Oooh! A twist!
The producers for the first time ever gave the singers two options: keep everyone this week and do a double elimination next week. Or just get rid of someone now. For it to work, they needed a unanimous decision. The vote would be anonymous.
The "we're one big happy family" vibe implied they might all go for the "let's delay the results til next week" choice.
But instead, two (anonymous) contestants decided to have the lowest vote getter go immediately.
This led to Sam Woolf departing "Idol" -- again. (He was saved there weeks ago). I think he did earn his save, improving noticeably the past three weeks. He certainly is not a great performer yet but he has potential.
I predicted Alex would be a surprise departure. I was wrong. I did predict Sam in the bottom two but that drops my track record to 7 out of 10 this season.
Sam early on was considered a favorite to win by a lot of us. I placed him at No. 1 when we were in the top 13. But quickly, it became apparent he was too green for the live shows. While he has a lovely voice, he had trouble connecting with the songs he sang and with the audience. He looked uncomfortable and he lacked dynamics in his singing. He'd tend to hit one level and stay there - a problem he was never able to shake, even as he loosened up on stage.
Still, he's a nice kid. I'm not sure if he has a career ahead of him but he didn't embarrass himself.
We are now wondering: who voted no? Caleb Johnson probably did. He wants to win. He needs to get rid of folks one by one. I bet Jena Irene did, too. She seems to be sending off that arrogant it's-all-about-me vibe. Sam I'm certain voted yes because he knew he was in trouble. Ditto with Jessica Meuse. I bet Alex Preston voted no. He just seems like a good guy that way.
I wonder how Sam's departure will impact voting for the final four. Will Jena or Alex draw some of his support?
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