S20.E17: The Great Idol Reunion

[pezgirl7]

In a celebration of the milestone 20th season, American Idol greats Ruben Studdard, Scotty McCreery, Jordin Sparks, David Cook, Lauren Alaina, Kris Allen, Maddie Poppe, Laine Hardy, Willie Spence, Caleb Lee Hutchinson, Grace Kinstler, Laci Kaye Booth, past judges Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson, and additional surprise guests will reunite on the Idol stage for a night of unforgettable performances.

[Foghorn Leghorn]

Wow, is Randy alright I wonder?  He looks frail and thin.  I know  he had a gastric bypass years ago then put weight back on but now, wow.  

Only listened to a couple duets only because I love the songs.  Islands in the Stream and forget the name but Jordan and Ruben sang it.  LOL

 

[pezgirl7]

Laine's performance made me sad. Stupid boy. I believe in second chances, so I do hope he can learn a lesson and eventually try to repair his singing career.

It was fun seeing all the past contestants, and for the most part, I thought they all sounded great. I see a lot of flack online about how AI hasn’t been the show that it once was. But if a lot of the contestants can make a living doing what they love, thanks to the exposure that AI has given them, then I think that says a lot. :)

[Back Atcha]

2 minutes ago, Foghorn Leghorn said:

Wow, is Randy alright I wonder?  He looks frail and thin.  I know  he had a gastric bypass years ago then put weight back on but now, wow.  

I've asked that same question every time I've seen him on TV ... for a couple of years.

[Annber03]

Just now, Foghorn Leghorn said:

forget the name but Jordan and Ruben sang it.  LOL

"I Knew You Were Waiting for Me" :). And yes, they sounded great together - I was watching them going, "This pairing seems so obvious I can't believe it hasn't already happened in some form or another before." They looked fantastic, too. 

I also liked David and Kris together, as well as Scotty and Lauren. Laine singing "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" was an interesting choice, given what little we seem to know about everything going on with him right now.

I can't believe they brought back William Hung :p. But I love his attitude about everything. And it's nice to see Justin doing well for himself, too. 

[pezgirl7]

5 minutes ago, Foghorn Leghorn said:

Wow, is Randy alright I wonder?  He looks frail and thin.  I know  he had a gastric bypass years ago then put weight back on but now, wow.  

He does look really frail. I saw him recently, for the first time in a while, on the FOX show Name That Tune, and was surprised at how thin he was. Hopefully it’s not a health issue. 

Edited May 3, 2022 by pezgirl7

[UrbanShocker]

Pia Toscano and Elliott Yamin were two of the best singers the show has ever produced.  But no, let's keep them on the couch for this reunion episode while we hear William Hung butcher "She Bangs" for the 500th time. 

[sempervivum]

51 minutes ago, pezgirl7 said:

He does look really frail. I saw him recently, for the first time in a while, on the FOX show Name That Tune, and was surprised at how thin he was. Hopefully it’s not a health issue. 

He was diagnosed with diabetes (T2) and finally took it seriously. He looks a lot older than 65, though.

Everybody else looked and sounded good. What's this about Willie Spence singing the national anthem for the Queen (Liz)? 

 

[Ms Blue Jay]

"I knew you were waiting for me" by Jessica Sanchez and Joshua Ledet is one of my favourite Idol performances of all time.  I have watched it 100 times.  

I'm sorry but there's no way Jordin and Ruben can compare.

 

Edited May 3, 2022 by Ms Blue Jay

[Ms Blue Jay]

These fangirls meeting David Archuleta is me if I ever met Blake Lewis 😄

Oh The Cranberries, awesome.  I'm glad at who they picked for this.  

This "Rather Be" song is on every season of Idol.  I don't get why.  It's an okay song but I think I'm just so sick of it.  It's not good enough to have such staying power.  These two singers can handle way more difficult songs than this. 

Well.  I feel really let down by that overall.  

Edited May 3, 2022 by Ms Blue Jay

[DietCokeJunkie]

16 minutes ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

These fangirls meeting David Archuleta is me if I ever met Blake Lewis 

Thank you! I was trying to remember the name of the beat boxing guy! 

[thesupremediva1]

That... was odd. Lackluster and very much a letdown.

I'm sorry, but where was Simon? Where were Kelly and Carrie? These are the names of the show, and the people I'd want to see for a 20-year reunion.

Why were winners randomly duetting with each other? I'd much rather have heard Elliot Yamin or Tamyra Gray sing than freakin Lacy. Could they have taken 5 minutes to introduce and chat with the former contestants in the lounge? We had some big Idol names in there and they weren't even mentioned!

