American Idol - Results Night: 2/28/08

Only one more week until we are down to the Final 12 and the head-to-head can begin. I'm looking forward to that.

Paula was jealous of Ramiele's side swept asymmetric weirdness, and has emulated it tonight. I think that Ramiele pulls it off more successfully.

Another group sing. Who's excited????? Oooh, ooh, me, me!! Can you sense the sarcasm? on a positive note, I think that Michael Johns hit more notes in his solo in the beginning that he did the other night. Carly, Kristy, and Alexandrea sounded good, but wow, Amanda was a complete mess. The medley was almost as big a mess as Amanda. Almost. It just went from unrecognizable song to unrecognizable song with no clear transitions. I think possibly that was the worst medley arrangement I've ever heard on Idol. I only really knew "I Feel the Earth Move Under My Feet." I mean, granted, I'm no 70's music afficianado, but that was just awful. It worked to showcase almost no one (except perhaps Michael, Carly, and David A., who probably didn't really need the showcasing) and showed some other's limitations quite spectacularly (Amanda, I'm talking to you). Ugh.

Onto the meat of of the matter. Results. The producers felt it necessary to show David C. being regretful for his behavior with Simon. I'm a little happy for that, the remorse was good. Is it too late? Upon recap, I realize that the men really blew most of the women out of the water. I got chills seeing David A's recap. He is just so good.

Will Ryan ease them into the elimination this time, or just go for the quick kill? He has returned (at least for this ouster) to the more traditional method, which I think I prefer. I am kind of happy to see Jason Yeager out. He has an excellent voice, but he is just not pop to me. I think he would do very well to go try out on Broadway. Go make your son proud on stage, Jason Y. Maybe he could get a part in a future Top Secret: The Musical. They are making musicals of everything now, I bet it won't be long before that gem comes to the stage.

The next bootie is one of the girls. Notice that for the most part, they only showed the nice comments the judges had. Except for Amanda. Is that foreshadowing? Guess not right now. I am much more disappointed to see Alexandrea go than I would have been if it had been Asia'h. Or for heaven's sake, Amanda... Since she is in the back row, I wonder if she is safe this week. If she is, I am seeing Kady going next. I thought it was funny when Alexandrea called Ryan out for promising to bring her grandma out to California. She is a really funny girl. With a terrible song choice this week. Too bad. I wouldn't count her out for a good future. David A. was bawling over on the guy's side of the stage. That was sad. But - did anyone catch the odd little dance number that Asia'h was doing over on the Benches of Destiny during Alexandrea's exit song? She was bopping along, snapping or something, and she stopped as soon as the camera was on her. Odd. Maybe she bops when she's sad. Stranger things have happened. It's better than breaking into maniacal laughter or something.

Ryan pulled Kady and Alaina out as the next bottom two. I was totally shocked that Alaina is heading home (and so is Kady). That poor girl. I think she is absolutely gone before she was due. I felt so sad for her not thinking she can sing it out. Maybe America didn't think that there was room for two country-type blondes in the show this year, and after Kristy's proclamation about being all country last night, it was all over for poor Alaina. Despite her proclamations of not being able to sing, she ended up working it out pretty well. I am saddened. Never saw that coming.

New opening graphics coming? Oooh, and how fantastic - Ruben Studdard recorded a new exit song for the Top 12. Isn't that just fantastic? I guess American Idol felt bad to see a winner doing so poorly and decided to throw him a bone. I think the Velvet Teddybear saw how well Bad Day did when it was played ruthlessly, week after week, and wanted a piece of that action. It'll probably be played more times than Flying Without Wings, not that that's saying much. At this rate, next year's exit song will be a spastic offering by Taylor Hicks.

Onto the final boot of the night. And again, I am saddened. Robbie didn't deserve to go yet. Not at all. He needed to stop trying to be a rocker, and be what his voice dictated. My ears are not looking forward to more of Luke's thin falsetto next week. Boo. I am not as stunned as I was when Alaina was booted, because Robbie is just trying so hard to be something he's not, and that might have gotten on people's nerves.

So, I was half right about the men's results, and I did say that Alexandrea might be in trouble, but I never would have guessed that Alaina would be gone so soon. It's tough to see four people gone all at once. Almost brutal. Since (almost) no one is really painfully bad this year (Amanda could still redeem herself slightly, if she picks the right song, Luke - not so much), it is rougher to see people go. The potential is there in all of them.