American Idol

Season 7 Episode 30

One Must Go Home Tonight! 7 Finalists Remain

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One Must Go Home Tonight! 7 Finalists Remain
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Last night, the star-studded Idol Gives Back music celebration special helped raise awareness and funds for various U.S. and international charities. Now the wait is over for the Top 8 finalists as they find out tonight who will sing again next week and who will go home. Also Chris Brown & Jordin Sparks will perform.moreless
FAN RECAP

Fan Episode Reviews (5)

SUBMIT REVIEW

  • Trying to spice things up... That ruined things.

    6.6
    By MedusaWraith, Apr 13, 2008
    I'd just like to say that this was a stupid thing to do on American Idol's part. It was clearly a fixed vote this time. They kicked off Michael Johns as a shocking twist. Like last year after an Idol Gives Back event, they try something to shock viewers. It was clearly fixed. How does someone who has had a big fan base with plenty of voters, decline so low with one "just decent" performance? I understand that Idol was trying to implement a shocker of an elimination, and they did. But is one shocker worth giving up someone's possible career? Michael Johns would have been in the Top 4 if not being booted off for shock.moreless

  • Ugh. What else is there to say?

    5.8
    By katiebsmith, Apr 11, 2008
    I will begin by confessing that I really only watched the last half of the show. I intended to watch the whole thing, but I got home late. First, I'd like to ask - How much longer will Syesha be hanging on? She is cheesy. She is vanilla. She has nowhere near the talent that the rest of the bunch have. That being said - I'd like to ask another question. How on earth did Michael Johns get booted over her? Granted, I don't like Michael Johns voice and I thought he picked safe and boring songs. However, he has more talent in his pinky finger than Syesha has in her whole body. I can fully understand why Carly and Michael were in the bottom 3. They didn't perform well. But, for Carly, it was really the first time. Last night was a prime example of what I have been saying all along - it's a popularity contest and not a talent competition. For the first time in it's history, I think Idol has contestants who have enough talent to stand up to the music business and make it. But they are underrated and under appreciated. Idol has the potential to turn out a real musician, but with Syesha and Kristy Lee still hanging on, it is threatening to follow the same pattern of bland, forgettable winners.moreless

  • A shocker

    8.5
    By ipodfanatic000, Apr 11, 2008
    I wasn't expecting Michael to be sent home, neither was any of the top 8. But he kept telling Carly after the announcement that he was alright. I don't like Jason I want him to go home. I was glad that Kristie wasn't in the bottom three for the gazillionth time in a row. Everytime they tell Brooke she's safe she never goes to the right row of the couches. I love Carly, she is one of my favorites. I've been a fan of david cook from the beginning but his last performance wasn't his best I thought. IT will be interesting to watch now, knowing that M. Johns is gone.moreless

  • Surprising, yet predictable

    10
    By cybernaut_ev, Apr 11, 2008
    Well, just as I suspected. The very two that talked back to the judges landed in the bottom three. What are the odds?



    It was a shocker that Michael (and not Carly) was sent packing, although mathematically this makes perfect sense. Consider: Michael talked his fool head off and disagreed with the judges, whereas although Carly did a lousy job, she maintained appropriate contriteness and humbleness at all times. Syesha was in between as although she engaged in conversation, she wasn't disagreeing with the judges.



    Thus, a bad performance with contriteness trumps a good performance with back talk.



    Watch how silent the idols become next time around. I bet you'll be able to hear a pin drop when the judges are talking.



    In sum, remember idols: mum's the word!moreless

  • Not dissapointed too much with this episode...

