and now it’s time for part two of the American Idol rundown for the first major week of competition… lots of writing ahead, so let’s not dilly-dally… i at least recognize a couple of these guys so perhaps that will make it a little more interesting for me… or less interesting… we’ll see… Simon delivers an ultimatum… lose it tonight, and your career is OVER!… off we go…

TWELVE LORDS A LEAPING…

now playing: Let’s Hear it for the Boy(s) – Deniese Williams

Todrick Hall… singing “Since You’ve Been Gone“… this guy reminds me of Dietrick Haddon… not that it means much to most of you, but really, he does… this is a really interesting take on Kelly Clarkson’s power pop ballad… it’s hardly recognizable… and i love it… sorry, i guess i tipped my hand there… that was fresh though… nice, nice job… Ellen says the chorus wasn’t great, but she loved the chance that he took… Randy says it didn’t sound like the same song… (i don’t know why that’s a bad thing)… Kara says that he’s a strong enough singer that he doesn’t need to rearrange the song that much… Simon says that he probably came across more of a dancer trying to sing than a singer that he can dance… he murdered and tortured the song… i still really liked it…

Aaron Kelly… i hear good things about this guy, but i don’t remember him all that much, just like he doesn’t always remember the lyrics apparently… this youngster is singing “Here Comes Goodbye,” a Rascal Flatts song, which should be a good fit… i don’t think the sound is set up right… oh… it’s like he was riding a bull and lasted just under eight seconds… he’s off-key, maybe he can hold it together enough to get back on track… well, okay, not so much… Simon says that it was a good performance for a first-timer… he needs to take control of the song rather than vice versa… Kara says that he’s going to get better every week because he has natural raw talent… Randy says that it was a big song, but he’s got a huge voice… Ellen says ditto, we love you long time…

Jermaine Sellers… don’t throw the band under the bus… singing “Get Here”… a.k.a. a girl song… and he’s not changing it into a guy song… he does have a pretty decent voice, but it’s so held back and breathy… oh, well, now we know why… he so needs to go back to the mild-mannered approach… some of these vocals are really hurting my ears… that’s wildly off… that’s a shame… aw, don’t throw a run in at the end… that just makes it worse… Ellen says that it was just a performance and that he was pushing it too much… Randy says it was a weird choice, but he tried to do too much with it… nice look though (i’ll agree there)… Kara says that he was trying to show off what he can do, but it was overdone… Simon says it’s the kind of song that would be requested by a 50-year old… and it was over the top… and now they’re giving him a lot of extra time… the producers must want this guy to stick around… please, audience, remember him and vote for him… i don’t like that…

Tim Urban… here’s the guy who was snatched from the jaws of defeat and has a second chance… let’s see how he does… singing “Apologize” good, good track… i guess it’s good that he’s not trying to be a copycat, but his voice sounds a little weird… and, oh, good grief couldn’t SOMEBODY have told him that he has absolutely no falsetto?… ah, poor kid… that wasn’t good at all… he’s probably going home… Simon says they made the right decision… the first time… he’s just not good enough… Kara says that the music overpowered him… (the rhythm will eventually get you)… Randy says that it was the wrong song and (thank you) that he doesn’t have the falsetto to make it work… Ellen says that he just couldn’t hit the high notes and it didn’t sound good, despite him looking adorable…

now playing: Marching On – OneRepublic

Joe Munoz… i love that Simon told him to learn how to play the guitar… singing a Jason Mraz song… i’m not sure that was in English at the beginning… okay, here’s another example of the song running all over the performer and pretty much leaving him for dead… this, my friends is a trainwreck caused by a car accident caused by a plane crash… Ellen says that he was comfortable on stage… Randy says that he worked it out… Kara says that he had a few issues, but he’s been the best vocally so far tonight? (what the heck is she talking about?)… Simon says that he sort of agrees, but he’s not at all a star… very forgetable…

Tyler Grady… this guy will have to be amazing to win me over because as far as i’m concerned, he’s a dope… singing “American Woman“… slow from the start… that’s not too bad… and now it kicks in… and yeah, so um, he can perform, i guess… but he certainly can’t sing… i’m not sold… he stinks… Simon says it was memorable, but partly because cliche and PHONEY… Kara says she agrees and there wasn’t much original… Randy says it was style over substance… Ellen says he’s copying the poses but it’s not real… i have to say at this point, since i have a moment… i’m watching this on a slight delay, and i keep getting distracted by Chris Sligh and Phil Stacey’s live tweeting… i’m looking forward to actually reading their thoughts on the night… also, i want to push that Old Spice guy into the ocean… and kick sand on him…

Lee Dewyze… i didn’t particularly like his version of “You Found Me“… now he’s singing Snow Patrol’s Chasing Cars, a song with an incredible build and a really cool payoff… if done right… ouch… okay, so this is the David Cook of the season… and i suppose everybody’s gonna fall in love with him all season and i’m gonna tell them that he simply can’t sing… and well, eventually, it will make sense when he doesn’t sell any records… HE CAN’T SING…. Ellen says that she loved the song and the tone of his voice, but that he pushed it a little too hard… Randy says it was too soft of a song and that he’s kind of a David Cook type of singer… Kara says that he almost ruined the song because he tried to fit it into his vocal range rather than pick a song that would’ve worked naturally… Simon says it was the best performance and that he should follow David Cook’s example… here we go again… oh, is that a BRMC tee shirt? probably not… never mind…

