Top 3 Results - Our Trio's Down to Two

It's the annual Top 3 results show, when we get a brief glimpse at the hero's welcome each of our Top 3 received in their hometowns. But first, instead of throwing product placements at us or promoting some dumb artist who'll be forgotten next week, they start out the show by taking the time to sit down with the remaining three and discussing their Idol experiences. I rather like the idea here. I probably didn't gain any extra knowledge or connection with them from this little chat, but I'm glad they're keeping the focus on the contestants, as it should be.

The Ford video is set to "Wild One (Real Wild Child)" and has the Idols paint-stenciling images of themselves on a wall which suddenly come to life. That magic spray paint is going to sell big-time, I tell ya.

Apparently they're showing us the hometown videos in the same order as last night's performances. Casey James' return to Texas is first. The main focus of this video seems to be the screaming girls. All right, we get it, already! The ladies love him! Some of us care about the music. There's the obligatory tear-jerker moment when Casey visits the medical center where they saved his life, and his mother gets emotional. I have nothing to say about this.

Some guy named Travis Garland performs his new single next. Apparently he was discovered by Perez Hilton. Well, if that doesn't make me want to keep my video tape recording, I don't know what does! Pause! Hey, this song is crap, and the performance gets by more on stage theatrics than the talent of the singer! Good call, Ian!

Crystal Bowersox goes home to Ohio, where they call her mini-concert "Bowerstock." How creative. She also gets to visit her family and see her son again, which I guess is kind of sweet. When chatting about it afterwards Crystal can't hold back the tears.

Immediately Lee DeWyze's video follows. He becomes the first Idol to make the hometown trip to Chicago. I guess if it couldn't have been me Lee's a solid choice. The lucky dog gets to throw out the first pitch at a Cubs game. He wears jersey number nine, I presume because this is Idol's ninth season, not as a tribute to Randy Hundley, Scott Servais or Chad Tracy. He works at Mt. Prospect Paint, which is close to a road I've driven down several times according to Google Maps. He cries in the middle of "The Boxer" when performing his mini-concert. I'd probably do the same thing in his shoes.

All this show of emotion makes a perfect segue into Justin Bieber singing his songs "You Smile" and "Baby." This kid's got some talent. He has the moves, the image and the performance down. He's got the pyro and the backup dancers to make him seem larger than life. He even plays a drum solo at the end of it all. Why then, does he strike me as a little wind-up teen star? None of this looks natural. I won't begrudge him his fame though. He's already achieved more success in life than I probably ever will.

Results time! The first person in next week's finale is...Lee! Well, I think we all expected it after last night's ultra-pimpage. Before the drama even has time to build Seacrest informs us that Crystal's the one joining him. Casey's pretty much an afterthought in this moment, as Lee and Crystal's exuberant celebration gets the spotlight. Casey sings out with "Daughters" (why not his own choice?) and picks up a little girl from the audience to sit on stage with him. Does he know that girl? She doesn't seem to think it's weird getting to be up there. Whatever. See you in the reject section next week, Casey!

Well, they got the finale they wanted (and heck, I wanted). I guess my overthinking in the later stages of my predictions proved to be incorrect. No biggie. It was more for my own amusement than anything else. Crystal and Lee have been the two frontrunners in my mind since the beginning of the finals, so perhaps I ought to stick with my gut more.

Power rankings:

2. Lee DeWyze

1. Crystal Bowersox

I know Lee seems to have taken over as the favorite in most people's minds. However, the fine folks at What Not to Sing pointed out yesterday that Lee's performances have a much higher standard deviation than Crystal's. If you don't know what that means, it means that Lee's performances tend to be polarizing, while Crystal's are more generally agreed-upon. In the finale you can vote against the contestant you hate more by dialing the other one's number, so Crystal's likely to pick up some votes from people who don't like Lee. It should be enough to make her the first female winner since Jordin Sparks three years ago.

See you next week, when our final two perform and my Idol-recapping career comes to an end! Will I even care that much after having been blown away by the LOST series finale two days prior?