Reality Check: Best of 'The Voice 5' Semifinals, and Should 'X Factor' Get a Fourth Season?

Credit: TVLine

TVLine.com's Michael Slezak returns with American Idol Season 6 finalist Melinda Doolittle for an all-new episode of Reality Check, dissecting the week in reality singing competitions.

It's the penultimate Reality Check of the season, and Michael and Melinda have a lot of gushing to do over the The Voice Season 5 finalists, as they praise the exceptional vocals of Will Champlin, Tessanne Chin, and Jacquie Lee, with Michael getting defensive towards commenters who claim the teenager gets excessively screechy. But the big story here is Michael and Melinda agreeing that both The Voice AND X Factor USA feature the right final three, as they celebrate the elimination of Restless Road, and praise Alex and Sierra for finally getting people excited about The X Factor. But with that comes the question: do we even want a fourth season of The X Factor USA? It's an illuminating episode, as always. You can watch the full video below via TVLine:

Thoughts

Well, I don't know about anyone else, but I want a fourth season of The X Factor USA, even as the possibility grows less and less likely by the day. I feel like there's still a good show in here somewhere, and even its many negatives are outweighed by the possibility of finding just one diamond in the rough, just one act that we could have only found here. An act like Fifth Harmony or Alex and Sierra. The jury is still out on just how big either act could become, but even if they sputter and fade out, I'm still happy to have had The X Factor USA, because I wouldn't have known about them otherwise.

While some would argue we have far too many damn singing shows, I feel like this show offers more variety than most in terms of niche artists mixed with viable mainstream acts. Of course, this isn't really a comment on the possibility of those acts parlaying their time on the show into successful music careers, but I find that The X Factor USA contestants inspire a peculiar kind of excitement in me, even at their least promising. The show is routinely among the least predictable among major singing competitions, and it entertains me just on its merits as a spectacle. So bring on a fourth season, I say! It can't possibly be any worse than American Idol 12.

So what do you think of the episode? Do you agree or disagree with Michael and Melinda? Sound off in the comments!