Moviefone News Moviefone Copyright 2011, HuffingtonPost.com, Inc. Moviefone Good old fashioned elbow grease. <![CDATA['American Idol': Why Phillip Phillips And The White Guy With Guitar Trend Are Bad For Business]]> America crowned Phillip Phillips, the 21-year-old pawn shop worker from Georgia, as the latest "American Idol."

This should've come as a surprise to exactly no one, given that Phillip is now the fifth in an uninterrupted line of "White Guys With Guitars" who have snagged the coveted crown over the past few seasons. I was noting the bias towards "WGWG" way back in my recap of the Top 24 -- although in those halcyon days, I was foolishly giving the edge to Colton, just because he was more conventionally attractive (and more annoying), even going so far as to note: "He's white, male and can play an instrument, so he'll probably win." Close enough, right?

Clearly, I was discounting the sympathy votes Phil-Phil would earn for his kidney problems, but I did note that he had one of the stand-out performances in the first live round. I've enjoyed a number of his renditions over the course of the competition, but I haven't had a horse in this race since Elise Testone was eliminated, so I've been watching the season progress with an air of detached interest, wondering if Jessica might be the one to break the cycle. This show has always been a popularity contest more than a talent contest, with the attractive, marketable guys given an edge, even over superior voices. David Cook versus David Archuleta; Kris Allen versus Adam Lambert; Lee DeWyze versus Crystal Bowersox; Scotty McCreery versus Lauren Alaina, and now Phillip Phillips versus Jessica Sanchez; in most, if not all cases, the artists with superior range or technical ability lost out to an army of increasingly indistinguishable White Guys With Guitars, each (with the exception of country crooner Scotty McCreery) trading in the same inoffensive soft/alt-rock melodies that can easily get lost in an already crowded male marketplace.

Why is this an issue, you may ask? Why not let the excitable teenage girls (and the older women who should probably know better) have their fun and flood the phone lines with votes for these attractive, guitar-plucking fellas? Simply put, because those attractive, guitar-plucking fellas don't actually do that well once they've ventured out of "Idol's" protective embrace and are expected to sell albums under their own steam -- and that's a problem for "Idol" as much as for the winners themselves.

Not since Season 6's Jordin Sparks (the last female winner) has an "American Idol" champion won an American Music Award; not since Season 5's fourth-placed Chris Daughtry has an "Idol" contestant scored a Billboard Music Award; and not since Season 4's Carrie Underwood has an "Idol" won a Grammy. Scotty's doing well on the country side, with ACM and ACA wins, but the rest are lucky to have scraped up a Teen Choice surfboard on their way up the ladder. And while industry recognition isn't everything, it's getting a little pathetic to see "Idol" still trumpeting the achievements of Carrie Underwood and "Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson" because they haven't had a more recent homegrown star.

Last year, Season 9 winner Lee DeWyze was dropped from RCA records, which, until Season 9, had an exclusive option on the show's music releases, and is still home to a number of "Idol" winners and runners-up. The season before Lee's, Kris Allen was the first "Idol" winner who failed to achieve gold album status -- as of December 2011, his self-titled debut had only sold 329,000 copies -- while runner-up Adam Lambert's has sold 838,000 albums to date..

Not only are the show's winners losing their impact, "Idol" itself has seen its ratings slowly eroding over the past few seasons. As The New York Times noted on May 22:

"Idol" lost nearly a quarter of its audience this season (it is still huge), dipping below 20 million viewers for the first time since 2003, when a ratings surge made it the No. 1 entertainment program on American television. The drop-off was even more steep among viewers ages 18 to 49, the demographic mostly highly sought by the networks ... Last year, when "Idol" rebounded slightly from lows that were a record in 2010, a typical episode garnered 24.7 million viewers, excluding the finale week. Of those viewers, 10.8 million were between the ages of 18 and 49. Compare that with this year, when a typical episode has attracted about 19.2 million viewers, 7.5 million of whom are in that same demographic.


According to the Los Angeles Times, Tuesday's performance show was the "lowest-rated and least-watched performance finale ever," and while considering 14.4 million viewers "low" is a high-class problem for Fox to have, the overall trend signals trouble, if not imminent disaster.

We can't lay the blame solely at the feet of those innocuous WGWGs, since the primetime landscape has become increasingly littered with rivals. From NBC's Super Bowl-powered "The Voice," to ABC's newest offering, "Duets" (ironically starring "Idol's" first winner, Kelly Clarkson) one has to wonder if we've finally reached critical mass when it comes to talent competitions. Viewer fatigue aside, I still wonder whether those eyeballs would be less inclined to stray if every season of "Idol" wasn't so predictable. What will it take to dethrone the White Guys and their instrument of choice? Individuality and originality didn't help Crystal Bowersox, and powerhouse vocals didn't sway voters towards Jessica Sanchez, so what does a woman (or gay man, or person of color) have to do to wrest the title away from the crooning pretty boys?

It is perhaps more telling that "Idol's" nearest rivals, Simon Cowell's "The X Factor" and NBC's "Voice," don't seem to have the WGWG problem. "X Factor's" first winner, Melanie Amaro, was female, black and not insistent on strumming a guitar in every performance -- she shared far more vocal similarities with Jessica Sanchez (who is of Mexican-American and Filipino descent), preferring belting ballads over up-tempo numbers. "The Voice's" two winners, Javier Colon and Jermaine Paul, while comfortable with instruments, are both over 30 and non-white. Is it "Idol's" core demo -- those oft-derided teens and tweens who vote en-masse via text or online, but no longer buy CDs (and probably know all the tricks to illegally download music, if they're not already on Spotify) -- who are responsible for the show's obvious whitewashing and the contestants' subsequent chart failures?

The prejudice hasn't gone unnoticed across the blogosphere; a cursory search of HuffPost's archives immediately pulled up three posts on the subject, one for Lee DeWyze, one for Scotty McCreery and one for Phillip Phillips. What started out as a running joke has now grown legs and sprouted into a fully-fledged pattern of gender and racial bias, and since the other talent contests don't have the same issue, the onus is wholly on "Idol" to break the cycle.

But how? Last season, producers were reportedly considering "tweaking" the voting system to combat the favoritism towards the boys, after yet another female vocal powerhouse, Pia Toscano, was unexpectedly eliminated. Lest we forget, Jessica Sanchez only made it into the finals because of the Judges' Save -- she got the lowest number of votes on the April 12 results show, below Joshua Ledet and perennial Bottom Three fixture Elise Testone, and would've been chilling at home for the next month, were it not for Randy, Jennifer and Steven.

But tampering with the votes is hardly an ethical or effective solution; why allow viewers to vote at all unless you're going to heed their voices? "The X Factor" certainly courted controversy by allowing the judge-mentors to eliminate or save contestants every week after the public vote, but that system apparently works, since the judges had no input into the final results, and Melanie Amaro still wound up beating two WGWGs, Chris Rene and Josh Krajcik.

