Green Room - Week 43 - Day 7

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The poll closes tonight at 10pm EST.

The *season* closes then.

I know I keep saying it. But I'm trying to get my head around it as much as everyone else is - maybe a little bit more, because when I envisioned this, it was going to end with a "fade to black".

Now it's more of a "see you next time!"

We've had births. We've had deaths... omg, we've had deaths. We went an entire 8 seasons plus two mini seasons with only losing one person who was a "friend of a friend" of Idol - and a mega-champion cat.

We lost three people during Season 9. One of them dying while she wrote her Idol entry. (That's not something that gets any easier with time.)

I want this season to end in a way that honors all of that. An ending where people can point to the result and say "Damn, Season 9 was something special. It was worth going through all of that".

I can say that all three finalists are incredible writers, and people. I think their entries speak for themselves about what a difficult choice this is - and really just how different each of them are!

http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/850328.html

This season *is* an ending. It is also a beginning. Like most stories.

Results - Week 43 - Finale

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

Every season is different. There are different people, in different combinations and if I were to map out how each of them were going to go, I would fail at it every time.

This season's theme was modeled after the Muppet Show, a crazy cast of characters all doing their own thing, with a frantic frog trying his best to make it work as a coherent show.

I think the Muppets may have been based on real life LJ Idol events. :)

The season itself certainly fulfilled that theme. It was long, it was difficult at times, but I hope, at the end of the day, that it was fun.

The poll is now closed and the votes have been examined. Which means that it's now time to make the official announcements:

In third place we have one of this season's biggest cheerleaders and (I hope) someone who is going to be around to help push this competition into the future. It's kind of fitting that someone like her would finish in the same spot that agirlnamedluna did in *her* first season.

Congratulations to bleodswean

In second place, I will come right out and call her this season's powerhouse. Because that's what she is - and I have a feeling that she will continue the proud tradition of Second Place finishers like notodette in knocking things out of the park for a long time to come.

Congratulations to gratefuladdict

In first place... well, that could only be one person now couldn't it?

She first showed up in Idol during Season 4 and ended up taking a far too long sabbatical from us, and writing on a regular basis. Now she has become the second veteran to win, as well as being a genuine, all-around kind person and talented writer! None of those are easy to obtain.

Congratulations to our Winner, Your LJ IDOL for Season 9- suesniffsglue!!!

Thank you to all of our finalists and to all of you who participated in making this season so very special.

I hope that you know how much I truly appreciate your continued support.

LJ Idol will return for a mini-season and a Season 10, but for now...

Dreslinski out!