Watercooler: Was Skylar Laine Idol's Queen of the Night?

Gotta say, we did not expect that.

American Idol devoted the first half of last night 's two-hour spectacle to the music of Queen, and that was not great news going in to the evening. Dated, glammy arena rockers just felt like a terrible match for the remaining wannabes. Turns out, feelings aren't facts — most of the performers sounded amazing.

But it was Skylar Laine who blew the roof off of the Idol Thunderdome and gave us hope for a finale featuring the 18-year-old powerhouse's country-fried pipes. Her version of "The Show Must Go On" was as fiery as the giant set's backing video images, and there was nary a moment we felt like we were watching a competition. Because honestly, there was none. And that's not a slam on the other singers. They all did pretty damn well.

We only wish the show hadn't gone on to a second round of songs. Even though everyone more or less brought it with their personal picks (Skylar's take on Jason Aldean's "Tattoos on This Town" soared, as did Hollie's potential salvation, "The Climb"), hour two was overkill. The kids had already given Queen the royal treatment. The rest just felt stretched out more than a pair of Freddy Mercury's hot pants.

What about you? Did Skylar rock you? Who else do you think are the champions?

Subscribe to TV Guide Magazine now!