Season 4 Finale!

What did you think of last night's finale?

I was thoroughly impressed with the absolute athleticism of the dancers! They are probably in the best shape of their lives now, and they are amazing to watch.

What was up with the Scottish routine? And the parasol fu-fu dance? There were some interesting costume choices, that's for sure.

Once again, Adam B. Vary from entertainment weekly does a great job recapping, so I will post the link here:

http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20217452,00.html

It's great. Read it. ....... And, don't forget to vote!

Top 10, sort of!

Well, the top 10 performed tonight. That is: minus Jessica, with the return of Comfort.

It would have been fun to see them return Thayne just to surprise everyone.

But, it was great to see Comfort and Twitch do a hip-hop routine together.

I have to say that I cannot believe how good Will and Katee are. They are just incredible. Magnificent. They are a treat to watch. I hope they are there until the end. It would be a crying shame if they aren't. Poetry in motion.

Also..... if you didn't read Adam B. Vary's recap last week (see the link in the previous blog here at poppool,) and if you didn't actually click on the link to Desmond Richardson's youtube videos..... you absolutely must go do that. That Desmond is AMAZING.... so, Nigel was right to point out what an honor it was to have him and his partner there. Incredible. I wonder if they brought them in just to specifically choreograph for Will and Katee. ?????

Stephanie Lysaght from the LA Times does a great re-cap.... she was actually there at the taping of the show... and even describes Nigel's face after Kherington's solo. Click here: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2008/07/destination-s-9.html

Don't forget to get your votes in, and this week you also need to pick your #1 dancer for "game 3."

Last week we had 1 comment...... I dare you to do more poppoolers.

Top 12 Perform!

Today I will simply direct you to read Adam B. Vary's excellent recap of last night's show (from Entertainment Weekly.) He does such a great job and says it all.

Link: http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20211544,00.html

Also..... if you are interested in contemporary dance AT ALL.... you must click on his link to see the Desmond Richardson video to know what Mia Micheals was talking about when she compared Will to him. The video is AMAZING. What total body control.

Who is going home? Will Mia be able to save Thayne? Shock me and post a comment, I dare you.

Top 14 Perform

Hello! The top 14 performed in a two-hour episode...... and it was great!

We got to see lots of dancing, and really no time-wasting filler! Yey!

I really think the winner last night was Mia Micheals, with her TWO wonderful routines.

Who is going home? Who is safe?

Let's hear your thoughts.

Top 16 Perform

Last night the top 16 performed, and I have to say that there were some smokin' routines!

Cat was wearing a lace doily, I think, and the judges were Nigel, Mary, and Adam. I've said this before, but I think it would be fun to have Adam as a friend. He is smart, funny, and would tell you the truth about your outfit, etc.

Kherington and Twitch: Hip hop. Fun, pretty good. Very entertaining.

Courtney and Gev: Rhumba. Very sexy.

Comfort and Chris: Jazz, of sorts. Interesting. The judges thought it should have more animalistic and agressive. I agree. Probably in danger of bottom 3.

Jessica and Will: Disco. Whatever Will does he makes it look good. Will was better than Jessica. Those lifts were amazing. Jessica pulled it off.

Matt and Kourtni: contemporary choreographed by a girl with the longest Mohawk I have ever seen. That in itself was impressive. they were good. They were actually really really good. Everyone (the judges) still say that Matt needs to dance more into the ground, and stop being so "upright."

Chelea and Thayne: Quick Step, aka SYTYCD Kryptonite. All I could think of during the song was how the music was hurting their performance. It was all kind of boring, but not their fault, I thought. They are both great dancers, but bottom 3, I'm sure.

Chelsie and Mark: Hip-hop. Loooooooved it. I really really like Mark. He is so unique, quirky, and intense. It was great. Chelsie did a great job, too!

Katee and Joshua: Samba. So sexy, fun, and just really good.

Who is going home? Thoughts?

So You Think You Can Buck? or Banoodles?

Was last night buck, as Lil' C would say, or banoodles, as Mia Michaels put it?

What do you think?

