'So You Think You Can Dance': The judges weigh in on this week's elimination, the Top 4 talk finals

With just one week left before America's favorite is chosen, the "So You Think You Can Dance" eliminations packed an extra bittersweet punch last night.

It's a monumental accomplishment to make it this far, but because all of the final six dancers are so brilliantly talented, it was hard to watch any one of them get cut.

But just eight days after performing the memorable Tyce Diorio breast cancer-themed piece, Melissa and Ade were sent home. Though her gorgeous lines and great skill have made Melissa one of my personal favorites since the competition's start, her exit wasn't entirely unexpected, as this year's women are particularly strong. But the studio audience seemed clearly stunned when they realized Evan had made the finals instead of Ade.

After the show, judge Mary Murphy told us that, though Melissa and Ade's unforgettable cancer-themed performance helped keep them in the competition last Thursday, it was perhaps the reason for their exit this week. "It doesn't get any better than that," she said. Murphy speculated that the audience may have felt they wouldn't be seeing anything from those two that could possibly top that.

However, going into the finals, the judges said there are still no front runners.

Mary and Lil C feel that everyone has an even chance next week, due to their unique dance styles. Nigel Lythgoe agrees, but still has this past week's show on his mind: "Brandon was the star last night... But everyone is so close together in terms of popularity, that anyone could pull off a victory." Lythgoe said this week's performances will be forgotten by the time people pick up the phone to vote next week.

Do you agree? Do you have a favorite amongst the four finalists, Brandon, Jeanine, Evan and Kayla?

We were lucky enough to grab a few minutes with each of them, just moments after they found out they had made the Top 4, they were still very much on cloud nine.

When we told Brandon that he was a trending topic on Twitter the previous night -- fans were nonstop raving about his solo -- he blushed and seemed truly surprised that everyone was so into it. 

He also said that he was really upset to see Ade go, as Ade was his BFF on the show. Kayla joked that whenever someone was looking for Brandon, they'd suggest finding Ade, because they'd be together. The good news for them is that finale rehearsals start on Saturday, so their separation will be short.

Speaking of, next week's finale at the Kodak Theater -- the permanent home of the Oscars -- will be a big change for the remaining dancers, both in the size of the stage and the audience. It will be an extra special experience for Evan and Jeanine, who are the actors of the bunch, and could barely contain their excitement over being able to perform there. They both said they'd like to lie down on the stage when they get there, perhaps carve their names into the floor.

Cute.

So, yeah, you cool with the way everything has shaken out? Are you as pumped for the finale as Evan and Jeanine are?

-Reporting by Marisa Roffman