Regardless of how telegraphed last night's result might have been (down to the way runner-up Jessica Sanchez seemed to be handicapped out of the gate with her abysmal "winner's song"), it's still disappointing that talent continues to play second-fiddle to a pretty face or what color that pretty face happens to be. Surely teen girls should want to support one of their own: an untested 16-year-old who has dreamed of being an "Idol" contestant since she was 5 years old; someone who could serve as a role model, a potent reminder that youth and inexperience don't necessarily mean that you can't make your dreams a reality? But female empowerment falls by the wayside when there's eye-candy to admire, apparently.

It's common knowledge that "Idol" voters only have themselves to blame for their baffling (and sometimes tone-deaf) voting habits, but what sort of messages are we, as a society, sending to that core demographic to have these patterns so deeply embedded? Do we need to stop humming "Man in the Mirror" and switch to Hollie Cavanagh's "Reflection" instead? One way or another, we've got to make a change -- for our sake as much as "American Idol's."]]> Thu, 24 May 2012 08:47:29 EDT 1541360 <![CDATA['American Idol' Winner: Phillip Phillips Crowned Season 11 Champion]]> "American Idol" results show, we don't intend to keep you in suspense about the winner with two hours of filler. After 132 million votes cast last night (really, people?), the 11th winner of the juggernaut reality competition is ...

Phillip Phillips.

The White Guy With Guitar strikes again! Looks like that stereotypical streak on "American Idol" isn't being broken any time soon. Whatever else you might say about P-squared (and I fully expect you to in the comments section), the ladies seem to love him. He's got a radio-ready sound -- especially with his Mumford & Sons-esque winner's song, "Home" -- and he probably has the greatest chance of making an impact on the charts, as so many previous "American Idol" winners have failed to do.



Did he have the best vocals, an impressive range or the ability to work the stage? No. But that doesn't preclude him from being a successful artist, I suppose. He can at least play his own instruments and write his own songs, and he's had a firm grasp on his identity all season long, which certainly differentiated him from raw and malleable runner-up Jessica Sanchez. He's not the surprising choice, but perhaps he's the most logical choice, since "Idol" has always been a popularity contest more than a talent competition.

Both finalists have the talent (or at least the "right sound") needed to have successful careers, although I'll be interested to see how Phillip does under Jimmy Iovine, since he's seemed so anti-establishment, in terms of resisting the image and vocal makeovers the producers have been pushing on the contestants all season long. I actually think he might have benefited from escaping the show's gravitational pull if he hopes to be an original and distinctive artist (and Jessica probably could've used Jimmy's hand-holding), but time will tell.

I really had no horse in the race once Elise Testone was eliminated, and Phil-Phil's WGWG credentials paired with Jessica's diva belting made this a fairly obvious Final Two right from the start. That being said, I predicted Colton Dixon going further than he did, with Joshua Ledet potentially poised to steal an upset slot in the finale. But let's face it: Both Jessica and Phillip are ideal representatives of their chosen brands, and both would've had a future in the music industry regardless of the outcome.

The rest of the evening was populated with the usual musical filler, interspersed with embarrassing skits from the judges and inescapable Ford product placement. The Top 12 (sans Jermaine Jones, naturally) kicked things off with a shouty rendition of Bruno Mars' "Runaway Baby," presumably just to remind me how much I hate group numbers and hadn't really missed any of the other contestants.

Phillip did a duet with John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Have You Ever Seen The Rain" and "Bad Moon Rising," while Jessica paired with ... herself for another haunting rendition of "I Will Always Love You," perhaps as compensation for her horrible winner's song? Bronze medalist Joshua Ledet had the opportunity to sing with his personal idol (and former "Idol") Fantasia Barrino on "Take Me to the Pilot," which was every bit a screechy as you'd expect. Chaka Khan and the Top 6 ladies performed a medley of Khan's songs, while the guys (featuring far too much DeAndre Brackensick for my liking) took on a selection of Neil Diamond hits with Neil Diamond. Thrilling, no? No.

Rihanna, channeling Lady Gaga and sporting trippy fake deadlocks, gave a laser-powered performance of "Where Have You Been," and Skylar Laine got a chance to duet with Reba McEntire on "Turn on the Radio." And that was all in the first hour! Ugh.

The part of the "American Idol" finale I appreciated most was seeing the poor captive celebrities and "Idol" alums held at the mercy of Ryan Seacrest's microphone throughout the hour. Jane Lynch seemed admittedly thrilled by the Chaka Khan number, while Scotty McCreery looked fairly bored throughout. What a difference a year makes.

Perhaps the best skit of the night (since I refuse to include anything involving Steven Tyler and Playboy bunnies) came as a result of Randy Jackson's favorite compliment this season: All of the contestants were so good, they "could sing the phone book." Thus, we saw the Top 12 literally singing the phone book. It was a cute moment -- you probably had to be there.

The second hour kicked off with a double-performance from judge Jennifer Lopez, who energetically sang "Goin' In" and "Follow the Leader," with prerequisite rending of garments. (She tore her baggy top off to reveal a less baggy top ... it wasn't as exciting as it sounds.( Previous "Idol" cast-offs Diana DeGarmo (Season 3) and Ace Young (Season 5) are now dating, so of course they ended up on stage so that Ace could propose to Diana in front of millions of people who had entirely forgotten that they even existed. So romantic.



Then Hollie Cavanagh took to the stage for a rendition of "Never Walk Alone," whereupon she was joined by Jordin Sparks and a full choir. Joshua, Colton, DeAndre, Heejun and Jeremy (with an emphasis on Joshua) then performed a tribute to the Bee Gees in memory of Robin Gibb, which was a little overdramatic, in typical Joshua fashion, but also heartfelt.

Jessica wasn't cheated out of her celebrity duet after all, teaming with Jennifer Holliday for a rousing rendition of "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going," with Jennifer making more terrifying, distracting faces as she performed than Scotty McCreery and Phil-Phil combined. (If there aren't gifs all over the internet within 10 minutes of the show ending, we should just turn the whole thing off.) Snark aside, it really was spectacular, and Jessica's range and control are truly out of this world. It's hard to believe she's only 16 -- no matter how frequently the judges hammer it home -- on numbers like that, holding her own opposite a Broadway legend who would've blown most performers right off the stage.

Aerosmith closed out the show, with Steven Tyler generally behaving like he was on an acid trip while on stage (what else is new?) as the band cycled through a medley of hits. With only two minutes remaining in the show, Jessica and Phillip (sat on a stool -- perhaps because of his rumored health issues) sang "Up Where We Belong," because that entirely superfluous performance was far more meaningful than the rumored tribute to Donna Summer that the Top 6 girls were supposed to do.

And then, the results were announced, and Phillip took up his guitar for one last performance of "Home," struggling to fight back the tears.

