The Final Three Revealed!
Hi all -- Mickey O'Connor here again, picking up where we left off last night...
You can always tell when a contestant has had their fill of the
Idol smorgasbord. All you have to do is take a close look at the group performances. Tonight, while the final four was busy slaughtering all my fondest college memories with a jazzy, blasphemous rendition of Steely Dan's "Reelin' in the Years," Jason's posture, body language and half-assed attempt at the choreography all read as one big eye-roll in my book. On the other hand, I'm always kind of amused and surprised to see how game
David Cook seems for the whole thing. Maybe
he's the one with a future on Broadway.
David Archuleta does a little soft-shoe, aw-shucks shuffle for the fans, and is deemed -- not shockingly! safe. Speaking of Davids, Paula has an appetite for more "Cookie" and so does America apparently, and so he is safe too. Duh. And ew.
And then they went to Vegas to see Cirque du Soleil's
Beatles Love! Don't tell anybody, but I went to see the Cirque with my family in Orlando many years ago, and I kind of liked it.
Ssshhhh! I kept waiting for the
Knocked Up-inspired scene where Archuleta is viewed through a fish-eye lens, totally tripping to the show's hallucinogenic visuals. But... no. They loved it! And gave everyone the peace sign! And all they needed was love! What has
happened to Vegas, and will it stay in Vegas?
And then (ugh) the questions does anyone like this segment? Here's my proposal: Next season, put a poll on the website, asking the fans which classic
Idol performance they'd like to see again, and show us that instead.
Maroon 5 was in the hizzy to perform "If I Never See Your Face Again," their new single featuring Rihanna. Except where's Rihanna? Have no fear, lead singer Adam Levine can handle the falsetto, and, well, my love for Maroon 5 began and ended with "This Love," so I have nothing more to say, except that, for my money, the Scissor Sisters' Jake Shears has a better falsetto.
Bo Bice seems like a really nice guy, right? His name even
rhymes with nice. His wife is pregnant with a boy, and he is gracious and grateful for the launching pad that
Idol provided, in a way that you might not expect a Southern-fried rocker like Bo to be. (Remember when he sang
"Vehicle" by the Ides of March? It's one of my favorite
Idol moments.) His single, "Witness," is a characteristic funky jam, and you can tell he's enjoying the moment. Although, I kept picturing Peter Frampton sitting at home, watching the wah-wah vocal portion of the song, saying to anyone who will listen: I invented that. One critique: To invoke an old Janeane Garofalo routine about hard rockers and their hair: A little leave-in conditioner, size of a dime, will take care of that halo of crispy-crunchies that surrounded Bo's melon.
Syesha Mercado took the opportunity to explain her emotional outburst last night. She said she was suddenly aware of her good fortune, and thought about the significance of the song, even squeezing in a mention of the history-making Democratic race for president. Yay, America!
Then, after 51 million votes, you, the
American Idol viewing public, sent
Jason Castro home, to the surprise of nearly nobody. As much as all of you (and Simon) wanted to see Jason pack his bags and go this week, I think Jason himself may have wanted it even more.
"Somebody told me that I shot the tambourine man yesterday -- I thought that was pretty funny," Jason said, as they were about to announce who was going home. Something about this episode made me really wonder if we ever really knew the guy. Sure, his singing was inconsistent, and he was notoriously shy, but I suspect that in the real world, Jason is kind of a character. When Ryan asked if he was relieved to be going home, he answered, "Three songs this week -- I don't know what I would have done." I, for one, appreciate his honesty.
"I'm a fun guy; I hope I [could] translate that and make a good show," Jason said in his departure package. I, for one, think he did. Good luck, Jason!
(TiVo Check: In the New York City area, the show was immediately followed by a missing-children alert sponsored by the local Fox station, which featured Sanjaya (!) saying, "It's 10 pm; do you know where your children are?" Sweet or creepy? You decide.)
Did America make the right decision? And who do you want to see in the final?
Vote here for your current pick to win Idol.
