A quick look at the ratings for Tuesday's night Final Six showdown tells us that LCS2 has bounced back in the ratings with a 4.7 and an 8 share. That's the first increase since the voted-off comics came back to the house in Episode 9. So perhaps there really was something to our on-going joke about the ratings dropping when the voted-off comics returned.
Overall, it was really great seeing them in person. It was a lot of fun, and it was a very well-run production once the audience started loading. PRIOR to that, there was an hour and a half of hell as the audience was forced to wait in a courtyard in direct sunlight. It was really bad, actually, and people were really upset. Some people walked. I'd suggest anyone going to the upcoming shows to bring water and sunscreen, and wear good shoes. Unless you're in a skimpy nightclub outfit and 22, or a "Friend of Jay's!" you won't be seen in the audience anyway. Fortunately, once inside, it was awesome.
Jay Mohr was awesome as host; I don't know why his "warm-up" stand-up always looked so lame on the show. He was very funny and personable. Best of all, he stayed on stage through most of the breaks, chatting with the audience, throwing out jokes, and generally just being congenial. When tech folks would interact with him silently, he'd then explain to everyone what the interaction was about.
When the comedians first came out, we noticed how great they all looked. The most interesting thing about all of them was how professional they all were. Compared to the Wildcard performances, they were just so polished. I think they were all also overwhelmed by how much the audience responded to them.
I don't know if you could tell at home how much the audience really, really liked those comedians. Some of the incredible applause wasn't as audible on the aired version, and some of the standing O's weren't seen on air, either. They asked the audience to stand when Jay came out, which we did, but the audience-wide standing O's for the comics-as-a-group were spontaneous. Many of the comics also had crowd standing during their intros & exits, including John, Gary, and especially Alonzo. Jay London, too, but not as much.
Jay London -- He got some of the biggest laughs & best applause from the repeat jokes -- it's like people expected him to do them, like the jokes were old friends. People LOVED him. He really does go over better live than on TV in my opinion -- the audience just chuckles through his whole act. That "I'm gonna get high" after this line just KILLED.
Gary -- Again, the audience LOVED him. I don't think his act went over as well on TV as it was going on live, either. You could tell he was enjoying himself, even when he was just standing in line with the other comics.
Heffron - Admittedly, my favorite, was hyperactive as hell -- and he was so funny. It's true, though - it was like he tried to get as many words into 4 minutes as possible. They were actually ALL doing that, but his was most noticeable. He looked the most stressed out in person of them all, and was the one who seemed least like he was enjoying himself. His standing O's seemed to freak him out.
Kathleen -- Wow, she is so funny, too. And, in person, memorable; I repeated 3 or 4 of her jokes the night after I saw the show. But, as far as audience love, it just didn't exist. She was so good, very professional, but, as you said, people didn't see her perform much before, so they weren't that attached to her.
Tammy -- Again, she was really, really good, but I don't think the audience was as with her as with some of the others. She also seemed to be having a great time, and was all smiles onstage.
Alonzo -- Got the biggest Standing O -- not the whole audience, but a lot of folks. He was definitely a crowd favorite, and just very, very good. I think his act on air was right in line with the live version.
Overall, great day, great comics, and although I have favorites, they are all so good it doesn't really matter who wins.
And with Deb's recollection of the show still fresh in our thoughts, let us now move on to tonight's episode and the reveal of the Final Three.
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