Did the right person win "Idol," or were you rooting for Jessica Sanchez? Weigh in below!]]> Wed, 23 May 2012 22:07:51 EDT 1541110 <![CDATA['American Idol' Finale Recap: Jessica Sanchez And Phillip Phillips Perform Original Songs For The First Time]]> "American Idol" winner's career, and a fluff-stuffed, two-hour results show on Wednesday night, we will finally have our next champion. Will it be Jessica Sanchez, the 16-year-old prodigy from San Diego, or Phillip Phillips, the 21-year-old pawn shop worker from Leesburg? Or have you given up caring, because your favorite was already eliminated?

The final performance show of the season was staged in three rounds, with the two finalists each performing a song of producer Simon Fuller's choice; their favorite song of the season; and the song they'll release as their first single if they win the show. The judges waited to weigh in until the end of each round, and kept standing ovations to a minimum, for once.



Logic dictates that the show is Phillip's to lose, since he fits into the coveted "Idol" niche of Cute White Guy With A Guitar, the same as the show's last four winners. But he's also divisive, because he doesn't have a whole lot of range and his performances -- while far more distinctive than Jessica's -- have never been all that spectacular. He seems to have coasted through this season by being attractive, musically gifted, and possessing that bluesy, soft-rock, Dave Matthews style that plays very well on the radio. Will that be enough to earn him the title of Idol? That's debatable.

Jessica, on the other hand, has an impressive vocal range, a belting, powerhouse style comparable to any diva, and at 16, she's malleable but still marketable. But is she too malleable? While Phillip undeniably has his own identity as an artist, Jessica relies too much on imitating the artists she's covering. She rarely puts her own unique spin on a song or arrangement, and can manage to sound uncannily like Whitney Houston or Jennifer Hudson during her performances; but is imitation worthy of the top prize? Also debatable.

So, without further ado, let's get to the performances.

Jessica Sanchez
Simon Fuller's Choice: "I Have Nothing"
Given some of Jimmy Iovine's odd choices last week, I expected Simon Fuller to push the contestants out of their comfort zones this week, but a Whitney Houston number is firmly in Jessica's wheelhouse, and at this point, after weeks of returning to the Whitney well, we know she can do these big numbers in her sleep. Was it too much imitation and not enough personality? That's been a concern all season; no matter how beautiful her voice is, what is her first album going to sound like when she's not allowed to rely on what more experienced artists have already done? It was still flawless, just not unique, and I wish we'd had something with a bigger bang to open the show.

Phillip Phillips
Simon Fuller's Choice: "Stand By Me"
Phil-Phil is back behind his guitar, and this was another very comfortable choice. It's nice, easy listening, but it's surprisingly chill for a finale. He sounded pleasant, but I wouldn't buy his album. He seemed comfortable on stage, but his limited range just means it doesn't even feel like a competition at this point. But he's still the Cute White Guy With A Guitar, so I remain convinced he'll win, judging by the shallow voting patterns of the audience for the past few years. He did a good job, graveled and soulful, but if the first round is any indication, neither of the finalists have any intention of trying anything risky or bold this week -- they're clearly both relying on their established fanbases to bring them home.

The Judges: Jennifer Lopez pointed out that it's "a battle of the opposites, how do you compare?" Randy Jackson decided that Round One probably went to Jessica.

Jessica Sanchez
Artist's Choice: "The Prayer"
I won't lie, I had goosebumps from the opening notes. Jessica went a little overboard on the vibrato, as she's wont to do, but the tenderness in her voice was poignant and hauntingly beautiful. I liked it less once she hit the bridge and the musical accompaniment kicked up, but only marginally. The opening verse and chorus were gorgeously understated and really allowed her to showcase her range and impeccable control, and I think that a stripped-down arrangement would've served her better; but it was hard to find fault with any part of the performance. She had time to belt and hit some truly phenomenal grace notes, and in terms of technical ability, she can wipe the floor with Phillip. But as Jennifer pointed out, it's impossible to compare the two when their styles are so different; at this point, it will all come down to personal taste. I also appreciated that she was obviously emotionally affected by the song, with visible tears in her eyes as she ended, since that visceral connection is something that's been lacking in many of her performances.

Phillip Phillips
Artist's Choice: "Movin' Out"
Phillip made a few subtle changes to his earlier Billy Joel performance -- presumably to shift the focus toward his guitar playing -- which illustrates his admirable thoughtfulness when it comes to his craft, even if it failed to up the ante in terms of a powerhouse vocal. Despite his reported health issues, he seemed entirely comfortable on stage (although no more willing to move around than Jessica is), and the audience certainly seemed engaged. I'll admit, I didn't find "Movin' Out" all that electrifying the first time around, so it's probably not the repeat performance I'd have picked, but he sounded good on it, with no real surprises.

The Judges: Steven Tyler gave the second round to Jessica, while Jennifer gave it to Phillip. (I disagree.) Randy called it a draw, just to be diplomatic.

Jessica Sanchez
Potential Winning Single: "Change Nothing"
Good god, what an awful song (as the winner's singles generally are). It further proves that Jessica will likely struggle far more than Phillip if she wins, at least in terms of finding her niche in the industry and material worthy of her gigantic range. She doesn't appear to be a natural songwriter, so she'll be relying on the Jimmy Iovine brain-trust, and since he clearly screwed her with "Change Nothing," I'm dubious that her debut album as a whole would be much better. Still, she did the best with what she was given, and despite a few sharp notes here and there, she once again demonstrated her ability and confidence, blasting out the high notes just like Jennifer Hudson would.

The Judges: Thankfully, none of them liked the song either; Randy praised Jessica for bringing the track to life, but lamented that she wasn't given something more urban that showed her "Beyoncé swagger." Jennifer agreed, noting that Jessica "sang the song really well" but wished it had more of a soul and blues influence than a plain pop ballad. She also (wisely) urged Jessica to make sure that she asserts herself when the 16-year-old records her first album: "Everything has to be you, Jessica." Steven didn't think it was "the proper song for [Jessica] to sing with the voice and the places [Jessica has] taken the world before this." So thanks for nothing, Jimmy.

Phillip Phillips
Potential Winning Single: "Home"
I didn't love the beginning; Phillip was a little pitchy in the first verse, but the song was much more suited for his voice and identity than Jessica's was. He hit his stride by the chorus -- aside from the bizarre marching band wandering across the stage behind him -- and Phillip seemed totally comfortable with the number, unlike Jessica. His song was immediately radio-worthy. It's entirely possible that P.P. won the entire contest on the strength of that one track, while Jessica was stuck with (deliberate?) mediocrity, which is kind of appalling, isn't it?

The Judges: All three were on their feet, making the night's only standing ovation, so, there's that. Randy was in full-on gush mode, bellowing, "I loved the song, I loved you, I loved the production -- everything about that was perfect." Jennifer insisted, "It was so different ... It's a Phillip Phillips song and there's nothing on the radio that sounds like that." Steven was excited enough to wander off into incoherence again: "By virtue of your vulnerability and style, you have made the world your home. You were perfect tonight and I think you are the man." Round Three to Phil-Phil, then.

