Poptimal.com To Live Tweet And Blog The Oscars

Washington, D.C. Metro – February 28, 2010 – Capitalizing on their social networking prowess, the pop culture gurus at Poptimal.com are getting their audience involved in the 82^nd Annual Academy Awards, through live Twitter chatter and live Blogging.

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The DC Metro area based pop culture review website is allowing fans to converse with its nationwide pool of writers on two social networking platforms during the Red Carpet and ceremony.  “Getting our audience to be more interactive is the key to our coverage.  Since our inception, we have found that some of the best dialog, jokes, and topic ideas, we received have not been from Directors and Actors, but from our audience and people like you,” stated Jamal Henry, Editor of Movie Content.  “We are excited to get our writers involved in real-time this year because it allows us to flex our pop culture muscles,” continued Henry.

The following is the planned Oscar coverage for March 7, 2010, 8pm (EST), ABC:

Oscar Event	Poptimal.com Writers	How To Participate
Red Carpet Tweets (E! Broadcast)  6pm (EST)	Hollie Overton (Hollywood, LA) Allison Toner (Philadelphia, PA) Pearl O’Wisdom (Wash., D.C.) Tennessee Q.T. (Memphis, TN)	Follow @Poptimal On Twitter
82nd Annual Academy Award’s Program Tweets 8pm (EST)	Renata Sellitti (Wash., D.C.) Bilal Mian (New York, NY) Double Edge (Brooklyn, NY)
82nd Annual Academy Award’s Program Live Blog 8pm (EST)	Matt DeGroot (Wash., D.C.) Cameron Cubbison (Boston, MA)	Visit Poptimal.com

Poptimal.com recently covered the Writer’s Guild Awards in New York and Los Angeles.  The website has over 12,000 Twitter Followers.  The website is primarily dedicated to providing television and movie reviews.

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Oscar Picks: Calling the Shots for Oscar Night

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! No, not Christmas time -Oscar time! And while I’ve already explained my love/hate relationship with award shows, I can’t deny the fact that I get tingly all over when this time of year rolls around and it will reach its climax on March 7 when the Academy Awards air on ABC.

As a lead up to the big night, I’d like to take a look at the nominees and give a little run down of what I think is going to happen, what should happen, and what I hope to God doesn’t happen.

Best Picture

Not since 1943 has this category seen ten nominees and boy is it wreaking havoc on making predictions. Essentially this is a two picture race between Avatar and The Hurt Locker and with The Hurt Locker winning a brunt of the critical and guild awards so far, it would normally be the easy winner. It must not be forgotten though that the Academy really likes to honor EPIC films and Avatar certainly fits that bill. It is already the highest grossing film of all time and has fanatics everywhere not to mention the fact that the new ten nominee system is meant to favor populist films like Avatar over critical darlings like The Hurt Locker. But that’s where things get really complicated – with the new number of nominees comes a new system of voting. Instead of voters simply picking their favorite, they must now rank the ten nominees in order of preference and the one with the highest score wins. This could mean nothing, BUT if a certain film is consistently ranked 3^rd or 4^th over the more sporadically chosen top spots, it could muster a high enough score to take it all and the film most likely to do that is the much-loved but non-traditional “Oscar film” Inglourious Basterds. If this happens you will surely hear my celebratory cries no matter where you live. You’ve been warned.

Who Will Win: Avatar

My Personal Favorite Dream Winner: Inglourious Basterds

Nightmare Scenario: The Blind Side

Best Actor

The nominees: Jeff Bridges (Crazy Heart), George Clooney (Up in the Air), Colin Firth (A Single Man), Morgan Freeman (Invictus), and Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker)

Most of the acting categories this year are actually pretty straight forward no-brainers but surprises are always possible! For Best Actor the clear front-runner is Jeff Bridges for his role as a down and out country singer. Bridges is a fantastic actor and will win this as a culmination of his stunning career with no previous wins from four prior nominations.  Clooney or Renner are the only others with potential to upset but it’s unlikely.

Who Will Win: Jeff Bridges and I couldn’t agree more

Best Actress

The nominees: Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side), Helen Mirren (The Last Station), Carey Mulligan (An Education), Gabourey Sidibe (Precious), and Meryl Streep (Julie & Julia)

This is where things get ugly for me and I apologize in advance if you’re a big fan but I really, really don’t like Sandra Bullock. I find her performances obnoxious and most of her movies unwatchable. The Blind Side itself is the kind of trite, emotionally forced film that makes my skin crawl BUT it was a huge hit and unlike me, a lot of people really like her so I’m fairly certain she is a lock to win this. Meryl Streep may have the power to overcome the Bullock juggernaut but my real enthusiasm lies with Gabourey Sidibe and her amazingly strong performance in Precious. She was a complete knockout and deserves any and all accolades to come her way.

Who Will Win/Nightmare Scenario: Sandra Bullock

My Personal Favorite Dream Winner: Gabourey Sidibe

Best Supporting Actor

I really don’t even know why anyone other than Christoph Waltz is even nominated in this category. They should mail him the Oscar right now because he is frankly phenomenal and I can’t wait to see more of him. Anyone else hope he walks up to the podium and yells, “That’s a bingo!”?

Who Will Win/Dream Scenario: Christoph Waltz

Nightmare Scenario: Anyone else

Best Supporting Actress

The Nominees: Penelope Cruz (Nine), Vera Farmiga (Up in the Air), Maggie Gyllenhaal (Crazy Heart), Anna Kendrick (Up in the Air), and Mo’Nique (Precious)

We can only hope Mo’Nique wins this because she may very well throw a TV at any voter who opts for one of these other ladies. But in all seriousness she deserves this more than any of them for what I consider to be the performance of the year. Her work in the film was terrifying, unexpected and truly deserving.

Who Will Win/Dream Scenario: Mo’Nique

Nightmare Scenario: Anyone else

Best Director

The Nominees: James Cameron (Avatar), Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker), Quentin Tarantino (Inglourious Basterds), Lee Daniels (Precious), and Jason Reitman (Up in the Air)

And now for the drama. This category’s two front-runners used to be married so talk about War of the Roses! James Cameron and Kathryn Bigelow both have equal chance to win here and since the Academy rarely splits between the Director and Best Picture awards, expect whoever wins this to see their film take the top honor as well. That technically means I should put my money on Cameron but I have hunch this could be one of those rare years with a split and the Academy will for the first time honor a woman in this category (only three have ever been nominated) for the insanely tense The Hurt Locker.

Who Will Win: Kathryn Bigelow

My Personal Favorite Dream Winner: Quentin Tarantino

Best Animated Film

I think there is absolutely no question that Up will win this. It was a beautiful and wonderfully entertaining film that I loved from start to finish and going into it, I expected no less. That being said, the animated film that really blew me away this year was Fantastic Mr. Fox. Watching Wes Anderson’s amazing stop-motion animation was almost mind-blowing for me and I was smiling the entire way through. Not nearly enough people saw it and it could never topple the unstoppable Pixar machine, but it definitely deserves a look and plenty of kudos.

Who Will Win: Up

My Personal Favorite Dream Winner: Fantastic Mr. Fox

Nightmare Scenario: The Secret of Kells – how could a film no one has heard of topple the two masterpieces listed above?

Best Adapted Screenplay

The Nominees: District 9, An Education, In the Loop, Precious, and Up in the Air

The screenplay category is typically where much loved films that don’t have a good shot at winning Best Picture usually come out on top. This year that honor will probably go to Up in the Air, which started out the awards season as a Best Picture front-runner but quietly fell to the back of the pack. Sheldon Turner and Jason Reitman’s script was an fascinating look at our times and well-deserving but its hard not to root for the foul-mouthed British wit of In the Loop.

Who Will Win: Up in the Air

My Personal Favorite Dream Winner: In the Loop

Nightmare Scenario: District 9 – I really don’t feel like this one lives up to the hype.

Best Original Screenplay

Say what you want about Quentin Tarantino, but the man can write. His scripts are as fun to read as they are to watch on film so why shouldn’t he win this?! The Hurt Locker may be able to sneak out a victory based on its Best Picture prospects but that film was more about creating tension on screen, but Tarantino is a wizard of words with dialogue that comes out almost like music. To ignore that artistry would be a crime.

Who Will Win/Dream Scenario: Inglourious Basterds

Nightmare Scenario: Anything else

Technical Categories Likely to be Swept by Avatar

Art Direction, Cinematography, Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, and Visual Effects (duh).

My Predictions to Win Everything Else

Best Foreign Language Film: The White Ribbon

Best Documentary: The Cove

Makeup: Star Trek – It’s gotta get some love somewhere, right?

Original Score: Up – I was humming that music for days.

Original Song: “The Weary Kind” from Crazy Heart – I still think this category should be abolished but that’s a whole other article.

Editing: The Hurt Locker – Those bomb defusing scenes are a masterly example of editing for maximum tension.

