Shmuel's Soapbox: American Idol Annex

Finale!

Here we go!

Coming into the vote last night (so, I suppose, in the previous week's vote), the finalists were separated by less than two percent.

A few words before the finale

(Well, I started typing this before the finale, and finished it during the first few commercial breaks.)

The past year has seen a devastating earthquake in Haiti, flooding in Rhode Island and Tennessee, an oil drilling disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, and the most boring season of American Idol in its nine-year history.

How have things come to this pass? I'm not entirely certain, but that's not going to keep me from rambling about my pet theories.

Top 2: Performances

Final Two!

Three rounds: contestant's choice from songs performed earlier this season; Simon Fuller's choice; and the single.

Top 3: Results

Lee Dewyze was the highest-trending topic on Twitter last night. I'm thinking he's safe. And we're all assuming that Casey's going home tonight. But we have an hour-long results show to sit through, including a performance by a boy who's just been nominated for Best New Artist at the BET Awards... Justin Bieber.

(Next year, the typical performance show is expanding to 90 minutes, and the results show is shrinking to 30. Good call, I'd say.)

Top 3: Performances

On to the top three. Does anybody still care? And has the show really gone downhill, or am I just jaded after nine seasons? (Probably a combination of both.)

Also, my internal clock once again thinks I ought to be asleep by now. This is gonna be interesting.