Who was your favorite performer of the night, and did Jessica's lackluster final song have you calling foul when compared with Phillip's home run? Weigh in with your predictions for tomorrow's results show below!

The winner of "American Idol" Season 11 will be revealed in the results finale show on Wednesday, May 23 at 8 p.m. ET on Fox.]]> Tue, 22 May 2012 22:23:43 EDT 1537857 <![CDATA['Supernatural' Finale Recap: Who Made It Out Alive In 'Survival Of The Fittest'?]]> Note: Do not read on if you have not seen Season 7, Episode 23 of The CW's "Supernatural," entitled "Survival of the Fittest."

Reviewing a season finale is very different from reviewing a singular episode, and "Supernatural" finales are more challenging than most. The end of a season has to tie up loose story threads from the episodes preceding it, while still leaving enough dangling to create a compelling jumping off point for next year. Thankfully, despite a few (okay, more than a few) lackluster episodes this season, I think that the finale managed to course-correct in a way that makes me truly optimistic for Season 8. The last couple of episodes didn't build up much momentum going into the closer, in comparison with the stellar runs at the end of Seasons 1, 2, 4 and 5, but a finale still needs to stand on its own merits, and against the odds, I felt like "Survival of the Fittest" did so.

I think that my main criticism with Season 7 as a whole -- and, in hindsight, with Season 6 too -- was an overall lack of focus. The ideas behind the Leviathans and Eve were good in theory, but in practice, there seemed to be too many standalone episodes to create a truly cohesive through-line from premiere to finale. When a season works as a whole, there need to be multiple unmissable episodes which deepen the mythology and drive the story forward, and looking back at Season 7, I feel like we could've watched the first two episodes of the season, "How To Win Friends and Influence Monsters," "Reading is Fundamental" and "Survival of the Fittest," ignored the rest, and still gotten the overall gist of the story.

I'm not sure if that was because of internal concerns that the Leviathans weren't interesting enough to be the focal point of more episodes, or because the monster of the week stories just didn't feel fresh or exciting enough (though I did enjoy "The Mentalists" and "Time After Time") -- but aside from Robbie Thompson, Sera Gamble and Ben Edlund, a number of writers seemed to struggle with pacing issues in their stories this year, with episodes either dragging in the middle or ending abruptly.

Although this sounds like a criticism of Gamble, I don't really mean it as one; I think that any showrunner (perhaps even Eric Kripke) would've struggled to conceptualize a new arc for Season 6 after the original five-year story came to a close, especially since no-one knew at that point whether the show would be back for a seventh year. For a series as heavily serialized as "Supernatural," conceiving two self-contained story arcs for the past two years must have been a herculean feat, so in many ways, I don't blame the writers for having difficulties in making Seasons 6 and 7 coherent.

The transition between Season 7 and Season 8 could prove equally challenging, since the series is once again changing showrunners, with Sera Gamble (who has written for the show since its first year) handing the reins to Jeremy Carver, who was with "Supernatural" from Seasons 3-5 before departing to launch the U.S. version of "Being Human" with his wife, Anna Fricke. I mourned the loss of Carver almost as much as I mourned the loss of Eric Kripke at the time, because I don't believe there is a single writer who grasped Sam and Dean's voices with as much style and confidence as he did, short of Kripke himself (alright, and Ben Edlund).

And while Kripke knew Sam and Dean, Carver knew story -- so many of his episodes remain my all-time favorites: "A Very Supernatural Christmas," "Mystery Spot," "In The Beginning," "Free To Be You And Me" and "The Point of No Return," to name a few. They weren't just well-written in terms of character, they were well-structured, too. Having a clearly defined beginning, middle and an end, and a coherent sense of pacing, is something that "Supernatural" has struggled with more noticeably in the past two seasons than it did in its first five years. I don't know whether that sense of cohesion was due to Kripke's influence or the product of a more experienced writing staff, but I'm hoping that Season 8 can recapture the lightning in a bottle that I haven't truly felt from "Supernatural" since Season 4.

So, enough waffling about the backstory; let's discuss "Survival of the Fittest." I'll admit, I never really connected to the Leviathans as adversaries after they left Castiel; I grew to appreciate Dick's smarmy corporate exterior, but I never felt that sense of dread or intimidation that I got from Azazel, Lilith or Lucifer. I suppose it's because those villains felt so otherworldly, so unconcerned with the trivialities of humanity, whereas Dick, by design, was a mirror of mankind's corporate greed and the soulless march of capitalism. We instinctively fear the unknown, the unfamiliar, but Dick and his cronies were all too familiar to us, because those one-percenter values (or lack thereof) are currently being parroted back at us from the campaign trail on a weekly basis. A few of us might want to punch certain political figures in the face, and some of their opinions may instill a sense of dread in us, but it's not really apocalyptic dread, is it?

It also doesn't help that Dick was focused on humanity as a whole, while the Winchesters' previous adversaries were focused on them (as any good TV villain should be). We're not watching the "random dude in Iowa eating a turducken sandwich" show, we're watching the Sam and Dean show, so the Leviathans viewing the Winchesters as an obstacle rather than the goal undeniably lowered the stakes for me. Sure, the Leviathans wanted to squash the boys like bugs, but how is that different from any other Monster Of The Week they've had to face? I get that the writers wanted to give the boys another global challenge, to somehow up the ante from Lucifer however they could, but there's no denying that Azazel, Lilith and Lucifer worked in large part because they were focused on the boys (or, really, on Sam) and personal stakes are so much more compelling than universal ones. That's another area where Eve and her "turn humans into monsters" plan fell down, although Season 6's issues were more widespread than simply having a disappointing villain.

Because of that, as fond as I'd grown of Dick's snarkiness (and lord knows I would've been content to watch an hour of Dick and Crowley bantering) I was glad that Dean managed to take Dick down in the finale. They didn't outright destroy all of the Leviathans, so they can still present a challenge next season, but I felt that their endgame had run its course. The beauty of this finale -- especially this ending -- is that it's truly impossible to predict where the show might go from here, so we can spend the summer in rapturous speculation.

The Leviathans didn't work for me, but seeing them gone did, and so did most of the rest of the finale. I voiced my advanced enthusiasm for this week's episode in large part because it promised to utilize all of our favorite players -- Bobby, Castiel, Crowley and Meg -- and it delivered on that front. The episode was a fitting exit for Sera Gamble, who has always had a great grasp of Crowley's particular brand of wit, and all of the scenes involving the boys and Castiel, Meg and/or Crowley crackled with energy.

It's clear that the writers have been getting a lot of mileage out of Castiel's current lack of marbles, and Misha Collins did an excellent job delivering some truly bizarre lines. His fascination with board games -- Twister in particular -- was thoroughly enjoyable, and while I'm a little disappointed that we missed out on seeing the angel appear naked on Dean's car covered in bees, the mental image alone has a fair amount of value. I'm well aware that Castiel is a divisive character, so I'm sure there are some fans who dislike the fact that Dean and Castiel got zapped into purgatory without Sam, but to me, it's a good idea from both a creative and technical standpoint.