This show should never have left Fox. It's clear ABC wanted to take the moment to glorify its "new generation 2nd iteration" stars. I'm betting Gabby and Cade were booked or they'd have been trotted out as well.

Give me Clay, give me LaToya London, give me Adam Lambert, Daughtry... I know these folks are busy with careers but it's Idol's 20th anniversary. Make the moment as big as the show really was in its heyday ( which lasted about a decade) or just don't bother. We needed more stars and way more than one hour. I honestly can't believe Seacrest signed off on this. I was waiting for Dunkelman to make a cameo. 

[peachmangosteen]

I'm assuming Kelly is contracted to NBC so she probably just couldn't appear even if she wanted to. There might have been others asked who just couldn't do it or simply didn't want to. As others said, Clay is in politics now so that probably kept him out.

My 2 fave winners are David and Kris so for that duet alone I was happy with this special.

[Ms Blue Jay]

16 minutes ago, thesupremediva1 said:

This show should never have left Fox. 

i think Fox didn't want to pay for it anymore.

[MissPriss]

This show is so off the rails it’s just a sad shadow of itself. There’s more talent than ever, yet the shows just suck. The amount of money wasted on the judges is bazaar. Katy is obnoxious and full of herself. Of course when you compare the three salaries, she rightly believes she is the star. Me! Me! Me! 

When it began on FOX it was a pure talent contest with a budget probably lower than Katy’s salary. Yet somehow the magic made it bigger than life. Now it’s a compact bloated mess. An Idol takes time to resonate with America. It’s impossible to microwave a slow cook recipe. It’s the way of the world now. Everything is abbreviated. So much is lost. 🥴

And the 20th anniversary should be monumental. I’m surprised Ryan is still hanging around. His departure will ring the death bell. 

[thesupremediva1]

1 hour ago, MissPriss said:

This show is so off the rails it’s just a sad shadow of itself. There’s more talent than ever, yet the shows just suck. The amount of money wasted on the judges is bazaar. Katy is obnoxious and full of herself. Of course when you compare the three salaries, she rightly believes she is the star. Me! Me! Me! 

When it began on FOX it was a pure talent contest with a budget probably lower than Katy’s salary. Yet somehow the magic made it bigger than life. Now it’s a compact bloated mess. An Idol takes time to resonate with America. It’s impossible to microwave a slow cook recipe. It’s the way of the world now. Everything is abbreviated. So much is lost. 🥴

And the 20th anniversary should be monumental. I’m surprised Ryan is still hanging around. His departure will ring the death bell. 

There is no American Idol without Ryan Seacrest. I'm sorry, but the second he's gone, so am I. 

I miss when judges judged (even if there was vodka in the Coke cup) and actually made the show about the contestants. That's how we made superstars. Not cutting massive chunks of finalists each week with a voting method that's a sham at best and an FCC violation at worst.

It hit me on Sunday - the lone booted singer was previously given a chance to sing for their life OR perform again and receive some accolades/hugs/condolences from the judges and their fellow contestants. It was a moment of recognition and appreciation. There was care and class involved. On Sunday, Ryan barely had time to spit out the three names before they were awkwardly shoved aside and the camera panned to the celebrated remaining ones. 

The thing I loved about Idol is the thing that turned me off of a show like The Voice. I cannot stand the current reality talent shows with their churning of contestants, focus on judges, choppy twice-a-year format that made it seem like a factory and not a process for star-making. Well Idol is now failing on both counts - it's presenting itself as an event but it's really just a vehicle for Katy Perry to flirt with Luke Bryan and pretend she can act. It's also painfully obvious how "recruited" the talent is - these aren't diamonds in the rough fresh off the bus like Kelly, Carrie, and Fantasia. 

According to season 14 runner-up Clark Beckham, by the time they got to his season, the entire top 5 was recruited by producers to audition. That was at the end of the Fox era, so I can only imagine how egregious the shenanigans are now. It's all too curated. Idol got Instagrammed up the whazoo for this ABC iteration, and the original magic was lost in the filter. 

Edited May 3, 2022 by thesupremediva1

[ljenkins782]

16 hours ago, pezgirl7 said:

Laine's performance made me sad. Stupid boy. I believe in second chances, so I do hope he can learn a lesson and eventually try to repair his singing career.

