Lots of contenders to go tonight. Yikes. (And for once, am in agreement with you about David C. What was that mess?)

David Cook really came off like a tool with the writing on his hand. Also, does he get the award for song sounding most like bad Christian rock?

Man.

This wasn't the best ep of AI, but it was better than some eps earlier this season...

I’m marginally excited for Brooke White doing Carole King. I’m tremendously horrified by the hideous flowered monstrosity she’s wearing.

Brooke White – You’ve Got a Friend

Of all the Carole King songs she could’ve sung, this is my least favorite choice. She sounds lovely, however. I loved that. She really has the perfect voice for that song. I think it was one of her best performances, unlike Randy. It’s just that she’s not a pimp spot singer. I don’t know why they put her there. She’s never gonna bring down the house. Wow, the judges have really jumped off the Brooke love train. Wonder what happened?

So, I’m tremendously underwhelmed. These contestants continue to have not a teacup’s worth of star power among them.

Best of the night: Well, no one really. Syesha, Kristy Lee, Brooke, and Jason were at least vocally proficient. David A. had some problems early on but brought it home nicely.

Worst: Pretty much everyone sucked ass tonight. Michael, David C. and Carly really had some vocal challenges. But I’ll give the worst of the night to the producer who sat on Simon’s lap. Do you see what happens when you treat these kids like child laborers in Kathy Lee’s sweat shop? You wind up with this sucktastic show. Shame on you, Idol producers.

After the second Beatles night (which was utter crap) this was the worst night of the season.

BTW, I have a reasonable idea why David A. doesn't sing uptempo songs - check him out in group numbers. He cannot dance. If he sang an uptempo song, this fact would not be obscured. It would be a horror show.

That would be good, though. I'd love to see him spazz dancing and having fun and just being freakin' 17 for a change. He's like an old geezer trapped in a 17 year old's body. He has got to stop letting his stage father pick his songs for him.

Ok, so the opening number was made of even more awesome than I could've ever anticipated. Was that Blake and Nick and Travis on stage twirling and twirling and twirling? And Donnie throwing down with the African dance? With S1 Ashle? Even Lauren couldn't ruin it (although why with the constant mugging still? Why?) And there was Hawk and breakdancer Ashley! And Dmitri and Pasha on the same stage!!! (So scorching hot that I didn't even twig to who the girl was.) And Schwimmer siblings swing dancing! The SYTYCD kids were so awesome they even made the AI kids sing better. (Jason Castro shocked the hell out of me and Michael and Syesha have never sounded better).

Made. Of. Awesome.

OMG, you scared me, Kat, thinking that maybe SYTYCD started tonight! Whew!! (Wouldn't want it to overlap with ANTM, see...even though I think my favorites are all gone, already)

Sorry. Should've tagged it. But I was just waaaay too excited! And they will be back to dance again. May is too far away. Shoot.

The rest of Idol Gives Back is predictably treacly and forced, though. No one wants to see Billy Crystal and Miley Cyrus do forced banter.

OMG, you scared me, Kat, thinking that maybe SYTYCD started tonight! Whew!!

I thought the exact same thing!

Band From TV is kind of cute. They should introduce everyone! I saw Chase from House, and Greg Grunberg, and the guy from Desperate Housewives, but they didn't linger long enough on anyone else for me to figure out who they are.