We might like to ignore this fact when we're selfishly enjoying one of our favorite shows, but Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles are pretty much the only actors on TV who don't have a full-time supporting cast to lighten their filming load. Padalecki has recently become a father, and I can attest from set visits that "Supernatural" is one of the most labor-intensive shows to film, in terms of the cast and crew's working hours, night shoots, stunts and special effects. The fact that these actors have managed seven years with practically no time off without having a meltdown is somewhat miraculous to me, and yet Ackles and Padalecki are still just as passionate and invested in the show as they were at the start. Splitting Sam and Dean up, as much as some fans may hate it, allows these hard working dudes a couple of extra days off a week to spend with their families, and if that keeps them from getting burned out and makes them more inclined to keep making the show for another couple of seasons, I'm all for it.

And from a creative standpoint: I've been with this show since the pilot in 2005, I adore the Sam and Dean dynamic and am wholly aware that the relationship between the brothers is the biggest part of "Supernatural's" success. But they've been together for seven years now, and there are only so many ways to tell that fraternal story without retreading old ground (some fans feel we've already retrod old ground a couple of times as it is). The fact of the matter is, adding new characters -- whether it's Jo and Ellen, Ruby and Bela, Bobby and Rufus or Castiel and Gabriel -- allow us to see Sam and Dean from new perspectives; they bring out new sides to the boys and force them to react in different ways than they'd react to each other.

We've seen Sam and Dean in sticky situations for years now, and we know how they respond when they're up the creek without a paddle, but we've yet to see how Dean and Castiel would react to being stuck in a foxhole together, or how Sam truly functions as Sam (as opposed to the diet, soulless version of Sam we saw in Season 6) without his brother. I, for one, am eager to see how Sam goes about rescuing Dean from purgatory now that no demons want to make a deal with him, and I want to see Dean tied back into the mythology the way he hasn't been since Season 4 -- not just as Sam's protector, but as someone who drives the mythology forward by acting instead of reacting (or drinking). The actors have recently expressed their desire to see Sam and Dean separated or old cast-members returned in various interviews, not because they hate each other, but because they want to explore new facets of characters that they've been playing for over half a decade. I think it's natural and I think the writers should be applauded for taking that risk. I highly doubt that any real separation would go on beyond a couple of episodes anyway, but if it means shaking up the status quo and offering a new perspective on such beloved characters, I'd say it's a worthwhile experiment.

That's not to say that things couldn't go wrong -- since every time Sam is left to his own devices he seems to end up chugging demon blood or cozying up to sociopaths like Grandpa Campbell, and in that way, the season finale also found itself retreading old ground. Will Dean's sojourn to purgatory be like his trip to hell at the end of Season 3? Time will tell, but Carver has a great track record with these characters so I'm more than willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

I was surprised (and pleased) that the episode chose to dispatch Bobby with comparatively little fanfare. Obviously, the character's first and greatest farewell, in "Death's Door," should be his enduring legacy, but I was expecting the episode to make more of a meal over Bobby descending into darkness. I'm glad Gamble didn't go that route, though -- having Bobby leave on his own terms was a fitting and poignant resolution, perfectly played by Jim Beaver and in-keeping with the character. I think it was entirely reasonable for Bobby to refuse to let the boys go (and thereby avoid dying on the Reaper's terms) and for him to later nobly decide that he needed to leave before he ended up hurting someone and becoming the thing he once hunted.

It was nice that Sam got that moment with Bobby -- and I thought it nicely mirrored the Season 1 finale, "Devil's Trap," when Dean was being attacked by Azazel in John's body, before his father reasserted himself to avoid causing his son any further pain. Sam hasn't had many moments like that with Bobby, so it was satisfying that he got at least one, allowing Bobby to illustrate his love for Sam before the older hunter said farewell. I also appreciated the decision not to show Bobby's spirit burning up; the moment was far more resonant simply from witnessing Sam and Dean's reactions, because Bobby isn't some monster that we should relish seeing disintegrated. A part of me does feel like "Death's Door" should have been the character's last appearance, but I adore Jim Beaver so much that I was happy to take a little extra time, especially since the writers avoided compromising the integrity of the character.

And how fantastic was it to see the return of the Impala, triumphantly set to Steppenwolf's "Born to Be Wild?" Absence certainly makes the heart grow fonder, and I just hope we'll never have to be without Dean's "baby" for such a long time again. I'm surprised he trusted Meg with it, though, even though she was playing the distraction. I don't love Rachel Miner's portrayal half as much as I adored Nicki Aycox's (Aycox had a lot more subtlety) but I'm still intrigued to see what Crowley has planned for her. Whatever it is, I hope when we next see Meg, we'll see the Meg of the first two seasons, motivation-wise; it's hard to reconcile the demon who possessed Sam and went on a killing and torture spree in the phenomenal "Born Under a Bad Sign" with the character we've seen in the past couple of years, and I'm far more enamored of the evil version.

I loved the pacing, the wit and the focus of "Survival of the Fittest," but I did have two complaints: first, the bizarre and, frankly, disturbing decision to make Polly the hapless human guinea pig take off her dress before Dick stuck her with the toxin -- it was narratively unnecessary and distractingly gratuitous, especially considering the episode was written by a woman. Second, the inclusion of Kevin the Prophet. Despite the racial stereotyping, I've actually enjoyed Kevin as a character and I'm looking forward to see what the writers do with him next season, but I have to admit, he's seemed a little extraneous since "Reading is Fundamental." Once he translated the stone tablet, why was he useful to Dick? And why was he useful enough for Crowley to capture him? He didn't get to accomplish much this week or last, and Crowley's nabbing of him seemed abrupt. I wish the writers had found another way to decipher the Word of God (couldn't Cas have done it?) so that the prophet wasn't necessary at all -- better to never introduce him than to just have him present for the sake of it. I'm sure the writers will find a way to tie him into Season 8 in a more meaningful way, but it still felt sloppy in an otherwise tightly-plotted hour.

When "Supernatural" episodes are at their finest, the hour seems to fly by, and that was the case with "Survival of the Fittest." It was an engaging and tense hour from start to finish, with satisfying pay-offs for those of us that enjoy Castiel's inclusion in the story; a delicious return for Mark Sheppard, who can chew scenery in his sleep and steal scenes with the mere quirk of an eyebrow; and a suitably messy send-off for Dick. I love the idea of purgatory as some wild, uncharted forest, full of vanquished monsters that are probably eager to exact revenge on Dean, and I'm intrigued to see how much further Carver will explore that untapped resource next season -- hopefully allowing Sam and Dean to grow individually so that they'll have fresh, unique dynamics to explore once they're reunited. And, to close, I'd like to thank Sera Gamble for seven years of hard work and passionate writing, and congratulate the talented Jeremy Carver for getting the chance to continue Sam and Dean's inspiring journey -- I'll certainly be along for the ride.

