The final two episodes of "American Idol" continued to show us some of the best (and worst) talent on the country.
In this super-sized entry, let's take a look back at some of the performers who excelled (and some who didn't) over the course of the past week.
Denver
Mark Labroila: Mark looked like Jack Black; thankfully, he was also just about as good of a singer. Mark had a bizarre upbringing, but that didn't keep him from being a talented singer.
Mario Galvan: He had an awkward laugh, but his performance of "Jailhouse Rock" was funny for all of the wrong reasons.
Danielle Hayes: I was at first a little turned off by Danielle's constant crying, but in this case it was proof that she was sincerely into the music. Her performance of "I"m the Only One" will likely make her a favorite.
Kimberly Kerbo: Kimberly made it through to Hollywood in spite of violating one of the cardinal rules of "Idol:" you don't insult the judges! Kimberly made a sort of insinuation that Simon Cowell was losing his hair...and it was actually pretty funny.
Casey James: His story started out sappy, but then it ended with a laugh. Casey took off his shirt, and apparently that was enough to make it through despite a substandard audition.
Tori Kelly: Tori had a family friend who got to sit in during the audition: a little girl with a knack for drawing pictures of the judges. It was a cute moment made even cuter by the fact that Kelly was a good singer.
Austin Paul: I seriously thought this guy was going to be a joke: he's a long snapper, which is probably the strangest position on a football field. He actually probably would have made it through if he wasn't so cocky.
Kenny Everett: This wasn't singing -- it was some guy yelling without actually saying any words. Kenny was Wednesday night's "guy who would not shut up."
Nicci Nix: You gotta give this girl credit just for coming in from Italy (talk about a commute). She's also got a strange voice that is completely different when she sings. Victoria Beckham continued to be just as curious in fashion as singing.
Haeley Vaughn: Julie had one of the token "rough pasts," meaning that she was born prematurely and her dad died when she was ten. Away from that, she was an incredibly impressive African-American country singer. She's easily one of my favorites so far.
Ty Hemmerling a.k.a. Bikini Boy: Of course, we all know by now that he was a plant...but it was funny for about two seconds.
"Best of the Rest"
Jessica Furney: Jessica took one of the biggest risks imaginable: singing a song co-written by Simon Cowell. This could have easily been a trainwreck, but it ended up being brilliant.
Amanda Shectman: The preview made it look like she was going to be one of those awful contestants who was pleading for her life; however, she was a good contestant who ended up pleading for her life. Thankfully for her, the pleading works.
Lee Dewyze: Shown in a montage, Lee was good even without much screentime.
Crystal Bowesox: See above.
Lacey Brown: Lacey managed to be one of the few returning auditioners who took it up a notch and proved herself worthy of making it far. She made top 50 last year, so it's possible she could go even further this time around.
Stephanie Fisher: Two weird things about Stephanie. 1) She's auditioned seven times. 2) She has a crush on Simon Cowell. All of these auditions haven't turned her into a good singer.
Rachel Hubbard / Thaddeus Johnson / Genesis Moore: These three were shown in a montage mainly proving that 16-years have talent.
Adrian Chandtchi: This was a big guy with a little (and very bad) voice. He was one of the stranger people I've seen, but I also felt kind of bad for him.
Michael Lynche: Michael made it to the top 25 this season only to be cut thanks to his dad leaking the news. Therefore, his audition lacked any suspense. It's too bad about the DQ, since he could have made it far.
Didi Bedami: Didi was singing in honor of her dead friend -- but her backstory faded soon after we heard her sensation rendition of "Hey Jude." It was jazzy, smooth, and a pleasure to listen to.
Aaron Kelly: Generally I don't like it when people sing "The Climb" by Miley Cyrus, but 16-year old Aaron really pulled it off.
Kimberly Bishop: It's too bad that Kimberly didn't get to perform this song in front of Katy Perry, especially since she could have caused her to lose her mind. The whole bit was just strange, especially at the end when she asked to be "excused."
Shaddaii Harris: "Idol" hyped this girl up, and yet she ended up being terrible. Don't you hate it when that happens? She then tried to sing again (what a surprise).
Hope Johnson: Talk about irony. Hope was all about...well, hope. After talking about her adoption in the intro, this Texas native ended up delivering a powerful version of "I Hope You Dance." Her range still needs a little work, but she made it through. (Joe Jonas said one word this week!)
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Next week, the true test begins as Ellen DeGeneres takes her permanent place on the plane. Who will shine through? Check back soon for full thoughts and analysis.
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