TheMediumBopper

I'm just getting caught up on the first few episodes, but I've gotta say... I'm not foreseeing good matches in any of these couples. And with the possible exception of Miguel, this seems like an especially heinous selection of men. Granted, the women are not much better. The best outcome I'm hoping for at this point is one entertaining trainwreck after another.

Ever since Clayton's season, I've had the nagging feeling that Rachel's face reminds me of a famous older person's. Tonight I finally figured it out. Her facial structure is similar to a young Bea Arthur. Google 'young Bea Arthur' and maybe you'll see what I mean.

Never mind, question answered.

There are some things in life that you just wish you could unhear. Julie uttering the phrase "my first orgasm" would be one of them.

So... after reading an online article about Julie getting sloppy drunk and the discussion of racism that ensued, I caved in and got the free Paramount trial. I just finished episode 5 and have read most of the comments related to Homecoming Season 3. Personally, I think the lives and conversations of fortysomethings are far more interesting to eavesdrop on than the lives of twentysomethings. And I'm not just saying that because I'm in my late 40s. Even when I was watching New Orleans in its original run, I had little patience for the immaturity of the cast. I felt this way about every season but still watched them all. I'm glad to see the redemption of The Artist Formerly Known as David because even back in 2000, I sensed that he had some good qualities that just weren't finding their correct expression at that time. And on a shallow note, Jamie has aged into someone who looks like a slimmer, darker-haired version of Phiilip Seymour Hoffman. (I think it's the mouth.) Julie is one of the most pathologically complicated basic bitches I've ever seen in my life. And although some have mentioned that it's sad to see Danny/Dan without his 'sparkle,' I like this newer, wryer version of Danny much better. I always thought Melissa was clever, and she still is. I see that Kelley has fulfilled her dream of becoming the white Oprah, at least in her own mind, but she bothers me much less now than she did in 2000. Like Tokyo, she has kind eyes. Matt is exactly the same. That's about all I can say about that.

This promises to be a boring finale; I might skip it altogether and just find Christian's duet with Michael Buble online somewhere. I definitely felt last night that they are trying to mobilize a Noah win. Yes, he's a humble, unassuming construction worker from the sticks. We get it. He sings well enough but doesn't seem like somebody who's going to light the world on fire. I thought Huntergirl sounded good in her audition when it was just her and her guitar singing in a more restrained way, without all the lights and glitz and attempts to "engage the crowd." If she can get back to that quiet simplicity, I think she could have a place in the industry. But over the past weeks she's done too many things that aren't really suited to her voice.

Jay was my favorite of those remaining, but Whitney was a poor choice for him. Fritz seems like a sweet kid; I wish I understood his music, but his songs feel a little too teen-angsty for me. I'm just not the right demographic anymore. He did look like he was feeling genuinely ill (more so than Noah), so I hope he has a speedy recovery. Huntergirl peaked early; she hasn't sounded good since she auditioned with that Rascal Flatts song, in my opinion. Nicolina peaked last week when she was channeling Ursula. And Leah peaked in that episode where she was seen jamming with her dad, the ex-80s rocker. Her dad seems cool. Leah, not so much. I had mixed feelings about Christian; sometimes the "woe-is-me" underdog schtick got to be a bit much, as was the oversinging. But sometimes he sounded good. I think he left at the right time and am glad he'll be performing with one of his idols. And Noah? I got nothing. Blandy McBlanderson. I suppose that's why America likes him.

It's official: I'm far too old and curmudgeonly to appreciate Disney night. The last Disney movie I saw was Beauty and the Beast, so I didn't know most of the songs they sang on Sunday. I was pleased with Nicolina's choice and thought she made it so fun. I smell a high school musical theater kid who was in her element! I haven't really enjoyed anything she's done up to this point, so maybe she should just keep camping it up. Also, oddly, this was the prettiest she has ever looked. On an unrelated note, I confess that I pay attention to how the contestants respond to their fellow contestants' performances and feedback. Even though I don't like Leah and haven't liked Huntergirl since her audition, I give them props for being very supportive and enthusiastic when the others do well. They're probably nice people. Still don't care much for their performances though. I wish Katie would stop taking the spotlight away from the contestants when they're performing. It's their moment. Be respectful.

Her full name is Hunter Wolkonowski. I can understand wanting to lose the last name, but 'HunterGirl' sounds dumb to me.

In my mind, Jay has jumped ahead by leaps and bounds with his gorgeous rendition of Lilac Wine. It's hard to go head to head with Jeff Buckley, but Jay gave it feeling, elegance, and sheer vocal perfection. I confess that I have watched this performance about 25 times on Youtube. It is probably one of the top three Idol performances that I've ever seen, personally. Would someone please give this boy a big role in a Broadway musical? He'd crush it!

I found Kenedi's voice to be just okay. She is highly marketable, however. She would have fit in perfectly in the late 90s/early 2000s when Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Jessica Simpson, and the then-blonde Mandy Moore were all vying for who was the cutest young female pop princess. I feel like I've seen her ilk before, so I'm admittedly a bit jaded. Of course you don't have to pretend you're Frances McDormand (who is also attractive in her own way, IMO), but I don't feel like Kenedi brings us anything we haven't seen before. All that said, we don't know the "personal reasons" that lead to her departure. I hope she's okay and that it's because of good news rather than bad.

I can't say that I'm sorry to see Barbie's sister Skipper-- whoops, I mean Kenedi-- gone. I wonder what the backstory is.

I know. I keep forgetting he's 17 because he seems like he's much older. An old soul. I also like Cameron, but for different reasons... I like that he's so raw and untrained but just has this voice that comes out of nowhere. I really never have any idea what his performances will be like, and I look forward to seeing if he sinks or swims tonight.

So what's it like on the Tristen train? I'm thinking of reserving my ticket. He was good last night and especially impressed me in the Duets challenge a couple of weeks ago, where he guided his partner (Cameron) who had much less musical training than he did. Underneath all Tristen's antics, there's a really good musician and a good voice. Also, he wants this desperately. I don't see him as cocky so much as he is really, really focused on the prize. Music has probably been his whole life so far, and when he gets a compliment from the judges, you can see tears starting to form in his eyes because it means something for him to be recognized. I don't know what his chances are of winning, but I hope that he goes far and that his exposure helps him in some way.

Kevin Gullage was too good for this. I hope he has a massive career. I must be turning into an old grump because I truly thought most of the showstopper performances were not good at all. It pitchy for me, dawg. What's more bewildering is that I saw Katie making exaggerated faces at some of the sour notes, yet still these people got through to the top 24. Lots of photogenic teen/earlytwentysomething girls this year with questionable vocal ability, and some guy singers who are coasting on character more than their vocals.