The Final Four

I think I can sum up tonight's American Idol with one sentence. I came thisclose to ranking Anthony Federov #1! The Utopian Ukrainian brought it home tonight. (I just made that up. Obviously. You know, there aren't that many words that begin with the long U sound. Eunuch, maybe?) Anywho, before Paula Abdul defiles another contestant, let's get on with tonight's rankings:

1. Bo - Apparently, the judges don't like slow songs at all. I'll admit Bo seemed a little laid back on his first song, but hey, it's a laid back tune. He brought it home with "For The Love Of Money." Outstanding performance. I'm not crazy about Travis Tritt, but it's a good match for Bo's voice. He is clearly the most comfortable on the stage and performing, and I said this last week, but again it's like he's not in a competition, he's just out there performing.

2. Anthony - Federov nailed "I'm Already There." I was stunned. His second song was OK, too. I liked both song choices. Again, the judges seemed to not care for slow songs tonight. But this was Anthony's best week yet. His fate may depend on whether people vote on tonight only or overall performance over the duration of the competition.

3. Vonzell - I wonder what was going on with her. Paula pointed out that it had been a rough day for Vonzell. She got herself straightened out for the second song. I think it was one of her best performances. She really seemed to be at home doing that one. I didn't think she did badly on "How Do I Live," either. It wasn't great, but it wasn't terrible.

4. Carrie - OK, she definitely struggles to sing anything besides country. I hated her first song choice, so it was hard for me to judge that one. The judges seemed to like it. They lapped it up like sweet milk to 3 thirsting kittens. She did at least attempt to show some enthusiasm and personality on that one. I agree with the judges on her second song. It was, as Simon might say, horrendous. The worst performance of the night by far.

So, who will get cut this week? Well, I have no faith that Carrie will be voted off. She's never even been in the bottom group that I can remember. She appears to be the most popular contestant and have the largest fan base, regardless of performance. I think Bo is the only one of the three with even a slight hope of beating her. But, I've been wrong before. Vonzell or Anthony might be gone this week. They just don't seem to have the following that Carrie does.

"We're all looking for love and meaning in our lives. We follow the roads that lead us, to drugs or Jesus..."