Your American Idol oddsmaker faltered last week: hope none of you were placing bets. To your faithful bookie’s incredible surprise, Chikezie and Jason Yeager lived to sing another day, while Garrett Haley (admittedly poor) and Colton Berry (far from the worst) were sent packing. So this week, no odds for you — you’ll have to pony up your own ante. It’s a good thing, too; ’70s night gave the contestants a chance to upend all expectations, and the dimmest stars of last week have suddenly rocketed to the fore. Let’s take a look:

Michael Johns
Tennis player Michael, who wowed last week, was lukewarm here, phoning in a competent version of Fleetwood Mac’s “You Can Go Your Own Way.” Michael’s building a repertoire for himself as an arena-rock crowd-pleaser, capable of fist-pumps and closed-eye wails. “I was ready for you to let go, but you didn’t quite go there,” pooh-poohed Randy, echoing the sentiments of all of the judges. We’re ready to love Michael — why won’t he give it to us?

Jason Castro
Last week’s golden boy, Jason’s dreamy “Daydream” sent him from obscurity to the center of attention. This week he hit the same note, to lesser effect. His sweet-voiced, junior-high-boyfriend take on Andy Gibb’s “I Just Want to Be Your Everything” felt like the slow-dance end of the prom, and the judges were bored. “But I would like next week — because I believe you will be here next week — to see you without the guitar, and to be more vulnerable as an artist,” said supportive Paula. Simon was more dire: “I thought the song was horrible, it didn’t suit your voice, this week it was all out of sorts.”


Luke Menard
Luke’s got the looks of a studly missionary, all perfect teeth and immobile hair — and it probably won’t surprise America, as he claims in his opening video, that he has been performing for six years with an a cappella band. (Even the A/V Club can look down on the a cappella nerds with impunity.) He’s got less charisma than most office supplies, so it was a daring choice to bring out Queen’s “Killer Queen.” Said Simon: “The singer of that song had charisma and personality, and you didn’t.” Luke’s missing his talent as an Idol contestant: with his sunny good looks and absolute blandness, he’d be a terrific Idol host. It even sounded like Ryan was getting a little threatened, sending him offstage with the moniker “Dawson’s Creek.”

Robbie Carrico
Poor Robbie Carrico is always defending his right to rock, and tonight was no exception. Pointing one’s finger at the heavens does not a rock god make, and no one was overly impressed by his “Hot Blooded.” “It doesn’t have enough unghhh to really be a rock voice,” quipped Randy. Ever quick to defend a floundering soul, Paula insisted that no one knows Robbie but Robbie, but whether America will be want to know him is another question entirely.

Danny Noriega
Easily Idol’s most irritating contestant, with mannerisms and vocabulary out of Clueless, Danny sang a slow, draggy “Superstar” by the Carpenters, looking so intent the entire time that one might think he was doing algebra in his head. You can’t overthink, said all the judges, though Simon gave what in some ways is Idol’s best compliment: “You look terrific on camera.”

David Hernandez
Former child gymnast David Hernandez slid through last week with “In the Midnight Hour,” but goes full-force this week with the Temptations’ “Papa Was a Rolling Stone.” Narrative songs can be tricky, but David — despite performing the entire song with ghoulishly raised eyebrows — worked the song and the room, descending from a staircase, speaking parts, singing parts, growling parts. If David can find a way to get the crowd interested, he’ll be a candidate to watch. Randy bestowed one of his highest honors, speaking in stagy ebonic slang: “Yo-o-o-o, check this out: this is the David Hernandez that we fell in love with. Dat was hot right there.” You go, dawg.

Jason Yeager
Poor Jason Yeager. After a debilitated, watery take on “Moon River” last week, he somehow slid by and vowed to bring the energy. So, say what you will about his cover of the Doobie Brothers’ “Long Train Running,” you can’t say it wasn’t robust. You can, however, say it wasn’t very good, and that’s exactly what the judges did. “The simple truth is, last week was boring and this week was boring and ordinary. You’re just a quite good singer who can’t perform very well,” said Simon. Bye, Jason.

Chikezie
You have to hand it to Chikezie, he’s got a few tricks up his sleeve. Last week’s “More Today Than Yesterday” was a disaster in every sense of the word, from the off vocals to the hideous leisure suit (which, for the record, he defended last night). But give him a great song (Donny Hathaway’s “I Believe to My Soul”) and a little fire, and Chikezie’s as good as anybody we’ve seen. Not only was the song great for his voice, but it even gave him the chance to scream at Simon, “you’ll remember my name” — a shtick even Simon admitted was cute (and maybe now will stop calling him Jacuzzi). “Brilliant and fun,” said Paula. Hear, hear!

David Cook
A guitar rocker, David picked up the Les Paul and jammed through a passable “All Right Now” by Free. “To me, you’re our real rocker. I really kinda believed you,” said Randy. I think it’s boring, and so did Simon.

David Archuleta
Whether Idol saves the best for last or this was a case of luck we’ll never know — but David Archuleta blew the crowd away and even the most stalwart and finicky of judges couldn’t protest. Ballads are tricky for Idol, a competition that loves dancing, yelling, energy and mania, but David’s croon on Lennon’s “Imagine” drew screams like the Beatles themselves enjoyed in their heyday. I was sold, and so was Simon: “Very, very risky but it worked. You’re the one to beat, and there are 19 very missable contestants.” Pre-teens of America, get to your phones: I think we may have the next Idol.

Ten dudes, ten ’70s hits, ten Cowell slurs: we’re really getting into it now. Tune in tonight to see the ladies take their chance, then come back Thursday to see who’s going home in tears.

–Matthew Schneier

Tags: American Idol•Television