12 sing, 2 will go home Thursday.  I’ll keep it short, because really… we don’t have much to go on with these guys.  My top two:

Chris Sligh – total geek, to know enough about Simon to string together El Divo and the Teletubbies in a off-the-cuff remark back to Simon, too funny.  plus he sang well too, his odd mix of John Popper/Jack Osborne looks will keep him interesting too.

Blake Lewis – though I was put off with the beat-boxing as nothing but a gimmick, I was impressed with his singing last night, and picking a Travis song to cover, bold move that paid off with the judges.  I’m gonna go against Randy and say, the beat-boxing should not be his ‘thang’.. don’t make that part of your normal act kid, just sing.  Keep it in your back pocket and play it when it counts.

Two people that should be going home:

Sundance Head – all we know is that his first audition in front of the panel rocked.  After that its been a downhill slide, and Simon’s comment about Dad singing at a wedding – – – OUCH.  He’ll get offed because people resent that he got to the final 24 because of his one audition.

The second one is a bit more tough to gauge.  Idol has now become a popularity contest, and not pure talent, and though I’d love to see Chris (keep me because I look like Justin, without the talent) Richardson and Sanjaya Malakar be given the ‘bad day’ bus ticket home.  I, like Jen, fear the teeny-bopper demographic, so instead we’ll probably see a middle of the road performer that has potential but no flair get the boot.  My pick, for no particular reason, Jared Cotter.

Been sorta kinda watching FNL since it started, and have enjoyed snippets and parts of it.  The composition of the series is wonderful, you get the feeling of some sort of docu-drama from the way it is presented, which is different than with other dramas on TV.

The best part of last night was the exchange between the Coach and his Guidance counselor wife.  The story is that one of the coach’s assistants said some stupid things about ‘blacks’ and ‘whites’, and by stupid I mean Jimmy the Greek stupid, damning with faint praise stupid.  The local TV has a field day, and the local black community over reacts, this was played out well in last week’s episode.  Now the black players have walked off the team, and in another TV interview Smash, the de-facto leader, asserts that firing Mac would be a good first step.  Something that is almost as stupid to say as Mac’s comments.

Now the coach is in a fine mess, the boosters have voted and want Mac fired, Coach Taylor knows this is just a lot of hoo-haw, and doesn’t want Mac to lose his job or pension because he knows what Mac has done in the past (integrating the team years ago) should overshadow the stupid things he’s said.  So he interrupts his wife’s counseling session and said he needs to talk to the ‘guidance counselor’.  He lays it out and asks her for advice.  Not really liking the advice of the guidance counselor, he then asks to talk to his wife.  She gives him the same advice, and he asks deadpan, “Is there anyone else I can talk to?”  Buhahahaha.  She says your friend, and he leaps on that, what does my friend have to say.  She gives him the same advice from a third angle, and it all adds up to Mac should be fired.  As he leaves, he says, “All three of you scare me.”  LOL!

Then the best best part, after Mac gives Coach Taylor his resignation, at a press conference Coach Taylor just stands up and says to the buzzing press corps, “I’ll start talking when y’all stop.”  — “First of all its a damn shame that we are here this morning, we should be focusing on tomorrow’s game, and I’ll tell you what as a matter of fact, that’s exactly what were gonna do, Mac McGill’s gonna stay as Offensive Coordinator of the Dillon Panthers, that’s its that final, thank you very much.” then walks out of the room.  Best 30 seconds evah!

The capper was when the Panthers beat the team they play at their home field on a called game because a fight broke out when Riggins way-layed into an opponent that was giving Smash hell, and then as they are leaving on a team bus, some local cops pull the bus over to arrest Smash for assault.  Mac steps up and asks for a warrant.  Mac protects the kid that just about got him fired, and then does the best apology when Smash thanks him for what he did, Mac says, “I think that he made a mistake, just like I made a mistake.  I’ll see you Monday at practice.”

If you haven’t been watching Friday Night Lights, you should be.  It is a great show.

In case you missed it, LOST is back on track. Really. Last week’s episode, Not in Portland, was top notch, and we got Kate and Sawyer off Alcatraz, Ben is now not only humorless, but tumorless. Ben has a daughter and Pickett got the double tap to the chest courtesy Juliette.

But none of that matters at the moment, we’ve moved back a few days or hours in the Lost timeline and the focus of our zooming eyes is Desmond today. You know, Desmond, the ex-German spy that got screwed by Jack Bauer, then got stuck on LOST island with Kelvin the once immortal and now dead CIA operative. We’re reminded with the pre-show glimpses that something about Desmond is odd ever since he’s saved the world and all. First he gets found by Hurley all naked and running in the jungle. Then he saved Claire’s roof with a well placed five iron (slightly left to right, but safe in the middle of the fairway, take that Paulo).

(Aside: two epis in a row without Paulo and Nikki – how long will the streak last?) (Aside Part Deux: Seven epis without Rose and Bernard) (Pointless Aside: It’s been 30 Artz-less episodes, but really, who’s counting)

The point is Desmond seems a bit pre-cognitive about some things. But he failed in predicting that Smokey would bum-rush Eko, so let’s put pre-cog in the ‘possible but probably not column for now). Des shows up at castaway beach to find Charlie and Hurley jonesin for pr0n and sorting through Sawyer’s tent. Charlie always trying to justify his habits says that Sawyer would want them to, Hurley isn’t convinced, but hasn’t yet taken to tackle Charlie with a massive man-hug.

Desmondo, as Hurley has dubbed him, ask Charlie and Hurley to come with him. They walk down an island path and find Locke and Sayid looking sadly back at them. Locke breaks the news that ‘The island killed Eko’ – which confuses Charlie, since the island hasn’t killed anyone since that lady drowned.. er.. the pilot got tore apart.. er.. well I guess Charlie finally got it. Locke wants Charlie and Hurley to react correctly when Locke breaks the news to the rest of the camp. Desmond looks around for Nikki and Paulo, then realizes that he’d better make a head call before Paulo takes all the good leaves.

Actually, Desmond had an uncontrollable impulse to swim in the strong rip currents off the north shore of Oahu. No wait, someone is out in the water… It’s Claire! (okay, pretend for a moment that you didn’t watch the previews, its better that way). Des’ rescue effort is rewarded with glaring looks and accusations from Hurley and Charlie.

*cue LOST twirly opening music thingy*

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Mohinder with his new cohort, Sylar, are driving to meet the next person on ‘The List’

Sylar: Hey can we stop by Trader Joe’s?
Mohinder: why?
Sylar: Just have a hankering for some fava beans..
Mohinder: Okay, sounds yummy!
awkward silence as they drive]
[Mohinder: So… what’s a good main dish that goes with fava beans?
Sylar: Ummm… well.. you’re from India, have you ever had monkey brain?
Mohinder: Oh course… when I was a child, my father …
[insert 6 minute monologue discussing monkey brain evolution and special preparation detials]
… so yes, I’m quite familar with monkey brains.
Sylar: ZzzzzzZZZZzzzzz
Mohinder: [nudges Slyar awake]
Sylar: muhfmm.. snork.. huh… wha?
Mohinder: I said yes, I have eaten monkey brains
Sylar: well they’re kinda like that.

I guess Cuse and Liddlehof are supposed to do a one hour “Lost Survival Guide” tonight (set your appropriate TV recording device accordingly) an hour before kickoff.

If it fails, you can read my summary of the last six episodes below.

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