"American Idol": Episode 39 of Season Nine: The Results

Television

"American Idol": Episode 39 of Season Nine: The Results

And Then There Were Three

By our guest blogger, Catherine Fuentes

For all the early questions that I raised about this season’s Top 12 (still miss you, Lilly Scott), and for all the criticism I flung at disappointing finalists (looking at you, Andrew Garcia), I am shocked to love the Top 3 as much as I do.

In fact, when I look at the complete Top 12 lineup, I honestly can’t come up with a Top 3 that I’d want any more than this one. My Top 3 are actually doing it: Casey James, Lee DeWyze and Crystal Bowersox are this season’s Top 3 Finalists.

Of course, my tremendous love for the Top 3 was settled within the first 10 minutes of the results show, when Casey James was the first Idol contestant to be given the good news. Despite personally discovering that “vote as many times as you want” might have actually have an upper limit, I was shocked for him to be the first.

Lee was the next contestant to be given the good news, which, for a rare change of pace, is “You’re going home” as opposed to “you’re sticking around another week.” In a moment of such high pressure, I wonder if being told “You’re going back to Chicago!” can make a contestant think the worst? Ryan does have really poor timing this season, after all.

Yes – one of the perks of being in the Top 3 is your triumphant homecoming in front of the "American Idol" cameras. Aside from giving a nod to "American Idol" sponsor AT&T (thanks for your text-in voting) and making the requisite media tour, the contestants typically have a huge homecoming performance. In the clips from past "Idol" homecomings, grown men were brought to tears, so next week is promising to be a really great episode.

Having Big Mike and "Idol" front-runner Crystal Bowersox as the remaining two tonight was totally anticlimactic, and maybe that was the point. I think everyone watching knew, Big Mike included, that Mike was going home. Sure, there was that little bit of doubt when I realized just how ridiculous this season has been, that maybe Crystal was eliminated, but that thought lasted only a minute. There was no way the best contestant standing could be going home tonight, and she didn’t.

My pick for the finals: Crystal and Casey. That may not be the most popular choice, but here’s why I think it’ll happen: All three of them are excited to see their friends and family, play music with their former bands, and Casey just wants to get back to where they say y’all. But I think these trips will be best for Casey and Crystal because out of the three, they’re the ones who most know where they’re coming from, who they are, and what they want to achieve musically. They know their musical identity and I think in a clutch situation, both will be able to hone in on that. As incredibly talented as Lee is – perhaps the most talented male of this season, shockingly enough – I don’t think he’s as sure, and considering how tough this next round will be, I think it just might come down to that.