Costume Design: Coco Before Chanel – Can a film about one of the world’s greatest fashion designers really lose this?

So there you have it. Those are my predictions! Only a few days will tell if Hollywood agrees with me but let me know what you think by commenting below. I will be tweeting live during the Oscar broadcast with reactions to the awards as they happen @poptimal and @mattdegroot so please join in on the conversation!

Come back every day to see our staff Oscar picks in the featured video section.

LOST: Man in the Mirror

Jack is back. After being annoying the past few seasons with his constant angst and struggle between being a man of science and a man of faith, Jack has returned to my good graces. And as always, he is the best man crier in the world.

This week’s Universe X story was Jack-centric, which follows this season’s pattern of mirroring the season one flashbacks (“White Rabbit” where we first learned all about Jack’s daddy issues). X had some surprises (Jack has a son, David, Jack doesn’t remember having his appendix out, Jack is rockin a retro hair do), but it also showed that Jack is essentially the same man he has always been (committed doctor, has family issues, is a manly crier, was terrified of failing his father). This episode forced Jack to deal with the notion that he “doesn’t have what is takes”. In Oceanic 815 Universe, Jack reflected on himself from the opening shot, gazing into his own reflection (mirrors, self evaluation, yeahyeahyeah) in the pool at the temple. His issues came to a head in the lighthouse, where he questioned Hurley (poor guy) about what Jacob wanted from him, why his name was on the wheel, why was he on the island? causing him to loose his ish and smash the mirror reflecting his childhood home, which I’m guessing represented his most formative years with his father. In Universe X, Jack’s own insecurities and issues with potential were finally revealed to him in his own son’s eyes (deep), when David told his father that he keeps him at a distance because he doesn’t want Jack to see him fail. Fearing he is perpetuating the cycle that Dead Doc Shephard started (does he have what it takes to be a doc, a father, a leader?), Jack tells his son he can never be a failure in his eyes (reflectionnnnnn), which I think essentially freed him from the need to prove himself in general. So, David makes Jack realize…. something profound and cathartic that paralleled the release Jack got from smashing the mirrors. Ta da!

Ok that felt too much like high school lit analysis, so let’s get to more interesting things:

Claire: Is there an Urban Outfitters on this island? Claire was back in full force this week as the new resident crazy-lost-her-baby-mother, taking over that role from Rousseau. And I must say, Rousseau does crazy like Claire doesn’t even know crazy. Granted, she was alone on the island going on decades, whereas Crazy Claire has only been there three years, but something about Claire just ain’t right. Apparently she has been infected and there is that darkness in her according to Dogen, which puts her at odds with The Others (hence, killing them). She says they branded and tortured her, but luckily she escaped. Claire wasn’t the most island savvy when last we saw her, so my money is on they released her into the wild after conveniently forgetting to lock her door or something. Also, Claire seems super pissed and jaded about the other Losties leaving her behind, but really, she is like that drunk friend that wanders off at a party and at some point, you just aren’t responsible for her whereabouts if she doesn’t answer to calls and texts. So, even though Crazy Claire wandered off with her dad in the middle of the night, left Aaron nuzzled in a tree, and shacked up with papa in Jacob’s Cabin, somehow she still thinks The Others took her baby and the Losties abandoned her. I don’t get it. Something clearly happened.

Claire is bat-shiz loony here, talking about her “friend” and asking Jin if he is still her friend like she is trying to score crack cocaine from him (some friend she is for not being impressed with his English skills), not to mention the weird fur/skull faux baby she made and put in a bassinet. I love Jin. He kept his cool while Claire rambled about her jungle pals and infection, and tried to first save Justin’s life by telling the truth, then managed to save his own life (and Kate’s) by lying. Again, Kate didn’t take Aaron, Claire abandoned him. And honestly, Claire said she would have killed Kate if she was raising Aaron, but do I even have to ask who would probably win in that fight? So now Jin has thrown the Temple people under the bus to buy himself some time with Crazy Claire by telling her that The Others really did take Aaron. Not sure how this one will pan out… Jin seems too kind to really be a master of manipulation, and I’ll be heartbroken if he becomes collateral again like on the freighter. Where the eff is Sun?

Also, how big is this island that huge structures just keep popping up and people are roaming around without ever running into each other? Oy.

I think the biggest takeaway from this episode is that Jack had to break himself to fix himself, and that he is the newest recruit to team Jacob. So far I think the teams are as follows:

Jacob: Hurley, Jack, Richard

Flocke: Claire, unfortunately Sayid, possibly Sawyer.

Even though I know the whole black vs. white, dark vs. light, evil vs. good dynamic is a huge theme of this show, for some reason it just isn’t settling well at this point. Isn’t the whole world about shades of grey? I have a sneaky feeling that when all is said and done, either Jacob and Flocke will really be the opposite of what we think, or they are actually one and the same. It’s all a little too blurry for me right now, but I’m just glad to have Jack back the way I like him: old school. And preferably in manly tears.

Season 6 Episode 5: Lighthouse (Originally Aired February 23, 2010)

For more on Lost, click here.

Wednesdays, 9/8c on ABC

Photographs courtesy of ABC and Mario Perez

Burn Notice: Good Intentions, Great Episode

Both Michael and Fiona get in over their heads in this intricate and tightly-ratcheted penultimate episode of the season. The stakes are a little higher, the action is a little more frantic, and the explosions are a little bit bigger. It’s just about a perfect hour of television, effortlessly fun and entertaining, with the production values of a big-budget feature and rock solid performances.

Michael meets in an isolated location with Gilroy but brings Sam along for a little sniper backup. Unfortunately, Sam can’t be much help when Michael gets in Gilroy’s car and goes for a jaunt with him. I guess sometimes you have no choice but to go cruising with a psychopath. They go to a nice friendly spot: a white supremacist militia training compound/weapons cache. Gilroy wants Michael to buy a .50 caliber machine gun from them and gives him a metal case full of money. The case comes in handy when the baddies try to jump Michael and take his money. After some close-quartered combat goodness, Michael makes his getaway and learns that Gilroy set Michael up to be a distraction while he stole the actual gun. Jackass. The goons unload on them as they speed away, but fortunately Gilroy’s vehicle of choice is armor plated. I gotta get me one of those.

Michael returns to his loft but before he can even enjoy a nice yogurt, Sam gets on his back for getting in the car with Gilroy and Fiona follows suit because Michael didn’t return her recent calls (he was a little busy). Because Fiona is scarier, Michael pays a bit more attention to her. She wanted Michael to aid her in a job involving a “harmless weasel” named Coleman (played by Jonathan LaPaglia, younger brother to Anthony and the former star of an awesome time traveling show called Seven Days). He agrees to pay Fiona well, but wants her to commit to the job before he tells her what it is. Yeah, call me crazy, but that seems awfully sketchy.

Coleman gives her an envelope containing a cool $10,000 and takes her to meet his boss, Gabriel. Having bugged her phone prior to the meeting, Sam listens to all of this with apprehension. He now has two friends getting involved in ways they shouldn’t with psychopaths they don’t know enough about. “I gotta get some new friends,” he laments to himself.

Gabriel is a very serious fellow that immediately starts putting Fiona through tests to see if she is on the level. In tests like these, you either pass or get dead. The most enjoyable of these tests involves watching Fiona strip a Beretta and put it back together in under a minute while inflicting pain on a goon trying to stop her. She passes with flying colors, but she’s still in over her head. On more than one occasion, Sam and Michael have to scramble to save her life, and Gabriel has dug into her past more than she would have liked. He knows all about her IRA days and strikes a nerve when he brings up her murdered sister. Gabrielle Anwar is very good in these scene, which is especially powerful because we almost never see anyone have an edge over Fiona.

We eventually learn that Gabriel is after a computer chip company called Apex that moved into his town in Argentina and dumped toxic waste into the water that killed Gabriel’s young daughter. He kidnapped one of their lead scientists and is holding him for ransom…holding him with no intention of ever returning him, even though the scientist also has a young daughter. He also plans to kidnap Apex’s lawyer/negotiator head honcho. Fiona has to earn Gabriel’s trust so that she can stop him.

Michael, meanwhile, still has his hands full with Gilroy. He knows the plane with the mysterious prisoner is soon coming from Argentina, but he has to figure out how Gilroy fits in, what he plans to do with the .50 caliber, and how to stop him. There’s a fairly dramatic twist involving Gilroy at the very end of the episode that comes after a series of awesome infernos and explosions. Sharon Gless is only in a couple of scenes, but she certainly makes her presence welcome by providing solid comic relief. The upcoming finale promises to be a wildly exciting end to a near-perfect season.

Season 3, Episode 15: Good Intentions (Originally aired February 25, 2010)

For more on Burn Notice, click here.

Thursdays at 10/9c on USA

Photographs courtesy of NBC Universal and IMDbPro.

