S15.E24: Winner Chosen

[waving feather]

As for past contestants performances, I only enjoyed Carly Smithson, Jessica, Clay, Candice and Melinda. All the rest are such a mess and under-rehearsed.

That WGWG winners collection was hilarious though. They don't sound bad but I just can't take them seriously with each holding an acoustic guitar in their hands. I guess that's the purpose of the set-up? For comedy? Heh. Cos I can't think otherwise.

Edited April 8, 2016 by waving feather

[Ms Blue Jay]

I loved the show.

Thank you for the Blake Lewis updates, I didn't see him.  I am glad I PVR'd this show.

Thank you to everyone here for reminding me of all my favourite past contestants.  Was Burnell kicked out really early?  LOL.  I liked him and then I dropped out of watching that season.  Thank you for the Heejun shoutout upthread.    Remember Anoop Desai?

 

Blake Lewis and Phillip Phillips are boyfriends of mine.  I love Fantasia.  I could not recognize Ace for the life of me, I had to Google him.

 

Out of everyone that's worked for Idol, I mostly like everyone and I STILL HATE KARA.  What a fucking awful performer with her facial expressions!  Her face was so robotic, that creepy robotic smile that seemed inappropriate for the song.  J.Lo was hilarious but I'd rather watch J.Lo than fucking Kara.  I can't believe how much I still hate Kara.

 

Praise Jessica Sanchez!  I've loved her more and more since her season finished.  And Joshua Ledet, LOL!!!  

 

I'm sad about my favoured contestants that didn't get a good enough part.  It was hard for me to recognize Melinda; I was hoping she'd get a better part than be part of a duet.    I always preferred Melinda and Blake over Jordin.

 

I was really sad about the show ending, but Trent winning reminded me of why this show went in the toilet.

 

I was the most starstruck about Simon, whom I really love.

Edited April 8, 2016 by Ms Blue Jay

[WordFreak]

I have to say I really enjoyed this finale. Sadly, I actually watched every season of this show, even when it started to decline somewhat. The only other show I watched as long was ER. I enjoyed the nostalgia of seeing so many past contestants, and couldn't believe that I actually remembered them all! Kelly Clarkson will always be my favourite idol, so I really enjoyed the medley of her songs she performed.

 

Could have done without the JLo segment, but I enjoyed the performances by Keith and Harry; that girl singing with Harry was so poised, it was like performing on such a huge stage was no big deal for her!

 

I'm happy for Trent for winning. I liked both him and LaPorsha, but thought Trent was more versatile. LaPorsha will be just fine, especially since I heard she got a record deal as well. 

 

I will miss this show and all the cheesy goodness it brought us over the years, but I will not be surprised if it returns in some other format in a few years. If nothing else, this finale shows that Idol brought us many talented singers, and I am glad that clips from the show will live on on YouTube.

[ari333]

I like Fantasia, but the way she shings her shongs makes me sh-cray.

I thought Kara was a songwriter , not a singer. OK then.

 

I would have loved to see Paula dance.

[ari333]

Im Knoll-y and will take further comments there, but in the intro the dude said "Welcome to the  season 15 finale" NOT "SERIES finale" which in my experience is the typical lingo for the last show  as in the end.  Just me? Alrighty then.

 

For those who missed Archie, he was beside Durbin in the white intro IIRC

[ari333]

I wonder if creepy Borchetta had in say in who got a shit, detrimetnal edit.

[TheGreenKnight]

It was a genius move to hide the weak-voiced WGWGs in the Bowie tribute.  That's just the thing...the real music peeps at 19E DO understand music.  They just keep chasing the fire truck disguised as "relevant." 

I agree. It's a shame though that David Cook got stuck with them. He's one of the only white guys most people agree deserved to win his year, and rather popular. And why he wasn't part of the rock group, I have no idea. Maybe so nobody would change the channel (during the Bowie tribute, I mean)?

 

Even though I hated Kara Dioguardi on this show, I was okay with her singing because I thought she was going to do a medley of songs she's written for Idol contestants, but, nope, she did a Pink song she wrote. Random. I'd rather see Paula do a routine than Kara or JLO; she was a bigger part of this show, and in the seasons people actually liked and might remember.

Edited April 8, 2016 by TheGreenKnight

[Padma]

I've never liked the AI show format, but I really enjoyed the finale. Also, although I thought I hadn't seen many seasons, that must not be true because nearly everyone was someone I'd heard before. Even past winners I'd been "meh" about, like Lee, Taylor and Caleb--I thought did a really good job. (And Bo Bice got older and, at least for an older person, a whole lot hotter with the passage of time. Constantine, on the other hand, still looks the same and still brings the cheesiness we've grown to love--or at least tolerate.)