It was fun seeing all the past contestants, and for the most part, I thought they all sounded great. I see a lot of flack online about how AI hasn’t been the show that it once was. But if a lot of the contestants can make a living doing what they love, thanks to the exposure that AI has given them, then I think that says a lot. :)

Agreed. Even the people who aren't superstars are able to do what they love and their lives are measurably different for having participated in the show. I'd put that in the win column. As for the mega-stars not being there, I'm sure schedules and other network commitments were a factor and I also don't really care, I feel like this kind of a showcase is something the lesser famous can use more. 

Granted, PMS is a factor at this moment, but I just teared up through the whole thing. Scotty and Lauren were my favorite, they are just adorable and have so much residual affection for each other. And though I think I disliked Lauren on her season, I've come around on her over the years and think she's genuinely sweet and engaging. I need to know what it is she said to Justin Guarini as the credits rolled, they had a cute little moment. Justin is another one I've come around on, he seemed too suave to be real back in 2002, but now he just seems like a confident guy who carries himself well. 

The only part of the show I found weird was why they stacked the viewing gallery with alumni and then didn't even introduce any of them. Tamyra looks like she's filled out over the years, I never thought she would, she was a stick figure back in the day. Jordin and Ruben both looked great, more fit than they were on their seasons. 

What's going on with David Archuleta, does he have vocal paralysis again or what? His hair looks AWFUL (ditto for Kris Allen), but I thought it was cute when he apologized to those girls for not winning. I'd forgotten that clip, but it was one of the great viral moments.

Overall, I thought it was a cute show, but could easily have been 3 times as long and I'd have watched. I was pleased at the amount of nostalgia from the earlier years since I didn't watch a whole lot of seasons after the original judges left.

[twilightzone]

4 hours ago, thesupremediva1 said:

That... was odd. Lackluster and very much a letdown.

I'm sorry, but where was Simon? Where were Kelly and Carrie? These are the names of the show, and the people I'd want to see for a 20-year reunion.

Why were winners randomly duetting with each other? I'd much rather have heard Elliot Yamin or Tamyra Gray sing than freakin Lacy. Could they have taken 5 minutes to introduce and chat with the former contestants in the lounge? We had some big Idol names in there and they weren't even mentioned!

This show should never have left Fox. It's clear ABC wanted to take the moment to glorify its "new generation 2nd iteration" stars. I'm betting Gabby and Cade were booked or they'd have been trotted out as well.

Give me Clay, give me LaToya London, give me Adam Lambert, Daughtry... I know these folks are busy with careers but it's Idol's 20th anniversary. Make the moment as big as the show really was in its heyday ( which lasted about a decade) or just don't bother. We needed more stars and way more than one hour. I honestly can't believe Seacrest signed off on this. I was waiting for Dunkelman to make a cameo. 

Kelly contractually can't appear because of her deal with NBC.  Daughtry is still mourning the death of his daughter.  I do think Carrie will appear on the finale.

Idol did not have the option of staying with FOX - they had cancelled the show.  ABC will have the promote their alums, even though most are not familiar to viewers.

[retired watcher]

I enjoyed it for what it was worth but boy there were so many people missing. I wonder why so many of the most successful contestants were not there? Money, time constraints, forgetting where they got their start from.

[Ilovepie]

On 5/3/2022 at 6:57 AM, thesupremediva1 said:

That... was odd. Lackluster and very much a letdown.

I'm sorry, but where was Simon? Where were Kelly and Carrie? These are the names of the show, and the people I'd want to see for a 20-year reunion.

Why were winners randomly duetting with each other? I'd much rather have heard Elliot Yamin or Tamyra Gray sing than freakin Lacy. Could they have taken 5 minutes to introduce and chat with the former contestants in the lounge? We had some big Idol names in there and they weren't even mentioned!

This show should never have left Fox. It's clear ABC wanted to take the moment to glorify its "new generation 2nd iteration" stars. I'm betting Gabby and Cade were booked or they'd have been trotted out as well.

Give me Clay, give me LaToya London, give me Adam Lambert, Daughtry... I know these folks are busy with careers but it's Idol's 20th anniversary. Make the moment as big as the show really was in its heyday ( which lasted about a decade) or just don't bother. We needed more stars and way more than one hour. I honestly can't believe Seacrest signed off on this. I was waiting for Dunkelman to make a cameo. 

Thank you! This show is in it's twilight. It really was a big deal when it launched in those early years. This hour long show highlighting these barely famous people from the ABC years was not the tribute this show deserved. Disney now owns Fox too, right? They should have done a gigantic 3 hour retrospective documenting the absolute dominance of it's early years and highlighting the actual stars that the show was able to produce, which is remarkable compared to other singing shows. They should have made it a bigger deal and gotten as many of the actual big names they have launched as possible. Any talk about 20 years without Kelly, Carrie, Adam, Chris and Simon is just a diminished joke.

