OK, it wasn't the most gripping episode ever, since Idol didn't have a lot of time to tease us with suspense. With just a few surprises, almost everyone they featured will be in the top 24. That said, I am curious to see how these finalists do perform when competing against each other—we're finally into the part of the show where we can start getting to know and love (and hate! Oh, the hate) the contestants which is one of the best parts.
While I don't actually have anything to hate about Tyler Grady, I'm not a fan of his Peter Frampton look. Dressing and styling yourself like a '70's singer as opposed to just channeling the '70's in your music is so Jason Castro. I think what I actually did hate was how he brought out Kara's stupid side. "Fancy seeing you all here," he said, greeting the judges. "I like that word, 'fancy," Kara says. "You're kind of a '70's guy, aren't you?" Those two things don't have anything to do with one another. I feel in some ways she's the new Randy, just talking, adding nothing.
I liked Lacey Brown, who made the top 50 last season, for saying that the judges made the right decision to give her another year to grow. It was a professional thing to say, and I'm a sucker for someone who seems a little seasoned. Crystal Bowersox made it through, too. I like her, I've decided—she could be Amanda Overmeyer done right. I even liked her sweepy widdle baby. Also no surprise was Katie Stevens (Alzheimer's grandma) making it through: she seems very prepackaged Idol material, not necessarily in a bad way, but with a big voice, cute conventional face and nice story, she seems perfect for the top 24.
It was odd hearing one of my favorite Radiohead tunes, "No Surprises," playing over a portion of the episode but that's what they chose for the clips of delivering the bad news. The girl with a big supply of colorful ironic glasses didn't go through, and neither did the chick with the super-high voice who flew in from Florence for her audition.
I was actually surprised the Angela Martin from Chicago got cut, even though I knew she wasn't in the top 24. I had heard that she wasn't in and part of it had to do with her mother going missing (poor Angela, seriously) but I didn't know she got cut. I'm sure it really meant a lot to her to have Kara DioGuardi sit next to her (IE make her sit on the arm of the chair) and tell her she was going to remember her forever. If I may quote Randy: "Ugh!"