Guest Post: Daniel's Wishlist for New SNL Hosts for Season 38

Here's a new Guest Post from our Guest Blogger Daniel!  

Last week I really enjoyed reading this site's “SNL Host Wishlist”, and while I loved a lot of those choices (Stephen Colbert, Will Arnett, Ty Burrell, Elizabeth Banks, Mila Kunis, Aziz Ansari, and Mindy Kaling) I didn't love all of them (Ken Jeong). So I decided to make a list of people I thought was left off that list. And to be clear, these are not predictions of who will host, they are people I would like to see host.

1. John Krasinski

How you know him (notable works): The Office, Something Borrowed, Big Miracle, It’s Complicated, Leatherheads, Away We Go, Shrek The Third, Monsters Vs Aliens, Dreamgirls, License To Wed, Brief Interviews With Hideous Men

John Krasinski has a very rare comedic skill; he can play the funny straight man. What most people don’t get about Krasinski’s performance as Jim Halpert on The Office is that while he doesn’t play as outrageous a character as Rainn Wilson's character Dwight or Brian Baumgartner’s character Kevin, Krasinski still injects a wonderful, charmingly confused yet sarcastic sense of humor to the show. Krasinski uses this same brand of somewhat subtle humor in most of the movies he appears in like It’s Complicated and Big Miracle. Krasinski is a very talented actor who has the ability to give a good performance in a mediocre movie like Leatherheads. Krasinski would also be a good choice because he is said to do impressions of the other cast members of The Office and impressions are always a good vehicle on SNL for hosts, especially if they mock someone the host knows really well. I have wanted him to host for quite some time now and thanks to The Office, Krasinski hosting has always been plausible. Now with Promised Land, a drama that Krasinski co-wrote and co-stars in with Matt Damon coming out in June, and The Office in their last season, it seems like a fantastic year for Krasinski to finally host.

SNL Dual Review 38.01 - Seth MacFarlne

Today we introduce a new feature to the blog.  In the style of the SNL Perpetual Post, Guest Blogger Daniel and I will each give our own short reviews of each SNL sketch.  While Daniel and I do both love SNL (and many other shows), we often have very different taste.  For example, Daniel loves Surprise Sue, while I hate it.  I love Nuni while Daniel hates it.  We will be writing these reviews separately without knowing what the other is saying.  (I will say that in general, Daniel is a harsher critic than I am.)

Cold Open: Democratic Rally

Jason: Great opening sketch for the season.  As much as I love Fred, Jay does a better Obama.  Glad to see Jason back doing his always amazing Romney, and look forward to more Paul Ryan from Taran.

Daniel: Liked it. Loved Fred passing the role of Obama to Jay and Jay wasn't great but much better than Fred used to be. Jason Sudeikis stole the show though.

Monologue

Jason: As expected, Seth MacFarlane did a musical number.  And as expected, lots of Family Guy voices.  Still enjoyed it though. Was hoping for a Mila Kunis and/or Seth Green cameo, but oh well.

Daniel: Ok I guess but a little too forced with the Family Guy voices. Doing both the voices and the song seemed too long. Not great but not bad.

Commercial: Obama for America

Jason: More Obama/Romney! They have a whole summer's worth of politics to catch up on, so that makes sense.  Enjoyed this commercial.  It went a little too over the top at times, but still good.  Loved Kenan here.

Daniel: This was  just not great. The only laugh came from Kenan who kept getting fired. Throwing Jay in at the beginning was annoying and unnecessary. For a first add of the season this was really weak.

Sex After 50

Jason: I hate this sketch.  It was amusing the first time, and just gets repetitive every time after it. Nothing new is ever added.  Wish they'd stop reprising this one.

Daniel: Not a big fan of this Fred character but he hasn't done it in a while. It had some good lines. Kate McKinnon was particularly good.

Eastwood and Chair

Jason: Well you knew this was coming.  Bill does his great Clint Eastwood impression as always, and while the story is a bit old at this point, I'd be disappointed if they didn't do some sort of Clint/chair sketch.

Daniel: HOMERUN. I was wondering what they were gonna do with Eastwood considering his train wreck convention speech and Bill’s great impression. This was really really funny. Bill was fantastic as usual and I loved Jay’s reaction and the return of Taran’s Gay Theatergoer. Just a great pre-taped bit.

Lids (Gangham Style)

Jason: Gangham Style!  I had a feeling Psy might make a cameo since he was in New York on Today the previous day.  I enjoyed it, but felt like they could have done more with it.  Why was it in a hat store?

Daniel: This was weird but entertaining. Bobby and Taran were both great. Bill also got a laugh out of me in his quick appearance.

Puppetry Class

Jason: Bill just owned this sketch.  The character was a bit reminiscent of Will Forte's "Hamilton" character, but Bill's intensity juxtaposed with the puppets worked really well.

Daniel: Hader hits another homerun. Just hilarious. Had me on the floor. Kenan was funny in his supporting role. 

Weekend Update:

Jason: Seth's jokes were good. Haven't watched Honey Boo Boo (and don't plan to) but still enjoyed the bit (Bobby more than Vanessa). Seth MacFarlane's Ryan Lochte impression was funny, but a bit to exaggerated. Enjoyed Cecily's character ("Stop it!").

