CC, nice synopsis. Now I don't have to type out anything that you did, I can just add in my thoughts.
I believe that Hung is the most passionate out of all the chefs, no matter what anyone thinks. It's that passion that drives him to perfection whether it's in his knife skills, or in perfectly cooking every single piece of food that he comes across. He doesn't wear his emotions on his sleeves like the others do, but that does not mean that he is less passionate. Passion and love is what makes a person reach for perfection. Michael Jordan is a great example of that.
On one hand, you look at Hung's dessert when compared to Casey and Dale's surprise dishes and it's easy to say that he played it safe. On the other hand, he went completely out of his comfort zone, and even made a dessert that many people can't even make at sea level, much less 11,000 feet---on the spur of the moment no less. But beyond that, he showed an understanding of a meal progression that Casey and Dale did not in the menus. Menus aren't just about throwing out your best dishes in random order. There's an art and a method involved. Hung's progression of raw hamachi, to lightly poached shrimp, to duck, and to dessert showed that he understands that.
To me, the highlight of the evening was when Tom told Hung that Todd English thought that his duck was worthy to serve in a three-star Michelin restaurant. For anyone that does not know the significance of that, I'd suggest you do some research on the web. For any cook or chef, that could be one of the highest compliments to ever receive.
Anyway, that was a great season and the food prepared in the finale was definitely a cut above the first two seasons. Hung, you are the man and you proved it from the first episode. I hope I get to taste your food one day.