White Collar: Q&A with Jeff Eastin

Today I had the opportunity to participate in a Q&A session with Jeff Eastin, creator/executive producer, of USA Network’s new hit show, White Collar. I was so excited to hear his thoughts and get the scoop on one of my new favorite shows. He was very generous with his time and details, spending an hour answering a multitude of questions. So, my fellow White Collar fans, here is what I learned…

Favorite scenes

Some of Eastin’s favorite scenes involve the interaction between the four main characters, Neal, Peter, Mozzie and Elizabeth. He specifically mentioned the episode, “Bad Judgment,” when Mozzie met Elizabeth and debugged the Burkes’ house as one of his favorites. Also one of my favorites! The four main characters are like a dysfunctional family unit and hopefully we will see more of them together.

A pregnant Elizabeth?

Unfortunately, Tiffani Thiessen’s pregnancy will NOT be worked into White Collar.

Fowler & the Big Bad

“The Big Bad” is the nickname given by the writers to the man who Fowler reports to. Yes, there is someone pulling Fowler’s strings but why? We will learn more about Fowler’s backstory and “the Big Bad” in season two.

Burn Notice/White Collar crossover?

Eastin believes that a crossover between these two shows is “the most logical and the most fun (option).” On a side note, Matt Nix, the creator of Burn Notice, is one of his good friends. The question he posed is would they send Neal to Florida or Michael to NYC? Also, the writers had recently come up with the idea that Mozzie could be Sam’s (from Burn Notice) nephew. Stay tuned…but a crossover event is ultimately up to USA Network.

Different location?

Except for the possible crossover event with Burn Notice, White Collar will not take place in any other city except NYC.

Planning White Collar

Here is a fun fact. Before White Collar, Jeff Eastin had never been to New York City but thought it was perfect for the show. He used Google Maps Street Views to help plan locations for shooting.

More singing?

Remember Neal singing while drugged in “Vital Signs?” It is a possibility, in season two, that we will see June (Diahann Carroll) and Neal singing together, which would be awesome!

Mozzie!

According to Jeff, in season two, we will learn more about Mozzie’s background, his involvement in the crime world and why he is called “Mozzie.” Jeff described Mozzie as “one of the most fun characters” plus he brings “a certain special spark to that particular scene.” I couldn’t agree more.

The Dynamic Duo

According to Eastin, at this point, Peter is not afraid that Neal is going to run. The only real trust issue between them is Kate, which will linger, but ultimately “they really enjoy each other’s company.” Off screen, Matt Bomer and Tim DeKay are also bonding, which Jeff thinks factors into the chemistry between Neal and Peter.

Grey areas with Peter

Over the past few episodes, we’ve witnessed Peter become more willing to help Neal; for example, by stealing the surveillance tape (“Vital Signs”) and assisting with stealing the wax (“Bottlenecked”). Will this come back to haunt Peter? Jeff confirmed it would. Something takes place in the season finale that will shake his “unwavering belief in the system and bureau.” It will not completely change Peter but we may see him more willing to bend the rules which will factor into season two.

The Writing Team

When writing, they focus on what he called each “character’s specialty”—Peter’s problem solving; Neal’s ability to look outside of the box at a problem; Mozzie’s street-level expertise. Finally, Elizabeth’s strength is her emotional intelligence and her ability to look at situations through a more human perspective.

Surprises in filming season one

A couple things surprised Jeff. First, he expected Tim and Matt to be big stars but he was surprised by Matt Bomer’s star quality and how quickly his picture was up everywhere in NYC.

Also, with White Collar, Eastin’s goal was to create an intelligent show and he wasn’t sure it would be accepted in an “MTV world.” He said they don’t rely much on action or have girls in bathing suits and it is “refreshing to not have to.” Kudos to their smart show!

Season Two

The writers have been working on season two for about two weeks now, explained Jeff. No real big adjustments from season 1 to 2—the basis of the show, the relationship between Neal and Peter, supported by Elizabeth and Mozzie, will remain the same. They will try to duplicate their successful first season in season two.

Twitter

Following Jeff Eastin, White Collar and the White Collar writers on Twitter is a must! Jeff made a point to say he enjoys tweeting with fans of the show. USA Network, their shows, actors and producers/writers do an unbelievably great job at connecting with fans and promoting themselves! It is very impressive!

Finale

Prepare yourselves White Collar fans; Jeff stated that the Season 1.5 finale (in two weeks) will end with “a major cliff hanger!!”

Well, this was an enlightening and fabulous experience for me. Hope this Q&A answered some of your White Collar questions. Thanks to Jeff Eastin for sharing some inside information. Don’t miss White Collar on Tuesdays, 10 pm EST, on USA Network!!

For more on White Collar, click here.

Tuesdays at 10/9c on USA Network

Photographs courtesy of USA and Nigel Parry.

American Idol: Hot Messes and Unripe Bananas

We’ve gotta whole lotta American Idol this week, dear readers, and, I’m sorry to say, a whole lotta it isn’t pretty. In retrospect, I will agree with the producer-created stigma that the girls are a stronger group as a whole, but their overall mediocrity paired with the more polarizing talent (or lack thereof) of the guys makes for one bewildering set of singers. They dumped Angela Martin for this? Are they sure they didn’t get their Jermaines mixed up?

After all the anticipation to have the excruciating preliminary auditions and Hollywood Week nonsense behind us, I find myself riddled with a sense of anti-climactic ambivalence. Perhaps I’ve never started paying this close of attention at such an early stage past seasons and it was easier to stomach the bad karaoke in light of the occasional diamond in the rough once the Top 12 was decided.

Nevertheless, here’s Seacrest bringing home the melodrama as he slowly paces between our 24 Chosen Ones, separated into two lines on stage. We’re told it’s now time to “get serious,” and I wholeheartedly agree. Tuesday night is the girls’ turn, and they are paraded in front of us one by one, mugging for the camera, as Seacrest reminds us of their names. The guys are banished into the snugly seated Dawg Pound, but not without Seacrest making an inane joke about Big Mike needing to mind his applause because his elbows might knock someone out. So much for getting serious.

The logistics of voting and subsequent elimination are broken down (“Here’s the math,” declares Seacrest): over the next three weeks, the two guys and two girls with the lowest amount of votes will be sent home during the results show on Thursday, after the gender-respective performances on Tuesday and Wednesday. That’s four crushed dreams a week, people. Thus, the Top 24 will be whittled to the Top 12 in relatively short order, and I’m eternally grateful for the efficiency.

The ubiquitous judges’ intro makes way for Simon admitting he’s favoring the idea of a female winner, and a gratuitously lame gag about Ellen not sitting next to Simon anymore due to his “wandering hands.” A videotape is then shown for “proof.” Gag, indeed. We’re informed the theme for the semifinals is songs that have appeared on the Billboard Chart. So, anything that’s ever been played on an FM radio station, apparently.

Paige Miles is up first. Thus far, all I know of her is the statement she made on stage in Hollywood that her group came up with the brilliant idea to sing Lady Gaga because “no one else” had, while the other group scheduled to sing the exact same song directly after them looked on with hilariously intent “WTF?!?” faces. Hee! She’s singing “All Right Now” by Free, a 70s song mildly recognizable in the “what commercial is this in?” kind of vein. It’s a bizarre choice, and while she hits a few nice notes – especially at the end – her eager, over-the-head clapping and dull stage presence render her grade down to a B- in my book. Nothing special. Simon tells her she has his favorite female voice this season, but the “cheap” song gave him wedding singer vibes. Kara and Randy agree the chorus was rough, and Ellen admits she was nervous about the song choice, but it “ended up working out.” Seacrest alludes to Paige being sewn into her outfit, and she then tells us she has, indeed, been waiting to pee for five hours as a result. Why would she need to be sewn into this ensemble? Culottes and a sash belt do not haute couture make.

Boston student Ashley Rodriguez is next. A Jordin Sparks fan, Ashley recalls how Simon made fun of the single “Battlefield,” at her first audition, the song she ended up singing for her final performance in Hollywood. She refers to this as irony, a term misused by most people, most famously Alanis Morissette, and I’m unimpressed with just about everything I’ve heard from Ashley so far. Tonight she’s attempting “Happy,” originally sung by none other than Simon’s X Factor darling Leona Lewis. Starting out with a barely-audible breathy whisper and evolving to an off-key, feeble shout or two, it’s the embodiment of mundane and I give Ashley a solid C. Kara thinks she’ll still stick around, Randy says she was setting herself up for negative comparisons to Leona (yup), Ellen calls it “predictable,” and Simon simply says, “This isn’t going particularly well for you, is it?”  No, it certainly is not.

