Good choice but surprising...

Obviously the editing plays a huge role in the audience's impressions of the people involved....however....Ryan Murphy made a good choice I think....and here is why.

Maxfield- too limited a performer (at least for now)

Dani- also too limited, and I think the fact that she is a girl who looks and dresses like Justin Bieber just wouldn't fly on network tv very long.

Tyler- fascinating story, but not enough talent to make it

Mario- as soon as he started on about his "training" he was doomed. Also, I am not convinved a bilnd man can handle the pace at which a tv show is shot. On Glee they are doing multiple music numbers, not just one every week.

Charlie- easily the most talented overall(in triple threat terms)but he is too much of a wildcard. Professional he is not.

Nellie- she is sexy without realizing it, but that also means she lacks the self-awareness an actor needs. Plus there is the confidence thing as well.

Abraham- had he been able to embrace his androgeny and not made his demand of Ryan, he may well have bumped Ali from the final three

Shanna- talented but lacking range...the lesbian scenes were painfully outside her comfort zone

Michael- stayed as long as he did because he could act and was a leading man type (not as much as Blake tho). Murphy was hoping he would develop more I would imagine.

Lily- was cut simply because she was a selfish performer who showed she could be difficult to work with (tho she was much much better the latter part of the series).

Ali- great singer with a somewhat limited acting range. If Artie graduated, she may have won, but casting her would also put Kevin McHale in a very uncomfortable position, he being a "fake" version of her.

Ailyn- the Muslim angle was tempting, but there are several reaons not to go with her. 1. the Muslim angle is limiting. 2. she has a chunky body (shallow yes, but this is still television) 3. she is very limited as an actor 4. there are some maturity questions which calls into question if she could take the backlash. 5. radical Muslims put a hit out on Salman Rushdie over a book...there has got to be a concern over that. She was who I tought was going to win.

Blake- is a versatile actor, passable singer and dancer. He is intended to be a replacement for Corey Monteith...it is that simple