What did you think of "Supernatural's" Season 7 finale? Were you pleased by the show's shocking cliffhanger? Saddened to see Bobby go? Share your reactions and predictions for next season below!

"Supernatural" returns in the fall with Season 8 on Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET on The CW.]]> Fri, 18 May 2012 22:13:46 EDT 1529090 <![CDATA['Nikita' Finale Recap: Deaths And New Life In 'Homecoming']]> Note: Do not read on if you have not seen Season 2, Episode 23 of The CW's "Nikita," entitled "Homecoming."

It's been a revelatory season for The CW's "Nikita." This year, the show shed the last vestiges of its procedural beginnings and wholeheartedly embraced its compelling mythology, drawing fans deeper into Percival Rose's treacherous web of politics and bloodshed, keeping our heroes on the run, outgunned, but never quite outmatched. We've seen allies become enemies, Oversight dismantled, Zetrov returned to safe hands, Amanda deposed and finally, Percy fallen once and for all.

It's easy to forget, in the halcyon glow of the show's renewal, that this episode could easily have been "Nikita's" series finale -- would you have been satisfied if it had been? From a storytelling standpoint, the narrative truly has come full-circle; this season has been focused on the concept of "home," and as both Nikita and Percy pointed out in this episode, Division is the only home Nikita has ever known.

"I grew up here, I learned right from wrong here, and I fell in love here," our heroine pointed out, effectively scuttling Michael's plans for retirement on a desert island, but also embracing the idea that Division had a hand in shaping her into the honorable, powerful woman she is today.

Yes, Division took away her life, but it also inadvertently provided her with a new one, with a destiny that's far more important than the one she left behind. Nikita was on Death Row, she was an addict with no friends and no future, and so -- in ways she's probably reluctant to acknowledge -- Percy's twisted agenda changed her life for the better, albeit by making her suffer through the worst. That doesn't excuse what he forced her and the other recruits to do over the course of their careers, of course, but it's a silver lining to one man's depraved cloud.

Just as last year's finale brought all of the seemingly disparate elements from Season 1 together to reveal the extent of Percy's Machiavellian scheming, this season's closer beautifully wove the threads of Nikita's Season 2 journey into a cohesive tapestry, illustrating that, in the end, running Division was not only the obvious choice, it was the only real choice for Team Nikita to make.

From Nikita's mentor, Carla, and the faith she had in the idea of Division as a place for rehabilitation and second chances, to Owen and his belief that Nikita's unique skill-set should be used for protection as much as aggression, Nikita's path this year has been inexorably leading her towards this outcome.

In our recent interview, Shane West pointed out that "Team Nikita has been put together for a reason," and clearly, that reason was to force Nikita into a leadership role that she never would've chosen on her own; to help her realize that she is capable of taking command without abusing that position of power, and to prove that, in learning to trust others and let her loved ones in, she's no longer making decisions for everyone else -- she's allowing them to demonstrate their faith in her by risking their own lives for her cause.

Alex, Sean, Ryan, Birkhoff, even Michael, all could've walked away from her at many points this season, but they stayed because they believed in Nikita and her ability to know right from wrong and to make hard choices without ever sacrificing innocent lives. Division truly has a chance to fulfill Carla's original aspirations for it with Nikita, Michael and Ryan at the helm, and I'm glad that the writers chose restoration over destruction when it came to solving the problem of Division and all of the equally helpless recruits that Percy and Amanda manipulated over the years.

The outcome of "Homecoming" was just another illustration of the grace that Nikita never could've discovered without going through everything she had to endure this season: almost losing Michael, Birkhoff and Ryan; actually losing Carla; being betrayed and manipulated by Percy and the man she had hoped was her father; facing Amanda and her own darkness after being captured by Brandt -- all instances of our heroine being thrust into the fire again and again, forging her into the person that Division truly needed to lead it.

While it was bittersweet to see Percy and Roan die (and aren't you impressed by all of the cast's misdirection in teasing the show's deaths?), their stories have run their course. As integral as Percy has been to "Nikita's" story for the past two years -- and as phenomenal as Xander Berkeley has been in playing such a memorable and formidable villain -- Nikita (both the woman and the show) need to evolve. It would have undermined Nikita's strength to have such a major adversary remain on the board after everything he's done to her, especially with Amanda still at large. I also assume that the enigmatic "Group" that Percy was trying to get into will feature heavily next season, so there are still plenty of battles for our heroes to fight. Having Percy end up back in his glass prison was a poetic touch, and I loved the image of him falling through the glass, shot from below -- one of many fascinating visual flourishes from director Eagle Egilsson in "Homecoming."

I loved that, in typically Percy fashion, he managed to turn the tables and force Nikita to work with him one last time in escaping Division -- the pair have such a dynamic, antagonistic rapport that it served as a fitting send-off for an iconic character. I'm sure that one of his final lines -- "I brought you into this world, I can take you out of it" -- will keep conspiracy theorists speculating whether he truly was Nikita's birth father, as some suspect. It was also surprisingly touching to see just how affected Roan was by his commander's demise, and I'm glad that he got to go out with a bang (literally) following another stunning fight scene with Alex and Sean.

I was especially pleased with the way writer Carlos Coto toyed with the audience's expectations during the episode. From the outset -- with Sean's attempts to ask Alex out on a real date -- those endearing emotional beats seemed to be positioning Sean as one of the episode's casualties, building up to the possibility of a tragic demise that would serve to motivate Alex next season. There was an undercurrent of tension in all of the pair's scenes together as the possibility of his death loomed -- further played up by Coto's decision to have Alex and Sean split up, to go against every horror movie scenario ever committed to celluloid. Even in their joint fight with Roan, Sean seemed poised to go out in a blaze of glory, defending the woman he loved before tragically dying in her arms. The fact that Coto so knowingly subverted that classic action trope only made the episode more delicious, even if it came at the expense of Roan. And Alex continued the trend of getting her arm broken during dramatic fight scenes; was that the same arm that Nikita broke at the beginning of the season, continuity buffs?

While the episode undoubtedly placed Nikita in a leadership role, it did the same for Ryan, and now that Noah Bean is officially a regular next season, it will be interesting to see how the dynamic evolves between him and Nikita. We saw the mild-mannered analyst truly stepping up to the plate this week; he effortlessly took command of Team Nikita early in the episode, directing Birkhoff and Alex and Sean in their tasks while Nikita and Michael took care of Division. As the team's only trustworthy link to the government left, I'm intrigued to see how Ryan will adjust to straddling the line between answering to the president and looking after Team Nikita's interests.

