Reality Check - Wasted 'Idol' Save, Frustrating 'Voice' Twist - 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 discuss what they feel to be a wasted Save on American Idol XIII, and examine some of the reasons why the judges might have felt compelled to save Sam Woolf. They also address the CJ Harris problem, the inconsistency of Malaya Watson, the judges' unfair critique of Jessica Meuse, a problem Alex Preston needs to work on, and more. The hosts also note what they think the contestants need to do as the competition goes forward. The pair also explore the obnoxious, frustrating new twist on The Voice Season 6, resulting in an all-time great rant from Melinda. It's the best episode this season, so check out the full video below via TVLine:
Credit: TVLine
THOUGHTS
I keep forgetting about that Voice twist, and while it doesn't really frustrate me all that much, given that the original format for this show was far more restrictive towards home audiences before the format really opened up starting with Season 3, I can see why Michael and Melinda are frustrated. We're going to lose a lot of great talent, and we're not going to have a say in those eliminations. There is a very real chance Shakira arbitrarily decides to stick with Deja Hall, regardless of how she performs. And who knows? Maybe Blake will accidentally hit his head over the weekend and somehow forget that Sisaundra Lewis is basically one of the best singers this show has had. And if that happens, this might be the end of Reality Check.
But by the same token, I still can't get that mad about it, since I've basically worn out my frustration on the vaguely similar Rush Week theme from American Idol. Sure, they might not be going for America's vote just yet, but at least everyone in this Top 20 is actually getting to PERFORM. I'm still miffed that we never got to see what Jillian Jensen and Kenzie Hall could do on the live stage.
As for Idol, I'm officially worried that the Sam Woolf save is going to blow up in their faces. Maybe CJ finally goes home this week, but then what? It's not like we're going to lose Sam at any point before Top 6, since the Save buys a contestant two extra weeks, at the least, and FIVE, at the most. So there's a very real possibility that Sam will outlast one or more people he just shouldn't. But then, this is Idol. The only thing the Save really changes is the elimination order. It doesn't change who's inevitably going to win this thing. Sure, the Save got Jessica Sanchez to the finale, but Phillip Phillips was never losing that season to anyone. And I'm really not sure Alex Preston can lose this season unless he actively tries to. But hey, we're at Top 8, so there's still plenty of season left for that all to change. Could be a crazy couple of weeks, potentially.
What do you think of the Idol save, and the other topics discussed? What about the new Voice twist? Sound off in the comments!