It’s time to find out which three acts will compete in the finale of The X Factor season 3. Alex and Sierra, Restless Road, Jeff Gutt and Carlito Olivero gave it their all Wednesday night, but now one of them will be eliminated and three will move on for a chance to win the $1 million prize and a recording contract.
Will Simon Cowell have two groups move on to the end? Can Carlito Olivero somehow survive despite being the only remaining act who’s been in the bottom before? Will guest performer Enrique Iglesias make me swoon? The answer to at least one of those questions is “Yes.”
I predict Carlito will be eliminated, and quite frankly any other outcome would be a bit of a shock.
The Top 4
The show starts with a group sing of Kelly Clarkson’s “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You).” That’s a fitting song since it comes from the very first winner of the original singing competition, American Idol. Appropriately, Alex starts the song and Sierra finishes it.
The three acts who move on will each perform a new song tonight in their campaigns to win. Demi Lovato says that her money was on Ellona Santiago, so she’s done gambling and making predictions.
Mario Lopez lets us know One Direction will be back for the finale. I guess the show really needs to find a way to boost ratings in hopes of getting renewed for a fourth season, though I suspect Alex and Sierra’s iTunes domination in the past two weeks is helping.
Without a Final Showdown and only one elimination, this results show feels more like American Idol, with a ton of filler. After 20 minutes we still have nothing but a group performance and a very long recap of last night.
The Results, Part 1
Each of the three finalists will be announced and get to perform.
The first act in the finale is…we’ll find out, right after the break! That’s just cruel and such a douche move. Now, for real:
The first act in the finale is…Carlito Olivero!
Shocker! I was certain he’d be eliminated, but this is a stunning reversal of fortune. No matter what, we’re in for a surprising elimination now.
He goes right into a performance, which seems like a bad production choice since everything is so tense and adrenaline is pumping. He sings almost all of it in Spanish, showing that he knows what side his bread is buttered on. He’ll be riding that Hispanic vote as far as it can take him, which is apparently to the finale. I just hope he doesn’t win, because Paulina Rubio mentoring the season 3 winner would be a joke.
After the break, Simon Cowell and Kelly Rowland do their best to hide their disdain and disappointment that Carlito stole a spot in the finale. Actually, they don’t try that hard.
Enrique Iglesias
See, America, THIS is what a super sexy Latino singer looks and sounds like. Enrique’s awesomeness only highlights that Carlito isn’t in this same league. The intense, smoldering looks Enrique gives the camera are amazing. I’m fairly certain women can get pregnant simply by watching him.
The Results, Part 2
Mario emphasizes that these results are in no particular order.
The second act in the finale is…Alex and Sierra!
Whew. That’s really all that matters. I want them to win already. I also kind of want to see Alex propose on next week’s finale. My heart would die.
They sing “Let Her Go” by Passenger. It’s another beautiful performance that looks and sounds more like a professional guest performer on the results show than a contestant. I can’t imagine what they’ll do next week, but I have huge expectations and trust they can deliver.
The Results, Part 3
It’s down to Restless Road and Jeff Gutt. The country boys were my second pick to go home, proving that the universe really does revolve around me since, for the past three weeks, the act with my second favorite performance in my weekly rankings was eliminated. Restless Road would make four in a row.
The third act in the finale is…Jeff Gutt!
Restless Road is ELIMINATED!
Kelly is more excited than Jeff. Simon’s grand country boy band experiment is over, probably because he chose the wrong three guys to do it. It seems “Wanted” was too little too late. And now there are three different mentors going head-to-head-to-head in the finale.
He goes back to his old school catalog with Journey’s “Open Arms.” Who is his mentor, Mr. Schuester? It’s the predictably great stuff I’ve come to expect from him.
In one final moment of unintentional comedy, Mario ends the night telling viewers to stay tuned for “an all-new Glee.” Sorry, dude, but it’s NOT all-new. It’s a repeat of the Christmas episode from two years. Maybe whatever Paulina has is contagious.
Now we’re off to the finale, with Jeff Gutt vs. Alex and Sierra. I suppose Carlito Olivero will also be there, taking up space, but I refuse to believe that we live in a world where he could win The X Factor. I’m going to spend the next week preparing myself for the inevitably of the cool and amazing Alex and Sierra losing to sensitive single dad Jeff Gutt.
(Image courtesy of FOX)
Senior Writer, BuddyTV
John watches nearly every show on TV, but he specializes in sci-fi/fantasy like The Vampire Diaries, Supernatural and True Blood. However, he can also be found writing about everything from Survivor and Glee to One Tree Hill and Smallville.