If they were going to bring up the episode featuring Lionel, where was the one where Katy performed and then turned around showing the back of her cape with "Adam Lambert" sown on the back?

The only ones here I was excited to see were David (my favorite of all time) and Kris, and Randy and Paula. Where were JLo, Stephen Tyler, Keith Urban, Harry Connick Jr.? I also liked Ryan's wig. Speaking of, as the only one who's been there since day one, there actually should have been an interview with Ryan or something documenting his "Idol Journey".

I am very sad that they made such little effort to honor the show. They could have also added an extra episode highlighting the most memorable performances, or most downloaded songs from the show. Or something - anything! This was so half-assed. So many lost opportunities.

[peachmangosteen]

2 hours ago, Ilovepie said:

Thank you! This show is in it's twilight. It really was a big deal when it launched in those early years. This hour long show highlighting these barely famous people from the ABC years was not the tribute this show deserved. Disney now owns Fox too, right? They should have done a gigantic 3 hour retrospective documenting the absolute dominance of it's early years and highlighting the actual stars that the show was able to produce, which is remarkable compared to other singing shows. They should have made it a bigger deal and gotten as many of the actual big names they have launched as possible. Any talk about 20 years without Kelly, Carrie, Adam, Chris and Simon is just a diminished joke.

That would have cost a ton of money and there is no way in hell ABC is gonna drop that kind of money on this dying show lol. I'm surprised they even keep airing it at all. 

Not to mention all the logistical reasons why people couldn't come back, like Kelly's NBC contract and Clay's political career.

[Ilovepie]

1 hour ago, peachmangosteen said:

That would have cost a ton of money and there is no way in hell ABC is gonna drop that kind of money on this dying show lol. I'm surprised they even keep airing it at all. 

Not to mention all the logistical reasons why people couldn't come back, like Kelly's NBC contract and Clay's political career.

I realize Kelly is on a different network, but there is no reason they can't show footage from those seasons, right? Why I feel like a retrospective talking about the history of the show over the last two decades would have been better. Ryan could have even hosted it.

[peachmangosteen]

It was an hour, so they didn't have time to show much outside of clips relevant to the people performing. 

I mean, I would have watched like a week long retrospective with tons of performances, but very few other people would so I don't blame ABC for not doing much. I was just happy they gave me a David/Kris performance lol.

[chenoa333]

On 5/3/2022 at 8:06 AM, MissPriss said:

And the 20th anniversary should be monumental. I’m surprised Ryan is still hanging around. His departure will ring the death bell. 

I thought AI was already cancelled a year or two ago? 

The judges all suck. Katy's ego is bigger than the planet earth for no good reason. Luke is just an a hole. Period. Lionel seems nice but it's hard to "read" him because his face is so botoxed into his head.

And why did they put Kelsie Dolin up against Miss America? It was obvious Kelsie had self esteem issues. Put her in a duo round with a guy or another female whose ego isn't already pumped up, but Miss America?  And Miss America seized the opportunity to come off as " well look how sweet and kind I am. Encouraging Kelsie all the way."  STFU miss america. 

This show sucks. 

 

Edited May 6, 2022 by chenoa333

[TheGreenKnight]

On 5/2/2022 at 7:55 PM, UrbanShocker said:

Pia Toscano and Elliott Yamin were two of the best singers the show has ever produced.  But no, let's keep them on the couch for this reunion episode while we hear William Hung butcher "She Bangs" for the 500th time. 

I'd throw Scotty and Alaina in there, too. They've had success, true, but they butchered "When You Say Nothing At All," imo. I had to go look up Alison Krauss to wash my ears out after that. Would've loved to hear Yamin and Toscano for sure.

I was happy to see most of the others, particularly Jordin, Archuleta, and Grace. Wow, David Cook and Kris Allen have aged (or maybe it was just the haircut that looked bad?).... I already knew that about Cook, but this is the first time I've seen Kris in a while. I hope he puts out another original album soon though, I think the last was 2016's Letting You In. I think they wanted Cook and Archuleta to duet together the same way they did on their finale back in 2008 (same as Jordin and Ruben did on Jordin's finale), but Archuleta had surgery.

I wasn't surprised less people came back for the 20th, since there was just a big to-do 5 years ago when the show ended on FOX. I think they'll have something equally huge if the show reaches its 25th season. Personally, I was grateful JLO was not there. People here complain about Katy, but JLO was 10x worse than her. I would've liked to have seen Keith Urban though, he's a sweetheart.

