Reality Check - Was the Top 5 Twist Idol's Low Point? - 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 positively beside themselves with rage and disappointment at the latest cruel, unnecessary American Idol XIII "twist," as the contestants were forced to vote on whether they would send one of their own home that week, or put off the results and let two go home this week. The hosts make note of the ongoing cruelty problem American Idol has had this season, as it's back in full force now -- and, in the process, overshadowing some stellar performances. Which contestant do Michael and Melinda disagree over, and why is Melinda now happier than ever that she was a part of Season 6? The hosts discuss all that and more, including the risk of Kristen Merlin being committed to the "gay ghetto" on The Voice. It's another terrific episode, so check out the full video below via TVLine:
Credit: TVLine
THOUGHTS
I couldn't possibly agree more about the unnecessary nature of the ridiculous twist on last week's Idol results show. Look, I liked Sam. I really did. But on two separate occasions, he just didn't have the votes. There was no reason Alex and Jena had to risk endangering themselves for next week by voting to keep him around when the writing was already on the wall. This is a competition, and the contestants seemed to all understand it. Even Sam seemed okay with his elimination, and even went on to defend Alex and Jena for having voted to evict him. In short, Sam was a man about his elimination, and accepted it like a man, which is more than could be said for the producers, who kept trying to find ways to manipulate the process so he could stay an extra week. And while I would have enjoyed an extra week of Sam, if he doesn't have the votes to get him there, then the process shouldn't be compromised to keep him there. As Michael said, one Judges' Save is enough. We don't need a Producers' Save as well. Worse yet, I sincerely doubt they would have implemented this twist if one of the girls had been the low vote-getter, and that just smacks of the worst kind of manipulation. Nigel Lythgoe wasn't exactly subtle about his favoritism, but at least he obeyed the verdict of the people, for the most part.
As for The Voice, I'm not quite ready to predict that Kristen Merlin will outlast BOTH of Blake's country singers, but after last night's live performance show, I think she has a hell of a chance to outlast Audra McLaughlin. As mentioned in my post-show power rankings last night, I feel Audra has taken a major hit over the last several weeks as Blake molds her into an obscure, early-90s country balladeer. And it's just not working. Meanwhile, Kristen has managed to deliver unique, powerful vocals that emotionally connect, turning herself from also-ran to dark horse. The competition still isn't exactly what I'd call interesting, especially after the stellar business of Season 5. But, as we get down to the wire, I still find it difficult to predict who's actually going to win this thing. I'd think Christina Grimmie, but Josh Kaufman has once again outcharted her on iTunes. Not that this is necessarily the sole indicator of someone's chances at winning, but I very much feel this is a two-horse race, and everyone else is slowly becoming an afterthought. Anyway, THREE SINGERS will be going home tonight, and I basically have no idea whom to predict. But if you think you know, head on over to the poll and vote!
What did you think? Was the Idol twist unfair? Is The Voice a wide-open race, or is the competition basically just between two singers? Sound off in the comments!