Okay.... how good were Katee and Joshua? Their Broadway routine was fast, fun and fabulous, and as Nigel Lythgoe remarked, "that's what I've been waiting for all night." That was really fun to watch.

The judges seem to be in bed with the choreographers a little too much..... "I love (fill in the blank's) choreography" was uttered repeatedly last night and it was pretty good, but really, that good?

I also liked Mark and Chelsie's tango -- that was fun. Mark is great - love him!!!! And Chelsie is too cute for words.

Okay... and what about the "salsa" routine? Susie and Marquis are doing nothing for me. I couldn't put my finger on exactly what was so wrong with their performance last night, but thankfully we have the judges: All three described their salsa as "labored," which is exactly the word I was searching for. They made it look so difficult. (It WOULD be labored for me, for the record.)

I also really disliked Comfort and Chris' krump routine. Both were soft and sloooooow. I understand that Chris was out of his comfort-zone, but Comfort wasn't -- this is her niche! -- and even she was W-E-A-K. And, what's up with Nigel saying his granny was more gangster than Chris? ...........I totally thought Nigel was a complete FREAK last night on many occasions........ and I DON'T think Chris needed to grab his crotch to prove he was cool like Nigel insinuated. Go away Nigel. Everyone thinks you're a nerd anyways. Just pay for the show and get your millions of dollars. Do NOT speak.

Credit should also go to Courtney and Gev, who I thought were the most improved. I loved their routine. Loved it......

Okay.... how good is Will? He rocks. He is a beautiful dancer and deserves to win..... I wish I had picked him. Swoon......... Jessica, hang in there. Do it for art, and to be in the presence of Will!

And lastly, I am (sadly) keeping my fingers crossed for Chelsea and Thayne, who weren't terrible, but definitely weren't memorable. They also performed first, which is never a good combo. Their costumes completely sucked..... and it was the worst Shakespeare drama I have ever witnessed, although the dancing was okay. The costume person needs a spanking, and not that kind, you guys.

The Davids perform!

The Powers that Control Idol, decided upon a "boxing match" theme for the two Davids. (Insert massive eye roll.)





Because, really, if it were a boxing match, David C. would just have to look at Baby David and it would be over. A knock-out. But, okay, I guess I'm along for the ride. I need my AI fix, no matter how much cheese they put on it.

David C opened with the song chosen for him by Clive, U2’s I Still Haven’t Found What I’m
Looking For. He sounded incredibly strong, had command of the audience from the beginning, and confidently strode out through the crowd to the stage behind the judges. This David sings from his soul, and has depth.

Randy decided that "I’m gonna call you DC. That was a great way to start off this duel of 2007."
LOVED the look on David’s face: Um, Randy, DUUUUUUHHHHH, it’s 2008.

Little David was up next to sing Clive’s choice of Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me. This was actually one of his best performances. It was really, really good.

Ryan then explained that in Round 2, the boys were allowed to choose a song from the Top Ten favorite entries in the song writing competition.

David C decided on Dream Big by Emily Shackleton. I'm sorry, but I thought this song kind of sucked. I don't think it was David Cook's fault.

Little David was then back to sing his choice of Ryan Gilmore’s In This Moment.
This song was so much better than the song that David C. "chose." He did a great job with it.

Then, Randy said he, "Wasn’t crazy about the song, but here’s the deal, man – right now, you are so in the zone, dawg, you could sing the phone book."
Now, I really wanted to just tell Randy to shut up. How many times have they said that on this show? Someone just needs to sing the phone book and get it over with.

Another break and we returned to Round Three, the contestants’ choices, with David C stating in the video that he had chosen The World I Know by Collective Soul. Puppy decided to reprise Imagine from Beatles Week One.

David Cook sang the words with emotion, and I have never heard the song, so I kept waiting for some big rip-it-wide-open-lights-pulsing-drums-beating-crowd-frenzy moment.
It never came. It was nice, ..... but no big moment!
But, it was okay.... he stayed true to who he is.... genuine. I kind of liked it.