I was also pleased to see Michael interacting with the Division agents he'd trained when he and Nikita stormed the castle -- even as an "outsider," it was obvious that he found it easy to fall back into old authoritative habits, and Shane West perfectly portrayed Michael's confidence and resolve once he was back on the home field. I wonder if he'll be back to wearing a power suit when we see him next. We had a brief, obscured moment of friction between Michael and Ryan when they were debating Division's future, so I'm curious to see if that will continue next year. When we spoke, West also pointed out that their new living situation is ripe with possibilities for conflict between Nikita and Michael: "They're different; Michael's very conservative and Nikita's very liberal ... When you see how it ends and what their current destiny is going to be, they're going to have different opinions on how to handle the situation." Whether that means trouble for "Mikita," we'll have to wait and see.

Even though she was the show's calm, steely center last season, I think Maggie Q has truly come into her own in Season 2, and it's clear that episodes like the phenomenal "Wrath" have given her new confidence in portraying Nikita, just as the character herself seemed to reach a new level of self-possession after the events of that episode. She has such admirable poise now, clearly buoyed by the support of her team, that I can't wait to see how the character faces next season's challenges. But as thrilling as her rousing speech to the Division personnel was, I think my favorite moment of the episode was her quiet, sunset conversation with Michael regarding their future. It was an understated, but heartfelt moment between two characters who have suffered more than their fair share of heartbreak, and I was impressed by the understated, but potent emotion on Q's face.

That segued into Birkhoff finally getting some action with Sonya (and a welcome cameo from showrunner Craig Silverstein, who could be spotted talking to Ryan in the background) before Nikita effectively ruined yet another romantic moment between Sean and Alex, who really do need to have a proper date over the summer.

Having the finale end where the show began, with Nikita and Alex steeling themselves to change the course of Division's destiny all over again, proved a fitting punctuation mark, while still leaving the door open for more thrilling adventures next season. I, for one, can't wait to see where "Nikita" takes us next.

What did you think of "Homecoming"? Were you glad to see Percy and Roan exit while Team Nikita got to fight on for another day? Share your reactions and predictions for Season 3 below!

"Nikita" returns in the fall with Season 3 on Fridays at 9 p.m. ET on The CW.]]> Fri, 18 May 2012 21:00:00 EDT 1527399 <![CDATA['American Idol' Elimination Recap: Who Are The Final Two?]]> var src_url="http://pshared.5min.com/Scripts/PlayerSeed.js?height=315&width=600&sid=577&videoGroupID=138596&relatedNumOfResults=100&relatedMode=2&relatedBottomHeight=60&companionPos=&hasCompanion=false&autoStart=false&colorPallet=%23FFEB00&vcdBgColor=%23191919&shuffle=0&continuous=true"; if (typeof(commercial_video) == "object") { src_url += "&amp;siteSection="+commercial_video.site_and_category; if (commercial_video.package) { src_url += "&amp;sponsorship="+commercial_video.package; } } document.write('');


With only one week until the next "American Idol" winner is crowned, the field was wide open during the final elimination show. In my mind, there were two deserving competitors and two marketable competitors, and the pairs were not necessarily the same. I'll leave it to you to decide which of the three remaining singers fit those categories.

Regardless, three had to become two, so without further ado: The last contestant to be eliminated before the finale was ...

Joshua Ledet.

My marketable pair won out! I'm mostly just stoked to have a girl in the finale again. If we're judging by pure vocal talent, Jessica should be a lock, but can she break the four-year winning streak of white guys with guitars? We'll find out next week, after saying goodbye to "the most exciting showman we have in the contest right now," as Jimmy Iovine dubbed Joshua.

The rest of the night was padded by the usual guest performances, this time from previous "Idol" runner-up Adam Lambert and (bafflingly) Lisa Marie Presley. The final three also performed "Got To Get You Into My Life" by The Beatles for their group number, and now that the herd has been culled, the contestants actually sounded pretty good together, for once. We also had a tedious extended promo for the latest "Ice Age" movie, and a Ford music video in the style of a silent movie (though sadly, not literally silent).

Do you think the right contestant went home tonight? Do you think Jessica or Phillip will win next week? Share your predictions below!

"American Idol" airs Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on Fox.]]> Thu, 17 May 2012 20:04:37 EDT 1526087 <![CDATA['American Idol' Recap: The Final Three Perform]]> American Idol" will crown its latest champion, and any one of the three remaining contestants could feasibly be standing in the spotlight, being showered with confetti and force-fed a song they probably never would've chosen to sing under any other circumstances.

Many (myself included) would say that Joshua Ledet, Jessica Sanchez and Phillip Phillips were the show's frontrunners right from the start -- perhaps along with Colton Dixon, if only because he's attractive and reasonably talented as both a musician and vocalist -- so the field is wide open as we reach the home stretch.

I gave up on being invested in the outcome of an "Idol" season the year that the phenomenally talented Adam Lambert lost to the pretty-but-bland Kris Allen, so I honestly have no horse in this race. I will say that Phillip Phillips seems to be the most marketable (as another pretty white boy with a guitar), while Jessica probably has the most malleable crossover appeal. Joshua will appeal to a very specific demographic, but his gospel-inspired warbling, while impressive, is not the sort of voice I would want to listen to over the course of an album. I guess that's my way of saying I'd prefer Jessica to win (not least of all because we've had a four-year run of dull, white boy winners) but that if I had to bet, I'd bet on Phillip -- especially since he's the only remaining competitor who has never been in the bottom three. Then again, seeing the way Joshua packed an arena during his hometown visit, maybe it's unwise to count him out entirely.



This week, the final three had to perform three songs apiece; one of their choosing, one that the judges picked, and one from Jimmy Iovine.

Joshua Ledet
"I'd Rather Go Blind"
I'm often of two minds about Joshua -- he makes many songs look effortless, but at the same time, his performances are still so calculated. I would love to see him get lost in the music instead of being so polished, since every run he hits has a rehearsed quality instead of feeling spontaneous and heartfelt. But between his graveled depths and crystal clear high notes, it's hard to fault him for this retro performance, chosen for him by the judges. My only complaint (perhaps more of a reflection on me than him) is that I always feel exhausted listening to him, which is both a positive and a negative in terms of how well the record label will be able to market his voice.

The judges gave Joshua yet another standing ovation to add to the pile (though Jennifer was a little slower to stand than the other two). Steven called it "another Joshua moment" and told him that "there's only one American Idol, and you sang like that one tonight." Jennifer told him that she loves that he's such a throwback singer, and that he "brought down the house again," while Randy called him a "classic stylist."

"Imagine"
The John Lennon classic was Joshua's own pick, but I liked this less -- being forced to go slow and understated doesn't suit him. The song's arrangement doesn't really leave much room for runs and vibrato, but that didn't stop the singer from inserting them regardless, which seemed to mess up the timing and make things feel alternately rushed or delayed in spots, where the accompaniment had been drawn out to allow time for him to ad-lib. Sometimes a song just needs to be sung, not SANG, and I think Joshua was veering a little towards self-indulgence in a song that's effective, in large part, because it's so simple.

