American Idol 2, February 5: Don't Call It An Upset

Ryan asks the judges what they think of the Top 3. All seem okay with them. Simon adds that he thought last night was dismal. He advises the remaining performers to understand that the bar has been raised. Ryan cuts off the diatribe and asks if sees anyone they would earmark for the Wildcard round. Simon says no one, none of them performed to their potential and the future performances must be better or "there will be fireworks!"

Jeez!

Now, it's time to announce the first member of the heralded Top Ten. It's Charles Grigsby! Are you kidding? Charles actually dips! I thought he was going down! He says he can't believe it. No shuh! I can't either. Nothing, absolutely nothing, against Charles, but I don't think he shined! Who said Nikki McKibbin?

Charles sings "Overjoyed" again (and he must be) and is even less convincing than last night. Sorry, Charles fans, I'm not feeling it.

That leaves Kimberly and Julia. Ryan asks the judges who they think got the most votes. All three say Kimberly.

(I had a niggling feeling about this. That whole session in the group audition made Kimberly seem like a, well, bitch. America won't vote for someone they don't like. If Kimberly does not advance, it could because of editing. Let's be real. They way the whole meow-mix went down made Kimberly seem like the protagonist and Julia the ingénue, which may not be the whole story. Not fair to Kimberly. Frankly, they are the two I wanted to advance, so I'm just sick. For more on this, check out David's coverage of the Julia-Kimberly "rivalry" at Foxes On Idol.)

Ryan announces the apparent top vote getter. It's Julia! She's shocked! I'm not! The editing may have benefited her, but she is definitely deserving of the spot. She sings "Son of A Preacher Man" again. In the midst, we see Kimberly, who hugged, squeezed hands, patted knees, of the rejected semifinalists before she left the couch, actually shed a few tears. She has to wonder what she has to do to get to the next level. Popstars 2 and now this. I grieve for her.

Ryan reminds Kimberly that there is the Wildcard Round possibly, Kimberly is a trooper and says, "Sure! This is not the end, it's the beginning!" Nice face, I wonder what she thinks in her heart of hearts. She sings "Come To My Window" and is joined by the other seven.

So, there it is. Charles Grigsby and Julia DeMato move on. I am 0-2. I am simply amazed. Kimberly, considering she had all the judges behind her, seems like a sure bet for the Wildcard Round!

Next Tuesday, we will have performances from the second group of eight: Candace Coleman, Jacob John Smalley, Jennifer Fuentes, Hadas, Clay Aiken, Kimberley Locke, Rebecca Bond, and Ruben Studdard.

In this group, my Picks to Click were Jacob John, Clay, Kimberley, and Ruben. This will be an excellent week!

Sting7 can be reached at stingseven@yahoo.com.

Be sure to sign up for our e-mail update so you can stay informed about new articles on the site! And take a look at the rest of the site. You can find all of our recent AI2 articles at the American Idol 2 page -- and don't forget to check out The Foxes On Idol Website for more great coverage!

For more news about reality TV, be sure to check out RealityTVFans.com and SirLinksALot!