And now I’m ready to ease up on this season.

Last night we got one of those vintage ‘Idol’ nights that remind us why this show became so popular in the first place. Solid performances of some of our favorite songs by kids that actually have a ton of talent.

Sure there were a few clunkers, but these were sandwiched in between the kind of transcendent performances that finally give ‘Idol’ fans the ability to scoff at people who scoff at them when they say the watch ‘Idol’. Because those who turn their nose up missed the opportunity to see Pia, Jacob, Stefano and others absolutely slay some ...

After last night, it’s official: I miss Simon.

This week the Idols were tasked with picking their own personal Idols and singing some of their best songs. A nice theme without any restrictions that should have allowed the contestants to pick perfect songs and absolutely sing the hell out of them.

Instead, the night was incredibly uneven. Performances varied from pretty good, to mediocre to just downright desecrations of the songs for which the contestants were supposed to have extreme respect. Nobody really stood out on this easy theme night to the point that I wondered how they even got ...

Last night’s “Idol” was a tale of two shows: One incredibly boring, and one that made for some of the show’s best television so far this season.

The first half can be summed up in 24 words: Casey Abrams, Haley Reinhart, Jacob Lusk, James Durbin, Karen Rodriguez, Lauren Alaina, Paul McDonald, Pia Toscano, Scotty McCreery and Thia Megia made the finals.

Yep, that’s it. All we got for more than an hour was Ryan reading those names (eight of which I got right). And there really wasn’t much drama because anybody who went down didn’t really go down, as we still had the wild card round to get to...

I’m supposed to be objective, but I can’t help it. Every year, I have an ‘Idol’ favorite. I don’t know how it happens, but once I see the contestant, I’m usually all in. Sometimes it’s about their raw talent, other times it’s just a certain aura they project. I never know how it happens, but it always does.

It also seems that every year my favorites suffer worse and worse fates. The first season, my favorite was Kelly Clarkson, and she won the damn thing. Last year, my favorite was Lilly Scott and she didn’t make it to the top 10 despite being the most talented contestant by a long shot. I...