If you've been following Houston-led team iLuminate on America's Got Talent this season, their third-place finish in the finale Wednesday night came as a shock.

The group advanced from having the best-ever audition in the opinion of judge Piers Morgan all the way to the finals, only to finish after a behind-the-screens dance group called Silhouettes and singer Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr.

We were hedging our bets on iLuminate taking it all, but were blown away when they finished third. Silhouettes, while cute with their all-ages assemblage, are no Vegas act compared to Miral Kotb's collection of pulsing, lit-up dancers.

Kotb is a Clear Lake native and a corporate software developer by day, and she designed the patent-pending, technologically spectacular bodysuits that the iLuminate dancers wear during performances while Kotb manipulates the visuals from backstage. A dance enthusiast herself, Kotb also acts as choreographer.

Each of the finalists had a final shot at impressing the judges Tuesday night, and Kotb and iLuminate did not disappoint. Their performance, which incorporated floating red hearts pulsing along to the beat, earned a standing ovation both from the live studio audience and the judges. Said Sharon Osbourne of the group: "Miral came up with a germ of an idea, and look at what she's done with it. This act is about technology, creativity and a person with a vision."

It wasn't enough to send Kotb and iLuminate to a permanent post in Vegas or secure the $1 million prize, but we have a feeling we haven't seen the end of them yet.

Finishing fourth of the four finalists was young pop band Poplyfe, who performed alongside Stevie Wonder after a shaky take on Queen Tuesday night. Third place went to massive dance group Silhouettes, and the top prize went to Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr.

​Eugene Murphy, Jr., had quite the back story himself, having once been homeless and after delivering a shiver-inducing performance of Sinatra's "I Did it My Way" Tuesday night.

The two-hour finale results episode drew out remarkable talent outside the finalists — including performances by Stevie Wonder, Tony Bennett, Queen Latifah, Cobra Starship, Patti Labelle, One Republic, Cirque du Soleil, Def Leppard and Leann Rimes.