Review of Night One of the Top 3 of "American Idol"

Well, tonight was yet another disappointment on American Idol, although not for the usual reason, i.e. the contestants' lack of song-choosing ability (although that was certainly a factor.) Instead, this evening's unfortunate nature stemmed largely from the judges and their unabashed fawning over Lee Dewyze who, frankly, was the weakest of the three performers on the first night of the Top 3 of American Idol. Just when everyone thought it was safe to start trusting the judges again, they decide to resort to some of their old tricks, namely doing everything they can to ensure that Casey is removed from the show.

To be fair, his first performance was not stunning, although it had solid and powerful vocals. His second performance, of the song "Daughters," by John Mayer, was truly one of his most emotional and riveting performances of the entire season. Unfortunately, the judges became so consumed with their bickering with one another (with Simon picking a fight with Kara, and Kara being more than happy to oblige,) that any positive feedback they might have had for Casey was utterly obscured. Although the blame for the contestants' failure (and, it would seem, the show as a whole,) is usually the result of their own inability to choose a good song, this time the episode's lack of focus stemmed from the judges' inability to deliver anything resembling useful critique. This is particularly disappointing, considering how close the contestants have come to the final moment.

That being said, Casey and Crystal were phenomenal in some points in the evening, specifically those parts where they sang the judges' choice of song. However, it must be said that Lee's performances were something less than impressive, for all that the judges fawned all over him and heaped piles of unearned praise upon him. Although many out there might disagree with me, it just doesn't seem that Lee has the immense talent that everyone seems to think he does. Although he can sing, he simply doesn't have the kind of range that Casey and Crystal possess, and he seems to have peaked far too early in the season, leaving him little room to advance or improve as the season has progressed.

But then, that seems to be the overriding problem with many of the contestants, which could explain why these last few episodes have seemed so unimpressive. Simply put, they all hit their peaks very early in the season, with the result that we have had virtually nothing to look forward to as the ninth season of American Idol has progressed. I am not, by any means, saying that the contestants don't have talent, only that they really did not pace themselves very well, and they have not gained honed their abilities to pick the kinds of songs that will showcase their vocal talents in the way they need to be showcased. Although there are only three nights left in American Idol, we can fervently hope that they will have something special in store for us. The only question is: will it be enough to save American Idol?