 

I was disappointed with some of the women's arrangements. "Joy to the World"? It was great to see Melinda but I didn't even get to hear her sing without her partner or the chorus. She/we deserved better.  I enjoyed the solos, but it bugs how singers get so much more acknowledgment than musicians. I thought with one clarinet accompanying you, or one guitarist sitting next to you on a solo, the musicians might get their names up, too. And, naively, I totally expected Ryan to introduce some kind of salute to the band, giving them some individual recognition. But this show has never really been about music first and foremost, so of course, it was better to spend the time giving William Hung his solo.  (And, ITA, with those upthread about Heejun. I would have loved to have seen/heard him back on stage.)

 

Through the years, AIs provided a lot of really good singers (winners or not) with publicity to jump start careers which is all to the good. (As for the term "WGWG", I'd rather have someone playing his guitar than just be "WG" winning, so I never really got that criticism. Seems like they're not just counting on "looks + voice" when they bother to learn an instrument).

 

Kelly's always great. I will always prefer Pickler to Underwood (who looked beautiful as ever, but continues to sing songs I can't stand. Oh well. I'd still rather hear about the joys of baptism rather than a mother who takes her hands off the steering wheel on an icy road so that God can drive her and her baby to safety.)

 

All of the AI singers were better than the judges. Keith was lip syncing. Harry was singing live--wasn't very good, but it was a sweet moment and the girl's poise on that stage with him was amazing. We're not all 12 the same way, are we? As for J-Lo... was that supposed to be comical? It was so over-the-top (including the three-part staging with increasingly reduced clothing) that by the end, when her "dancing" was pretty much reduced to impressively shaking her booty over and over, I was actually laughing.  But at least she showed what she's known for--and her fearlessness as a performer.  That song was pretty bad, but you could see why she's a star.

 

And while I wasn't a fan of the original three judges, I had to admit it was fun to see everyone on stage together at the end (and Cowell in a suit). They all looked either better (Paula and Randy) or pretty much the same (Simon and Ryan) after all these years. (Brian Dunkleman must be the nicest guy and best sport in the world to come back for the ending, btw.  Seacrest's life so transformed by this show? "It could've been me". That would be tough for most people to deal with, I'd think.) If AI's retooling and returning in some form, as Ryan hinted, I hope they'll keep the current judges. That was the group that worked best for me in terms of musical knowledge, attitude and chemistry. I liked that promise at the end.

 

Good close!

[ari333]

Did Steven Tyler say, "Good Goddess?"

[ItsHelloPattiagain]

Bless her heart, Kelly gave me something in my eye last night with her black dress covering her enormous belly. She's a class act. 

 

La Porsha was sooooooooo nervous last night. I had a revelation that she might pop up on "Empire" at some point (another Fox show and tie in). I think that would be awesome. 

 

Carly Smithson was looking like she was  channeling Grace Slick. And I kept seeing that emoji of her in my head back in the day from TWOP of her with a plant sticking out of her head. 

 

Where was JENA!! HANDS OOPPP!!

 

I'm so glad they put the names on the screen along the way. Bo Bice? Even Pickler didn't look like herself. 

[ari333]

HONDS OPP! Glad I didnt' see her if she was there.

 

I didn't recognize McPhee.  AND I needed the names at the bottom of the screen for most of them.... some....

[CynicalGirl]

Connie was on the commercial with Brooke Shields? I didn't know.  And I thought Casey was Connie yet again. :-)

 

I wonder if LP was a victim of edit monkeys and jidges' comments. Iow, the baby card was played way too much imo as was the "win" edit and the battered woman . That can turn some folks off imo if it is used too much.

SHe has a great voice, but the too many runs make it hard for me to enjoy it.

 

I thought Casey was Connie too. 

 

Here's the commercial:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYi1pUfawUM&list=PL40EFE9CBEB14AE4D&index=13

[ari333]

I thought Casey was Connie (with McPhee who I did not know was McPhee) Didn't she just appear on this show with short brown hair or maybe Im cray.

[Ketzel]

When Kara came out (whose idea was it to open the performances with her? So totally random and not very well done) I first thought it was going to be a comic moment - that at any minute she'd yank off her dress and be joined by Bikini Girl.

 

Steven Tyler is disintegrating before our very eyes!

 

 

Would it even be possible to insure one's butt?  I mean, I can see a piano player insuring their hands or something, because hands do occasionally get lost or injured.  But a butt?  Outside of her abandoning her diet and exercise regimens, what could possibly happen to her butt that would translate to an insurance claim?  lol

Bad plastic surgical enhancement? Accidental gouging?

I think Lloyd's of London is known for insuring anything at all. Just ask and they'll give you a quote and if you can pay the premium, whatever it is is insured.