    8.3
    By titiembe, Apr 11, 2008
    Jordin and Chris Brown (who I usually dislike) were... great. Not what I was expecting. But anyway the bottom three in no particular order was Carly Smithson, Micheal Johns and Syesha Marcado. Not entirely surprising for me, I was dissapointed that Kristy Lee managed to avoid the bottom 3 though. I hope she lands herself in it next week. So Carly Smithson hit the bottom 3 for the second time with an angry performance, but I thought it was pretty good and she stays. Syesha Marcado got a low amount of votes I think because how the judges compared her to Fantasia, and that it would've benefited her to choose a different song, but she still avoided the boot. Micheal Johns had a weak performance and poor song choice, although I thought he was good, America's opinion differed. So he left. All in all I wasn't too shocked, or displeased, just a little dismayed that Kristy Lee wasn't in the bottom 3.moreless
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Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

Jordin Sparks

Jordin Sparks

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Guest Star

Chris Brown

Chris Brown

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • TRIVIA (6)

    • The Ford Music Video was "I Just Want to Celebrate" by Rare Earth. The Idols splash paint all around and then a car drives through it. At the end the camera pulls away to reveal Earth painted on the ground.

    • Jordin Sparks and Chris Brownperform "No Air" and then after Jordin is presented Platinum awards for sales "Tattoo" and "No Air" (over 1,000,000 units each) and Gold award for theJordin Sparksalbum (over 500,000 units).

    • The Group Number was the song that they sang last night "Shout to the Lord".

    • When Dylan and Cole Sprouse came on screen to promote the donation number it credited them as Zack and Cody, which are their character names on the show "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody".

    • Ryan mentioned that so far over 60 million dollars had been raised for Idol Gives Back.

    • There were 31 million votes.

  • QUOTES (1)

    • Ryan: Last year on Idol Gives Back we didn't eliminate anyone on this stage of the competition. Tonight...we're gonna say goodbye to Michael Johns.

  • NOTES (15)

    • This is the first time since Season 4 (and second in total) that a results show during the Top 12 stage, is aired on a Thursday. The last time was Season 4 Top 11 when there were issues so the singing episode was re-aired on the Wednesday and results came Thursday.

    • Similar to last year on Idol Gives Back, a group of celebrities lip synch to a song. This year it is "I'm a Believer" by the Monkees.

    • By being in the bottom three this episode, Syesha Mercado and Kristy Lee Cook are now tied for the number of times of being in the bottom three this season.

    • Michael Johns is the fifth eliminated finalist since the Top 12 who made the bottom three once and was eliminated this season. David Hernandez was the first, Amanda Overmeyer was the second, Chikiezie was the third and Ramiele Malubay was the fourth. This is the most amount of people in a row to have been voted off without previously being in the bottom 3, and ties for the most in total in one season (Season 6 also had five in total).

    • Along with some of the people who appeared in the previous episode, other celebrities who appeared in some sort of video were:Barack Obama, Cat Deeley, Cheryl Hines, Cole and Dylan Sprouse, Dr. Phil,Eddie Izzard, Emma Bunton, Felicity Huffman, Geri Halliwell,James Denton, Jim Carrey, John McCain, Kim and Kourtney Kardashian and their mom, Kyra Sedgwick, Michael Kors,Michael Chiklis, Minnie Driver, Ricki Lake,Roselyn Sanchez,Ryan Sheckler and Selma Blair

    • Luke Menard and Ramiele Malubay were in the audience.

    • As of now, David Archuleta and David Cook are the only two contestants that have never made the bottom three this season.

    • This is the sixth shocking elimination in the series. The first was Tamyra Gray's in Season One, the second was Jennifer Hudson's in Season Three, the third was Latoya London's in Season Three, the fourth was Chris Daughtry's in Season Five and the fifth was Melinda Doolittle's in Season Six.

    • This is Syesha's third, Carly's second and Michael's first and last time in the bottom three.

    • This episode had no viewer questions.

    • Bottom 3:
      3. Carly Smithson
      2. Syesha Mercado
      1. Michael Johns

    • Voted Off:
      Michael Johns

    • Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader? is pre-empted tonight.

    • This episode will air at 8:00 p.m. eastern time.

    • This a special 1 hour episode.

  • ALLUSIONS (0)

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