On 5/2/2022 at 9:08 PM, Ms Blue Jay said:

"I knew you were waiting for me" by Jessica Sanchez and Joshua Ledet is one of my favourite Idol performances of all time.  I have watched it 100 times.  

I'm sorry but there's no way Jordin and Ruben can compare

I never liked Ledet. While I did like Jessica, season 11 was one of the weaker seasons, so that isn't saying much. I'd take Jordin and Ruben over those two any day.

[sinycalone]

On 5/7/2022 at 6:45 AM, TheGreenKnight said:

I'd throw Scotty and Alaina in there, too. They've had success, true, but they butchered "When You Say Nothing At All," imo. I had to go look up Alison Krauss to wash my ears out after that. Would've loved to hear Yamin and Toscano for sure.

I was happy to see most of the others, particularly Jordin, Archuleta, and Grace. Wow, David Cook and Kris Allen have aged (or maybe it was just the haircut that looked bad?).... I already knew that about Cook, but this is the first time I've seen Kris in a while. I hope he puts out another original album soon though, I think the last was 2016's Letting You In. I think they wanted Cook and Archuleta to duet together the same way they did on their finale back in 2008 (same as Jordin and Ruben did on Jordin's finale), but Archuleta had surgery.

I wasn't surprised less people came back for the 20th, since there was just a big to-do 5 years ago when the show ended on FOX. I think they'll have something equally huge if the show reaches its 25th season. Personally, I was grateful JLO was not there. People here complain about Katy, but JLO was 10x worse than her. I would've liked to have seen Keith Urban though, he's a sweetheart.

I never liked Ledet. While I did like Jessica, season 11 was one of the weaker seasons, so that isn't saying much. I'd take Jordin and Ruben over those two any day.

The original version of When You Say Nothing at all was a solo recording by Keith Whitley....and it was amazing.  Scotty stayed true to that version....while Lauren was all over the map over singing, IMO.

[LennieBriscoe]

Wow. Not even a thread for the Top 7 episode. 

[Foghorn Leghorn]

2 hours ago, LennieBriscoe said:

Wow. Not even a thread for the Top 7 episode. 

wondering the same thing…wtf?

[TheGreenKnight]

19 hours ago, sinycalone said:

The original version of When You Say Nothing at all was a solo recording by Keith Whitley....and it was amazing.  Scotty stayed true to that version....while Lauren was all over the map over singing, IMO.

I know…. I just prefer Alison Krauss. Their version was awful even when compared to Whitley.

[sinycalone]

Alison and Scotty recorded a beautiful song together several years ago for one of Scotty's CDs...Carolina Moon.  It works because both parties have the same goal....apparently, Lauren does not understand that.  Here's a link to that collaboration.

19 hours ago, TheGreenKnight said:

I know…. I just prefer Alison Krauss. Their version was awful even when compared to Whitley.

 

Edited May 10, 2022 by sinycalone

[tinkerbell]

I noticed that when they showed any Idol Winner's moment of winning, they showed the winner and runner-up.  But with Ruben, they cropped it so it was a close-up of his face, instead of that iconic moment of Ruben and Clay when the winner was announced.  

[ljenkins782]

37 minutes ago, tinkerbell said:

I noticed that when they showed any Idol Winner's moment of winning, they showed the winner and runner-up.  But with Ruben, they cropped it so it was a close-up of his face, instead of that iconic moment of Ruben and Clay when the winner was announced.  

LOL, I'm shocked that it was even possible to crop that one since Clay's nose was basically touching Ruben's cheek.

Quote

The original version of When You Say Nothing at all was a solo recording by Keith Whitley....and it was amazing.  Scotty stayed true to that version....while Lauren was all over the map over singing, IMO.

Yeah, Lauren's performance wasn't matching up with Scotty's or with Whitley's version OR Alison Krauss' version. I didn't mind it because I think those two are sweet together and it was a nice moment for them, but it was not a well matched duet for them, the vibe was completely different in their respective halves of the song.

[Gemma Violet]

On 5/9/2022 at 3:46 PM, tinkerbell said:

I noticed that when they showed any Idol Winner's moment of winning, they showed the winner and runner-up.  But with Ruben, they cropped it so it was a close-up of his face, instead of that iconic moment of Ruben and Clay when the winner was announced.  

I noticed that, too.  I don't think the show had much of a choice.  If they showed Clay for those few seconds, they would have had to give equal time to his opponents in the campaign.  (This rule only applies to non-news shows, of course.)