Edited April 8, 2016 by Ketzel

[Sparkling Beth]

I like Fantasia, but the way she shings her shongs makes me sh-cray.

I thought Kara was a songwriter , not a singer. OK then.

 

I would have loved to see Paula dance.

Even though I recognize her talent, I've never cared for Fantasia's voice.  To me it's what a baby would sound like if it could sing.

 

My brothers thought Carly Smithson looked like Wonder Woman.  Are the movies still looking for someone to play her?

[jjjmoss]

Previous people who got to perform their own stuff, either in the finale or as a non-contestant-duet previously:
Artists with 3+ T40 hits and multiple albums selling half a mil: Kelly (2), Carrie, Daughtry
Artists with 3+ T40 hits or multiple albums selling half a mil, or an Oscar: Jennifer, Fantasia, Jordin...The only notable missing name is Clay, but he sorta got a solo so.
Others: Colton, Adam, Kim, Kat, David, Nick

 

1 Kelly, 3 Fantasia/Jennifer, 4 Carrie, 5 Daughtry, 6 Jordin

2 Kim, 5 Kat, 7 David, 8 Adam, 11 Colton, 14 Nick

So from the last 6 seasons, only the reigning winner cuz they kinda had to, and Colton.

[PhD-Purgatory15]

I would've traded 30 seconds of whatever the heck Joshua Ledet was doing (I always thought he was massively overrated) for 30 seconds of Blake's "You Give Love a Bad Name". IMO that was one of the landmark one-off performances of a given season (similar to Siobhan Magnus's HOTRS). Blake's overall body of work in S6 was more good than great.....but for those 90 seconds he transcended Idol.

 

They absolutely could have done a Female Rock package. You could've brought back Gina Glocksen for Call Me When Your Sober, Allison for just about anything she did her season, Elise for Whole Lotta Love (as mentioned somewhere upthread), maybe Siobhan, and heck you might have even thrown Sonika in there for Bring Me to Life if you needed a fifth, and Amanda Overmyer wasn't taking AI's call lol. Because Sonika, MacKenzie, and Dalton kind of got hosed. Any other season they would have gotten to sing amongst themselves or had a duet with somebody somewhat famous. They were basically relegated to signholders during the bit with Paula and Randy and being random members of the giant AI choirs at the beginning and during Joy to World.

 

Edited cause if you want to see a contestant that's like Blake turned up to 11, check out vids of a guy named Beau Monga on the most recent season of X Factor New Zealand. He's wild.

Edited April 8, 2016 by PhD-Purgatory15

[ljenkins782]

Without "this drivel" chances are he -- like most on that stage -- would have had no success whatsoever. It's a tough, tough, business.

 

When does the Idol butt-kissing end? He's appeared on the show more than once since his time on Idol. I'm sure he's grateful but that didn't mean that he or any of the other formers had to show up to everything Idol-related. This was the show's last rodeo and he wasn't interested, plain and simple. I ain't mad at 'em.

It's not Idol butt-kissing to point out the value of appearing in front of millions of people on TV, an opportunity Josh Gracin isn't likely to get all that often. And to point out that he would never have gotten as far as he did without the show. He was a 20-something married father, active-duty Marine when he appeared on the show, I don't think he would have had the time or the opportunity to pound the Nashville pavement for a record deal on his own (and IMO, was not all that talented or marketable to have made it on his own.) 

 

That whole article about trying "overcome the Idol stigma" is one of the sillier things I've read in awhile (though I'm sad to read that he apparently attempted suicide a few years ago, had not heard about that). Way, way back in the juggernaut days of AI, there was a certain stigma in sense of maybe not getting respect from other artists, but the successes of Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Daughtry, Constantine, J-Hud, et al, plus the tons of stage, TV, Broadway, and more minor music career of countless others are proof that Idol is a huge springboard, plus what you do after Idol is what counts. And his further points about how Nashville only wants certain people seems like more sour grapes. Appearing on the show and doing a memorable job on his part could only have been useful to the career that he's still trying to pursue. 

 

I'm sure if Kelly wasn't otherwise busy you know having a baby :) , she probably would have gotten last spot on the show. Which would have been, for me anyway, more awesome. Carrie is great and all but.. you know, KC idol forever.

 

Yeah, that's unfortunate timing, I would have loved to see her there live to finish it off. 

 

I'm very upset that I didn't realize the finale was A. happening this week and B. going to be a walk down memory lane. I gave up on the show many seasons ago, but it was appointment TV for me for a long time. Going to have to catch up on this one on demand. 

 

guess it was a nice touch for all of the performances to come from former contestants in honor of the last season, but between the lack of star power and early finale, the show felt really cheap. (ETA: I'm glad they did use the old contestants, that's how the show should have been done. I'm just saying there was far less of a big time feeling than previous finales.)