Janell Wheeler, who impressed both Simon and me in Hollywood with her acoustic cover of “American Boy” but sucked it up later with a most-unfortunate Taylor Swift rendering, is wearing tragically ill-fitting pants and singing Heart’s “What About Love?” Janell sure is purdy, but just doesn’t have the voice to pull off a showstopper like this. Speaking of negative comparison to previous artists, all I could think of was Carrie Underwood’s now-legendary rendition of Heart’s “Alone,” and how poor Janell is just out of her league. Simon tells her she gave 100% in effort, but only delivered 65%. Ouch. Kara sums up my opinion by stating the song was “too big” for her and overshadowed the unique distinction of her voice a less-ambitious choice would have better suited. Despite Ellen noting Janell “moved on stage well,” she just didn’t sing well, and that’s what counts. C-.

I’m excited for Lilly Scott to take the stage, because she is one contestant who seems to know exactly what her strengths are, and plays to them with remarkable composure. She’s got her shtick figured out, and she’s darn good at it – there won’t be any Mariah or Leona coming out of Lilly, and she’s all the more savvy for sticking to what she does best. She sings “Fixing a Hole,” one of the more obscure Beatles songs, and it suits her well. She’s odd and quirky, but not for the sake of being odd and quirky. She’s got the chops to back up her image, and she’s hands down the best so far tonight. The judges are lovin’ it, in spite of Simon’s declaration that he sees no “star power” in her. Whatever. Brava, Lilly. A-.

Katelyn Epperly is next, and she puts Tori Kelly’s Carrie Bradshaw mane to shame. I’m dubious at first, but she can apparently play piano and is singing another Beatles song, “Oh! Darling.” Alright, let’s give her a shot. Her outfit is a perplexing homage to Desperately Seeking Susan, but it turns out she can sing! Pretty well, in fact! Who knew? Not me. The judges aren’t as pleasantly surprised as I am (probably because they’ve heard her sing before, ha), but, in spite of Kara expressing distaste for the 80s makeover, the comments are generally positive. B+ for Katelyn.

Speaking of “Oh! Darling,” here comes the adorable Haeley Vaughn. She’s unfortunately dressed like she’s getting married in Deadwood, but I’m excited nonetheless. The last of a Beatles hat trick, Haeley and her red guitar are bringing us “I Wanna Hold Your Hand.” Of course it’s pitchy and all over the place, but I’ve let Haeley’s cuteness forgive worse vocal sins than this. I liked it quite a bit. Simon called it a “complete mess,” and Ellen retorted, “at least it’s a hot mess.” Awesome. B+.

Last year, Lacey Brown lost her spot in the Top 24 at the last minute. I admired her perseverance in coming back this year and had been rooting for her. I’ll keep this quick. Poor Lacey picks the wrong song and has a bad night vocally, making for a really dreadful version of Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide,” which is exactly the margin of votes by which, I predict, she’ll be voted off this week. Even Ellen can’t think of anything nicer to say than “I think you’re better than that.” Have a nice life, Lacey. D.

Miami native Michelle Delamor, one contestant they’ve been keeping under wraps until now, fits the American Idol quality assessment to a T. She’s so perfect on paper, in fact, that I fear she’s already old news. Indeed, Michelle is singing “Fallin,” by Alicia Keys, causing me to wonder if she’s ever seen a single episode of this show. We learn Michelle actually is a professional (in her words, “corporate”) singer by trade, and it shows. She sings the Idol-friendly song in a very Idol-friendly way, and Ellen remarks that it seems so easy for her, she should try a riskier song next time. Kara says it’s clear Michelle wants the “diva spot” in the competition, and needs to focus on being “technically immaculate.” Simon says she looks fantastic (which she does), but he’s obviously seen this performance a thousand times and practically yawns in her face. Despite the clichéd basis, I think Michelle is a talented singer and performer and will stick around the competition for a while. A-.

Didi Benami is next, and she talks about singing Kara’s “Terrified” in Hollywood as being her defining moment in the competition thus far. That performance did make my ears perk up, but I’m disappointed to see Didi sans instrument this week, especially when she says she’s singing Ingrid Michaelson’s “The Way I Am,” a very girl-with-guitar type song. It starts out weird, mostly because the band plays  this bizarre accompaniment involving the occasional wind chime and single drumbeat. It gets better, though, as the music picks up, and her voice is spot-on throughout. By the end, I conclude the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. B+ from me, but Simon and Randy make the “no star power” argument again. Ellen astutely comments the song would have worked as part of a set, but not as the “Here I am, America!” first impression.

Strange little moppet Siobhan Magnus is next, and she’s piqued my curiosity for some time. She’s singing “Wicked Game,” by Chris Isaak and I’m loving the song choice. Skipping right to the verdict, I never say or type this, ever, but…OMG. The girl has an insane range, proven when she begins the song in a startlingly low register and also hits the high notes throughout the chorus. It’s just awesome. I agree with Ellen when she says she forgot she was watching a singing competition, and Siobhan gets my first solid A. Randy and Simon whine that her Stevie Wonder song in Hollywood was better, but I don’t give a hoot, and neither will voters, I hope.

My excitement over Siobhan almost made me forget about my initial favorite, Crystal Bowersox. Almost. She candidly admits she was not an Idol fan prior to her audition, but decided to try out anyway in an effort to better provide for her infant son. She’s singing Alanis’ “Hand in My Pocket,” which wouldn’t have been my first choice, but I think Crystal could bust out Michael Bolton or “Who Let The Dogs Out,” for crying out loud, and still bring down the house. Guitar and harmonica in tow (Randy calls it a “harp,” isn’t he hip), Crystal’s version of “Pocket” turns out better than the original and I think it would sell tremendously well. Simon, trying to rain on everyone’s parade tonight, says there are thousands of Bowersox clones at subway stations all over the world, which may be true, but there’s only one on Idol. A.

WASP-y Katie Stevens from Connecticut has the coveted final slot tonight, and seemingly wants to appear like she’s headed to Cotillion, but instead looks like she’s on her way to Homecoming with the Young Republicans. For some ungodly reason, she decides to sing “Feelin’ Good,” by MICHAEL BUBLE, for Pete’s sake. Has any other high school student in the world heard of him (his recent effort on SNL to up his street cred notwithstanding)? She does have some serious vocal chops, I’ll admit, but the judges are spot-on when they tell her she needs to “young it up” and sing stuff her friends will actually want to listen to. Simon thinks her parents dressed her, Ellen and Randy want her to embrace being 17, Kara hopes she gets another shot and I give her a B-.

On Wednesday night, the guys are subjected to the same humiliating self-exhibition as the girls, all descending the staircase with swagger and cutesy shout-outing to their fans at home. In the judges’ intro, Randy warns the guys that they have their work cut out for them because “the girls blew it out last night,”  which in Randy’s universe means “the girls were awesome.” He clearly thinks “blew it out” is something people actually say to indicate a positive outcome, which it certainly is not. I say, except for the excellent Siobhan, Crystal and Lilly, most of the girls just blew.

Todrick Hall the rumored con artist is up first, and he’s singing Kelly Clarkson’s “Since U Been Gone,” a song no one can say they don’t like. I’m intrigued by the choice, and for some reason begin to anticipate greatness. Instead, what we’re given is just…weird. The arrangement completely turns the song inside out into this syncopated R&B claptrap I hardly recognize. Once he hits the chorus I think, “Oh, okay, now I hear it,” but Tod is hardly singing at all and instead doing a lot of slinky moves on stage and talking to us in that creepy, 90s, Color Me Badd voice I hate where he calls us “girl,” and I feel kind of gross. It’s undeniable the risk was creative and I applaud the conceptual innovativeness, but as far as the execution I begin to wonder why this guy entered a singing competition. Oh, yeah, the whole rich and famous thing. Hmph. Simon says he “murdered” the song, and the other judges seem as confused as I am, especially when they all wonder aloud why he hardly sang. C+.

High school student Aaron Kelly is mercifully next to clean up Todrick’s mess. He reminisces singing Sarah McLachlan’s “Angel” in Hollywood, an experience that included forgetting the words, then remembering the words, and finally regaining focus as a person and a singer. I suspect Aaron is president of his high school’s glee club or its equivalent. He’s singing Rascal Flatt’s “Here Comes Goodbye,” a song I don’t think I know until I actually hear it and realize it’s been subliminally lodged in my brain for months. You know what? He’s not half bad. Simon and Kara both think Aaron doesn’t know how good he really is, and needs to work on overcoming his shyness. Both Seacrest and I think this is malarkey. Aaron is undoubtedly not shy at all, and very aware of his talent. You’d have to be to enter this show at all, much less as a teenager. In any event, I give Aaron a B and I think he’ll likely be around for the long haul.

The Wrong Jermaine talks about his diva move in Hollywood where he blamed the band for nothing going wrong. He calls it his defining moment in the competition thus far, and he’s certainly not wrong on that count. He’s singing a song called “Get Here,” which has to be about as old as Simon. Jermaine is the opposite of Aaron, in that he exudes confidence to a narcissistic extent and doesn’t have the chops to back it up. His voice has an oddly feminine quality to it at times, which would be fine if he didn’t also feel the need to screech into the microphone and call it emotive singing. I think Jermaine is officially my least favorite contestant. This notion is solidified when Seacrest asks him if he’s “made up with Michael,” as in Michael Orland, the musical director in Hollywood who bore the brunt of Jermaine’s crappy attitude, and he replies, “Who’s Michael?” WHO’S MICHAEL. Wow. Even I know who Michael is. D.

