Sparkling Beth

I don't want to like Jeneve because I hate her "off the grid" back story and her ridiculous outfits (my opinion is that anyone who isn't currently surrounded by cows should leave off the cowboy hat), but I admit I like her voice. She did great with "Angel." Of course, that's a song associated with 9/11 and abused animals, so I suspect I'd still be emotionally affected by it even if it were sung by Carrot Top.

I think some of the fault lay with the former Idols. They aren't competing. They have nothing to prove. Therefore, they shouldn't have turned the duets into a battle. One thing I've always loved about my favorite past Idol--Adam Lambert--is that he can blow everyone out of the water with his vocals, but if he's singing with someone who wants to stay in the water (to extend the metaphor), he still sings beautifully but he holds back and doesn't try to overpower the less powerful singer. He keys his performance to theirs and doesn't try to force anything out of them that they can't give. I especially saw the problem with MacKenzie and Lauren's duet. MacKenzie is not a belter. Not everyone has to be. His style is more low-key. I think Lauren should have toned down her performance. That song would still be beautiful and emotionally effective--maybe even more so. That said, I really enjoyed seeing the former Idols back, especially Lauren and Scotty, who have matured from innocent young kids to a confident young woman and man, respectively.

She was talking about learning different languages, hence becoming a Woman of the World. There were little titles under all the contestants' intros corresponding to what they were talking about. I'm going to start calling Thomas Stringfellow Thomas Schtickfellow. Who's with me?

I'm a little confused by the reaction here to Joe and Jenny's kiss. Did I imagine it, or didn't they already kiss last season? Joe said it had been a month since Abbie disappeared, so given that Joe and Jenny began a romantic relationship at least a month ago, why does it seem rushed that they're kissing now? Or even that Jenny says she loves him? That seems like a reasonable time frame to me, especially given that they were already friends before their feelings deepened.

And the eyes! Don't forget the eyes!

I liked this episode a lot. Never had the feeling that the writers were trying to make Sophie into NuAbbie. As viewers I think we sometimes assume that all male/female partnerships are tinged with a romantic and/or sexual tension, and I don't believe they have to be nor do I feel that we were supposed to get that from Crane and Sophie. There's no reason why another female character can't be part of the Scooby Gang without taking Abbie's place. I think Sophie is a wonderful addition to the team and I'm really looking forward to getting Abbie back.

Maybe the judges felt sorry for those with the worst hairstyles and thought that putting them through would make them feel better about having a man bun and a giant rusty Brillo pad, respectively.

Is it a wig? I hope so, because then it will be easy to get rid of. It looks like a giant rusty Brillo pad. She would be so much prettier with a more subdued hairstyle in a natural dark color. I like her voice but that hair is really distracting. I'm beginning to distance myself from Tristan as well. I thought she was a shoe-in to win the whole show at first but now she's starting to bug.

He's got a great profile. That nose could be used as a straight edge.

I wondered about that too, and looked it up--mono can be spread through a sneeze or cough, but is not as contagious as the common cold. Don't really see why Trent couldn't have stood off to the side a ways and still sung with a group. By just making sure he had a handkerchief at all times, he wouldn't have been that much of a danger to anyone. He could as easily spread the disease simply by touching something that might then be touched by someone else. The whole thing struck me as more of a drama thing--not on his part, but on the show's part.

I thought that last night too. She has the look, and I really like her voice. Some female singers sound shrill to my ears when they're reaching for high notes, but she has a nice mellow tone that is very pleasing to me. Of course, we're still so early in the competition that she could choke. Every year I'm surprised by how many contestants start out strong and then falter, and how many didn't impress in the beginning but proved their mettle as the show continued.

Whenever we see Po it just reminds me of how much I disliked her sister last year. They both strike me as pretentious but I suppose I shouldn't judge them without knowing them personally. Still, there was Shi last year saying she didn't like strangers calling her "beautiful" (suuuuuure, she doesn't--can you say "fishing for compliments"?) and Po this year claiming that she wants to be known for herself and not as Shi's sister but never losing an opportunity to mention her sister whenever she's on camera. It's just like, Shut up already, okay?

