I hate to say I told you so...

... but I told you so. Remember why I voted for Melinda?

The Melinda Doolittle Catastrophe

Here begins the outrage.

How could it happen? Why would it happen? Who's too blame? Why are "American Idol" voters such blithering idiots...?

Read more from Newsday's Verne Gay in hs TV Zone blog

Insanity

So, after 56 minutes, we are getting to the results.

Jordin's first, so my guess is she's safe. Ryan says almost 60 million votes came in and he thinks she'll happy with them because she has made it through to next week's finale.

So, for me, this should be a no-brainer. Bye, bye Blake. But you know, this show has had some crazy results, so you never know...

Unbelievable - Melinda is off the show and Blake is going to the finale. I may seriously consider asking if I can boycott next week's finale. This is outrageously ridiculous. No one deserved to be in that finale like Melinda. So many words are flashing through my head right now, but none of them are printable. So, I'm out.

Filler, filler and more filler

The Ford commercial tonight is set to "Everybody Wants You" by Billy Squier. Oh how cute that they had young Melinda in the afro puffs that she said she loved so much as a little girl. But other than that, I'd say this commercial was one of the worst ones of the season - not entertaining at all.

Melinda's trip home is next - they show her in Nashville, talking to the governor, then heading to Belmont University, where she went to school andthe to her church. I think Melinda's great - I love that she's always appreciative. While Jordin and Blake were surprised by all the attention and seemed to enjoy it, elinda really seemed touched by it and was sure to thank everyone and show them how much it meant to her. She really is just a humble woman.

Up next is Maroon 5 with their song, "Makes Me Wonder." It's OK - not one of my favorite song, but I can see why people have been all ga-ga about the lead singer. He's really quite delicious.

Elliot Yamin hits the stage

Ooh, he looks kind of cute in that nerdy kind of way. I'm a big fan of the adorable dork and I have to say, his hair looks great - I love the disheveled curliness, and his smile is so beautiful. He's looking pretty good, I think. And let's not forget his voice. He sounds wonderful - it's almost embarrassing to compare him to this year's contestants. Blake can't compare, even Jordin pales in comparison, a bit. Melinda can hold her own, but really, it just shows the difference in quality from last year's batch to now.

Oh, and he's so sweet and genuine. He takes a minute to thank everyone for their love and support. He says he's had so many opportunities since being on the show and that he's very blessed. He tells the contestants to just have fun out there and he promises them that this is only the beginning.

Home videos

Ryan is talking to the contestants now and Jordin talks about how busy their trips home were. They had a parade, she sang, then hit the mall for more appearances and then had to return to LA to shoot the Ford commercial and learn her songs. Sounds pretty busy.

I love that they showed a video of her going home - it just cemented for me what a great girl she really is. She's so gracious and together, while still remaining a teenager. She's adorable and sweet and young and refreshing and just fantastic.

Whoa.... what's going on? Are they really doing results right now? That must mean she's safe. They wouldn't have done her first is she was going home.

Of course... it was just more filler - they told her nothing. This show is ridiculous sometimes.

It's Blake's turn now. Ryan talks to Blake about performing with Sir Mix-a-Lot. Apparently he's performed with him before. They show footage of Blake going home to Washington and I have to say, the producers sure know how to pull at your heartstrings. Watching Blake's dad and how emotional he was, it almost had me crying, too. It must have been very special for Blake to see the pride and emotion on his dad's face for something he's achieved. the video was so touching, it almost made me forget that I hope he goes home tonight. Almost, but not quite.

20 minutes and nothing but filler

So, before we get started with the show tonight, I have to get our picks out of the way. I have chosen Blake, as has Jamshid. Anne was missing in action, so I'm not sure who she's choosing. But Jonathan has had a thing against Melinda from the beginning, so my guess is his vote is for her.

Now, let's get to the endless filler and two seconds of results.

You know, as if I wasn't already annoyed with the show. They start off tonight with Homer Simpson acting like Ryan Seacrest. I'm sure many of you love "The Simpsons," so I won't bash it too much, but I will always feel resentful toward that show because of its role in the demise of "The Cosby Show," which is the greatest TV show of all time. So, I hope you all enjoyed the entertainment. I, for one, just rolled my eyes, and fast-forwarded.

