Last Comic Standing Power Rankings: Who To Bet On

Published by Shelby Wright at June 26, 2014

LCS10

It’s officially the start of the finals on Last Comic Standing and the field has been whittled down to ten. Here’s how the finalist rank going into the next round as the show really kicks into high gear. Here are your Last Comic Standing Power Rankings as of Week 1 of the Finals. These are our picks for who has the best chances of taking it all.

1. Jimmy Shubert

Why He’ll Win: Schubert has been doing stand up before some of the other finalists knew what comedy even was. His energy and polished jokes impressed the judges immensely and carried him easily into the final round. Any head-to-head competition should be a walk in the park for Shubert, who could get by on intimidation alone.

Why He Won’t Win: Schubert is more of a traditional stand-up, so the challenge competitions might force him to step out of his comfort zone. Will Schubert’s old school style translate into sketch comedy and improv skits?

2. Karlous Miller

Why He’ll Win: Karlous Miller got under Wanda Sykes’ skin when he said that he doesn’t rehearse, but Miller does have good reason seeing that he has been a cast member on the MTV sketch show ‘Wild n’ Out’. This alone will put him above the competition when it comes to doing the different challenges that stray away from stand-up. What we’ve seen from Miller is already some of the best material so far, putting him near the top of the first weeks rankings.

Why He Won’t Win: Miller seems to be completely honest when it comes to things he wants to say which didn’t seem to put him in good graces with Wanda Sykes and Amy Schumer. Will Miller say the wrong thing at the wrong time and hurt his chances at a win?

3. D.C. Benny

Why He’ll Win: Benny is one of three stand-up veterans remaining in the competition. This will help him from an experience stand-point and also a material stand-point, which he has a deep well of. Benny’s one hindrance may be having to take part in different non-stand up challenges, which may not be his strong point. His performances onstage will be what wins him the competition.

Why He Won’t Win: Benny has been doing stand-up for years and has already performed some of his most well known bits on the show. Will he be able to stay fresh during the competition and make his material pop and not seem stale?

4. Rod Man

Why He’ll Win: Rod Man may have had the best overall sets we’ve seen on the show so far, and his high energy and crowd-pleasing demeanor can carry him far on the show. The non-stand up sketches may be where he really shines, helping him to stand-out even more.

Why He Won’t Win: Rod Man’s material hasn’t been exactly cutting edge so far, and his persona and shtick may get tiresome to some viewers. The challenge rounds may actually work in his favor to allow viewers to see what else he has to offer.

5. Joe Machi

Why He’ll Win: Machi has brought the house down with his two sets so far on the show and backs up his odd stage presence with great writing that the judges and audience have responded to. Joe’s timid and shy personality may be a problem for him going into the challenge rounds as he’s said that he even gets nervous going onstage sometimes. He has stood out so far despite his shyness, so look forward to seeing interesting things out of Machi.

Why He Won’t Win: Machi has one of the odder personalities in the competition, which may make him seem even odder during the other challenges, like interviews and roasts. When’s the last time you saw the weird and unique guy win any kind of TV competition show?

6. Monroe Martin

Why He’ll Win: You may have forgotten about Monroe Martin, but don’t let him get lost in the crowd. Writing is just as important as energy in this show and Martin showed last week that he can do just that. Martin is the youngest person in the competition and the network might want to connect with millennial viewers

Why He Won’t Win: Martin is one of the least known comics in the competition and we really don’t know how good he’ll be off the stage. Martin is the youngest person in the competition, and on a show with three veteran comics among him, he may be overpowered.

7. Aida Rodriguez

Why She’ll Win: Aida Rodriguez has opened previously for judge Russell Peters and her stage presence and beauty has already been a talking point on the show. The challenge rounds will let us see what Rodriguez really has to offer and prove that she belongs on the show as much as the other contestants.

Why She Won’t Win: Rodriguez has been called out by Keenan Ivory Wayans during both her sets for using her looks to get ahead in comedy and the simple fact of being a woman in a male-dominated competition may unfortunately hurt her.

8. Lachlan Patterson

Why He’ll Win: Patterson has a good ability to take bits that we have seen done in some way before but putting a new twist or scenario that makes them fresh.

Why He Won’t Win: We’ve seen a million good looking white guys on stage, and in a competition with so many unique characters, he could be easily pushed to the back. Patterson does have good material but even admitted that he struggles with transition between jokes, which could already show signs of an early exit.

9. Rocky LaPorte

Why He’ll Win: LaPorte has been doing stand-up longer than anyone in the competition which should make the stand-up portion of the show a breeze for him. Other contestants may not be sure how they’ll do week-to-week but this isn’t LaPorte’s first rodeo.

Why He Won’t Win: If this show was just a straightforward stand-up competition, than LaPorte would be near the top of the list. But when going into the challenge rounds, LaPorte may have trouble, especially when he’s going up against such high-energy talent. LaPorte is a great stand-up, but that unfortunately isn’t the only thing this competition is about.

10. Nikki Carr

Why She’ll Win: Nikki Carr is this week’s pick as the long-shot to win Last Comic Standing, but her energy and likability from the crowd could help her overcome her problems. It’s still early and there is hope that picking her as a long shot will seem stupid down the road. Who doesn’t want to root for the underdog?

Why She Won’t Win: Carr sits at the bottom of the first weeks rankings simply for what she has shown in the competition so far. Her semi-finals set was a high-energy routine that helped pump up her material but she will need killer material and the big question is does she have it?