American Idol Season 8Top 5 Results

Bottom 3:
Matt Giraud
Kris Allen
Adam Lambert

Kris is safe!

Eliminated: Matt Giraud

We're down to the Top 5, and aside from Alexis Grace being the first finalist eliminated, we've had no shocks. So it's time to get America scared. And how do the producers do that? By making everyone think that Adam is actually in jeopardy of leaving. C'mon, ratings are down. Do you really think the producers are going to let their lightning in a bottle escape before the finale? No way! But they want to make sure you're not too bored to tune in for the next three weeks, thinking you already know who has won.

Ryan Seacrest tells us there were 47 million votes this week, the most they've had all season. He introduces the Ford commercial which features the Ford Fusion and is set to "Energy" by The Apples in Stereo. In actuality, the video has the least energy of any all season. It really looked like a commercial -- any commercial. Boring!

Watch video of Ford commercial set to "Energy"

Next was the Group Number. It was a medley of "It Don't Mean a Thing" (or, as Ryan called it, "I Don't Mean a Thing," which, perhaps, was what Matt was singing) and "I Got Rhythm." There wasn't much in the way of choreography, but the Top 5 sounded pretty good together.

Watch video of the Group Number, "It Don't Mean a Thing/I Got Rhythm"

Yet more video filler, which will push the show over by 6 minutes. It features the Top 5 making cakes for Danny Gokey and Allison Iraheta, who both celebrated their birthdays during the past week. Their gift from the producers voters this week will be that they are declared safe and not in the Bottom 3. Of course, a food fight erupts in the mansion, no doubt encouraged by the film crew. (Is it just us? We hate it when reality shows feature destruction in the mansions they rent. Why is frat house behavior considered acceptable behavior?) Ryan asks who started the food fight and all hands point toward Danny. Ryan hands Danny an envelope which, he says, contains "a gift for you, from all of us here." It is a $6,000 bill from the company that cleaned up the mansion after the food fight. Danny asks Ryan, "You mean 'American Idol' doesn't pay for this?" Ryan says, "Maybe we'll take care of it ... if you win." Is this a clue of what's to come?

Watch video of Idol mansion food fight

Speaking about Tuesday night's show, Simon Cowell says that when he watched it back he decided everybody was good and that it was the best show yet. Later, when the Bottom 3 is revealed, he will be chided by Ryan on how wrong his critiques were on Matt and Adam -- he loved both, whereas Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi had some issues with their performances.

It's time to get down to the results. We're playing the Top 7 game, but with five contestants. Ryan asks Matt to step to stage left, then Danny to stage right. Allison goes right, Kris left. Ryan asks Adam to pick which group he thinks he belongs in. Adam says, "I love everybody. Why'd you do that to me?" then "Based on last night?" Ryan says, "Sure." Adam turns right, and pointing to Allison and Danny, says, "Probably that group." Ryan sends Adam over to them, then joins him and says, "Adam, Allison and Danny, not your Bottom 3." Taking Adam by the arm, Ryan leads him over to Matt and Kris and says, "This is your Bottom 3." Shock! Dismay! Producers' fix! Actually, for our money, we think Matt, Kris and Adam deserved to be the Bottom 3. Allison and Danny look stunned as they are declared safe.Ryan asks the judges for their reactions. Paula says it's crazy, but someone has to go. Simon says it's not crazy, America has decided who they like and let's not take anything away from Allison and Danny, Randy says no matter what happens all five are unbelievably talented. Ryan says, "Kara, when I said that Adam was in the Bottom 3, I saw your jaw drop," something Kara says she always does when Adam performs. Uh-huh. Kara: "Yeah, my mouth went open again. That's what happens with Adam." Randy "coughs." Kara: "Yeah, I know. (laughs) You know what I mean, Randy." Yeah, Kara, only too well.

Later, for dramatic effect, Ryan will release Kris back to safety first.

Watch video of Matt, Kris and Adam becoming theBottom 3 and Kris being released back to safety

Performances, we've got (too many) performances. First, to evoke the week's theme, Natalie Cole sings "Something's Gotta Give," from her 2008 CD "Still Unforgettable." Lean, long and fit in a gold tunic dress, she looks fantastic, but is (sorry) occasional pitchy. In spite of her enthusiasm, the band is better than she is. So it goes.






Watch video of Natalie Cole singing "Something's Gotta Give"

Next up is returning Season 5 champion Taylor Hicks, singing "7 Mile Breakdown," the second release from his new CD, "The Distance." As with Cole, Taylor is looking long, lean and fabulous. His hair is short (a good idea), but he is trying to sneak in those Taylor bangs again (not a good idea). Although we loved the first release off "The Distance," we're not crazy about this one. But he sounds good and throws in a little harmonica. We can only imagine how Simon must be cringing. When he finishes, he gets a standing O from the audience and judges, including Simon, who, we're sure, did it out of courtesy only. Taylor can't get over the standing O from the judges, especially Simon. Their lack of love for one another is epic. Ryan asks Taylor to give advice to the finalists, and as he does, the camera pans back to Simon. The look of disgust on his face is priceless.

Watch video of Taylor Hicks singing "7 Mile Breakdown"

Finally, in what seems to be a tit-for-tat arrangement for his agreeing to "mentor" at the last minute, Jamie Foxx gets to perform "Blame It," his current No. 1 hip-hop release from his latest CD. Simon also calls him "my best friend" as Ryan introduces him. Hmmm, now that's an interesting friendship.





Watch video of Jamie Foxx singing "Blame It"

It's time for the moment of, ahem, "truth." Matt or Adam, Adam or Matt? Seriously. OMG, it's Matt! Who would have guessed? Er, everybody. For one teeny, tiny second Adam does a real good job of trying to convince us he thinks it's him when Ryan says his name first. Heh, nice acting skills, Lambert. We watch Matt's journey video, he sings "My Funny Valentine" again. It starts out a thousand times better than Tuesday night and with great phrasing, then plunges into horrible pitchiness as he tries to riff. But Matt pulls it back in time for a killer ending. Then Ryan inexplicably and intentionally stretches the show an extra two minutes talking with the judges and discussing next week's theme and guest mentor. Running out of things to say, he even plugs the local news, all this when the program is already 5 minutes into OT. If that wasn't intentional, what is?

Watch video of Matt Giraud being eliminated

Next week, the theme is rock 'n' roll, with guest mentor Slash from Guns N’ Roses. On Wednesday, Daughtry performs a song from their new album. Gwen Stefani returns to the Idol stage with No Doubt to perform as well.

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