American Idol Recap - The Season Finale - The Final Two Perform
Overture, curtain, lights
This is it, the night o' nights
No more rehearsing and nursing our parts
We know every part by heart
Overture, curtain, lights
This is it, to hit the heights
And, O what heights we'll hit
On with the show, this is it
Tonight what heights we'll hit
On with the show, this is it.
Seacrest in from the Kodak Theatre. Two people. One Idol. It's the finale. Boy vs. Girl (in the world series of love?).
Tonight's theme is "songs from Bugs Bunny". Just kidding! But wouldn't that be awesome? I'd totally vote for whoever sang "Hillbilly Hare" ("Kill the Wabbit" is played out, wouldn't you agree?). Nope, instead the contestants will sing two new songs (their potential singles?) and reprise one of their favorites from the season.
If they're going to do a coin toss, shouldn't they bring in Fantasia or something to sing the National Anthem? I mean, come on, we all know that all the Star Spangled Banner is missing is 10 "yeah yeah yeahs" at the end of every verse. In any case, after Ryan initially flips the coin down a drain, Carrie wins and chooses to receive, err...go second.
Bo kicks off with "The Long, Long Road". This must be one of the doomed Idol's singles and I don't want to hear it again. It's a long, long, long, loooong road. And a boring one too. I can't tell if it's winding. Bo is having a hard time being heard above the din of the (on stage!) backup singers. I think this performance is really highlighting the fact that Bo is not an amazing vocalist. Don't get me wrong, I like him, but pure singing isn't his strength, his passion is.
Randy: Bad news is he hates the song. Good news is he already has his fanbase.
Paula: It's hard to sing a song nobody knows. But everyone "vibes" with him, so it's okay.
Simon: "You look like my chemistry teacher and it was a very dreary song. You have to do better."
Kris: Huh? Did Bo sing? I think I just fell asleep.
Bo graciously accepts the criticism, but gives the song faint praise. Bo's a right-thinking man.
Carrie sings "Inside Your Heaven". This song is slightly better than what Bo had to sing, but it's still schlocky as all hell. And ouch, Carrie is just not hitting the notes at all and she looks like she's trying to swallow the microphone. Carrie, to her credit, recovers towards the end and at least finishes the song well.
Randy: Wow (as in, "wow, that's bad"?). Bad news: the song sucks. Good news: the ending was good.
Paula: You sang the beautifully, but had bad notes. But, who cares about silly things like notes.
Simon: Much better than the first song. Round one Carrie.
Kris: The ending saved her.
Round One: Carrie, but just by a smidgen.
Bo is back and singing his favorite song of the season: "Vehicle". This is the Bo we know and love. Damn, Bo is pulling out all the stops and even swiveling his hips a little bit. That might be too much for Miss Paula to handle.
Randy: Great song. Just what Randy wanted, he almost pulled a "dawg" out of him.
Paula: The Bo we know and love. What? Paula is copying me now? Bitch.
Simon: Welcome back to the competition.
Kris: They hyped Bo as the rocker and that's what I want to see. I don't want to ever have to see schlocky ballad Bo. If that's what is going to happen to him, all I can say is "Go Carrie Go!"
The Idol rejects are in the House! Even Punkass. Blech. Anyway, Carrie is up again singing Martina McBride's "Independence Day". Just as with Bo, this is the Carrie we know, love and want to see more of. It's funny that the contestants have a far better idea of what their fans want than whatever idiot is writing and choosing tonight's original tunes.
Randy: Welcome back Carrie. This is the Carrie I love.
Paula: Ditto. Yeah, that's literally what she said.
Simon: Not a great vocal. He wanted her to sing "Crying" from last week again.
Kris: Simon's a moron. She did that song last week twice. We don't need to hear it again. She was smart to sing country, that's her base.
Round Two: Bo, but again it's very close. It's all going to come down (at least in my mind) to the final song from each contestant.