Daniel: Seth had a few good jokes but was not on fire like he usually is. I loved the “Innocence Of Muslims” joke. First time I watched it, I didn't love the “Honey Booboo” bit. After watching a trailer for the actual show and watching the bit again, I liked it a lot more. Vanessa was a bit annoying but it didn't matter cause Bobby stole the show with a great impression of “Mama.” I didn't love the Ryan Lochte bit cause Ryan Lochte never struck me as brain dead. In her SNL debut, Cecily Strong learned that a spot on accent can’t always save a feeble character. Jay had some pretty good mannerisms but overall just not a good bit.

Drill Sergeant:

Weak sketch. Interesting premise, but didn't escalate enough.

Daniel: I hated this skit. As someone who has dealt with stuttering problems I found it offensive. I know its not that different that making fun of gay people or black people or Jewish people or British people and stuff like that but it felt different to me. Also I’m Jewish and I’ve never felt offended by a skit mocking Jews.

Steve Harvey Show:

Jason: A fun sketch.  I liked Kenan's Steve Harvey impression last time (on Millionaire) so glad to see it back.  Now that Steve Harvey has a show, I could see this as a recurring sketch (replacing What Up Wit That?).

Daniel: Kenan does an ok impression but the concept is not really there. Not a great skit. Also Vanessa is really bad at being the straight man.

First Date:

Jason: This was silly, but it worked for me.  I like how it escalated from just the couple to random people doing the voices.  Also like how almost the whole cast got to do a little bit.

Daniel: I actually enjoyed this one. I usually don’t really like Nasim’s stuff but both her and MacFarlane both gave really good performances. Kenan was good as the annoyed waiter, Bill was funny as the guy with the weird voice, and Fred really got me as the robber.

Wooden Spoon Warehouse:

Jason: Um, ok...

Daniel: What was this? What ever it was not a fan. Put simply this is the definition of a stupid skit.

Overall:

Jason: Decent start to the season.  The new cast is showing promise, and loving Jay's Obama leading into the election season.

Daniel: Decent show. Bill provided the two highlights in “Eastwood And Chair” and “Puppets.” A few more weak skits then you like to see in the premiere but generally solid. Can't wait for next week when the always enthusiastic Joseph Gordon-Levitt returns!

Guest Post: American Idol Recap - Top 6

Guest Blogger Daniel recaps American Idol - Top 6!

The top six contestants started the night with a medley of songs by the rock band “Queen”

Ok. Life on Idol without Colton Dixon starts now. In case you didn’t know, last week America voted off Colton Dixon, who in my opinion was by far the best contestant this season and one of the best I’ve seen ever. Even worse, America decided to vote the 20 year-old rocker from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, out right before Queen week. Dixon, who was a highlight every single week, would have been especially phenomenal this week. But I have to push through. Colton said that had he made it to the next round he would have sang “The Show Must Go On.” Well it's true. Even without the kid who was clearly the best this season, the show must go on.  In addition to the Queen songs, each contestant will sing a song of their choice. At the start of the show they all sing a medley of Queen songs with two of the original members of Queen. The medley included “We Are The Champions” which made me think, “no Colton’s the champion. How could America do this?” Anyway let's get to the recap because the show MUST GO ON.

Guest Post: AMERICAN IDOL SHOCKER - COLTON DIXON SENT HOME

Guest Blogger Daniel shares his shock and outrage over Colton Dixon being eliminated from American Idol.

On Thursday, on American Idol, one of the most talented contestants, certainly this season, and possibly in the history of the show, got eliminated in what will be remembered as one of the most surprising eliminations off all time on Idol; Colton Dixon was eliminated. In a very emotional fashion, during his last performance on the Idol stage, Dixon dropped to his knees and, being very religious, sang to God. If you read the blog, you will know that I was a big fan of Dixon, and I was shocked and disappointed see Colton sent packing. And I wasn’t the only one. After the show, various people voiced their surprise and displeasure with the result. Various other contestants, both from other seasons as well as those who have already been eliminated this season, tweeted their surprise. Below you can look at some of their tweets.

Here’s a conversation between Jeremy Rosado, who came in 13th this season, Eben Franckewitz, who was eliminated in the semi-finals this season, and Pia Toscano, who came in 9th last season. When Toscano got eliminated last season in also came as a shock to almost everyone.

I have to admit that I, like Eben and Pia, let out a few tears when I watched Colton get eliminated and perform his final song.

Rosado also added with regards to Dixon’s last performance…

And they weren’t the only people who were shocked by Colton’s elimination. Look at what semifinalist Brielle Von Hugel had to say.

Even Carrie Underwood, probably the most famous American Idol winner of all time, voiced her displeasure with the way American voted.

Hollie and Colton in the bottom two. Hollie, who seemed to have braced her self for elimination looked shocked to find out Colton would be going home instead.

Phillip Phillips looked seriously distraught when he heard Colton would be going home.

Colton’s sister, Schyler can’t believe her brother got eliminated.

During his time on Idol, Colton’s performances have all been fantastic, but his final performance had a little extra emotion that can only come when you hear that you have just been eliminated. This performance also earned a standing ovation from the judges, who up until now had inexplicably not given him one. You can watch the performance below.