 

AHA, that's why I had no idea, the finale was always in May before. Guess it didn't qualify for sweeps month placement anymore. :(

 

Also, the commentary on Diana DeGarmo looking 40+ is making me laugh. I remember saying it way back when she just a 16-year-old in a Hillary Clinton pantsuit, she's one of those people who got old early but she'll probably look pretty much the same for the next 30 years or so. 

[ichbin]

Even though I recognize her talent, I've never cared for Fantasia's voice. 

 

That's exactly how I feel about her as well as Scotty and Carrie.  They're all good at what they do, but each is too entrenched within a particular style, regardless of what they are singing.

[greyhorse]

Who let Kara DiGaurdio onto that stage to embarass herself?  And then the parade of other people besides Kara and Dunkleman who mostly haven't worked for years.... (who in general did much better than Kara). Pants on the Ground guy too?  Good lord.  You know who impressed me in that grouping? Those two background singers who had to keep flipping from song to song whenever they changed the ex-contestant. And we even ended Pia Toscana--probably the contestant with the best voice who got tossed off the show early.

 

No Kelly, eh?  I wonder if Kelly HADN'T been about to drop a baby, if they'd have played the Seacrest/Dunkleman thing further and introduced Simon, Randy and Paula as the judges, and then dragged out Kelly and Justin?

 

re: that recording of Kelly. That was impressive. I didn't think it was possible to mash up all of those songs. It must have a hell of a lot of arranging and re-arranging (and a shitload of practice on Kelly's part).

 

Wait a second... that Kelly Clarkson segment was prerecorded?  I guess I missed that.  I heard Ryan say something like "she's going to have a baby", and then she came out on stage all huge and I thought it was pretty impressive of her to be performing while so pregnant.  She doesn't live in LA, right?  So I was wondering if she had her doctor travel with her just in case.  Makes sense now that it was prerecorded.

 

Totally agree about Kara Deguardini or whatever the heck her name is.  Never understood why she was a judge.  Never understood her credentials or whether or not she was supposed to be a big deal.  But what I did understand is that she is/was not a performer.  At least not one that we hear on the radio.  So why the heck now do we bring her on stage some 8 years later and acting as if she is some teeny bopper in her 20's.  Awful.  She's had some kind of bad plastic surgery.

[Craphole Island]

Any mention of Jasmine Trias? I feel like she wasn't all that popular on TWOP but I loved her back in the day. I wasn't much of a Fantasia fan (preferred Latoya and JHud)

[ProudMary]

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/tv-ratings-american-idol-finale-881999

 

 

More than a few viewers who'd strayed from the once unavoidable American Idol found their way back for the April 7 series finale. The Fox series hit a season high for its two-hour swan song, with a 3.0 rating among adults 18-49 and 12.94 million viewers.

Among total viewers, it was more than a two-year high for Idol and its most-watched finale since 2013. In the key demographic, the episode settled for tying its January season premiere.

 

[Ms Blue Jay]

I would've traded 30 seconds of whatever the heck Joshua Ledet was doing (I always thought he was massively overrated) for 30 seconds of Blake's "You Give Love a Bad Name". IMO that was one of the landmark one-off performances of a given season (similar to Siobhan Magnus's HOTRS). Blake's overall body of work in S6 was more good than great.....but for those 90 seconds he transcended Idol.

 

They absolutely could have done a Female Rock package. You could've brought back Gina Glocksen for Call Me When Your Sober, Allison for just about anything she did her season, Elise for Whole Lotta Love (as mentioned somewhere upthread), maybe Siobhan, and heck you might have even thrown Sonika in there for Bring Me to Life if you needed a fifth, and Amanda Overmyer wasn't taking AI's call lol. 

 

Thank you for reminding me about Amanda Overmyer.

 

I was a big Blake fan.  I thought the time he transcended Idol was The Zombies' "Time of the Season", but there were a whole lot of performances that just knocked me out.

[Rick Kitchen]

 

The hypocrisy is strong with Josh. He bitches about what a tough time he's having getting doors to open and that the Idol association is hurting, rather than helping him...yet he'd have been willing to reinforce that association on his own terms. Maybe he needs to face the fact that had his work been respected enough by his peers when he was having success, he'd probably still be getting support within the country community to make a comeback.

 

I wonder if record companies are wary about dealing with a guy so emotionally fragile that he threatened suicide on Facebook.

I thought Casey was Connie (with McPhee who I did not know was McPhee) Didn't she just appear on this show with short brown hair or maybe Im cray.

 

Considering that McPhee is brunette in "Scorpion":, I wondered if her hair is blonde for a role somewhere.

[ari333]

Not sure why Kara performed and Paula did not.

[drafan]

 

 

 

.

