'American Idol' Recap: A Dramatic Weeding

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And on that note, let's end the speculation about next week's showdowns and take a few minutes to reminisce about tonight's Mansion of Sing-Offs — now with 50 percent more shrubbery, and no Elevator of Doom!

Personally, I didn't mind the sing-off concept, but I think it would've played more dramatically had both singers been forced to stand side-by-side and belt, and if the judges had been forced to vote for their pick right in front of the contestants (and we'd seen how they decided). I realize that might sound a little sadistic, especially in the case of two sweet kids like Cody Sheldon and Alex Wagner-Trugman (how sweet was it seeing them prop each other up as they returned to the holding room?), but it wouldn't be any more cruel than privately railing against Kristen McNamara's physical attributes, then playing them back for 25 million viewers.

Kristen's triumph over Jenn Korbee (apparently the star of something called a HI-5) was one of the few moments in the history of, well, ever, that Paula and Kara made considerably more sense than Simon. To be fair, Jenn's rendition of ''Not Ready to Make Nice'' was perfectly serviceable, though not the least bit inventive. Kristen, meanwhile, took the hard-used ''I Will Always Love You'' and changed it up in an interesting and pretty way. True, her three-tone hair, denim mini, blue top, black sweatshirt, and aqua and brown boots proved to be a cacophonous combo, but one of the great things about Idol has always been the fact that America is considerably less shallow than your average record exec. So sorry, Simon, the ''very attractive blonde girl'' will have to go back to her job on a children's TV show, while the other attractive blonde (who just needs a little TLC from the show's styling team) can rest easy that her fate is in our hands, not yours.

And one more point of disagreement I had with Simon tonight: Jesse Langseth's choice of Nikka Costa's ''Like a Feather'' for her sing-off with Frankie Jordan? Totally awesome. No offense Mr. Cowell, but sometimes it's nice to see a contestant break it down on something a little more bluesy and contemporary than, say, ''Unchained Melody.'' What's more, after watching Jesse's scorchin' audition take on ''The First Cut Is the Deepest,'' I'm thinking she's looking like a serious contender, not someone with no chance to win, as the cranky Brit declared. Then again, Simon's entire demeanor was foul during the Jesse-Frankie sing-off. I'm not sure if the dude had just read a bad review of a Leona Lewis record or what, but I couldn't understand his cruelty to Frankie after her ouster, declaring, ''Frankie, if it's any consolation, you wouldn't have won anyway.'' Yikes!

Then again, maybe Simon was grouchy that NORMAN FREAKIN GENTLE advanced to the season 8 semifinals (apparently on the wings of Paula's faerie friends, Kara's keen eye for talent, and the puddle of drool on Randy's shirt), while poor Jamar Rogers was reduced to B-reel for his buddy Danny's ''Idol Journey Package,'' despite what all previous footage had led us to believe was a strong (if not particularly subtle) run during Hell Week. As Norman declared that his advance to Idol's top 36 was unbelievable — especially considering he's essentially been auditioning for America's Got Talent — Simon managed to sum up everything I was feeling in three simple words: ''Yes it is.''

On that note, what did you think of tonight's two-hour telecast? How do you feel about the post-show news that Joanna Pacitti won't get to play the role of America's ''semi-pro'' punching bag, now that she's been booted from the show and replaced by Felicia Barton? Were you at all moved by that interview with Nathaniel Marshall's grandmother? Why do you think the show's producers are so dead-set against us hearing any singing from the incredibly gorgeous Jeanine Vailes? Were there any other moments (either mentioned here or not) that either thrilled or disgusted you? And finally, how do you think the season 8 semifinalists stack up against last year's? Holla back in the comments section, and if you have a thought you'd like to share on the next Idolatry, send it in an email (along with a daytime phone number) to idolatry@ew.com.