Now here are some pictures of the contestants watching Colton’s emotional, final song:

Hollie Cavanagh hysterically crying at the beginning of Colton’s last performance

The always upbeat Skylar Laine claps and sings along to Colton’s last performance while Jessica Sanchez sobs.

Hollie cries and Skylar cheers as they look on.

Phillip Phillips took the elimination of his buddy Colton (the two were close friends) very hard, putting his head in his lap and staring at the ground and praying for most of Colton’s final performance.

Colton performs for the last time on the Idol stage as Phillip (far right) looks on in disbelief and Elise Testone, Joshua Ledet, Hollie, Skylar and Jessica sing along.

Colton’s final performance made J-Lo choke up.

As Colton finished his last performance, the judges finally gave him the standing ovation he deserved so long ago, as he was mobbed by his fellow contestants.

After the show, as usual, the judges came up on stage to say their goodbyes.

Colton and Steven.

Colton and J-Lo embrace after the show.

Randy gives Colton some final advice.

Colton gives his little sister Schyler, a hug.

After the show, as usual, the judges and guest performers gave their thoughts on the show. “I was beyond shocked!” Steven Tyler mused. “I was definitely shocked.” Randy Jackson added “He’s amazing and he had never been in the bottom.” “He was definitely in my top 5. I told him to be really proud because what he came to American Idol to do, he did, which was to show his talent and he didn’t have to win to do that. He’s just one of those artists that you really get right away,” said Jennifer Lopez. Season 8 winner Kris Allen called the results “very surprising.” Allen went on to say “For me, at least, when I think about who’s gonna make it to the final, who’s gonna make it to the top 3 or whatever, I thought he was definitely in that realm. But he’ll be great. He knows exactly what he wants to do and he’s a great musician, a great singer so, he’ll be fine.”

Guest Post: American Idol Recap - Top 7, Again

Here's a new American Idol recap from Guest Blogger Daniel:

So, just to catch you up last week, Jessica Sanchez was the low vote-getter and the judges used their one save on her. That means we have yet another week of the top 7. Tonight, they will each be singing two songs. One from then, an old song, and one from now, a current song. Not only is this a lame theme but it is pretty similar to the theme we had last week. C’mon American Idol! One more thing before I start. For their first performances, 5 of the 7 contestants looked ridiculous. I’m not a big fashion guy but I know when someone looks ridiculous, and they looked ridiculous. Below you can see a picture and in the comments for the first performances I will not only discuss the performances but how ridiculously they were dressed. Anyway, lets get down to business.

Round 1: "Now" Songs

Hollie Cavanagh                    Rolling In The Deep

Last week, Hollie got out of her slump and sang well. This week, she sang amazingly. This was Hollie at her potential. Starting the song a cappella was brilliant. She really showed off her voice in the chorus and sang the verses with a terrific intensity. Great job Hollie. It was kind weird though to have the backup singers on the screen behind her. Anyway, Hollie sang great but looked strange. She wore these weird billowy pants and her shirt didn’t cover the side of her body. This might be the look she was going for, but I thought it looked weird. Anyway, she sang great. A+

 Colton Dixon                         Bad Romance

As you know, I am a big Colton fan, but during this performance he looked terrible. He was wearing a weird jacket that fell behind him like a cape, and he also wore red leather pants! He even put some red into his hair! C’mon! Anyway, he took on a big song, but after hearing his song choices for the past few weeks, flinching, and then watching the incredible performances that followed, I didn’t get worried. Colton was nailing this one as per usual until he got to the line “I want your love. And I want you revenge.” He went waaaay to low there and couldn’t hold the note. While that wasn’t good, he still totally nailed the chorus, especially when he sang “whooooooooooooooooooooooOOOOOOoo” and the “raaa ahhh raa ma ahhh” parts. Overall while this was Colton’s worst performance on the show it was still pretty great. A-

Elise Testone                         No One

Elise was wearing a weird drape-y orange dress that made her look like a gourd. Just terrible. Anyway, great song choice. That said, Elise didn’t really do anything interesting with it. She sang it pretty well, it just wasn’t especially interesting. It didn’t really have a sense of artistry. It was like good karaoke. But she did sing well. A-

Phillip Phillips                                    U Got It Bad

When I heard Phil would be singing an Usher song, I was very excited because it meant he was going to do some real creative re-arranging and really put his stamp on the song. And it was good I guess. Surprisingly, it wasn’t really special. He sung it ok, but even with all the changes, I wasn’t excited by it. Still, I give him props for a solid performance and for tremendous originality. Also, congrats on being one of the only contestants to be dressed ok during their first performance. B+

Jessica Sanchez                      Fallin’

I found it sickening the way the judges rushed up onstage after Jessica got eliminated, saved her, then practically told the world that she was the best singer ever and that you should “vote for the best” and that the best was her. IT'S OUR CHOICE LEAVE US ALONE. I actually wouldn’t have minded seeing Jessica go home. She has been boring me a bit lately. Her performances all seem kinda the same, and last week she was definitely the worst. Tonight, Jessica was ok. She didn’t do anything special or anything we haven’t seen before. It was kinda similar to her performance last week, but it was a little better. While she wasn’t dressed badly, her hair looked atrocious. She looked like she had just come out of a wind tunnel. B+

