. . . and We're Halfway There!

Again, the painful highlights from the night before, only in this week’s case, it’s all just lowlights and a couple of mediocre-lights. . .

Group sing – which for most of last night’s group may be the best they’ll ever sound. I’m a little sick and very sad watching these kids tonight. They all look so comfortable singing and dancing together tonight and last night’s show was so very dreadful. . .

Now here’s where the show needs to get creative. Something HAS to be done about the way they announce results. I mean, they’ve changed how they get to the Final 12. Now they need to get a team together and figure out how to refresh this part of the season. It’s got to change from: call down a contestant (or two or three or five), review what they sang the night before, what the judges thought and how the contestant feels about their performance, then give them the good or bad news. No matter how clever Ryan tries to be, it’s still old and tired.

So, Ryan calls Allison down to center stage. Hopefully she’s ready to take the first "go-through" spot tonight. Ryan runs through a quick review of last night’s performance.

Jessie is called down next. I’d also be okay if she were chosen to go through. Again a quick review.

Matt also gets a quick review of last night from Ryan.

Ryan announces that Allison will go on to the next show. Jessie and Matt are done and Allison repeats her performance from last night.

Megan and Kris are asked to come forward. Ryan reviews both of their performances and then asks Matt and Jeanine to come down. Again, a short review for both and, after more chit-chat, tells Jeanine that she’s going home, then quickly tells Matt he is also going home. Kris and Megan are made to wait through even more chit-chat and discussion until Ryan finally announces that Kris is going through to the Top 12 and Megan will be going home. Kris repeats his performance from last night.

An Idol retrospective of the show from the first season to the present is next, from the crowds at the various audition cities, to the best and the worst of the last seven plus seasons. Kind of makes me wish for the hokey Ford commercials!

Brooke White returns (oh joy) to sing "Hold Up My Heart", which she co-wrote. Kind of fitting to have American Idol’s original goodie two-shoes, Girl Scout’s performance coincide with Girl Scout cookie season. Evidently this is her first single --- I was not impressed, but then, I was never a Brooke fan. If I remember correctly, I couldn’t wait for her to get voted out.

Finally the show returns to what we really tuned in for: the rest of the results. Ryan calls Mishavonna, Kai, Nick, Adam, and Jasmine down to the stage.

He starts with Mishavonna, then moves on to Kai, then Jasmine, reviewing their song choices and asking them their opinion of how they think they did. Ryan quickly tells all three they are going home.
Nick and Adam are left on stage. Simon tells Ryan that he actually prayed the night before, obviously that Nick would NOT be voted on.

Ryan rehashes first Nick’s, then Adam’s performances, then quickly tells Nick that he’s going home and Adam is going on. Adam also repeats his performance from the night before.

So far this season, I’m two out of both weeks. Next week’s show may be the most difficult yet. OR it will be a repeat of the first show, when so many promising stars bombed.