No standing ovation this time around. Steven still called it "beautiful" and said it was a "thank you, god" moment. Jennifer praised his performance qualities and the way he digs deep into songs, seeming to get a little tearful when noting his "vulnerability" and "strength." Randy agreed that he digs deep into the meaning of songs and called it a "stellar performance."

"No More Drama"
Jimmy Iovine's choice seemed like an attempt to drag Joshua kicking and screaming (literally) into today's music industry, but all it really served to do was prove that Joshua isn't all that good at contemporary songs. The first half of the rendition felt uneven and out of Joshua's comfort zone -- probably the point -- and I didn't feel as though he was really connecting to the lyrics until he got to the latter half and started letting loose, scatting and growling and ad-libbing the way he does best. This was actually a demonstration of Joshua finally letting go, and while it was vocally impressive, it's a pity that it came with such a tonally dissonant song. Were there really no modern artists who fit him better than Mary J. Blige?

Randy said, "it doesn't matter what you do, what you sing, you have laid everything on this stage that there is to lay, people should just stand up and vote for you anyway." No favoritism, huh? Jennifer really approved of him taking off his jacket. Steven called it "over the top."

Jessica Sanchez
"My All"
The judges didn't pull their punches with Jessica, choosing a nightmarish Mariah Carey number for her to sink her teeth into, but the 16-year-old acquitted herself admirably with a technically astonishing performance. It's rare for an artist to have such control of both their upper and lower registers, let alone the ability to transition so effortlessly between the two, but Jessica's voice truly is on another level. It wasn't a perfect rendition, since her enunciation needed work in the first verse and she lost control of the pitch on her high notes towards the end, but considering what a challenging song it is, I thought it was an amazing feat. I wish the judges had gone a little easier on her and given her something that she didn't have to think so hard about, because she was concentrating so much on the difficulty of the trills and adding vibrato that she didn't really have a chance to relax, and it showed.

Randy -- who is always eager to remind us that Mariah is "my girl," called it "one of the best times a Mariah song has ever been performed on TV." Jennifer noted her difficulties in the middle, but praised her for doing the song beautifully and in her own way. Steven predicted, "you'll be the last one standing here, I believe."

"I Don't Want To Miss A Thing"
Jessica chose one of the most ubiquitous Aerosmith songs in the catalog when she was given free rein, probably to suck up to Steven Tyler in a way that was wholly unnecessary, since she's the last pretty young thing left in the competition anyway. The beginning was awkward for me, since the key seemed to be too low for her, but once she hit the chorus and had the opportunity to open up her voice and belt, she got back into her comfort zone. The ending was perfect, quietly tender before launching back up into the stratosphere. She broke a little on the last note, which is rare, but it's kind of nice to see a little crack in the flawless facade once in a while.



Steven gave her a standing ovation and insisted, "you just took a great song and made it greater," while Jennifer said "that note at the end sent everybody into the heavens." Really, Jennifer, the one note she messed up? Randy said that he was "waiting on a big moment, and you delivered."

"I'll Be There"
Jimmy Iovine gave Jessica another Mariah song, albeit one that was first performed by the Jackson 5. It's firmly in her wheelhouse, although she seemed to be out of time at the start and I was jarred by the key change after the first verse, especially since her lower register tends to be shakier than her belting high notes. I appreciated the soft and tender moments in the middle, but this performance didn't set the stage on fire and it didn't have the impact or heart of some of her standout performances.

Steven called it a "perfect song, perfect voice," as well as being "delicious." Jennifer thought it was a good choice and praised her "perfect tone." Randy, wisely "liked it OK" but didn't love it. He felt like she needed a "moment moment," that didn't quite come.

Phillip Phillips
"Beggin'"
The judges supposedly chose this song to allow Phillip to show his melodic side, so of course, he had to mess with the melody. I appreciated the gorgeous acoustic start before the percussion kicked in, graduating to something rocky and bluesy that seemed to have the whole audience engaged. He's very good at what he does, with lots of personality, even if he doesn't have an iota of the range that Joshua and Jessica have. I still respect that he has a clear idea of who he is as an artist and refuses to stray from it, and judging from the crowd's reaction at the end, who he is will sell. I also dug the abrupt ending, and the fact that Phillip allows himself to truly have fun with his performances without getting so caught up in the polished perfection of it all.

Steven loved the performance and expressed hope that Phillip will write his own songs in the future, "because you could be a new Springsteen." Jennifer loved that he changed up the melody and that he catches his own groove in songs. "You are who you are and we love it," Randy enthused.

"Disease"
Phillip chose one of my favorite Matchbox 20 songs for his second performance, and it's another good choice for his voice. He also made it more personal by choosing to slow it down a little and bring back the awesome saxophonist to add some soul. It doesn't seem to have the heart or energy of his first song (mostly because it's a mid-tempo number) but it's husky and sounds like something that could play on the radio today, which is something that can't be said of Joshua's repertoire. The way he hugged the sax player towards the end definitely makes me wonder if there's a little somethin' somethin' there.

"I didn't feel like it was the "wow" performance," Jennifer observed, with Steven agreeing that it wasn't "over the top," which is his go-to complement this week. Randy didn't like it either, calling it "a subdued moment" and "just OK."

"We've Got Tonight"
Jimmy chose something completely out of Phillip's comfort zone with this Bob Seger number, and miraculously, he didn't Phil-Phil it. There were no instruments in his hands, no crazy saxophonists or bongo drums beside him, just Phillip laid bare, raw and surprisingly vulnerable, and for perhaps the first time all season, he actually sang. You could hear melody and actually get a sense of his range, and it was beautiful. He kept nervously rubbing his hand against his thigh like he was itching to hide behind a guitar, but even if it wasn't his ideal choice, it was the ideal song to close the show and really prove that Phillip is, as Randy loves to say, "in it to win it." Quite a revelatory performance.

A standing ovation from the male judges (and belatedly Jennifer, again), and most of the audience. "The perfect song at the perfect time, and your best performance on the show ever," Randy said, calling it a giant moment. Jennifer said that 20 million girls out there were wishing he was singing that song to them (if that's true, he's definitely going to win). Steven dropped an s-bomb just to see if the editors were awake upstairs, but called the performance "beautiful" and, you guessed it, "over the top."

We're down to the wire now, and all three performers have their pluses and minuses. I'm guessing that Phillip, as the remaining pretty white boy, is probably a lock for the Final 2, and who joins him will depend on whether the audience wants stage presence (Joshua) or a marketable modern sound (Jessica), since both are technically accomplished and could sing the phone book in an array of mindblowing ways.

Who do you think will make it into the Final 2? Share your predictions below!

"American Idol" airs Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on Fox.]]> Wed, 16 May 2012 21:43:56 EDT 1522982 <![CDATA['Nikita' Finale: Shane West Teases Two Deaths, The 'Mikita' Relationship And His Hopes For Season 3]]> Wed, 16 May 2012 16:33:11 EDT 1521392