Skylar Laine                           Born This Way

Skylar sang the country version of Lady Gaga’s Born This Way and it was fantastic. She was totally in her element. She performed with a great energy as usual and hit all the notes with a power that no other girl in the contest has. This was an American Idol winner caliber performance.  To top it all off, she didn’t look bad the way most of the contestants did during their first songs. A+

Joshua Ledet                          I Believe

Big song to take on, but Joshua did a good job. It showcased his powerful voice and he was really in his comfort zone. Nothing new here though. Nothing we hadn’t seen before though. Just Joshua singing the kind of big song that he specializes in. And there was a little more emotion than there usually is. Oh, and his fashion problem. 2 words: red jacket. A

Round 2: “Then” Songs

Phillip Phillips provided one of the high points in round two singing “In The Midnight Hour”

Hollie Cavanagh                    Son Of A Preacher Man

This was good-not-great and not as good as “Rolling In The Deep” was. Hollie didn’t seem as committed to this song as she was to “Rolling In The Deep.” Her vocals were still solid though. And still better than what she was doing a few weeks ago. B+

Colton Dixon                          September

This is the Colton we know and love. Colton changed up “September” and really made it his own. It was well sung and very sincere. There was just something right about watching him sit at the piano and sing his heart out. I don’t get why the judges didn’t like it. It was flawless. A+

Elise Testone                         Let’s Get It On

This was just a mess. Terrible song choice and she didn’t sing it very well. She was growling and squeaking and it just sounded awful. I would say this probably puts the nail in the coffin for Elise. Nothing else to say. C

Phillip Phillips                                    In The Midnight Hour

Phil did some really fantastic singing here. He put his soul into this song and it showed. He didn’t growl too much, but he growled at all the right times. Most importantly, he appeared to be having a ball up there, and if the performer is having fun, the viewer has fun. Really great performance by PP. A+

Jessica Sanchez                      Try A Little Tenderness

This was pretty bad. I’m not sure what Jessica was thinking when she chose this song. She shouldn’t be singing a song about young girls when she is just a 16 year-old girl herself. Also she put on this raspy voice that was clearly fake. Jessica is very talented, but this really makes me wish the judges didn’t save her. Not even the judges could deny how bad it was, but because they can't say anything bad about Jessica, instead of actually critiquing they made long rambly comments that made no sense. After last week, I know she won't go home, but after what she did tonight, I think maybe she should. C-

Skylar Laine                           Hear It Through The Grape Vine

This was good. Skylar brought her signature flair and country twang to this often-covered Marvin Gaye classic, and the results were good. She totally changed up the melody and sang the verses with fierce passion. Skylar did a really good job. Also, I believe this is the only song to be sung during a live performance on American Idol for the last three seasons. In season 9 it was sung by Andrew Gracia, last year it was done by Casey Abrams, and this year Skylar took a stab at it and managed produce a totally original result. A

Joshua Ledet                          A Change Is Gonna Come

Joshua sure has pipes. He has a truly fantastic range. He is insanely talented. But the judges are doing him a disservice by complimenting him incessantly. I think he really has a shot at winning (right now I have him in 4^th) but if he is going to win, the judges need to back off a bit. A

Run Down

Skylar Laine’s “Born This Way” was the best performance of the night

Best Performance Of The First Round: Skylar Laine, “Born This Way”

Worst Performance Of The First Round: Jessica Sanchez, “Fallin’”

Best Performance Of The Second Round: Philip Phillips, “In The Midnight Hour”

Worst Performance Of The Second Round: Jessica Sanchez, “Try A Little Tenderness”

Best Performance Of The Night: Skylar Laine, “Born This Way”

Worst Performance Of The Night: Jessica Sanchez, “Try A Little Tenderness”

Contestant Who Had The Best Night: Skylar Laine

Contestant Who Had The Worst Night: Jessica Sanchez

What The Bottom 3 Should Be

Hollie, Jessica and Elise with Elise going home.

Predicted Bottom 3

Phillip, Hollie and Elise with Elise going home.

Guest Post: American Idol Recap - Top 7

Guest Blogger Daniel recaps American Idol - Top 7:

Colton Dixon delivered one of best performances of this season in “Love The Way You Lie”

American Idol is down to the top 7. Wow. Time flies. We have a really good group this year. They are very talented and they are clearly all pretty close. The theme tonight is songs from the last 3 years. Wow! Great theme. And the guest mentor is Akon. In addition to their solos, they all performed with one or two other contestants. I’ll grade the multi-contestant performances first cause they weren’t too good so we can get them out of the way. As a fun bonus to the pre-performance videos, we get to see the reaction of the people in each of the contestants hometowns to them being on American Idol. Also, I would like to make a quick comment before I start. The producers are clearly trying to push Jessica and Joshua because they want a conventional powerhouse voice to be the American Idol. That said, while they are both very good, I don’t think either of them are the best in this competition. It has greatly annoyed me the way the judges have lathered them with enthusiastic praise and comments like “best ever” while they get outshone by other contestants. I would like to officially say that my ideal top 3 this season are Colton Dixon, Skylar Laine, and Phillip Phillips. Again, I’m not saying I don’t like Joshua and Jessica, I am saying that they have been drastically overhyped. I still say they are both very talented. Also, just know, I will likely ramble at least a little about this for every post until I think it has been fixed.

