Reality Check - At What Point Do We Give Up on 'Idol'? - Video
TVLine.com's Michael Slezak returns with American Idol Season 6 finalist Melinda Doolittle for an all-new Reality Check, dissecting the week in reality singing competitions!
Michael and Melinda are at the edge of their tolerance for American Idol XIII, arguing that some of these contestants aren't really fighting to show America they're worthy of the spot. But that doesn't mean there aren't good arguments to be had about who did best on 80s night (a lively debate with a huge disagreement!), the tiresome nature of the judges, and the unfair critiques of Jessica Meuse. The hosts also give a shout-out to perhaps the best mentor Idol has ever had! The hosts also discuss The Voice Season 6, and how Team Blake has the win all but locked up, thanks to one of the deepest benches in the history of the show. Can anyone stop Team Blake? Or will it be win No. 4 for the country coach? It's another great episode of a show I actually look forward to more than the shows it covers (no, seriously). So check out the full video below via TVLine:
Credit: TVLine
THOUGHTS
I think the problem with this season of Idol has really been a case of talents who are perhaps too seasoned in some cases, and not seasoned enough in others. It's this weird mix of people who have been performing for ages, and people who seem like they've never performed in front of anyone before at all. The professional performers lack a certain connection, and since they're already fully-formed as artists, we don't really see any growth, which has been the hallmark of the Idol format (you get to see Kelly Clarkson evolve from Girl Next Door to Superstar!). The more amateur type performers (and I don't mean 'amateur' derogatorily, just in terms of experience) have similar issues with connection, and realistically, they should probably have more of an ability to connect than their more professional counterparts, since their performing habits aren't so deeply ingrained yet. But we're just not seeing them grow. Sam Woolf isn't all that appreciably different now than when he started, while CJ Harris has actually gotten markedly worse. Normally, at Top 8, we start to see the real "moments." But outside of a few performances here and there, there hasn't been a real showstopper of a moment just yet, one that can be entered into the Idol pantheon. Here's hoping that changes, because while I like this group of finalists far more than last year's, it's hard not to be disappointed overall with where we are, in terms of what we're getting.
As for The Voice, I'm still waiting on Team Usher's finalists to be set before declaring a potential winner, but after last night's results, I'm just not seeing how Blake loses this season. There's a lot of talent here, to be sure, but I think Blake clearly has the strongest team, and he's already hard to beat when his team is weak, much less when his team is this solid overall. Sisaundra Lewis and two powerhouse country vocalists could be enough to carry Blake to the finale with multiple acts. Granted, nothing is set in stone, but I think it's going to take some real rallying from the other teams in the competition to stop the inevitable.
What do you think? Can Team Blake be stopped? Is the Idol situation really so dire? Sound off in the comments!