Ooh... Elliott Yamin is singing live and they've got Maroon 5 performing too. I'm excited to see what Elliott has been up to - I saw him in People magazine with his new teeth a while back - it's amazing what a difference a smile makes.

Ugh... so we basically don't even need to watch Tuesday nights anymore - they recap almost the entire show on results night. One thing I am appreciative of, however, is that they showed the judges' picks from last night - the TiVo here in the office cut off before they got to that, so I had no idea what their predictions were.

I love how Ryan has been making little digs at how long the results shows have been. A couple of weeks ago, he sarcastically commented that there would be no filler, yeah right. Then tonight, he asks the contestants if they're nervous during this loooong, hour results show. I'm hoping the execs will eventually realize how boring it is to watch nonsense just to get to like 2 minutes of content.

Has Melinda stolen the show? I think so

The final round is the contestants' choice. Jordin is up first and she chooses to sing "I, Who Have Nothing."

Another gorgeous dress for Jordin, by the way - beautiful color, beautiful style... I want it, I want it, I want it.

She picked a great song to sing again. She knocked it out of the park during British Invasion week when Lulu was mentoring and she does it again tonight. Perfection.

Randy tells her it was her best performance of the night, very, very hot. Paula stumbled through some words that made no sense, but did end up by telling Jordin it was great. Simon says there's no disputing the fact that she sang it very well but there's a part of him that hated the fact that a 17-year-old girl was singing a 60-year-old song. He's crazy - why should it matter how old she is or how old the song is? It was amazing. Anyway, he says he wasn't loving it like he should have been and that he wishes she had chosen another song.

Blake's next and he chooses to sing Robin Thicke's "When I Get You Alone." Has he sung this before? It must have been while I was away, or else i just don't remember it. It's a pretty funky song, rather interesting. But I'm not crazy about his performance of it. It was kind of choppy and disconnected. But it's the finals, and I'm sure the judges will love it.

Randy says he he sees why Blake chose the song, that it was cool, but that he still liked the Maroon 5 song better. He says it was just all right. Paula says that all his songs tonight exemplify who he is as an artist and that he had three great performances. Simon tells him he actually really liked it and adds that what he likes so much about Blake is that he doesn't play it safe, he takes risks and he looks like he's having fun.

Last up is Melinda Doolittle and she chooses "I'm a Woman," which she sang way back in the day, before the mentors started coming on. And she couldn't have picked a better song. It's the song that made me, at least, go "WOW!" It was so powerful, so completely raw and soulful - I hope it's just as good the second time around.

Huh... she's singing it a little different tonight - kind of a smoother sound, if I remember the last performance correctly. It's not as crazy raw as it was the last time - it's more controlled this time. not sure how i feel about it. I mean, it was still awesome, but I think the first time she sang it may have been better.

Randy says she can sing anything and that she's showing her vocal ability. Paula says that what she loves about this performance is that she's stepping into the spotlight with no regrets, no looking back and celebrating her whole journey. Simon says he loved the little striptease at the top - he's a pervert - and tells her that they've known each other for 11 weeks now and that if he's going to award a place in the finals to the person who has consistently delivered, week after week, it's her.

I'd say they think Round 3 goes to Melinda, too.


My pick for tomorrow is tough. I think Melinda killed it tonight and deserves to stay. Blake was better than Jordin tonight, but I think Jordin is more likable and has been better more consistently than Blake. So, my vote for tomorrow is Blake.

They call this round a tie, but is it really?

Moving on to the next round, the show's producers have chosen Donna Summer's "She Works Hard for the Money."

This song is way better for her. She sounds strong and confident, although I have to admit, she's not at her best tonight. While this is better than her first song, it's still not as good as we've all heard her before. I'm curious to see what the judges will make of it.

Randy tells her it was nicely done and that she's working it out no matter what she's singing. Paula says she was fantastic - her word of the day, apparently. Simon says it was very good - a little old-fashioned, but that the end was very good.

Blake's up and the producers have chosen "This Love" by Maroon 5. Again, it's a good choice for his voice, but I'm a little bored by it. Let's be honest here - I'm a little bored with the whole show at this point. There's no one really exciting to root for this time. But let's not dwell on that. Blake did OK, adding just a touch of his beatboxing, but not so much that it's annoying. But again, it was nothing spectacular.

