The really great thing about Matt Franco, IMO, is that he makes me not give a damn how it works. Of course I know how he did that cups and balls thing. I’ve read at least two books that explained it; heck, I think I did it myself way back when. But how quickly and expertly he move his hands, how his flow of banter was perfect and he never slipped up (simply memorizing that many lines is a challenge, much less coordinating their delivery with a bunch of small moving objects), that was impressive. Saying stuff like “sleight of hand” and “misdirection” is like saying that Rory McIlroy is just hitting a ball into a hole. The sheer level of skill involved was astounding, and a thrill to watch. He’s the Muhammed Ali of magic.
That said, his greatest feat of all may have been smashing the status quo. Remember that no magician had ever won before. And consider who he was up against in the final two…a beautiful, white, blonde singer who happens to be a damn good singer. In the past, this was as close to a stone cold, ironclad, steam train, full metal jacket, Darth Vader grip lock as it’s possible to get. And Franco beat her. Might be the start of a revolution, might just be a fluke, but he pulled off what was supposed to be impossible.
I dunno, that just stood out for me. Discuss or ignore as you will. 