American Idol 4: The Final Showdown

I may watch TV regularly, but there are only three shows that I watch with a passion, and all of them coincidentally start with the letter “A.” American Idol is one of them, and I had just finished watching the final showdown between the two re­maining finalists, Bo Bice and Carrie Underwood. They really deserve to be there at the Kodak Theater: both have impressive vocals and a standout presence.

Ever since the latest season of American Idol entered its semi-final (or Top 24) phase, it’s quite obvious that both Bo and Carrie--her rendition of Tiffany’s “Could’ve Been” during this phase was very good--would go far in the competition. And they have. The last several weeks saw some fantastic, even memorable performances, and not just from the two. There’s Vonzell Solomon’s “I Have Nothing” and “I’ll Never Love This Way Again,” Constantine Maroulis’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” and even Nikko Smith’s “Incomplete.” As for Bo, I really like his rendition of “Time in a Bottle” and, more especially, “For the Love of Money”; and Carrie, her take on “Crying” and “Alone.” In fact, her “Alone” is so good, it’s my favorite vocal performance of the season.

And of course, there’s also the not-so-fantastic ones: Lindsey Cardinale’s “Knock on Wood”; Mikalah Gordon’s “Son of a Preacher Man” and “Love Will Lead You Back”; Anwar Robinson’s “I Believe I Can Fly” and anything by Scott Savol. And since I already started on Scott, I’m appalled that he lasted in the competition for as long as he did. Sure, he has a fine voice, but man, he should’ve been booted out much earlier. The guy has no charisma, no sense of performance at all. He’s perfect for cartoons.

As for the showdown, I felt it didn’t do justice to Bo and Carrie’s talent--and for the show’s fans. True, Ryan Seacrest provided early comic relief when he made a coin-toss snafu in a video clip, but that doesn’t truly count. I suspect the unfamiliar songs that the two sang have something to do with it. “The Long, Long Road”? “Inside Your Heaven”? “Angels Brought Me Here”? Awful titles. These pop songs that never really pop suck so much, I first felt that a bad Diane Warren clone must have penned them--and, save for "How Do I Live," I really dislike the songwriter's work. But to Bo and Carrie’s credit they managed to make the best of it.

Bo and Carrie have excellent chances of winning, and I’ll be satisfied if either one clinches the title tomorrow. But frankly, I'm very partial to Carrie. If Tom Cruise had Renée Zellweger at “hello” in Jerry Maguire, Carrie had me at “Alone.” She may be a country songbird, but she has proven that she can rock! I would be very happy if she wins. In any case, I’ll know for sure tomorrow.

Stay tuned.