KEY POINTS:
Drum roll, please, while everyone waits on the edge of their seats for just a few more suspense-filled seconds. And - finally - the winner is ...
Well, Dancing with the Stars or New Zealand's Got Talent this wasn't.
The Greens' declaration of Labour as their preferred coalition partner was always a foregone conclusion. But did yesterday's announcement have to be so anti-climactic?
The lack of enthusiasm displayed by the Green leaders was perhaps understandable.
For all their talk of being independent, the Greens, through their own hand, have discovered how tightly they are manacled to Labour when it comes to coalition partners.
Worse, their own analysis shows they could be tied to Labour forever unless they undertake a radical restructuring and concentrate solely on environmental matters.
To decide which of the two major parties they would back, the Greens researched how Labour and National measured up to overall Green goals, including social justice concerns.
While the results would have suited some in the party, they will have made depressing reading for those activists who have argued that the Greens should boost their bargaining power by taking a more independent stance so they can talk to National as well as Labour after the election.
On only one measure out of 12 - cleaning up the country's waterways - did Labour rate worse then National.
On most criteria, Labour was much closer than National to Green goals. It wasn't that Labour's record was good. It was that National's was so bad.
Co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons was still hoping the Greens and National could work together where they have common ground.
But the analysis left her and her colleagues no choice but to rule out any kind of support arrangement which puts National into power.
It is likely anyway that they are more comfortable - if hardly ecstatic - with Labour as their preferred partner. More so as a large chunk of the Greens' vote would probably have deserted for Labour were there any prospect of a deal with National.
By announcing their preference before election day, the Greens have ensured that won't happen.
Instead, they could now pick up support from otherwise Labour-leaning voters.
And they might need to do so. A few months ago, it seemed Green issues such as climate change and oil prices would top the election issues list.
No longer. Crude oil prices have dropped sharply, and voters are now much more worried about their jobs than climate change.
The pressure is on parties to produce policies countering the short-term likelihood of serious recession. The long-term health of the planet - on which the Greens' policies are focused - will have to wait.
Staying relevant in this election has suddenly become a lot harder for Fitzsimons and company.