With Tim Urban and his David Cassidy hair up next, I’m really beginning to understand why the girls are getting the positive buzz this season. While Tim is certainly not the kind of deplorable human Jermaine is, I still can’t believe this kid got Chris Golightly’s spot in the Top 24. Apparently the girls like him, but I personally can’t imagine a bigger doofus now that Tim Urban has entered my mental vernacular. He’s singing “Apologize” by OneRepublic, and I’m bracing myself for the worst. This song contains serious falsetto a lot of great singers can’t pull off, so there’s no way any good will come of this. Indeed, it’s embarrassing to the point where I start to feel sorry for Tim and his oblivious parents in the audience. Simon expresses his regret about giving Tim a spot among the Chosen Ones, and Ellen musters about ten different ways to say “at least you’re adorable,” meaning she thinks he’ll skate by on the tween vote. I think so, too, but someone really just needs to put this kid out of his misery. D-.

Well! Nice to finally meet you, Joe Munoz! Wait, we get to hear him speak AND sing in a matter of a few minutes? Way to make up for lost time, producers. Joe seems like a good guy and he’s singing Jason Mraz’s “You and I Both,” which suits him and his perfectly pleasant voice well enough. He’s lucky to be following Tim and I wonder if that’s why I find myself unable to really make a specific criticism. Unfortunately, I think the problem is really Joe’s lack of any defining characteristic at all, and the judges seem to agree. Simon says he’s both forgettable and unsellable. Sorry, Joe. You get a B+ from me, but I’m afraid you’ll have to deal with tying for 24^th place.

I don’t know much about Tyler Grady, either, but he’s definitely solidified himself as the 70s rocker whether you’ve heard him sing or not. While it’s good to have a marketable image, this guy is bordering on gimmicky and his choice to sing “American Woman” does not help. I actually like the tone of his voice, but this song just repeats the same three or four lyrics and I get the impression Tyler has been rehearsing this performance not since last week, but since, oh, junior high or so. Randy, more eloquent than usual, sums it up with a concise “style over substance” critique. I’d like to see Tyler stick around and at least try Queen or The Sex Pistols. Baby steps. B-.

23-year-old Lee DeWyze is next, and he likes playing his guitar. The first time I saw this guy, I realized I knew about 20 of him in college. He’s got the rumpled, dorm-room virtuoso deal locked down, for sure. He’s performing Snow Patrol’s “Chasing Cars,” and I’m really ready to hear something good. Really. Ready. I love this song, and I like how Lee altered the arrangement to fit his style, but I just don’t think his voice is good enough. Randy thinks he should rock harder, like Kings of Leon (his example, not mine), but I’m shocked at the overall positive response. Get this: Simon thinks it was the best performance so far! He really likes this DeWyze, he does. Am I missing something? Looking back, Lee hasn’t had much competition yet tonight, but I now sense a dark horse I never saw coming. B.

Northwestern student John Park found a fan in Shania Twain during his first audition, but he mysteriously hasn’t been heard from since. My anticipation to finally hear him myself immediately dwindles when it’s announced he’s singing ‘God Bless the Child.”  Yikes. The words “jazz standard” are kryptonite on the Idol stage, people! Don’t these kids know anything? He hits a few badly-needed nice notes, but it’s really feeble as a whole and the judges are baffled. Why on Earth did he pick that song? C.

In case you’ve forgotten, Big Mike’s wife went into labor and had their first child during Hollywood Week. Now that we’re all on the same page, tonight Big Mike is singing “This Love” by Maroon 5. I just know I’m gonna like it. Yup, I do. I’ve heard complaints elsewhere of Mike’s nasal tone, but I think he shows real control and understanding of every song he’s performing, and it’s just impossible to not like this guy. Personality goes a long way, but he has discernible, natural talent and I finally feel my toes begin to involuntarily tap for the first time tonight. Kara feels the same way and mentions that the evening has been rather “depressing” until Mike showed up. And how! Randy and Mike say “Dawg!”  back and forth a few times, and Mike is beyond safe. A-.

Next, we learn Alex Lambert is 19 and still in high school. He’s also wearing ill-fitting, hand-me-down type clothes, is very awkward to watch, and rocks the same mini mullet he’s probably had his whole life. I feel as though he is some kind of time traveler, perhaps, or possibly an extra-terrestrial posing as what they think humans look like. He does gain major points for bitching about Mary Powers and her reign of terror during Hollywood Week, but this chap confuses me, plain and simple. He’s singing James Morrison’s “Wonderful World,” a song I’m sure aliens would think is the anthem of the human race, and his voice isn’t bad, it just doesn’t…fit him, or something. The judges can hardly stand to witness his weirdness, either, but they seem to think he’s a good singer. Ellen compares him to an unripe banana. C+.

The great Casey James is next, followed by Andrew Garcia, and I’m beginning to resent whoever came up with tonight’s order as I realize the two best male contestants are dead last in the lineup. A great amount of muck has been waded through to get to this point, but Casey’s version of Bryan Adams’ “Heaven” is actually worth it. His hair is a bit too coiffed and I’m not wasting any time on the ridiculous Kara crap, but this guy sounds like he doesn’t even need this contest. The choice of song is truly perfect, and Simon says it’s the best he’s sounded all season. If any of the guys could spoil the producers’ intent to crown a female winner, Casey’s certainly one of two possible choices. A.

The other choice, obviously, is Andrew Garcia, snagging the last slot tonight and talking about his emotional response to the success he’s had on Idol thus far. He confesses that music seems to be the only thing he’s good at, and his only shot at the kind of life he can hope to build for his family. Aww. He’s singing Fall Out Boy’s “Sugar, We’re Going Down,” and it’s predictably great. He has fantastic enunciation and attention to detail, but I feel my brow furrow with worry as I fear he’s already painting himself into a corner. Sure enough, all the judges talk about is “Straight Up,” as though he intended for every performance thereafter to be compared to his Hollywood Week breakout. I agree it’s time for him to branch out a little and avoid the one-trick-pony reputation, but it seems as though the judges either complain that a contestant doesn’t have a distinct sound, or that they’re too redundant when they do. In any case, Ellen is “thrilled” that Andrew is on the show, as am I and he’ll be around for many more weeks. A-.

With that, the fate of our Top 24 lies within the voters. Stick around to find out which four contestants get eliminated and make a little more room for our Top 20 on stage!

For another take on this week’s episodes, check out Week One Is A ‘Hot Mess’ by Inisia Lewis.

Season 9, Episodes 13 & 14: The Top 12 Female Semifinalists Perform and The Top 12 Male Semifinalists Perform (originally aired February 23 & 24, 2010)

For more on American Idol, click here.

Photographs courtesy of Fox Broadcasting Company, Michael Becker and IMDbPro.

Chuck: Q&A with Zachary Levi and Joshua Gomez

It’s exceedingly hard not to like Zachary Levi and Joshua Gomez. During the Chuck teleconference I participated in with them, I learned that they are as charming and affable in real life as they are on the screen. They answered a host of questions with warmth and enthusiasm, although the NBC brass severely censored them on what they could and couldn’t say about the second half of the third season, which begins next week.

They were able to confirm that Scott Bakula will return for the final episodes of the season, and a surprise visit will be made by Geek Hall of Fame godfather Christopher Lloyd. People asked about how involved they were with the Twittering (or is it Tweeting?) and online games/fan campaigns for the show. They said not really, which I found refreshing. TV shooting schedules are brutal, and I can certainly understand that any modicum of free time Zachary Levi has he would prefer to spend not in the Chuck universe. Both Levi and Gomez did however voice considerable appreciation and reverence for the rabid fanbase (some of which I have angrily prodded in my recent reviews of the show) that has kept the show going until now.

I wanted to ask how the budget cuts they were forced to make in filming the third season has affected their work, but alas it was not to be. One caller brought up a potential continuity error in the show that dealt with how Chuck responds to the new Intersect. One of the main throughlines of the season thus far has been Sarah telling Chuck that, now that he is a full-fledged spy, he has to learn to control his emotions in order to his job. It seems that mostly, the Intersect only works when Chuck is calm and in control. But there was an episode that had Chuck and Sarah held captive in separate rooms by baddies, and Chuck got the Intersect to work (and then deployed some awesome martial arts badassery) by frantically worrying about what would happen to Sarah if he didn’t save her. So in that instance, Chuck got the Intersect to work precisely by not controlling his emotions.