Multi Contestant Performances

Colton Dixon and Skylar Laine provided the best duet of the night yet again

Elise/Phillp                            Somebody That I Used To Know

This is a great, great song. I suggest watching Gotye’s live performance that he did on SNL with Kimbra because even though I hadn’t heard of him until it was announced that he would be on SNL, I think he is insanely talented. Also, watch the music video. And the SNL Digital Short starring Andy Samberg, Taran Killam, and Gotye himself, parodying the music video. Anyway, it was ok. The beginning was really good but when the band joined in for the first chorus, things fell apart a bit. Also, they chose a song that was originally a duet but they didn’t sing it the same way. It’t not like they were taking a normal song and turning it into a duet, but the way they arranged it you wouldn’t have known that it was originally a duet. Anyway, not great. B-

Skylar/Colton                                 Don’t You Wanna Stay

The pre performance video was really funny. Just in case you didn’t see it, Colton did his best country boy impression, and they made it clear that they were not dating; Colton jokingly claiming it was because Skylar owned a gun. Anyway, they took on “Don’t You Wanna Stay”, a country duet by Kelly Clarkson and Jason Aldean. Colton, once again, showed how versatile his voice is. However, he didn’t really have a chance to shine during this performance. Skylar was good generally but she was a bit pitchy at time. Overall, really good, but not perfect. Also, they “made love to each other on stage???” Really Steven? Really with Seth and Amy?!? A-

Jessica/Hollie/Joshua                       What Doesn’t Kill You (Stronger)

I would like to say that Hollie is super cute. Also the idols are good at doing the little comedic bits this season. This was just a train wreck. Joshua sounded good when he first sang the beginning of the first verse on his own, but then Jessica came in to do her part of the verse and sounded awful. Hollie didn’t sound much better. Then trying to listen to Joshua and Jessica try to harmonize with each other was painful and so was Joshua trying to harmonize with Hollie. Joshua’s strong start is what keeps this from failing. And of the judges mindlessly praised them because the judges cant speak ill of Joshua or Jessica. D

Solo’s

Skylar Laine                           Didn’t You Know How Much I Loved You

Skylar is coming off a monumental performance and she was able to follow it up very nicely. She sang beautifully. She also played the guitar, which I think really added to her performance. She’s definitely a contender and usually the people that win aren’t the favorites at the beginning of the season. While Colton is still my favorite, I would be very happy with Skylar winning the whole thing. She is by far my favorite girl in the competition. Also, she is too cute. A-

Colton Dixon                          Love The Way You Lie

It was really cute watching that little kid give him self a “Colton” hairstyle. Anyway, when I heard what song he was singing I was seriously concerned. It's one of my favorite songs ever but it is also a hard song to sing, and I wasn’t sure how he would get around the rap part. I should have known better. This is Colton Dixon. He cleverly combined “Love The Way You Lie” with “Love The Way You Lie Part II” to avoid the rap because in part II the verses are sung. And that’s just what he did with the arrangement. Colton delivered one of his best vocals to date. The reason I love this song so much is it’s so intense and it really tells an intense story. Colton used the awesome intensity he has brought to so many of his performances to tell the story differently then Eminem did, differently then Rihanna did, and differently then Skylar Grey did, yet without straying too far from the song. That is the mark of a true artist. The best part though was at the end when he hit the big note with “Our memories” and finished the song just him and the piano. It was a great decision to start off just him and the piano and end just him and the piano. And yet, no standing o from the judges? I’m not going to say anything, because you know what I’m thinking. Buy this one on iTunes. Anyway, I’m inventing a new grade for this one. A++

Jessica Sanchez                      Stuttering

Jessica is very talented, but this was a very sleepy, boring performance. In choosing a song that isn’t very well known, she took a big swing and quite frankly, I think she missed. In spite of all of the BS the judges spouted after her performance, I think this early favorite is starting to fall back. Not really much more to say here. B-

Joshua Ledet                          Runaway Baby

It’s really cool that Joshua got that birthday message from his idol, Fantasia. I always like when they do those kinds of things on Idol. Joshua chose an up-beat Bruno Mars song. Good choice for two reasons. One, because he hasn’t sung an upbeat song in his solo performance since Stevie Wonder/Whitney Houston week. It’s also cool because I said that Bruno Mars would be a good direction for Joshua to go when he wants to throw a change up. Anyway, he more then held his own here. He put his stamp on this song without getting lost in it or loosing his breath the way some ballad singers can when they sing faster songs (think Jessica singing “Turn The Beat Around” or Hollie singing “Flash Dance.”) Joshua didn’t fall into the trap that they fell into; although Jessica also proved she could nail a fast song last week. Surprise, surprise! The judges stood up for him. I don’t mind it that much this time in part because they didn’t go over the top saying anything like “I saw G-d come out of your eyes” (Steven) and because this performance was fantastic. A+