Then, Little David came up to resing Imagine. Okay, so who doesn't know this song? This is the perfect song to sing...... and he's already done it once. But, the danger here is that he's already had a big moment with it. Can he use it again with the same effect? I don't know.

OK, he did do a nice job. It was really, really good. He has a beautiful voice.

Simon said that the night was a knock-out and the night's winner was David A. Do you agree? Were the judges just pimping the little guy?

So that’s it, kids. One more night and we will crown a new Idol.
Get your votes in. Let's hear your opinions.

It's anyone's game...

I was looking at the PopPool scores this morning and realized how it is going to be anyone's game to win next week. Points are critical in the last week because you have three places to gain points.

Game 1:
You have two slots that get decided, so depending on how well you guessed for the David's from the get go could mean that you get as many as 6.7 weighted points or as little as 1.1 (though I don't think anyone guess that poorly in game 1). There are some people at the top of the current rankings that can only earn a maximum of 5.5 point which could give an edge to someone like Jim Becker if he guesses correctly.

Game 2:
This is do or die next week for the contenders. Guessing correctly for the final two positions means 8.3 points and guessing wrong means 0!!! I can almost guarantee that picking wrong here will cause any of the current leaders to drop out of the top 3 positions altogether. There is a hedge strategy that can be used here, but I don't think anyone has enough of a lead to make this a worthwhile strategy unless by some chance everyone else guessed wrong. That strategy would be to pick the same person for both week 1 and week 2 so that you were guaranteed to get at least 4.166 points. I suppose if you really didn't know who was going to win, you might consider this approach. I seriously doubt you could win the whole thing this way though.

Game 3:
This will make the difference as well as a correct guess here is worth 10 points. I don't think you can win without getting Game 3 correctly either.

So, in summary the maximum total point gain next week for guessing everything correctly (which is very plausible given there are only two contestants left to choose from) will earn you somewhere between 24 and 25 weighted points for most. Guessing wrong is going to earn you only about 5.5 to 6 points for most people which creates a point spread of about 18 points. Technically, anyone in the top 50 positions could win if everyone else got it wrong and though that is not going to happen, it does show that anyone within the top 6 or 7 positions has a good shot at it. Lets put it this way, the first three people in rank order that guess correctly for games 2 and 3 will most likely be the winners.

Good Luck!

Brad

Final Three Perform

The final three contestants performed. David Cook rocked the house, Syesha sang a mediocre song about penguins, and David A. was good, predictable, and had to work on his songs this week without his dad helping backstage.

Syesha had another sequin and leg show, and got the sexy award. Seriously, I wonder how many of the girls in the audience in front of the stage saw her underwear.

Okay.... I guess I'm so out of it, because I have no idea what "my boo," means in David A.'s song. Anyone?

And..... why did the producers give David Cook the best song... and the best placement (singing last?) I think maybe they know David A. will be in the finals, and wanted to make sure that David Cook would be too, in order for people to watch the finale.

Alright..... let's hear your comments.

Rock and Roll Hall of Shame

Sooooooo, how did you like it?

Are we sure we are in for an All-David top 2?

Is Syesha going to make it?

Is Jason begging us to go home? What do you think?

I love "the Bobs:" Bob Marly and Bob Dylan, but this left me empty. Jason's Bob Marly version was pretty goofy - I couldn't help being distracted by his strange bobbing up and down. Is that called dancing? I'm not sure. I kind of liked the hair down, though.

But, I was so relieved when Jason started singing "I Shot the Sheriff,"........ it sounded great, he looked good, and was safe on the stool with the guitar. He had a fun bedazzled black shirt on, and his hair was neatly contained in a pony holder. Then, he SHOT HIMSELF by forgetting the lyrics. Jason, you are killing me. I was rooting for you... but, now, you have to go.

Syesha looked beautiful, pulled out all the leg show for the first song, and was fun to watch. Then, she had the boob show for the second song. I was actually touched by her show of emotion, and how the song was so meaningful to her. It made me like her. If I actually voted, I might have voted for her tonight. She seemed like a person and not a robot this week. Except she kind of looks perfect, so maybe she is a she-bot.