It was quite enjoyable and revealing to hear Levi attempt to answer the question. He basically said that it wasn’t something that he could answer—though he acknowledged the validity of the question—because, as an actor, there are certain parts of the show that he is not involved with. He may be the star, but like any tv actor, how his character develops and how the show proceeds is strictly in the hands of the showrunners. I sensed a certain devil-may-care attitude about his answer, as if he were saying that yeah, the Intersect inconsistency was a stupid mistake but that’s how things on this show just go sometimes. I think the guy is very smart and deserves higher-caliber writing to work with than he has received lately.

Several questions were asked about how Morgan and Chuck’s relationship was going to change and evolve given the whole Hannah romance triangle debacle. Both actors insisted that Chuck and Morgan would not break up and that they would eventually become closer than ever. Hmm. Levi also promised that, though he has not yet read the series finale, he knows that the episode will wrap up the series satisfactorily should it not be renewed for a fourth season. I think that possibility is more than likely at this point.

Also of note: Levi directed an upcoming episode, his directorial debut on the show. He is very proud of it and it looks to be a key game-changing event when it airs in a couple of weeks. At any rate, I wish Levi and Gomez well and I am cautiously optimistic that the latter half of the season will bring the show to a satisfying conclusion.

For more on Chuck, click here.

Mondays at 8/7C on NBC

Photographs courtesy of NBC Universal, Chris Haston, and IMDbPro.

White Collar: The Challenge

Last week, White Collar wasn’t on and I missed it immensely! But this week, White Collar returned with one hell of an episode!

Neal receives another postcard from his “anonymous chess opponent.” This postcard is a little different—the Museum of Natural History on it and no postmark, meaning it was hand delivered. The chess move, knight to D7, clues Neal in to his opponent—Matthew Keller and was from a game that Caffrey and Keller never finished.

Before we learn who Keller is, we see Neal at the FBI office, surprisingly early, researching a recent robbery at the Museum of Natural History. Neal makes light of this but Peter’s BS radar goes off and suggests they go talk to the suspect who was just released on bail. As they arrive, the suspect is hit by a car and later dies in ICU.

Neal tells Peter about Keller, the “blue collar version of me” and his rival who has never been caught. Neal’s guess is that Keller posted the suspect’s bail to get rid of him. He explains to Peter about a bet they made years ago to see who could counterfeit a bottle of wine owned by Ben Franklin, which is said to be impossible. The materials stolen from the museum would be needed to do so.

Peter discovers that an anonymous seller has put the Franklin bottle up for auction at Weatherby’s auction house.

Next, Neal pays a visit to the broker, Grace Quinn. He pretends to be representing a client and convinces her to give him a tour of the security vault, where the expensive wine is kept. While there, Neal notices a postcard with a message from Keller for a face to face.

Meanwhile, Burke informs Neal that Interpol says Keller owes some Russians a lot of money. They assume he is planning to repay them with the money from a sale of the Franklin bottle. During the meeting, Keller takes shots at Neal, baits him about Kate and implies he had a relationship with her. Keller issues Neal a challenge—10 days to make another replica of the Ben Franklin bottle.

Neal immediately enlists Mozzie’s help, who proposes that the rivalry between Keller has always been about Kate.

At first, Peter is not thrilled to hear that Neal agreed to Keller’s challenge. But Neal convinces him, after explaining about the testing of wine/bottles. Their theory…if they submit their own bottle, Weatherby’s will have to test both. Both will fail and they can arrest Keller on fraud.

The next scene was one of the funniest of the episode. Neal startles Mozzie, who is working on the bottle, and he reacts by screaming and holding tweezers as a weapon.

Neal- Geez, Moz. Overreact much? What are you going to do with tweezers?

Mozzie- The Shinobi Ninja can fashion a weapon out of anything.

Neal- You’re not a ninja.

Mozzie- That’s what I want you to believe.

Neal learns they need 18^th century wax to complete the bottle and knows he can get it from the wine vault. After some persuasion, Peter goes undercover as Neal’s client, so Neal can steal the wax.

Neal is successful but is almost caught. Immediately after, Peter and Neal have an encounter with Keller, who really is obnoxious. Peter’s reaction: “five minutes with the guy and I want to punch him in the face.”

Unfortunately, they learn they cannot submit their bottle because Weatherby’s is closed to new entries. Peter is determined to take down Keller, “the anti-Caffrey” and finds information on a former auction that gives them the leverage to get their bottle in. Weatherby’s agrees to run tests on both bottles. Peter demands the IP addresses for those tuning into the event, assuming that Keller is watching from somewhere.

The results are in—Keller’s bottle is authentic, meaning he had the real one all along! So why challenge Neal? Caffrey’s guess is that the second bottle would drive up the auction price for the real one (Keller’s). Then Neal tells Peter they could charge him with trespassing, which Keller did during their meeting. Peter and agents search for Keller while Neal calls Mozzie for help.

Mozzie shows up at auction and explains that the Russians are in town and really want their money. Neal encourages Mozzie to win the Franklin bottle which he does for $1 million. Peter traces an IP address to a parking garage but Keller is gone.

Neal has a hunch on where Keller is heading, a helicopter pad, and is correct. Neal tries to get Keller to confess to his crimes but Keller laughs him off. Neal then reveals that he won the bottle so Keller will not get the money for the Russians. Peter shows up and our duo gives Keller an option: choose the Russians, who will most likely kill him because he doesn’t have the money, or go with the FBI. Keller chooses to be arrested and tells Neal, “the game ain’t over. See you soon.”

It ends with Mozzie advising Neal to talk to Alex because there is a lot of “chatter about the music box.”

This episode may be one of my favorites from the season! It had a little of everything—witty lines, an interesting case about wine, Neal’s archrival & Mozzie…what else could you ask for?

Ross McCall, who played Matthew Keller, had a very strong guest appearance! He did a great job making me not like his character. My guess is Keller will be back to torment Neal.

Can’t believe there are only two episodes left. Time flies when you’re having fun or watching White Collar… Curious to see if our questions about Kate, the music box, and Fowler are answered in season one or if we’ll be left with a big cliffhanger.

Season 1, Episode 12: Bottlenecked (originally aired February 23, 2010)

For more on White Collar, click here.

Tuesdays at 10/9c on USA Network

Photographs courtesy of USA.

American Idol: Week One Is A ‘Hot Mess’

It never surprises me when each new talent-based reality series dubs this season as the BEST EVER! But I did take heed when the judges started parading this year’s Top 12 women as the ones to watch. If this week is any indication, this might be the first American Idol where NO ONE wins! Okay, so I clearly revel in exaggeration, but this week was truly unforgettable for some of the worst reasons. I’ll get to some of those when I recap this week’s results show, but the singing is all that really counts in this competition so let’s see how the nubile contestants fared in my mind.

TOP 12 GIRLS
12. Ashley Rodriguez recycled Leona Lewis’s “Happy”, and a diva song is no easy feat. The best in the game can hit those piercing high notes while having a rich, low range. Ashley’s missing that full, bottom register, and she went flat multiple times. But she’s pretty! It’s pretty much the only thing that kept me paying attention. Kara pointed out that it was a big song to take on from the “Mariah Carey of our generation.” Randy made a useful critique when he saw a lot of Leona but not a lot of Ashley.

11. Lacey Brown did little to woo the judges who agreed with me, this time, that her few minutes of fame on stage just didn’t cut it. “Landslide” is an extremely beautiful and haunting number, so I can’t say it was a bad choice. We already knew she had the pipes to take on something big and gritty, so I appreciated her attempt at big and somber. And she definitely tried to make it her own, but when I think of the Fleetwood Mac tune, I feel like arms are enveloping and rocking me gently, but this version was more synonymous to being dropped on my head as a baby.

10. Michelle Delamor should have been warned that at least 80% of the viewing population believes “Fallen” should be retired. Really, very few people do it better than the original even when they do it well. I agree with Ellen that it was a safe choice that didn‘t really show us what this little seen contestant could do, but I’d go even further and say it was borderline dull. Who would have thought that I’d agree with Kara who saw way more issues than any of the other judges?

9. Janelle Wheeler was definitely an early-frontrunner, but the performance she turned in was worthy of the bottom slots. “What About Love” is rocker anthem; not exactly the type of song I’d choose for this singer-songwriter. Plus, did she lose her voice? It was completely shot. If I was in a karaoke bar, I’d comment that she had a good voice and then order another beer. I remember her phrasing and tone to be unique but, here, she was run-of-the-mill. I liked Simon’s analogy that she gave 100% but delivered 65%. She’s a likeable girl who is evidently passionate, but she bit off more than she could chew. You could tell from the look on her face that she thought so too.

8. Haeley Vaughn didn‘t fare as well, in Beatlesland, as Katelyn with “Hold Your Hand”. I’m not sure if she’s just an oblivious, normal teenager or just a genius at putting on a good show, but Haeley exudes more confidence than some of NYC’s finest drag queens. That’s saying a whole lot. A lot of her high notes were screechy, she needs to work on enunciating, and the nasally tone can get grating, but at her age, her musical creativity is impressive. And she’s got a sunny, bubbly disposition. That’s refreshing…sometimes.

