What a difference a week makes! With Jason Castro eliminated, all memories of mediocrity were strangely absent last night, as if Fox had called a shaman to exorcize the Ghost of Losers Past…

How professional our three hopefuls looked! Each contestant sang three songs selected by the judges, themselves, and the producers, in that order. Both of the Davids delivered outstanding performances, trumping Syesha, who looked elegant despite some stumbling. Yet Idol would be nothing without awkwardness and self-inflicted embarrassment. Despite the talent displayed, glimmers of the prior and incidents of the latter showed up. It’s a crucial moment in the contest. After the jump you’ll find examples of our contestants at their strongest and their suckiest.

Read the rest of this entry »

Welcome to Neil Diamond week (can you tell he’s got a new disc coming out soon?). With Carly gone and only a handful of hopefuls to humiliate, our producers doubled the degradation by having the kids perform two tunes. The evening was frenzied, and its effect on the judges palpable. Simon complained that things felt strange. Paula flubbed her way into the future. Randy stayed chill, but you know, that’s how he rolls. Check it:

Read the rest of this entry »