David Cook, what the heck was that first song? Too much Da da da da da's in "Hungry Like a Wolf." And, why did you pick that song? It covers about two notes...... you can do better. And, he did!!!! I loved Baba O'Reilly. So good. I loved the controlled lyrics at the beginning..... and then the rocker David at the end. It was really good!

Little David...... he was great, again. Really, pretty flawless. Great lyrics. It was good.

But, really, for me, the depth of David Cook beats the flawlessness of David A. But, that just proves I'm not 14 I guess. ....... And, I don't actually vote.

Okay, what did you guys think?

The Strangest Show So Far!

Simon called tonight's show "officially the strangest show we've ever done," and I might have to agree........ I'd say Simon was referring to that glorious moment when, halfway through the show, Paula Abdul critiqued both of Jason Castro's songs after he'd sung only one. Or, maybe when Paula called Syesha - Brooke..... ??? What is going on, Paula? ... Or, the other option: Paula HAD already seen both songs, and she was supposed to only comment on the first one. What do you guys think?

Or, there could be another conspiracy theory: either she took notes during rehearsal..... or, the producers GAVE her notes to read from. ????? Hmmmm........ and, she was caught off guard, she wasn't supposed to read all the notes, just the ones from the first song..... ??? What do you guys think?

The judges failed to call out David A. last week when he forgot the lyrics.... and the camera quickly went to a back/up high view so we couldn't really see that he forgot..... what's really going on here? Anyone?

Is it just Paula's cool-aide, or is it something else?

Anyway...... somehighlights:

Ryan's almost mohawk. Simon's shirt - dangerously low enough to show some chest hair. (Why does he do that?) Jason Castro - wearing the same shirt from two weeks ago... it worked then, why not again? Simon does it.

David Cook - his second song was actually quite good.... and Brooke's second song was good, too.

Jason and David A. - you guys are sounding the same to me every week. Syesha, I think you are doing a great job. But, It seems like the cue cards needed to be read to try to get you in the bottom again.

I'm sorry, I'm just distracted by Paula's strange comments.......

opinions, anyone?

Webber mixes it up

Leave it to Andrew Lloyd Webber to mix up the pot tonight on American Idol. Tonight's show just goes to show how a little legit music can bring out the talent and expose those who hide behind style. Jason, you've got something, but watch out - tonight could be your last.

Way for Syesha to come out with a band and show the others how to do it. I thought she finally had a chance to show what she can do, and look hot doing it. Where was she hiding all that (insert your preference of what she was hiding here) before?

Jason... watch out. The fact that you barely knew his music says a lot. I hope you enjoy the campfires, because that's were it's at for you. You are destined for the "Mellow show" on SNL with Jack Johnson and John Mayer.

Brooke, Brooke, Brooke. I actually have become quite fond of her in recent weeks and actually thought her performance, once she finally got it out, was far better than the judges gave her credit for. Her voice was not powerful and perfect, but it was real and gripping. I hope we see her again.

David Archuleta must have one of the greatest voices that AI has ever seen and once he exits puberty and has a few down and out days, he is destined to make some great music. I still think he could win this thing, but that says more about the AI voting audience than it does his talent. I think David has incredible focus in each performance about how to have great tone, great phrasing, and sing a great song, but I believe less and less that there is more there than just great technical execution of an inspirational tune. There may be a great career ahead for him on the 'Up With People' tour (does that date me)?

Carly has been riding the wave of near extinction, but pulled a nice one out tonight and probably has spared her execution for another week. It was a great song choice for her.

I thought this might be a tougher week for David because he didn't have or didn't take the opportunity to do an alternative version for which he has become so heralded for each week. However, I was actually very pleasantly surprised by his stage voice and presence. I actually think that Simon was harder on him that was warranted and that it was an impressive vocal performance. He rides the edge of being a little bit of a poser. I also would not have gone for that 5th on the last note as I think sustaining that 3rd for the duration would have had much more impact.

What say you?

P.S. Heidi K, I expect to see a comment posted up here from you with your run down this week!