7. Paige Miles has been absent so far, but from the package we saw this week, she doesn’t seem to be shy, and her final audition piece showed a strong and confident performer.  So where’d she get lost? It’s always tough being the first one out, but her voice just wasn’t powerful enough for “All Right Now”. There were some drawn out, high notes that she just nailed, but I felt myself getting bored while she wobbled through the song. The judges, however, all agreed she was fantastic though they battled over the song choice. Embarrassingly, Ryan prompted a TMI moment when he asked her what she’d been waiting to do for awhile. You should have seen the death stare because her answer was that she had to pee.

6. Siobhan Magnus is already staking herself as this season’s polarizing figure. I‘ve already heard people call this performance one of the best, while I fall into the camp who feel it was one of the worst. “Wicked Game” came off as more horrible karaoke than fantastic star debut. Vocally, there was too much theatrics. And could she be any more awkward on stage? However, some will just love her quirk like Kara while it’ll push some buttons for others. UPDATE: On a second viewing, I realized a lot of my initial disdain came with the boring arrangement and sullen air that she carries, but vocally it was controlled and solid and moved her from 12th place, in my mind. Plus, what a ballsy choice.

5. Katie Stevens should take some notes from Ashley’s prior critique because “Feelin’ Good” falls into the same category. On a stellar night, this performance would pale in comparison, but for me she was one of the few sunny spot on a dreary day. The girl is one of the youngest in the bunch and displayed a ton of power and control. Sure, she was stiff, but her voice is definitely studio ready. The judges are hard on her, but the one consistent and overused critique I agreed with was that she should have gone for something more hip and fresh and less old.

4. Didi Benami picked “The Way I Am”, a fav of mine and took some liberties with the vocal arrangement, but none of the liberties improved on the song or distinguished her voice enough from the original. Plus, ending on a sharp note is never good. This was one of the biggest disappointments of the night only because I had such high hopes for her but by no means did she deserve the knocking she got from the judges. Did they listen to the other performances?

3. Katelyn Epperly was not the only one to test the limits by choosing a Beatles song. You never want to mess up something so loved by the masses. “Oh, Darlin” started a little shaky but who knew that girl had some fire inside her. She’s been so vanilla thus far that I was sure she’d be in contention to go home, but maybe playing it cool, and then busting out of the gate, was her plan all along. Simon pointed out that it was messy, and I think that’s because she knew, after her past critiques, that she had to prove she could fight. Couple that with a lot of nerve, and I can’t deny her performance seemed a little frenzied.

2. Crystal Bowersox sang the safe “Hand in My Pocket” but did it with finesse. Simon made sure not to stray too far away from the party line (of worshiping Crystal) but noted that she picked a sound-a-like song and that, though everyone keeps saying she’s original, she’s not until she gets outside of her box. We’ve already seen her on top during Hollywood Week. Unless she pushes it, most performances will seem weak in comparison. Still, the girl played three instruments in one song this week, the guitar, the harp and her voice. I’m pretty sure that’s a first for Idol.

1. Lilly Scott would be the only other girl, save Crystal Bowersox, I could imagine picking a song no one has ever covered before. “Fixing A Hole” allowed me the chance to really see Lilly as an artist, without comparisons, so points to her. Randy likened her to Lily Allen, who definitely has a distinct voice, is indie and comes off as unaffected. (Though probably not as boozy.) It helps that she’d sound great singing those indie pop songs I love so.

TOP 12 BOYS
12. Jermaine Sellers likes to sing songs by the ladies. What is that about? “Get Here” is the type of song that isn’t great because of the composition or the lyrics but how it’s sung. He, already, doesn’t have the best voice in the bunch, so song choice is of the utmost importance in his case, and he couldn’t hit a single one of his high notes. I’m hard-pressed to think that things were any different in rehearsal. I agree with the judges that he was trying way to hard, wanting to show off his range but, instead, showing off his weaknesses. Plus, up until now he was that cocky guy who called out the band leader for messing up his arrangement during Hollywood Week. I almost forgot about it until Ryan brought it up again, wondering if he and Michael, Associate Musical Director, had patched things up. Jermaine’s reply? “Who’s Michael?” AWKWARD!

11. Tim Urban, replacement for the ousted Chris Golightly, had a lot to prove this week. Choosing “Apologize,” a song performed during season 7 by David Archuleta & The Fray frontman and then by Kris Allen last season, was a sure way to place himself third among this Idol cover. I’d put him down further if I could. Once again, if you can’t hit the high notes why pick the song?! Even Kris took it down a couple keys. Simon summed it up best when he said, “Congratulations for coming back. Having said that, we absolutely made the right decision first time around by not putting you through.” There’s a good voice there, but only Vote for the Worst can save this kid.

10. John Park, don’t fret, still has a fantastic voice, but “God Bless The Child” did him no favors this week. He’s in an a cappella group! Though I’d graduated by the time he joined, the group certainly has a distinguished legacy for killing old tunes and vamping up our current favs. I absolutely know he can do something hip and current, but his vocals were wobbly and his rendition was dull. Simon hit the nail on the head when he said he’d heard the song sung with a ton of emotion which his was lacking. Honestly, his turn marked the first performance that I wanted to fast forward through.

9. Todrick Hall had the toughest slot of the week. Coming on first is always tough. Coming on first after the horror of the ladies’ night was even worse. I wanted, hell, needed someone to knock it out of the park and renew my confidence or just wake me up. He got 50%. “Since U Been Gone” is a powerful and female, rock anthem, and I definitely don’t equate magician hands and High School Musical-style moves with it. But I did appreciate that he infused it with his R&B style. Randy thought he changed the song to the point it was unrecognizable. Simon saw a dancer trying to sing instead of a singer who can dance and, even harsher, that “it was verging on stupid.” I appreciated his daringness, and isn’t that what they asked for.

8. Tyler Grady picked “American Woman”. And immediately, I thought, ‘Boring!’ It’s unquestionably a beloved song, but besides the “make you groove” music, there isn’t a lot of substance to toy around with. Inevitably, he came off sounding like a copycat rather than an artist. Randy succinctly put it as style over substance.

7. Michael Lynche doesn’t fully deserve to be in the top 24 in my opinion. If this competition was based on likeability and showmanship, he’d be a shoe-in, but his pipes just aren’t up to par. He’s smart to pick a song that’s not very vocally-challenging like “This Love”. And there’s something that makes me happy about a big guy rocking out on the guitar (even if you only strum for two seconds!). I don’t think he’s going anywhere this week, but one way to improve would be to stop clipping his words which make them sound staccato way too often. Again, the judges praised him for his spirit and ease on stage, but Simon gets it. “You were like the support act before the main act.”

6. Aaron Kelly so wanted to puke before his turn. It was written all over his face. I bet if I wiped his forehead, it’d be like he just stepped out of a sauna, poor boy. “Here Comes Goodbye” was a good choice for him as Rascal Flatts totes that country/mainstream line so well which is a nice place for his voice. And it’s a great one at that, but his nerves fostered some shaky notes. Yet when someone has a natural gift, you can’t help but root for them, especially in that cute, albeit bland, little body. The judges want to see more confidence and went on to give him a ton of compliments which should help.

5. Lee DeWyze made a smart move by picking the relevant, likeable and known “Chasing Cars,” but it wasn’t the perfect song for his growly, rock voice. Sure, he hit a few flat notes, and he doesn’t have the strongest voice but he embodied transforming a song to be his own without changing the song completely. You’d think the judges would commend him, but apparently we’re not on the same page again. I get Randy’s critique that he missed Lee’s hard edge, but thank the singing gods for Simon because he saw how solid he was in a sea of ups and downs. Plus, Ryan finally got back to normal in his quit interview asking Lee what it feels likes to be performing on Idol. “It feels like I don’t ever want to lose it.” Sometimes Ryan hits the sweet spot.

4. Andrew Garcia’s thing is taking a popular song and performing an altered, stripped down and acoustic version. It worked well with “Straight Up” but completely turned off the judges when it came to “Sugar, We’re Going Down”. I liked the Hotel California vibe, but it was boring and didn’t showcase his voice like his prior attempts. Was it a horrible performance or a failure? Not at all, and it’s even better in comparison to this week’s showing, but so many people were expecting so much from him. A fine line had already been set up between success and utter disappointment. Simon thought he was too serious and indulgent, while Kara believed that it wasn’t the correct arrangement. She felt that it’s the kind of song that shouldn’t be played acoustic, but I dare her to see the real deal take it on in just that way and make her case again. Ellen was right, however, that his Hollywood Week performance has already bought him a lot of time no matter how he does.

