Idol: Down To Five

Tonight we say goodbye to another Idol contestant, and it’s probably more competitive now than ever. As we look at the montage from last night the following words come up on screen: “one of them will become a legend…and one of them will go home.” Wow. I’ll have to check with the legendary Taylor Hicks on how accurate that statement is.  If he's not home, I'll call Lee DeWyze.

The judges take their seats, and now that Randy is proudly displaying his “Yo Yo Yo” necklace, we can begin.

We kick off the night with a performance from The Queen Extravaganza, a band hand-picked by original Queen members Roger Taylor and Brian May. I’m way happier watching this than having to sit through another Top Six group medley. They do an awesome job singing “Somebody to Love.” One of the guitarists even does a back flip (it’s the little things that matter most). And then Roger and Brian join them on stage! They are rocking out, and I LOVE it.

Results! Jessica and Elise are up first. Jessica’s dad is in the audience tonight, so it would be a heck of a night for Jessica to be sent home. Elise looks prepared to head over to the bottom 3 stools (I wonder if she calls dibs on what stool she wants right before the show begins), and sure enough that’s where she’s going. Jessica is safe.

Back from commercial and Ryan is talking with one of the contestants on Survivor. Oh wait – that’s actually last season’s Casey James. He’s just auditioning for Castaway 2: Wilson’s Return. This was somehow supposed to be a great segue for Stefano’s performance. He sings his new single “I’m on a Roll,” and it appears as though Stefano is his own boy band. The song is slightly repetitive, but at least I know that he is on a roll and that he’s going to live like it’s the best night of his life. Confetti falls on Stefano at the end of the song…but…um…he didn’t win this competition so this is a little awkward for me.

Results! Hollie and Joshua take center stage, and I wait for the judges to give Joshua a standing ovation. Look! There he is! And he’s in the vicinity of a microphone! No? No standing? No matter – we all knew he was safe anyway, and Hollie heads over to sit with Elise.

Back from commercial and Katy Perry sings “Part of Me”…in a war zone? How does Jessica’s dad feel about this? Sorry Stefano – I’m about 15 seconds from forgetting your performance all together. Katy never disappoints, and I am greatly entertained by this spectacle.

Results! Phillip and Skylar await their fates, and I’m nervous for both of them. So is Randy. Remember, he hopes no one goes home tonight. Phillip is safe, and Skylar is in the bottom three.  Not for long though – she is ultimately safe, and we are down to Elise and Hollie.

After the commercial break Elise squeezes Hollie in support (in terror?) of what may come next. Oh Elise, goodbye is on the tip of my tongue. I just don’t think she will make it through another week in the bottom, and she does not. There are many “boos” from the audience, and as her journey plays on the screen, the judges stand and clap. Better late than never?

We are one step closer to the finale, with Phillip, Skylar, Hollie, Jessica and Joshua still around to duke it out. We’ll see which one of them is on the brink of becoming a “legend” next week. Until then!