White Guys With Guitar Pretend To Care About Bowie Segment:  Holy Lawsuit!  P-Squared is there. How'd that happen? Actually ALL the WGWGs in one row. It's like a deliberate joke having them all lined up like that with their guit-boxes, stinking up David Bowie. It was very uninpsired and shows the real pit the show dived into for years.

 

 

 

 

LOL. That was like ordering a Mexican omelet with serrano chili peppers and instead you get a bowl of lukewarm oatmeal.  ((Apologies to David Cook though....he might have been been able to save it had it been a solo.))

 

Old judge Kara...everybody forgot about her and so why was she there?

 

Taylor still has the most fun of anybody anywhere. I will never waver from that belief.

 

Constantine is aging backwards.

 

Where are the Claymates at this point in time?

 

I was OK with the results. I kinda hate the "I'm doing this for my kid." stuff. It implies "Doing it for the money." Not "Doing it for the love of music." Oh well.............it's OK to think that, but just STFU. (Many contestants have spouted that over the years, so it's not new....but it always comes off as pathetic).

Edited April 8, 2016 by drafan

[backformore]

What would have improved the finale would be to have Kara, Paula, and J'Lo  all perform together, to shorten it and get it out of the way , and have more performances by past contestants. 

A Clay/Ruben duo would have been my choice. 

[Duke Silver]

Good riddance.

[MarkHB]

Where was Jax?

Searching on social media and Google hasn't netted any info.

I hated the JLo segment and honestly wish the judges hadn't even wasted 15 minutes of that finale.

It was awesome! 

 

I think Jax burned some bridges...

 

I was really impressed by Jessica Sanchez.  I knew she could sing, but even on tour she just had the air of a girl who longed too much for the adulation of crowds.  But last night... them were some serious pipes!

[Jextella]

Josh Gracin must be a really angry person.  Minimally, he's not very bright - but also very full of himself.  Kinda sad, really.

[Rick Kitchen]

Good riddance.

 

Why?  How does it hurt you if the show exists or does not?

[ari333]

What would have improved the finale would be to have Kara, Paula, and J'Lo  all perform together, to shorten it and get it out of the way , and have more performances by past contestants. 

A Clay/Ruben duo would have been my choice. 

I would have liked that!

BUT... then do we put Keith, Harry, Randy, and Steven in a group spot too? :-)

[ari333]

Wow that Jax video... burned bridges indeed.

[TVFan17]

I have to say I really enjoyed this finale. Sadly, I actually watched every season of this show, even when it started to decline somewhat. The only other show I watched as long was ER. I enjoyed the nostalgia of seeing so many past contestants, and couldn't believe that I actually remembered them all! Kelly Clarkson will always be my favourite idol, so I really enjoyed the medley of her songs she performed.

 

Could have done without the JLo segment, but I enjoyed the performances by Keith and Harry; that girl singing with Harry was so poised, it was like performing on such a huge stage was no big deal for her!

 

I'm happy for Trent for winning. I liked both him and LaPorsha, but thought Trent was more versatile. LaPorsha will be just fine, especially since I heard she got a record deal as well. 

 

I will miss this show and all the cheesy goodness it brought us over the years, but I will not be surprised if it returns in some other format in a few years. If nothing else, this finale shows that Idol brought us many talented singers, and I am glad that clips from the show will live on on YouTube.

 

I've watched every season as well, although I think I joined in on Season 1 a few episodes later than everyone else.  Ever since then I have watched it every year.  Every January I looked forward to it.   I remember that I had a terrible flu one January and felt like a truck had run over me.  Because I felt so ill my enjoyment of Idol was going to be impacted and that angered me to no end!  I was so mad at being sick.

 

I don't know if I am forgetting anything, but I think this is the show I have followed for the longest period of time as well.  I don't think I have watched any other first-run series as consistently as I have this one, nor has any other first-run series that I love lasted as long.  I was on the edge of my seat for the Ruben vs. Clay finale... I was ready to hurl something at my TV in the Battle of the Davids, because I did not want Archuleta to win instead of Cook and was afraid he would win...  I cursed under my breath when Adam Lambert didn't win.  I was very invested in the majority of seasons.

 

Sure, there were some seasons here and there that were not as good as others because of either weak talent, weak judges or both, but I liked the general format and I stuck with it.  I always hated the auditions on other talent shows like The Voice and X Factor, but I loved the more intimate, quiet auditions on Idol.  In fact, I fear that if and when Idol comes back in a few years, they will get the stupid idea to make the auditions a big spectacle like on the other shows instead of keeping them intimate.

