GONE TOO SOON: EMILY PIRIZ--AMERICAN IDOL RESULTS RECAP

GONE TOO SOON: EMILY PIRIZ—AMERICAN IDOL RESULTS

No Frontrunner, Attractive Teen At Least Brought Energy

Turns out not even the United States Marines could save a contestant on this increasingly-subpar season of American Idol. Almost a full day after a video tribute from her deployed beau brought tears to her eyes before her Top 12 performance even started, 18-year-old Emily Piriz was eliminated in a twist that wasn’t shocking, but still registered as unexpected.

With American Idol still reeling from a throughly bland performance night that qualified as one of the worst episodes in the show’s 13-year history, a great amount of Thursday night’s hour-long results show was put into damage control. First, a video was shown of the contestants at a post-performance dinner, talking over their feedback from the judges and encouraging one another on making it even this far. Then former judge Randy Jackson dismissed current judge Harry Connick Jr.’s tendency for brutally-honest, hard-hitting feedback. Harry—who’s probably Idol’s most important judge since Simon Cowell and easily the most interesting person on the show this year—then immediately went into a mini-rant about how he wants to see the contestants succeed, but he isn’t around to braid anyone's hair: “I was hired as a judge; I have a very short amount of time to be very specific with the information that I think can help you grow. I don't need to belabor the different ways in which you're all talented. [So I’m thinking] what can I tell you in response to your performances that can help you grow?”

In the wake of Harry’s perfectly legitimate explanation (which shouldn’t have needed explaining anyway—the judges this year have actually been very helpful and given practical tips to almost every contestant), host Ryan Seacrest introduced a special video in which one of Louisiana-native-Harry’s favorite people—New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees—playfully called Harry out, saying he needed to take it easy and cheer up. Connick was delighted with the tribute.

After a bit more dialogue between Seacrest, Harry, and Harry’s fellow judges, Keith Urban and Jennifer Lopez, Idol reminded everyone that this show really does produce talented superstars, by trotting out Season 11 winner Phillip Phillips, who has either the best or most awkward name in the history of reality TV stars. Phillips blew the doors off the arena with a fantastic performance of his new single “Raging Fire”.  True, Phillips makes weirder expressions than even this season's resident weird-o, Alex Preston, but he still showed this season’s slightly woebegone group how it’s done, singing with palpable energy and undeniable passion. Phillips rocked hard, and he was followed (one commercial break later) by Brit soft-rock band Kodaline, a pseudo-Coldplay group discovered by Randy Jackson. With a steady, acoustic sound and lots of falsetto, Kodaline was pretty great, too.

And, finally, there were the results. Raspy-voiced Jena Irene got to sit on one of the Bottom Three Stools of Potential Doom with Emily, as did low-wattage crooner MK Nobilette, who was in the Bottom Three for the second week in a row. Emily was far more a surprise in the Bottom Three than either of the others. Jena was decent, but she opened last night’s long, slow, unimpressive lineup with a performance that wasn’t her best. And MK, not learning from last week’s Bottom Three appearance, again went with a headliner number that was beyond her abilities. Emily, meanwhile, had the audacity to perform a Jennifer Lopez showstopper, “Let’s Get Loud”, and, though both Harry and Keith thought the performance was a little “all over the place”, JLO herself loved it and called it a pleasure to watch. With JLO’s vote, relative safety since the whole “Ooh La La” mini-controversy, and her boyfriend’s shout-out video, Emily definitely seemed destined to move ahead. But when Jena was sent back to safety and Ryan cryptically asked MK what she would do differently if she got the chance to perform on the show again, the writing was quite clearly on the wall.

It’s a shame. Emily was nowhere near one of this show’s frontrunners (none of the women this year, with the possible exception of Majesty Rose, seem like viable contenders for the Idol title), but she had, at least, brought energy and color to her performances, from “Ooh La La” and her “Glitter in the Air” Pink cover to “Let’s Get Loud”. I had actually just started to think of her as one of the more interesting, watchable girl contestants.

I’ve got to believe next week is MK’s last chance, after two consecutive stints in the Bottom Three (and she was just saved by Emily’s lower vote total). She looked fully resigned to her fate as she stood with the more emotional Jena and Emily in the Bottom Three, ready to be cast out, and has been repeatedly called out by Harry for not even seeming like she wants to be on the show. Two short weeks ago, her John Legend rendition was the best thing to come out of a hideous Top 10 Girls night, but her laid-back crooner range does not translate to big numbers. Expect a return to that form in next week’s intriguing advertised theme “Songs From the Cinema”.

Yeah, I’m legitimately surprised. One prognosticator I read today predicted Emily would be eliminated unless her USMC shout-out saved her neck, but it didn’t. I really wasn’t expecting her to go so soon.

**And by the way, though I can tell the judges were surprised to see Emily on the chopping block, I knew there was no way they would use their save this early in the season. Sorry. Judging by her expressions, Emily was truly crushed, but alas.**

And now, after a disappointing week in which every contestant struggled to stand out, here are my Power Rankings:

1. Caleb Johnson—I have a hard time picturing Caleb winning this season, but he has this season’s best voice and best knack for performing, which is going a long way right now. The judges will get less and less enthused by each shouty rock number from here on, though; let’s see him try something slower.
2. Majesty Rose—This week’s half-good/half-bad performance was a misstep, but Majesty is so cute and so obviously talented, she should recover easily.
3. Dexter Roberts—Is he a real Southern superstar or just another Country Joe? Dexter hasn’t proven to have any X factor dozens of today’s country stars don’t already have, but his solid, mellow performance this week reinforced his natural twang and strong voice, and his voters have come through in spades so far.
4. Sam Woolf—All Sam needs to do is show up; he doesn’t even need to open his mouth…No, he does, and he needs to perform with much more energy, but this seventeen-year-old tween girl pinup is going to ride his squealing fan base a long way.
5. Alex Preston—At least he screwed up a song people knew, right? Alex’s awkwardness took him and his performance over this week, but he’s clearly not sorry about doing it his way, and he still hasn’t sniffed the Bottom Three.
6. Ben Briley—Ben’s quirky, he over-sings, and his favorite food is deviled eggs (!!), but he has consistently proven to be one of this show’s more watchable contestants.
7. Jessica Meuse—She took a drubbing from the judges this week, but after getting solid support three weeks in a row, singing three very different kinds of songs, she’s at least someone we can take sorta seriously as a “contender”.
8. CJ Harris—CJ’s not particularly original or energetic, but he’s got a good voice and he’s super likeable, and one senses he could give us a breakout performance one of these days.
9. Malaya Watson—Shew! The Adorkable Girl bought herself a much-needed mulligan this week. Her youth is showing itself more and more, but she does have the pipes to be consistently memorable.
10. Jena Irene—Her Bottom Three appearance wasn’t a surprise. Jena’s got a good voice, and her going first this week was a bit of bad luck, but this Wild Card contender will have to keep Bringing It if she wants to stick around.
11. MK Nobillete—How much longer, MK? She admits she’s always had trouble “connecting”, and Harry questioned her competitive desire on this show with reason. She’s likeable and she has a very pleasant tone of voice, but, even if your ignore her Bottom Three appearances the past two weeks, I think she’s out of her depth on this show.