American Idol 9: The Final 24 – You'd Not Live Past 25

Why do I watch this show? Better question: why do I choose to blog about it? I've got nothing, I tell ya, NOTHING to talk about. Sure, yesterday, seven finalists were chosen. So, if my math is strong enough, Wednesday night would provide us with the remaining 17 (I didn't even use a calculator for that – go ME!).

So here's the rundown for the other Chosen Ones:

– Janell Wheeler made it this far thanks to the length, or should I say the LACK of length, of her skirts. It seems that every time we see Janell, the hemlines get shorter. What was the name of that girl with that smokin' pair o' legs a couple of seasons ago, Haley Something-or-Other? Yeah, she reminds me of her. Okay, her voice is almost sorta-kinda half-decent, but whatever. She's in.

– Tyler Grady was that cool guy with the '70s vibe. He names Robert Plant and Roger Daltrey among his list of heroes. On the final day, he sang Daughtry's "Home" and proclaimed that going home was something he wasn't planning on doing. He's in, and Kara is once again flirting. After all, somebody has to fill that void for Paula.

– Lacey Brown had made it to the Top 50 last year but never made the final cut. She admits that it wasn't her time. However, this year, she gets her chance.

– Ashley Rodriguez, Alex Lambert (not to be confused with Adam), Katie Stevens, Joe Muñoz: all in.

– Crystal Bowersox believes "mainstream music right now needs a little pick-me-up." Has she been reading my mind? The unanimous decision? She's in. I like this girl and I hope she goes far.

– Lilly Scott, who Kara claims didn't have the "biggest voice," is in. Kara thinks that hitting the highest notes doesn't necessarily make for the best type of singer. I wholeheartedly agree, but I think Ms. DioGuardi will change her tune once the competition really gets started. You watch.

– Paige Miles, Siobhan Magnus, Michelle Delamor, Jermaine Sellers, John Park, Tim Urban: all in. Although there's apparently a bit of a sidenote about Urban in that Chris Golightly appeared on the stage of Top 24, but Tim was actually named instead. There's a story there, but I can't track it down yet. I'll get back to you.

– Final Girl: Haely Vaughn. Final Boy: Andrew Garcia. Predictable.

Who didn't make it? The shocker of the night (for me anyway) was the omission of Angela Martin. Firstly, she has a special-needs daughter. Then, her Dad was murdered the first time she tried out for Idol. You might also remember that she had to spend six days in jail for a traffic violation the second time. This time (according to Entertainment Tonight or Access Hollywood... I can't remember which because I saw this a few weeks ago and those shows tend to meld together), her mother has gone missing. It almost seems beyond obvious to state that this girl has had a tough life. Thanks to Kara's condescending consolation, her life just got a whole lot tougher. I'm not one for the big "sympathy vote," but Angela could really sing. I can't believe they passed on this girl.

At the end of the episode, they played somebody's cover of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah." Okay, I've just gotta say that after seeing Friday's Olympic Opening Ceremonies, nobody, but NOBODY can ever cover that song as well as k.d. lang. It can't be done, so nobody should even bother trying. I know that has nothing to do with this particular show, but I felt I just had to put that out there as a warning to future Idol hopefuls. Don't do it, 'cause it'll never be as great. Gotta be k.d.

So what's the deal with the photo of Casey James (above)? For the first time ever, I'm making a prediction. I know, I know, that's kinda dangerous and I'm probably jinxing the guy. But, he's my choice for Season 9's American Idol. If I get it right, feel free to send chocolate (BTW, I prefer German, but Belgian or French will do). If I get it wrong, you'll receive my humility. We'll see how that all pans out later.

Okay, so that's it. Next week we get down to the nitty gritty starting with the girls (ladies first). Let's get this season going already!

CANUCKGIRL delivers the thrills and spills of America’s favourite singing competition direct to your monitor. CanuckGirl is NOT a professional journalist, nor does she play one on television.