 

This was truly "comfort TV."  It was there for me rain or shine, in sickness and in health.  It was there for me when my work life or personal life were dragging me down into an abyss.  It was there for me when I was sad and needed a pick-me-up or distraction.  And because it was not a scripted show (like, for example, "LOST" or something), there was always an element of "anything can happen...", "you never know which way America will vote...", which was exciting.

 

I think that the show is in a tricky position.  The sentiment is strong for Idol right now.  People are feeling emotional and sad about losing it, because it seems like a show that should be able to go on and on, as long as there are singers out there in the world.  The time to bring the show back is when people still miss it.  In a couple of years, is anyone going to care anymore?  At the same time, if it came back too soon then people who were already tired of Idol would not be interested in tuning in.

 

In the documentary earlier this week, it was basically said (in one way or another) that the show got to be too expensive and not cost-effective to produce.  Sadly, that is probably largely due to all of the judges' salaries (especially Jennifer), and Seacrest's salary.  They didn't want to scale down the show and make it a shell of what it was in a former life, with a really low budget, so they decided to end it.

 

That makes me think that people are going to be brainstorming for the next couple of years as to how they can bring the show back with the "interactive" twist that has been hinted at, for a much smaller price tag.  What would that mean?  NO judges?  Only 2 judges instead of 3 or 4?  Judges that no one has ever heard of?  A host that no one knows?  I would like to think that the same judges would be brought back -- or at least Keith and Harry -- but I don't think it will happen if too much time passes.   They'd be lucky to even get one of the familiar judges back, and even that is a stretch.   So, although I think there will be a reboot of sorts down the road, I just have a feeling that it will backfire and not be a success.

[designing1]

 

A Clay/Ruben duo would have been my choice.

 

I would have loved that and I bet they would have as well. In the context of Idol it's hard to think of one without the other, and I'm not sure that can be said of any other two contestants. Plus their voices sound great together.

 

Clay Instagrammed this:

 

 

clayaiken

You know what? It's taken me 14 years to realize it... I DID WIN! No final 2 from #AmericanIdol ever became nor stayed as close as my winner and I. @realrubenstuddard has been more than a co-worker & more than a friend... he's been a true brother. No #idol finalist have ever won in the way we have. Never mind the albums and tours. Never mind the platform and exposure. American Idol gave me one of my greatest friends ever. And for that, I am truly grateful. #idolfinale #idolfarewell #losangeles #dolbytheatre

[Bronzedog]

I think Josh Gracin was on the last season I watched. I thought he was an arrogant ass then. I felt he was given a lot of leeway then because he was a Marine and wasn't that great but was given a pass because, at the time, it would have been unpatriotic to not do so.

[Kromm]

Actually, the guys ended up getting really good reviews from critics.  This was Nigel Lythgoe's idea, who thinks if they tour together, they would sell-out. 

Occasionally Nigel says some real idiotic things. I don't think their fandom is additive. It's duplicative. They'd get marginally more attendees than solo concerts, but it would hardly be 5 times as many. 

 

Personally I thought it was a dreary performance and illustrated the whole problem with the WGWG winner syndrome. I compare them all  unfavorably to Daughtry anyway, who usually has energy and zest to his performance that line of guys usually lack (not that they're all at the same level as each other--they just average out as low when you add them all together and divide by five).

Clay Instagrammed this:

Clay's veered into being a weirdo over the years at times, but that was a real class statement by him.

[Kromm]

That makes me think that people are going to be brainstorming for the next couple of years as to how they can bring the show back with the "interactive" twist that has been hinted at, for a much smaller price tag.  What would that mean?  NO judges?  Only 2 judges instead of 3 or 4?  Judges that no one has ever heard of?  A host that no one knows?  I would like to think that the same judges would be brought back -- or at least Keith and Harry -- but I don't think it will happen if too much time passes.   They'd be lucky to even get one of the familiar judges back, and even that is a stretch.   So, although I think there will be a reboot of sorts down the road, I just have a feeling that it will backfire and not be a success.

Made a poll topic to talk/vote about this specifically, but my guess is that they'll ditch TV entirely and go direct-streaming.

 

Initially I thought maybe they'd just wait until The Voice ratings fall enough, but between the time I made the topic and added the poll (a few minutes) it actually occurred to me that if they went streaming only, then waiting for The Voice to fall was a wasted effort (although it wouldn't hurt). The primary way to market it would be perhaps not even by a streaming service per se, but with an App that includes playing the show (and voting) all under the same covers.

[shang yiet]

The WGWG guys make a dull boy band. Still wish David Archuleta had not turned down the chance to sing 'Imagine' again. Was Scotty there?

[saber5055]

What a great show, I enjoyed every minute of it (after that opening performance that is. WTH? Wish that hadn't happened.)

 

Otherwise, I have to give gigantic kudos to the production staff who put all of that together, coordinating all of those singers and musicians and making it come together like that? Hokey smokes, that was no small endeavor. Those responsible: GREAT job, everyone.