Randy says that when Blake puts out an album, this is the kind of vibe he should go for because he says it works for him. Paula tells him he's in his element and that it's a good night for him. Simon tells him he preferred this song to the last one - he sounded very comfortable, not like a copycat.

Melinda's up next and I'm fully prepared to be knocked out by her next performance. the show's producers have chosen "Nutbush City Limits" by Ike and Tina Turner. It's going to be unreal - I just know it.

She is just without a flaw. This song is not one of my favorites, but she made it entertaining for me. She can rock out with the best of them and then turn around and belt out a gorgeous ballad - she's just so versatile. Incredible.

Randy says that it was another solid, stellar performance and tells her that when she makes a record, she should add some songs like this because it will lengthen her career. Paula tells her that she looked like she was having fun and that they love her. Simon says he loves this side of Melinda and that again, it was another brilliant performance.

Round 1 goes to Melinda

Oh goodness gracious. Three songs tonight by each contestant. I had forgotten how tedious this show gets at the end. So, this week they will each sing one song chosen by one of the judges, one song chosen by the show's producers, and one song of their own choosing.

Jordin Sparks is going first tonight and they start by showing her visit back home to Glendale, Ariz. Glendale's mayor, Elaine Scruggs, is the one to tell Jordin that Simon Cowell has chosen "Wishing on a Star" by Rose Royce as his selection for her.

So, it's been a while, but I just have to comment on Jordin's dress tonight. It's beautiful and as always, I want to know where she got it. Also, for those of you who wrote in a while back, asking about Haley Scarnato's shoes, I am still searching for their origin - I have not yet given up...

But back to the singing... it's not a good start - that first prolonged note that she sings is not quite in tune and she seems pretty uncomfortable with the song, at least at first. This is definitely not the performance that she wants to be having at this stage in the game. It wasn't terrible, but the song just didn't suit her personality - I'm not sure why Simon chose it. I hope her other songs are better.

Randy likes it, tells her it was hot. Paula actually likes the song choice and tells her she did a beautiful job and Simon says she sang it brilliantly, but that he just wishes they hadn't done the weird jazz arrangement with it. he adds that eventhough he chose the song, he doesn't think it was one of her best performances.

Next up is Blake Lewis. He's at home in Bothell, Wash., with Mayor Mark Lamb. The mayor reads off a fax from Paula Abdul announcing that her selection for Blake is "Roxanne" by The Police.

I hate that I like it. But you know what? Paula chose this specifically because it fits him - it doesn't challenge him very much, I don't think. But I guess that's just how the competition goes and Paula did a much better job at picking a song than Simon did. Blake does a great job with it and at times, even sounds a bit like Sting. So, as much i would like to, I really can't knock it.

Randy tells him it was a great performance with a pretty good vocal. He says there were a couple of spots in there, but that overall, it was hot. Paula says he was fantastic and Simon tells him that he's not going to call it earth-shattering, because it wasn't. He says that the problem with the song is that you're always forced to do an impersonation of Sting and that Blake wasn't as good as the original.

Melinda Doolittle is up next and she is shown with Phil Bredesen, the governor of Tennessee, at the state capitol in Nashville. He tells Melinda that Randy Jackson's selection for her is "I Believe in You and Me" by Whitney Houston.

Now this is going to be a show-stopper, for sure. It's a beautiful song and who better to sing it than Melinda? Wait... did melinda just say "Thank you Randy Johnson?" I've listened to it a few times now and I swear she says Johnson - did anyone else hear it? Hilarious.

What is left to say, really? Melinda's awesome - she deserves the win more than anyone else. I'm still not convinced she'll get the win, but she certainly deserves it - no question.

Randy tells her that she chose that song because of its range and said that he believed that if she could sing it, she deserved the grand prize. And then he tells her that it wa shot, that she blew it out the box, rose to the occasion and that it was very well done. Pauls tells her that she was amazing and fantastic and that it was one of her best performances this season. Simon says thatit was a very difficult song to sing and that it was her best performance in the last four weeks and the judges agree that Round 1 goes to Melinda.