As expected from American Idol this year, there was nothing to look forward to. I can remember last season, when I was really glued to the screen, waiting for particular people to sing particular songs. This year, I multi-tasked away without even glancing at the television. Sure, I listened, but no one captivated me. But upon a second watch, there were some solid stand outs.

R&B week didn't give us really huge surprises, but the direction of the Top 10 is pretty easy to see. A handful are improving and taking risks, albeit bit by bit. A handful is steady. And the rest are desperately treading water and trying to stay afloat.

My picks for last night's best and worst, then, go towards that direction: cheering on those who take a little risk, and jeering on those who aren't. And yes, considering everything I wrote last week, this is going to get a little (or very, if you're me) disappointing at the end.

Honorable Mentions: Casey James and Crystal Bowersox


Casey didn't really do anything different with his performance of Sam and Dave's "Hold On I'm Coming". At first glance it's a little similar to what he did last week, only with his hair tied back. But despite it sounding "generic", you can see he's starting to break out of that shell, hinting at both his vocal range and his rock-out abilities. Give him a week or two, and he'll be giving us this season's much-needed wow moments.


On the other hand, Crystal's making a name for herself as this season's Old Reliable: someone who won't change her style much, yet gives us satisfying performances week after week. This week, she tweaked the formula a bit, ditching the guitar and going for the piano, before finally belting it all out. Sure, it wasn't perfect, but kudos for making me sit up and take notice.

Best of The Night: Lee Dewyze's "Treat Her Like A Lady"


Lee is still on the process of breaking out of his shell, but after last night's performance, I was thinking, "man, where did that come from?" Gone was the contestant who's scared of his growl. In his place was a performer who knows what he's capable of and is proud to show it off.

Sure, he was still a little stiff. I wanted to see him use the stage a bit more, because there's no better way of involving the audience than showing off lots of energy. (Not in a desperate Tim Urban way, though.) But, like Casey, I'd give him a couple of weeks and we'd see him really rocking out, really feeling the song, making us feel part of it. Simon wasn't kidding when he said this moment could change Lee's life. It absolutely did.

Just, you know, Lee, do not disappoint us. Do not follow the footsteps of this week's worst performance...

Worst of the Night: Siobhan Magnus' "Through The Fire"


As a huge Siobhan fan, this is really hard to say, but she was the worst this week.

To her credit, though, she didn't scream. I do not understand what Simon was talking about when he said he got tired of the screaming. Sure, there was a big note she had to belt out, but unlike last week's all over the place screech, last night's glory note was totally controlled. Unfortunately you can't say the same for the whole performance. It was a shaky vocal throughout: a lot of off-notes and screeches where you don't expect them. Try listening to it again, but turn the volume down. You'll still spot the misses.

Sure, there's a huge chance she'll be safe after her first stumble, but this is not doing her any favors at all. She's losing her frontrunner status (especially with Crystal still doing consistently great) and, more critically, we're seeing her biggest weak spot: her pitch. Her pipes are amazing, sure, but when she's off, she's really off ("Paint it Black" anyone?) and it really gets in the way.

So yes, as a big fan, it hurts admitting that, and it scares me to think that in a week where it seems anything can go, her stumble tonight could mean goodbye.

(Image courtesy of Fox)