3. Joe Munoz is so cute! He may be the only “hidden” contestant to truly benefit from this week. Expectations were so low for his debut, that I was pleasantly surprised by his take on “You and I”. His voice is strong, his tone is smooth and rich, and his vibe is upbeat and easy. Now, you can see why the song choice fit him perfectly, though the chorus wasn’t as exciting as the Mraz version. Simon and I disagreed since he felt that it was safe and forgettable. Though to me, it was pretty unforgettable just because I can count the number of stellar Idol performances so far on one hand. Simon’s a big cranky pants this season.

2. Alex Lambert’s voice is a nice blend of Ray Lamontagne’s soul and Gavin DeGraw’s unique tone. In most cases, I would say choosing Morrison’s “Wonderful World” was a bad idea. (James Morrison is an original himself, one that Alex sounds a lot like.) Yet, he kept the arrangement standard and followed the vocals closely. And since Morrison isn’t widely known in the US yet, even though his songs are fantastic, it was a great launching pad in my eyes. (I know I’m in the minority, ranking him so high) Unfortunately, Alex had no stage presence or charisma which is the key to drawing in the audience. His performance felt completely self-contained. As Simon said, “If it’s uncomfortable for you, it’s uncomfortable for us watching.” It’s not looking too hot for Alex, but if you closed your eyes, he slayed the song. Though that trick won’t keep him around long, it’ll lengthen his staying power, hopefully, long enough for the brittle guy to get it together.

1. Casey James took the top spot with his rendition of “Heaven”. Most people think of Bryan Adams when the song comes to mind, but all I can picture is club rocking to DJ Sammy at the Palladium almost a decade ago. This flashback brings both a smile and a look of terror to my face, but Casey’s rendition definitely fits into the smile category. He didn’t go gritty, rocker á la Chris Daughtry but more of the smoothness of Constantine without the creep factor. The judges fawned over him, though spending more time on Kara and her play “crush”. That’ll get old fast, but he is undeniably attractive. Kara’s acknowledged that looks were what caught their eyes, but his talent is what’ll definitely keep him in the competition.

CURTAIN CALL
Now, it’s a matter of taste when all is said and done, and that’s what I love about American Idol. It’s up to each and every one of us to vote and support the person we love the most, regardless of if they’re the best singer, the best musician or the best performer. So don’t take my rankings as anything more than the order of the night’s performances that I loved the most. Very few people will see it exactly the same way I do, but that’s why blogs are so awesome, right? You can sound off with your own opinions below.

So get to it! What are you waiting for? Who were your favorites this week?

For another take on this week’s episodes, check out Hot Messes and Unripe Bananas by Erin Biglow.

Season 9, Episodes 13 & 14: The Top 12 Female Semifinalists Perform and The Top 12 Male Semifinalists Perform (originally aired February 23 & 24, 2010)

For more on American Idol, click here.

Photographs courtesy of Fox Broadcasting Company, Michael Becker and IMDbPro.

Burn Notice: Q&A with Jeffrey Donovan and Gabrielle Anwar

My second conference call—this time with Burn Notice stars Jeffrey Donovan and Gabrielle Anwar—was an improvement over my first. I actually got to ask a question, though this was after the AT&T automatons mispronounced my last name. And then they cut me off while I was starting to ask the follow-up question that I was promised and that everyone else on the line seemed to get. Happenstance? I think not. Nefarious conspiracy masterminded by an evil society of soulless, corporate, degenerate energy vampires determined to destroy me at all costs? I think yes. I swear to god, it would not surprise me to find that the AT&T forces on the other end of the line were stroking white cats while wearing gray tunics and laughing maniacally as they screwed me.

It was pretty surreal standing in the gray Boston drizzle talking to two stars I’ve watched and enjoyed for years. I mean I talked to Jeffrey Donovan, so brilliant in Touching Evil, and who worked for my idol Clint Eastwood on Changeling! I talked to Gabrielle Anwar, who danced the tango with Al frickin’ Pacino in Scent of a Woman! If I flunk out of Hollywood in the coming years and end up selling rum-filled coconuts to tourists in the tropics, I can always think “Hey, I once talked to two tv stars on the phone and tried not to sound like an imbecile!”

What did I ask? I asked if, after having three seasons under their belts, were they finding it easier or harder to play their characters, and were they facing any challenges now that they weren’t when the show started? Donovan said it was harder to do the stunts now that he’s getting older. That, of course, is a standard, self-effacing answer from the Star Playbook. He wasn’t serious; the guy has martial arts training up the wazoo, he’s barely over forty and he looks to be in great shape. Anwar mentioned something about worrying about not becoming boring onscreen. She’s in no danger of that, I tried to assure her.

I wish they had delved a little deeper into the question, and had they had the time, I’m sure they would have. I would think that in some ways, playing Michael Westen and Fiona Glenanne would be easier now because they know their characters and have spent a good chunk of time playing them. But I also think it would be harder to stay invested in the roles and continue to find layers to peel back and explore. I wanted to discuss less about the physical logistics of making the show and more about the psychology of creating and shaping a recurring character over an extended time period. But alas, it was not to be.

Neither was my follow-up question (did I mention that the robotic telephonic ghouls molested me?). Donovan is credited as a producer on nine Burn Notice episodes, and I wanted to ask what that job specifically entailed for him and what he got out of it. There’s a perception that when stars are credited as producers, it’s just a contract thing or a bone that the powers that be throw at them to make them feel more important. But I imagine that Donovan earns the credit and is heavily involved in putting the show together and shaping its direction.

Most of the questions asked were reasonable. People asked about plot points in upcoming episodes, and the stars dutifully explained that they weren’t at liberty to say. There was one guy who asked this fairly ridiculous, convoluted question that involved the actors using their characters’ skills at tactical analysis to analyze the characters themselves. Did that make any sense? If it didn’t, don’t worry. It didn’t make much sense to Donovan or Anwar. Donovan was a good sport and tried to produce an answer, while Anwar more or less refused to answer the question. It was pretty funny because she was honest, but from a professional standpoint, she could definitely learn a couple of things from Donovan about PR.

Someone asked who their dream guest star on the show would be. Anwar said Steve McQueen, which made her cool point quotient skyrocket in my book. Donovan explained to her that Steve was dead, and she replied that she didn’t know that the potential dream guest star had to be alive. Donovan said Angelina Jolie. Not as cool of a choice, but certainly understandable. I think he should get his Touching Evil co-star Vera Farmiga to come aboard. I’d also love to see Tom Selleck.

And speaking of Tom Selleck, Donovan at one point talked about Magnum P.I., recounting a specific episode and saying that he was a fan of the show. That made me giddy, because I have always loved Magnum P.I. and always saw Burn Notice as a descendant of it. He also talked about Moonlighting, in response to someone’s query about the nature of Michael and Fiona’s relationship on the show. The only time Moonlighting is ever really talked about now is in the context of a case study of how to ruin a tv show. The theory is that Moonlighting was doomed as soon as Bruce Willis and Cybil Shepherd got together (which I don’t think is true), and therefore, any show that is built on the romantic tension between two characters can never have them get together or else no one will have any reason to watch the show anymore. Trisha Huntsman wrote about this ongoing dilemma in her February 17^th article on Bones, a show completely built on the romantic chemistry of its two leads. The writers are doing everything they can to keep Booth and Brennan apart, which in my opinion is making the show stale and causing maybe more harm than if they got them together.

But Donovan made an interesting point, referring to Moonlighting as the typical tv romantic relationship, but describing Michael and Fiona’s relationship as atypical. Matt Nix said a similar thing last week. Their relationship is atypical, and therefore, more realistic. Michael and Fiona have consummated their romantic tension, they’ve loved each other, hated each other, pushed and pulled and fought and made up. They can never be together in a normal sense, but they seem to forever be drawn to each other. That makes for a much healthier dynamic and a much healthier show. Burn Notice always feels balanced. You’re not always waiting for some missing element to come into play.

The point is, is that Donovan knows his tv, and that’s refreshing. The other highlight? Someone asked if Donovan and Anwar would like to see Michael and Fiona action figures come to fruition and pointed out that plenty of other shows like Lost and Dexter have action figures. Donovan was hilariously shocked to learn that Dexter has an action figure. “He’s a serial killer! What, does he have a knife in his hand?” The guy asking the question assured him that it wasn’t a figure lining the shelves at Toys “R” Us but was for older, adult collectors. I’d make a crack here about guys over the age of twelve who collect action figures if I didn’t have eight or nine of them ceremoniously posed and displayed on top of the microwave in my apartment.

One final thing I would have liked to have asked Donovan: “Could you go beat the powers that be at USA network with a golf club until they apologize profusely for canceling Touching Evil in 2004 and get them to release the damn DVDs?”

On my next conference call, I’m going to use a fake name they can’t mispronounce like “Frank Lewis.”

For more on Burn Notice, click here.

Thursdays at 10/9c on USA

Photographs courtesy of NBC Universal, Glenn Watson, and IMDbPro.

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