Hollie Cavanagh                    Perfect

She has been really off her game lately. She’s super cute and I love the way she said that “pehfect by p!nk would be the pehfect song for her to be pehfect” with that strange Texan-British mix accent. Was she great? No. Was she much better then she has been for the past 3 weeks (not counting the duet she did with DeAndre)? Yes. And the last not, as Jimmy predicted, was fantastic. I will say though that she might have dug herself a hole that she can’t dig herself out of. If she makes it, she still has a ways to go if she wants to get to where she was earlier in the season.  And with such a good group this season, she needs more than a B+, especially coming off a three-week slump. Bottom line, while she ended her slump, she wasn’t exactly the old Hollie that we loved in the first few weeks. B+

Phillip Phillips                           Give A Little More

This was ok, but Jennifer was absolutely right when she said that it seemed kind of familiar. He also had a few notes that just landed a little flat. At this point, in my opinion, Phillip has fallen behind Skylar. B-

Elise Testone                             You And I

Wow. What a lame setup to play the video Jason Segal sent in telling Elise that he was a fan. Basically, she said that on her day off she went and saw Segal’s new movie “Jeff Who Lives At Home” (which I saw by the way and is fantastic) and that she was such a big Jason Segal fan and sometimes she wondered if he ever watched her. And cue the tape! LAME! Anyway Elise talked about how she missed Charleston but the map showed her hometown as Kinnelon, NJ. The American Idol website says she’s from Charleston, SC though. Confusing. Anyway, Elise chose “You and I” by Lady Gaga which was actually debuted last season on American Idol by Haley Reinhart, who nailed it. Interesting song choice because I actually think of Elise as an arrogant, very poor mans Haley. I liked Haley and I think Elise tries too hard, but they have similar styles. At first, Elise had the dreadful idea of trying to do the entire performance from behind the drums. Thankfully, Jimmy was able to talk her out of it. That said, it was just mediocre. She sounded really bad until she got to the chorus and that was already halfway into the song. Elise is definitely at risk. At this stage you are expected to be more consistent then she is. This wasn’t just one off-week. She goes back and forth every week. However due to both Jessica and Phillip having off-nights, this was not the worst performance of the night. B

Guest Post: American Idol Recap - Top 8

American Idol - Top 8 Recap from Guest Blogger Daniel:

Skylar Laine soared to the top of the pack with an Epic rendition of “Wind Beneath My Wings.”

We are really at the heart of the American Idol season: the Top 8. The theme for Top 8 week was songs from the 80’s, and the mentors were Gwen Stefani and Tony Kanal (who?) from ‘No Doubt’. Also, in addition to the solo performances, all the contestants could be performing duets with another contestant. I will grade the solo performances first and then the duets. Without further ado lets get recapping.

DeAndre Brackensick                       I Like It

Wow, Jimmy was pretty harsh on DeAndre predicting he would be in the bottom three. Anyway, the performance was really good. He did a good job of not over using his falsetto and he just performed very creatively, starting out in the audience and then walking through the aisles to the stage giving high fives to everyone he passed. The whole performance just had a great energy to it. Also, Ryan does a pretty good DeAndre impression. A-

Elise Testone                         I Wanna Know What Love Is *Worst Performance Of The Night*

Thank God she didn’t sing Hallelujah. She just doesn’t have the voice for that song. Anyway how did THIS give Gwen Stefani “goosies”? During the chorus, her voice was kind of overpowered by the back up singers and the verses just sounded sloppy. She had a few good moments, but generally Elise missed the mark with this one. B-

Phillip Phillips                                    That’s All

Phil did a really nice job here. I agree with Randy that Tony Kanal made a great call telling Phillip to stop playing for that last chorus to give it a sense of intimacy. It was also really cool that he was playing with his brother-in-law and he seemed to be having a lot of fun. It may have had something to do with his brother-in-law playing with him, but he seemed more comfortable on stage then he usually is. A

Joshua Ledet                          If You Don’t Know Me By Know

It looks like Joshua sent a lot of his crawfish to his family! That’s nice, but don’t they live in Louisiana? Don’t they have plenty? Anyway, Joshua took on another song that was sung perfectly by Stefano Langone last season. The other song was “When A Man Loves A Woman”, which he nailed. This one was very good too, just not as good as Stefano’s last season, or the original, or most of Joshua’s previous performances. Reading that back I realize I made it seem like it was bad, which it wasn’t. It just wasn’t as good as it could have been. The judges are crowning him and Jessica though and it's kind of annoying me that they are raving about those two while giving Colton almost unenthusiastic praise. I don’t think Colton has gotten a standing O all season and he is by far the best in the competition. I will get back to this later. Bottom line though , Joshua was really good. A-

Jessica Sanchez                      How Will I Know

This was a fantastic performance. As usual, she sang great, but this week she walked the stage with a new swagger. Considering the song, it was a cool little move to start the performance surrounded by boys. I don’t really like her calling herself “BB Chez” though. People that young should not give themselves alter ego names. That aside though, Jessica cleared a major hurtle with this performance. She sang an up-tempo song really well. Her only other previous attempt at a up-tempo song was “Turn The Beat Around” which was something of a mess. Bottom line, this was a big week for Jessica, but in my personal rankings she still trails Colton, Skylar and Phillip. Anyway…A