Oh crap, now Bo is singing "Inside Your Heaven". Bo's take on it is a little more stripped down and soulful. Poor Bo, this isn't the type of song he should have to sing. This would have been perfect for Federov. But, idiot producers, we voted Federov off. Bo is doing his manly best to wail at the end of the song, but actually, Carrie outwailed him on it. I'm not sure if that's good or bad.
Randy: You made me love the song. Amazing! Yeah, loving that song is amazing.
Paula: I fell in love with the song.
Simon: I saw your nerves, but you outsang Carrie. It's been a pleasuring having him on Idol.
Kris: I still hate the song.
Carrie sings a different song, "Angels Brought Me Here". Sometimes you can tell a song will be awful just by its name. This is one of those times. Like Bo, Carrie is trying her heart out trying to give this song a flavor besides vanilla. She's got a bit of a country twang in her voice, but, unfortunately, the backup singers are not playing along. However, she leaves them in the dust with some beautiful glory notes near the end, but then her voices breaks at the very end of the song. I don't know if that's a mistake or just her emotions coming through. I'll give her the benefit of the doubt.
Randy: She gets the Dawg standing O
Paula: I think Paula just gave her a lifetime achievement award. WTF?
Simon: You've done enough to win.
Kris: Carrie's always on the cusp of doing something great, but she never quite gets there.
Round Three: I'm going to go with Carrie because she did a better job of tailoring the song to her own style.
So, I guess that means I'd give the win to Carrie. I'm not sure I really mean that, but I think Carrie would make a better Idol and Bo should get together with a band and have a hell of time touring and making the records he wants to make.
Last week, you guys were right about Vonzell going, so who's your pick this week?
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Posted by kris at May 24, 2005 06:56 PM
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Comments
| # May 24th, 2005 9:18 PM james |
| i dunno if the season finale was disappointing or if i was just disappointed b/c i've lost interest.
bo was much better than carrie. he's my pick. |
| # May 25th, 2005 6:27 AM JohnTant |
| I've been in AI-fatigue over the past couple weeks as well.
I'm not thrilled about the single (either of them) they'll make Bo sing if he wins. They are too syrupy and cliche. To echo Kris...Bo is there for a reason, and it isn't to sing Mandy Moore songs. Of course, if Carrie wins then the single(s) fit her perfectly. |
| # May 25th, 2005 8:01 AM rockydog |
| I'd have to give the nod to Carrie. Just simply for the fact that whoever picked the songs did so for Carrie, not for Bo. He looked uncomfortable and I thought that the staging with the gospel choir singers was overwhelming. He doesn't need all that "back-up"...he is great just on his own...remember his acapella??
Either one is fine with me and I think both will have a great career...I'd buy both individual albums!!! :-) |
| # May 25th, 2005 10:23 AM jagorham |
| I'll echo all of the above. I've had a little bit of AI burnout (and blew the rest out in the first half hour of that stupid "bad auditions" show last week). I guess once we saw the last of the "contestants we love to hate" go home, it started to lose interest - that and trying to make what should be a half-hour show last for an hour.
(And I {know} it's sweeps month - but two hours of this tonight? At least Trump had the sense to veto a three-hour finale for The Apprentice!) Personally, I'm rooting for Harold, 'cause he's an Alabama boy. But I'm afraid of what's been said above - they're going to try to force-fit him into what the producers want to sell, and that isn't Bo's style. |
| # May 25th, 2005 2:07 PM OlderIdolFan |
| Frankly, I don't really care for either of them and I almost certainly wouldn't buy a CD that either puts out.
I thought Carrie pushed her limits way too much in the 2nd and 3rd songs and her voice just gave out in the end from all the strain. I found her singing much more unpleasant than usual and have to give the nod to Bo who at least stayed within his capabilities. So what was Simon meaning when he indicated Carrie had won the evening? Why he trying to get the Bo people to vote? Anyhow, give it to Bo. greg |
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