 

I wish they would have left the IDs on longer as when there were three or more singers together, I couldn't read them all before they disappeared. So many don't look the same any more, plus I skipped a few seasons in the middle of the run so many were new faces to me.

 

Two best of the night: Jessica Sanchez and Jennifer Hudson. I don't know what songs they were singing, but both brought tears to my eyes. They were fantastic.

 

I was a great Clay fan, but he looked and sounded a bit weird last night. Anyone know what's going on with him? Still touring? He just didn't seem "right" to me.

 

Diana DeGarmo! I had totally forgotten about her. Some of those early season contestants could be 40-something now. Ancients! Ha ha!

 

The only clumsy part IMO was when Simon came out to surprise Paula, Randy and Ryan. No one seemed to know what to do or say, so they just stood around kinda uncomfortable-like. Awkward! Especially after Paula said she wished he was there so she could punch him.

 

Sanjaya. Too funny. Of course you were on an aisle seat so Ryan could point you out.

 

Best laugh of the night was William Hung. He actually sounded pretty good. Go figure. Also it was fun to see Pants On The Ground guy again. Yeah, AI made all kinds of people famous.

 

JLo bringing her entire Vegas performance was hilarious. I was trying to see if Casper was one of the background dancers. Then the camera guy just HAD to show her butt since she wasn't going to quit until it got some air time. So un-American-Idol-like. What a hoot.

 

Carrie outsang Keith, unfortunately, since I like him. 

 

And Kelly still can do no wrong. Although I did not know she was expecting. Congrats, girl!

 

And oh yeah, Trent won. That reveal was sort of an afterthought. But congrats to you, too, Mr. Trent.

[SnarkyTart]

Im a Carrie and a JLo fan , but I hated "Not Yo Mama" with those stupid dusters; and the song was crap.

I was in tears from laughing all the way through JLo's segment.  My first thought was, "OMG, Not Yo Mama is the perfect bookend to her S13 performance of I Luh Ya Papi!"   Yo Mama, Ya Papi. 

Simon Cowell was CREEPY looking!  He had a smile that looked as if the corners of his mouth were being artificially pulled up and back.  Really weird.

Heh.  When SiCo first came out, I thought, "Hello, Simon's botox, facial fillers, and new teeth!"   His face doesn't even look like him anymore. 

[SnarkyTart]

I like Fantasia, but the way she shings her shongs makes me sh-cray.

I thought Kara was a songwriter , not a singer. OK then.

 

I would have loved to see Paula dance.

Memba this?  Season 8 finale...it was the only time I liked Kara Dioguardi, because she totally pwned Bikini Girl.

 

[LotusFlower]

J.Lo's set must have been taped the night before. They've done that tons of times throughout the years. She lip-synced to the first song, and sounded terrible on the second. The whole performance felt so out of place.

I usually hate medleys, but I loved Kelly's.

The power of Kelly.

Too bad she couldn't be there in person.

Same with Adam. I know he's filming Rocky Horror, but I'm sure he could have made a quick trip to participate in the finale if he wanted to (he has a small part). I think he didn't want to. I remember he was a no-show when they brought back all the top contestants for Simon's big send-off during the season 10 finale. I think he one who tries to distance his success from the show.

[Stratego]

Call me an Idol nerd, but I actually got chills when Ryan said "For now" at the end of the show. I had read the article that was posted in another thread and thought, well, that's probably just PR, but somehow when Ryan spoke those words, I actually had hope. I literally shrieked to my son (who has been watching Idol with me since Season 2) "oh my God it really is coming back!" I was almost in tears. Even though this show is a shadow of its former self, I'm just going to miss it so damn much. I even tried to watch The Voice several times this season, thinking it might help me get over my Idol withdrawal, but try as I might, I just don't like anything about that show. The format, the turning chairs, the judges/coaches, the battles - I can't stand it.

Of course seeing all the past Idol contestants made it that much worse. So many memories - I really enjoyed seeing my favorites again and I even enjoyed seeing the ones I didn't like. Glad they labeled them though, because I never would have recognized Bo Bice, or that Skylar girl with the weight she has gained (not to be catty!).

As far as Trent winning, I agree he has an amazing voice, but I just don't care for the tone of it. It's like cilantro - some people can't get enough of it and some people literally spit it out. Some of his notes sound so harsh to me. La'Porsha was really starting to grow on me and I actually voted for her using several methods and I really wanted her to win, but I can't say Trent didn't deserve it.

Man, J-Lo really does like to show off her ass, doesn't she? The song wasn't bad but I thought she would never stop shaking that thang.

That's her "moneymaker", so of course she does!

