written by lee jeske...
At the beginning of Tuesday's episode, Ryan Seacrest promised viewers a brand-new Hollywood week. One wrinkle was the absence of the group sing that's been a staple of previous seasons and mainly served to provide footage of the contestants behaving badly toward each other.
But from a competitive standpoint, the big change was that nobody was cut in the first round. Either people got enough yes votes to advance all the way to the final performances on Thursday, or they would have to come back for a sing-for-your-life audition Wednesday. It was a kinder, gentler Hollywood round, albeit one where 100-plus talented performers were getting their dreams crushed within shouting distance of stardom, or at least temporary fame.
The new rule made the process more fair to the contestants, since they were ensured at least two chances to perform and could not be eliminated by a jet-lag induced first-day flameout.
First, all 164 finalists got to sing, either by themselves or with an instrument. If the judges approved, they got an instant bye to the final round. If not, it wasn't over, because this is a double-elimination style American Idol. The non-winners lined up and each got to sing a few seconds a cappella, and from that, the judges selected who would go to the final round with the original winners. In the finals, each singer got to perform with a band and back-up singers, after which the judges immediately voted on whether the singer made the top 50.
Most of the featured singers were those like Carly Smithson and Michael Johns, music veterans who sang like the professionals they arguably already are. Others, like Josiah Leming, aren't locks to make the final 24 but weren't in danger of getting cut before Thursday either.
But after the showcases and the usual stories about people who were nervous, hoarse, sick, cranky and battling adversity, Wednesday finally dawned and the cuts began.
Simon Cowell began the day with a pep talk. "Good luck. It's do or die," he said. It's no shock that he doesn't make a living as a motivational speaker.
