HomeOn the Scene: Idol Top 10 elimination show
Mar 27, 2008, 10:52 AM | by Shirley Halperin
Categories: American Idol, On the Scene, Reality TV, Television
Tuesday night after the show, I ran into Randy Jackson at BLD, a fabulous restaurant down the road from CBS Television City, and he had this to say: "David Cook. That kid has got a future. I didn't believe it until tonight. I thought he was just one of those rockers with a good voice, but man, he could be the one."
With this endorsement still ringing in my ear, I walked into Idol's famed Stage 36 confident in the knowledge that he, for one, was definitely not going home. And neither was David Archuleta, despite his apparent song choice stumble, or Michael Johns, who gets the popular vote for hottie of the season. What I didn't expect was to see Jason Castro in the bottom three, and Ramiele safe on the couch!
It was indeed a night of surprises, albeit minor and not exactly shocking, and it all started with a surprise locked door a half hour before the show's start. Generally, the good folks at Fox who provide the audience tickets want you in your assigned seat by 35 minutes 'till. And being the diligent, responsible reporter that I am (on a good day, at least), I get there at 5:20, my ass fully prepared for another 95 minute sitting session. But after giving up my Blackberry, phone, iPod, camera, and all other worldly possessions, I'm told that we can't go in to watch the pre-tape of Kimberley Locke's (pictured) performance. Instead, we have to wait outside, cellphone-less, until 5:45. So there will be no recapping of Kimberley's "Fall," though the hum of it sounded pleasant enough from the other side of the wall.
With 15 minutes to go, and people still filing into the bleacher area, the scene on and off stage was a bit chaotic. Corey skipped the usual crowd banter and helped Debbie take control. I spotted singer Natasha Bedingfield dash for her seat, not far from Danny Noriega, who made a repeat appearance, and ex-contestants Constantine Maroulis and Gina Glocksen (hosts of Fox Reality's American Idol Extra show) who were seated together. As my luck would have it, I'm again surrounded by first-timers marveling at how the room looks bigger on TV, but they were friendly enough.
Four minutes away from show time, and there are still no judges in sight. Two minutes later, the Idols are brought on stage and positioned just so. Once again, David Archuleta summons the loudest cheers and the most signs, but Jason Castro is not far behind. Ryan takes his spot, then Debbie reminds the audience to go crazy when Kimberley Locke is mentioned. "The people in New York don't know you've been here for five hours," she jokes. The lights dim, and the judges sneak their way into the studio with seconds to spare. It's time. Cue Ryan: "Thisssssssss... is American Idol."
Now, is it just me, or does Ryan's pregnant pause (yes, I learned that term watching Eddie and the Cruisers) seem to be getting longer? In general, it was a weird intro for him tonight. Perhaps he improvised a tad, I couldn't see the TelePrompTer to know for sure. Nevertheless, the Top 10 rollout was smooth from here on out, except for the brief moment when Jason and Syesha walked to the wrong side of the stage and had to sprint back to the couches. Of course, the couch is where you want to be for most of this show.
No time to waste tonight, and the contestants get ready for their group number. Syesha, Brooke and Chikezie stretch their necks and arms, Jason jumps in place, and Michael Johns puts his best foot forward for what promises to be some awkward dance moves. The Top 10 pull off a bright, bouncy version of "Right Back Where We Started From," but I couldn't help wondering why only the girls had solos?
During the commercial break, most of the contestants undergo minor touch-ups. Brooke's hair gets lots of fussing, though, as does Syesha, who covers her eyes to avoid a cloud of hairspray. Jason, meanwhile, is tinkering with what looks like a necklace and seems, for the first time, a little nervous. But even as the elimination process begins in earnest, there are still "I love you, Chikezie" screams emanating from the floor. Sadly, they won't help him tonight. And so Chikezie, clasping his hands in prayer, begins the long walk, not to the couch, but to the naughty stool. Brooke White, on the other hand, has her fists in the air, a symbol of victory and a sigh of relief. On to Carly, who's also safe, and refuses to downplay her excitement. She literally jumps on top of Brooke when she makes it to the velvet blue sofa.
During the commercial break, Corey is back to entertain, giving away free iTunes download cards and the new Chicken Soup for the American Idol Soul book. But not before teasing Gina and Constantine about their contributions (scary fact: Gina knew the exact page number on which her story appears without even looking). Extra host (and Simon's gal) Terri Seymour trades air kisses with Nigel Lythgoe, while Brooke and Carly laugh hysterically, as if in their own private little Idol world. Chikezie, meanwhile, is looking more and more bummed out.
Now it's David Archuleta's turn in the spotlight and he is... safe. Upon taking his seat, he breathes a visible sigh of relief. Not a second later, David Cook is swaggering towards center stage. Duh, he's not going anywhere either — high fives and hugs all around. Syesha, on the other hand, is sent to the other side, and the audience lets out a gasp of disbelief and a round of boos. Still, the cheers return for Michael Johns, who casually strolls over to his fellow contestants and gives David Cook a big bro hug.
It's break time again, and Corey discovers an adorable six-year-old in the audience, whom he invites up to the Idol stage. Carly almost instinctively reaches over to pick him up (good thing she shot down the pregnancy rumor, or this act certainly would have fueled it) and you can hear a collective "awww" take over the room. He was a cutie.
The lights go down again for Kimberley Locke's package and pre-taped performance, and the Idols settle back and try to relax. All except David Archuleta, who holds his head down with purpose. He may be here another week, but it's been a rough 24 hours, it appears. During the performance, Syesha runs over to the couch for a quick powwow with Carly. Not long after, Chikezie follows suit. Man, those stools really must suck. The Idols chuckle when they see Simon's season 2 'fro, and even the bottom two seem to unwind a little. But the breather is cut short when Nigel walks on stage and orders them back to the other side. In a nice way, of course.
It's getting close to the end and David Cook has a headache, so during the commercial break, an assistant quickly grabs some aspirin and a cup of water for him. And with the judges in their seats, we're back to more to eliminations. Ramiele is... safe? No one in my near vicinity seemed surprised, but I certainly did, mainly because I think whenever you sing first, it's a slight disadvantage if you're pretty average. And let's face it, the most memorable performance of Tuesday night was the last one, which I'd be willing to bet got the highest amount of votes.
Still, Ramiele is psyched. You can tell because she's swinging her feet, which don't reach the floor. Kristy Lee Cook is equally excited, perhaps feeling some redemption in her song choice. As for Jason Castro? It's the shocker of the night, though maybe not for him since he fessed up to a weak performance, but there he was in the bottom three... for exactly five seconds.
Jason's arrival on the couch was more of collapse — right on top of KLC, who didn't seem to mind. After a quick pep talk by Nigel, the remaining eight brace themselves for the night's big moment. Jason, now calmed and facing reality, looks pensive and, dare I say, humbled, while Syesha and Chikezie seem stressed. Begrudgingly, they make their way to center stage for the final showdown, from which Syesha emerges the victor.
Paula, who's always had a thing for Chikezie, like Elliott Yamin before him, gestures in awe as his video montage rolls, while Brooke, David Cook, and Carly all stand up in tribute. They're soon joined by the entire studio as he sings his encore, takes his final bow, and hears that familiar cackle of Chikezie girls one last time. Will he be missed? Did America get it right? What say you, Idol fans?
Comments