I used to tape (on a VCR! yes, kiddies, grandma remembers it as if it were yesterday) the X-Files on Friday and watch it on Saturday, and after I watched Home, I had to stay up and watch Saturday Night Live just to clear out my brain so I wouldn't be too creeped out to go to bed.

I love Hollywood week too. The group songs are my favorite, and often reveal which contestants can roll with the punches and which can't. I'll never forget Elliott Yamin being singled out for praise by the judges after the Brittenum twins tried to throw him under the bus.

Agree with most of what you said, BogoGog24, but couldn't figure out if you were joking when you called the animal a reptile. It's a little monkey. Unlike JLo, I thought it was adorable.

Is "Who's Loving You" the new "House of the Rising Sun"? Two contestants sang it tonight and I'm pretty sure I recall someone else singing it in a previous show. Seems like an odd choice to me. I guess they think it shows off their vocal range, which it does, if they've got one.

That's good. I've always thought it was ridiculous for them to feel that they have to balance out the genders. Ridiculous, and unfair--some really good singers may have been sent home because they were of the "wrong" gender while other mediocre singers were allowed to stay just to have an equal number of boys and girls.

Thirteen girls and eleven boys? They haven't had an unequal gender count before in the top 24, have they?

Exactly. Whenever they send through someone who makes me say, "Are you kidding me?" I remind myself that they have to send a lot of people home in Hollywood so it's good if they have some whom I don't mind seeing sent packing.

I agree with almost everything BogoGog24 said a couple of posts back. I was happy to see some decent male contestants because they've been few and far between so far. I especially liked CJ (tattooed musician), Andrew (Russian kid), and Elvie (the last guy), all of whom had really solid voices without a lot of affectation. (In regard to Andrew--don't forget that Simon said Adam Lambert was too theatrical. Worked out okay for him!) I also liked the guy who sang Kenny Loggins. Okay, maybe it wasn't "spectacular" as Harry stated they were looking for, but honestly, how many singers have they put through who are spectacular? I think anyone who gives a good audition should get the chance to go to Hollywood and show what else they can do. Some people who have wonderful auditions flame out in Hollywood and are sent packing, and others rise to the occasion and prove they are more versatile than the judges might have thought. I'm still flummoxed by Keith's resistance to the young woman who sang Tammy Wynette. I thought her voice was really, really good and "too clinical" is too vague of a criticism at this point in the competition. If she still comes off that way after several performances, okay, but gee, this is just one minute-long audition done in a big room while being stared at by three judges. It's a tough setting for anyone. At this point I'm inclined to root for anyone who is older than 15, not a worship leader, and wasn't raised on a farm. Just for the uniqueness.

Brrr, MyArchangel, I'm glad I read your tale of the Jersey Devil in the morning rather than right before I went to bed! I'm a complete skeptic of all things supernatural, but I'm also a wuss who is easily frightened even by things I don't believe in. If the show writers can convey as much creepiness as you just did, that should make--pun intended--a hell of an episode!

I agree with phoenics--acknowledging the brilliance of Tempus Fugit is not an unpopular opinion! I've watched it at least five times and have always found it deeply satisfying and wildly enjoyable. I think most SH fans would agree.

I wondered that too, and then fanwanked that electricity, being a natural force of the universe, would have power over all beings in the universe, in a way that bullets do not.

As The World Turns watchers call that The James Stenbeck Rule, after a character who supposedly died and then came back at least five times. (Die-hard fans will know what I'm talking about when I say simply, "Hello, Barbara.") I don't know about Nevins, though--my thought was that the FBI assumes he's alive because people don't just disappear out of vans leaving a pool of blood behind, but that Pandora made him do just that and he is dead. It's hard to imagine Pandora letting him live after that scene in the van.

Since most people seem to find her boring, how about Z-z-z-zoe?