[riverblue22]

 

I was a great Clay fan, but he looked and sounded a bit weird last night. Anyone know what's going on with him? Still touring? He just didn't seem "right" to me.

 

Clay doesn't sing much anymore.  These days you will find him talking politics on CNN.

[Ketzel]

I was OK with the results. I kinda hate the "I'm doing this for my kid." stuff. It implies "Doing it for the money." Not "Doing it for the love of music." Oh well.............it's OK to think that, but just STFU. (Many contestants have spouted that over the years, so it's not new....but it always comes off as pathetic).

 Well, at least some of them spout the "I'm doing it for my kids so that they can see dreams come true!" line. Or maybe the "I'm doing for my kids so that they can see you should never give up on your dreams!" line. Although I always wonder how these parents would react if their own kids' dreams turn out to be something less than likely. "Mom and Dad, I'm coming home to live in my own room while I pursue my dream to be an NBA superstar! I know I'm short, and kind of clumsy and have never actually played much basketball, but I really love it and you told me never to give up on my dream! Where should I dump my laundry? And can I borrow the car?"

 

I think Jax burned some bridges...

Oh Jax! Bitter much? I don't think she's ever accepted that she didn't win. And not even second place! It HAD to be an evil conspiracy of production! It simply could not be true in any possible way that she wasn't good enough and popular enough. I mean, look how her career has blown up since then . . . oh wait. Edited April 8, 2016 by Ketzel

[Simon Boccanegra]

I think nothing better makes the case that the finale was chaotic and overstuffed than the "Where was so-and-so?" questions about people who actually sang on camera and were identified. There was just too much stimulation. Former contestants were bouncing around the screen like ball bearings in a food processor.   

 

The lighting on Clay Aiken was so harsh and unflattering that I wondered. If you rub the crew or the producers the wrong way, it can bite you in the ass in all kinds of ways. I have no information that that was the case here, but he looked awful, and I don't think it was him per se. It didn't suit his coloring, and he was the only person singing, so it's not as though they had to balance him and someone else. It reminded me of Donna Reed's widower talking about the "monster lighting" they gave her on Dallas because everyone wanted Barbara Bel Geddes back and Reed had a contract and was digging in her heels.  

 

"Big Voices" (isn't that how Harry introduced them?) segment: Kat McPhee and the group they had follow were great. Clay, Ruben, Jessica Sanchez (who killed it), and yes, some randoms.

 

I don't get how Casey James crashed that party. With all of the others in that segment, you could make a case that they were truly great voices, whether or not you liked their style. Casey James was not generally adjudged a strong singer even for the S9 group, relative to Michael Lynche and Siobhan Magnus and maybe a couple others. He was a great guitar player, and his fans liked the sound of his voice. He gave some good performances, and I'm sure those who have followed him closely in the last six years would say he has only gotten better. But I've never heard him mentioned as one of the notable singers of American Idol.   

 

I don't like to say mean things about the way people have changed, because I think it takes courage to come back on this show after a number of years of having a lower profile, especially if you've gained a lot of weight or visibly aged. And we all see it (a couple of female contestants obviously got significantly larger), so there's no point in belaboring the obvious. 

 

However, when DeGarmo first appeared, I briefly thought she was the mother on That '70s Show.  

Edited April 8, 2016 by Simon Boccanegra

[Josiecat]

I know he's filming Rocky Horror, but I'm sure he could have made a quick trip to participate in the finale if he wanted to (he has a small part). I think he didn't want to. I remember he was a no-show when they brought back all the top contestants for Simon's big send-off during the season 10 finale. I think he one who tries to distance his success from the show.

 

Nope.  Adam had to fit RHPS in the break between the end of the U.S. leg of his tour this past Sunday and his departure tomorrow for the UK to begin the European leg.  If he could have been there, he would have.

 

http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/7326406/adam-lambert-american-idol-finale-rocky-horror-interview

 

As for Season 9, to make a long story short, the finale conflicted with final rehearsals for his debut tour.  The set and equipment were being shipped off to the East Coast the next day.  Passing up the ~opportunity to be in a huge group of non-spotlighted non-winners in order to focus on his own show was a no-brainer.

 

Adam has returned to Idol in some capacity every season since his own, and never fails to acknowledge the show's importance as the launching pad for his current career.

[ari333]

I wasn't blaming Adam for not showing up; I was just missing him

[shipmate]

Every contestant seemed to have some sort tragedy and heartbreak. To this day, my husband and I still call Danny Gokey the “dead wife guy.” 

 

Thanks to Michael Slezak and Kristen at ew.com we still call him the "Ghoulish Widower" in our house!

 

Sidenote: I will miss Michael Slezak and Melinda Doolittle's Reality Check AI coverage more than the show itself, probably!!