Hollie Cavanagh                    Flash Dance

In five weeks of live performances, this is the first time Hollie is singing an up-tempo song, unless you count the duet she did with DeAndre. While that was great, this was a train wreck. She was pitchy for the entire song and she seemed to be trying too hard. Below, I will talk about how, after seeing her duet, I thought she was “back” after two bad performances. I also said, as did the judges, that she is better when she just relaxes and sings, because she has a beautiful voice and she just needs to show that to everyone. However , she did not relax. In fact, she seemed tense and verging on desperate. You could see her thinking too much but in the duet she was just singing and it was amazing. I’m not sure if she will make it, but if she does, then I hope she pulls it together because she has a gorgeous voice and it would be a pity for someone as talented as her not to live up to her full potential. D

Colton Dixon                          Time After Time

When I heard what Colton was singing I was a bit concerned. However, he Colton-ized it and he nailed it. I will repeat that to let it sink in. Colton nailed a Cindi Lauper song. His vocals were superb and you could really feel his passion. And the drum thing in the middle was perfect. Still, no standing O from the judges? To quote Gob Bluth “C’mon!”. Seriously though, if you don’t give a standing O for Colton’s “Piano Man” though, then you are impossible to impress and it would appear that they fall in that category even though they haven’t said a bad word about Colton the whole season They just wont give him the props he deserves. I’m starting to get really frustrated about this. Why will the judges almost never name Colton as one of the best at the end of the show when he clearly is? Why won’t the judges appreciate him? This is a kid with incredible talent, who really loves music and who is ready to be a star and if they don’t want him to win, that’s they’re loss. It’s times like this I really miss Simon, who would have seen through all this nonsense and judged honestly. I’m starting to think that Colton might be too good for American Idol and that it might be good if he doesn’t win so he can sign with a producer that appreciates him. I repeat, its not that he’s not good, it’s that the producers don’t want him to win. This has been the most producer-manipulated season of American Idol ever, and I’m at the end of my rope. Oh, the performance? Right. A+

Skylar Laine                           Wind Beneath My Wings *Best Performance Of The Night*

It has been a fantastic night of performances but this one takes the cake. Skylar not only nailed a classic but she showed another side of her. She dropped every note during the verses perfectly and hearing her belt the “Did I ever tell you you’re my hero” part was, quite frankly, heavenly. It was such a great performance I’m not sure how to describe it any further. All I’ll say is, I saw in her something that, before this point, I’ve only seen in Colton (that's right, not Joshua or Jessica). That is an American Idol Winner caliber performance. Skylar looked gorgeous and sung her heart out. A+

Duets

Colton Dixon and Skylar Laine performed the top duet of the night with “Island In The Stream”

Skylar/Colton                                    Islands In The Stream

This was fantastic. Of course, Skylar nailed it cause it was right up her ally, but what really surprised me is how well Colton sung this country classic. They had great chemistry on stage too. Too bad they’re not dating cause they’re good together. This was positively flawless. Possibly the best performance of the season. I do not think we will be seeing a better duet tonight. Also Colton doesn’t look bad with blonde hair. A+

Hollie/DeAndre                     I’m So Excited

This was great from beginning to end. DeAndre had an exciting entrance there. They both sounded great and I wasn’t sure how Hollie would sing an up-tempo song, especially considering that she has been slumping for the past couple weeks, but she was great. When she sang her first solo at the end of the 1^st verse, I thought that she had come out of her slump (I hadn’t seen her solo performance yet). I agree with the judges that Hollie let go here and that’s what she needs to do. Either way, with this performance Hollie reminded us all what a beautiful, powerful voice she has. DeAndre sang really well too doing some awesome little ad-libs and bringing the same energy he brought to his solo to this performance. They both looked like they were having the time of their lives. This was incredible, but not as incredible as Colton and Skylar were. A+

Elise/Phillip                                       Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around

This is a hard performance to judge. The vocals were ok I guess. That said, there were a lot of really strange things about this performance. For one, what was with the fan backdrop? It was distracting and strange to have two fans spinning in the background while they were singing. The other main problem was that they had no on-stage chemistry. They looked very awkward around each other. They actually looked a lot more comfortable when they spread out on stage than they did when they were next to each other. OK vocals+all that weird stuff=B

Jessica/Joshua                                               I Knew You Were Waiting For Me

For the duets, the two power voices got paired up. They’re not just the two power voices actually, they are the two contestants that the producers are really trying to get into the finals. I like them both, but the producers are clearly rooting for them and it’s annoying me. I know it’s not their faults, but still. They are getting the praise that should be going to Colton. Anyway, this was good but a bit over the top. It wasn’t incredible though, and watching the judges predict a possible final between those two and gush over what was really just a solid performance made me sick. A-

Guest Post: American Idol Recap - Top 9

Here's another American Idol recap from Guest Blogger Daniel:

              Colton Dixons emotional performance put him at the top of the pack yet again

We have another American Idol recap for you and the other night was one of my favorite themes: songs by the contestants' personal idols. Also glad to see that they condensed the Tommy Hilfiger bit. Anyway, they performed solo songs as usual as well as trios. I will grade the solos first in the order they occurred as usual, then at the end I will grade the trios. Also the guest mentor is Stevie Nicks. Funny she also just made a cameo on Up All Night!

