the Top 11. His quirky solos remind me of Ellenore Scott from last season (how I'd love to see those two duet) and his partnering has been incredibly strong and dynamic. He's tackled some very tough dances, including the dreaded quickstep and he looked great doing it. As Toni Redpath said as a guest judge last week, if one asked herself, "Do I want to dance with him?" -- the answer is "Yes!"We've seen him be smolderingly sexy in his Argentine tango with Anya, quietly intense with his "going to war" Stacey Tookey routine, and charmingly goofy as an animated doll with Kathryn. I have no doubt Robert will have an amazing dance career, (he's not only handsome, he's the tallest of this season's guys) so he doesn't need to win the title of "America's Favorite Dancer." Like Lauren, Billy Bell and Alex, he's already gotten the exposure he's needed from the show.
He's been in the bottom three over and over, and his genuine shock each time he is given a reprieve is the very opposite of "arrogant," the dismissive assessment that the blogosphere assigned him, but has never been apparent to anyone on the show, or to me.
See Season 7's Best Performances
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| Lauren | |
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