Colton Dixon                          Everything *Best Performance Of The Night*

Colton chose a song by Lifehouse, “Everything”, which he said was his favorite worship song. Surprise, surprise, he nailed it. He sang with passion throughout and at the end the emotion overwhelmed him a bit but for me that only made it better. A few weeks back, Jimmy said that Colton should use his vulnerability on stage as an asset and he sure did and seeing his grandfather choke up was a very touching moment I totally agree with Randy. Colton is a contender. Another top tier performance for Colton Dixon. A

Skylar Laine                           Gun Powder And Lead

Skylar chose a Miranda Lambert song, and Jimmy said that if she was going to do this she had to be really in her game. Quite frankly I haven’t seen Skylar off her game yet. I know I’ve already said it, but she brings spunk, energy, and passion to every single performance. I thought she did a really great job. Once or twice it seemed like she went too low during the verse, but she nailed the choruses every time. Overall, she was just fantastic. A-

Heejun Han                            A Song For You

This was by far his best performance of the competition. Heejun poured his soul out into this song and his emotional connection was reflected in his performance. He actually has a lot of talent and I liked what he said at the end about how he doesn’t want to let himself down. The question for Heejun will be is it too little too late? After that I don’t think its too little but it might be too late. Of course, afterword he delivers a joke. He may not be the best singer but he is an incredible personality with a bright future ahead of him whether it be in music or comedy. A-

Hollie Cavanagh                    Jesus Take The Wheel

I like Hollie but this was another off performance for her. She has to make sure that she doesn’t get hit with the Brooke White effect, where she has one off performance and then they all go down hill from there. There were a few problems with this performance. She seemed to be trying to do too much and I think that hurt her. She was also pitchy all over the place. Another problem: the arrangement. I know they have to shorten the songs for the performances but with a song like that, I think it’s better to only sing one verse if your choosing between that and singing two truncated verses. C+

DeAndre Brackensick                       Sometimes I Cry *Worst Performance Of The Night*

I have been really loving DeAndre for the past few weeks and this was defiantly a step back for him. Like I said before, I like him a lot better when he isn’t going overboard with the falsetto, and that’s what he has been doing for the past few weeks. This week he went super overboard. The falsetto works much better when he uses his normal voice too. Anyway, not a good performance for DeAndre but over the last few weeks he has garnered enough of my favor for me to say that I really hope he doesn’t go home this week. C

Jessica Sanchez                      Sweet Dreams

Jessica totally turned this song on its head. She sang well, but at times during the verses it was a bit slow and a little boring. Considering the fact people are criticizing her for singing all ballads, while it worked here, slowing down might not be something she should make a habit of, at least until she successfully sings an upbeat song. The really weird thing about this performance was not the way she slowed down a Beyonce song, but the multiple doors on stage. What was that? Anyway, she did a very good job but not a great job. B+

Phillip Phillips                                    Still Rainin’

So Stevie Nicks says that had he been around then, Fleetwood Mack would have wanted him in the band. That’s high praise, but now the pressure is really on Phil to deliver. And he did. Phil sings with an almost scary amount of intensity and in this performance that intensity was clear. Was this his best performance? No, but it was still one of the best of the night. Right now he is my 2^nd fave behind Colton. A

Joshua Ledet                          Without You

Joshua took on “Without You” a song that James Durbin absolutely nailed last season. I will never forget him tearing up in the middle of the song thinking about how he couldn’t live without his wife and son, but pushing through. So Joshua had big shoes to fill but he did a really good job. Like Durbin, Joshua had shed some tears during the song but he did it at the very end before that last note. He did a really great job and showed more emotion then he has ever shown on the show. It was great, but still not as great as James was. All the same. A

Elise Testone                         Whole Lotta Love

I know everyone loved this but I thought it was just good. She was on her game, she hit her notes and sang with passion. I just wasn’t impressed with her the way I was with Colton, Joshua, Skylar, and Phillip. However, this was not one of the three worst performances of the night and I think at this point she might have done enough to keep her out of the bottom three. A-

Trio’s

Colton/Phillip/Elise              Fleetwood Mac Medley

Very nice. I loved the very beginning where Colton sang “Landslide” and he was joined by the other two. I was surprised at how well they all harmonized together. Elise was great too with “Edge Of Seventeen.” Phil and Colton both really impressed me with the harmonies here too. Phil was solid in his solo too. A very strong medley by these three. A-

Joshua/DeAndre/Heejun     Michael Jackson Medley

This wasn’t great but it had its moments. They all seemed to be having a lot of fun on stage with the exception of the “Rock With You” part where the vocals were kinda lack luster. B-

Skylar/Jessica/Hollie                        Madonna Medley

This was pretty good. Skylar really stood out she was really on her game here. Jessica was good too but Hollie seemed a bit lost. I’m not sure if Hollie will make it to the next round but if she does she has to focus up and get her grove back because she has the talent, she’s just not showing it. B-