John Park… i’m looking forward to see how he performs… he seems like a pretty funny guy… singing “God Bless the Child“… okay, so he doesn’t talk with an accent, why on earth does he sing with one?… it’s too quiet, but it’s well controlled… probably too controlled, actually… it sounds pretty solid, but for me, he may as well be humming… can’t really understand half of the lyrics… and there’s not much to be happy about with that performance… Simon says that doesn’t have the voice to pull it off and it fell flat… Kara agrees and says that it was a sleepy performance… Randy says it was a matter of (wait for it) song choice… Ellen says that she thought he sounded great, but it may have been better if it was a different song…

now playing: Heartless – The Fray

Michael Lynche… the trainer who missed his baby’s birthday… he doesn’t even have to sing, really, he’s already guaranteed a top eight spot… singing This Love by Maroon5… i don’t get that song choice at all… i know, how cliche of me… but seriously… i mean, SERIOUSLY… it’s just not right for him… and he’s rushing it, and he’s not really playing that guitar… somehow, he’s out of breath though… it’s a good thing that he’s incredibly well-liked and friendly… that performance was just not good… Ellen says that it was a great song, great personality and it worked… Randy plays up the personality as well… then ignores the performance and distracts the audience with a funny line… Kara says that he brightened up the place, but if the rest of the group didn’t suck, he would’ve gotten torn to shreds… Simon says that yeah, it wasn’t good, they’re just afraid to say it…

Alex Lambert… who is not related to Adam?… he’s singing Wonderful World… he’s got something of a flared mullet going on with his hair… he does seem to have a rather charming, shy-guy presence though… reminds me of Matt Saracen from Friday Night Lights… he’s really straining to make his voice work, but – for the time being – it is kind of working… it’s not for me, but i can see this guy going pretty far… Simon says that he’s got a great voice, but it was an uncomfortable performance… Kara wants to hug him and she acts it out… she continues to tell him that he has potential… Randy says he’s got a great tone of voice… Ellen says that she likes him and the mullet, then she compares him to a slightly unripe banana… that’s a little odd…

Casey James… a.k.a. Sawyer (from LOST)… he’s even got the shirtless thing going… singing Heaven by Bryan Adams… this is a pretty nice choice actually… he is, surprisingly for me, the best performance of the night… he’s got it locked in and he’s really holding it down… i’m not sure that i like the Cher-like vibrato going on here and there… okay… the judges are really being dopes on this one… Kara is pretty smitten, Ellen says she could feel Kara undressing him with her eyes… Randy says that he likes the swagger and the sound… Simon says that he chose the right song, was honest and likable… then he calls Kara a cougar…

Andrew Garcia… the is my early choice as a favorite… and apparently he’s won the producers over, as well… can you say p-i-m-p spot… singing something from Fall Out Boy… actually playing the guitar… he’s definitely nervous, but he’s holding it together pretty nicely… number one with a bullet… that’s probably the case… honestly, not the best song or performance, but it will suffice… hopefully, they let him have it and he shapes up over the next few weeks… he’s certainly safe… Simon says he was disappointed… Kara says that it was kind of a risk, but it didn’t really work… Randy says that the song arrangement was strange, but he knows that he can be great… Ellen says that he needs to open up and be himself a bit more…

AND NOW IT’S TIME TO SAY GOODBYE…

now playing: Should I Stay Or Should I Go – The Clash

alrighty then… there were a LOT of BAD performances tonight… and that makes it really difficult to pick who should stay and who should go… let me start with who will be safe… Andrew, Casey, and Alex will be safe… Michael is safe… Lee is probably safe and unfortunately Tyler probably has enough support to make it into the top 12 already… that may actually be the guy side of the top twelve now that i think about it…

so that leaves us with Joe, Aaron, John, Jermaine, Todrick, and Tim… so i’ll go ahead and say that Aaron and John are safe… and pairing off Joe with Tim and Jermaine with Todrick… one of each of those groups will probably go… i’ll say that the bell tolls for Todrick and Joe… that will probably change in the morning, though, because at least those six should be done…

peace… love… bdg…

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okay, so despite a severe miscue with my DVR – one which will be rectified swiftly and justly – i’m going to watch this week’s episode of LOST and, as i have for the past two weeks, i’ll be keeping a running commentary regarding the goings on of the show… later, i’ll come back and try to sort more things out… in fact, perhaps i’ll try to sort some things out in real time, depending on how well i pay attention… regardless… Lost, Season Six, Episode Five, The Lighthouse begins (for me)… now… off we go…

TRY TO LEAVE THE LIGHT ON…

now watching: Lighthouse – LOST 6.05

flashbacks include the plane landing safely, Christian’s missing coffin, arriving at the temple, Sayid drowning and waking… the poison pill, the torture, the darkness growing, it happened to your sister… Jin sees crazy claire…

presumably this is the _X timeline… Jack is running late, seems concerned/confused about an appendix scar… mom is on the phone, mad that Jack lost the body… he apparently had it out when he was seven, but doesn’t remember it… he’s picking up… his son? David… hmmm… what’s in a name…

rainy reflections outside the temple… Dogun says that everything is an option, but he would’ve stopped Jack from leaving… Jin, Sawyer, and Kate “probably” won’t come back… Hurley, always the gamesman… playing tic-tac-toe with Miles… off to get some grub… WOAH… it’s Jacob… better write this down… someone is coming to the island and Hurley needs to guide them in… kind of like… a lighthouse…

L-O-S-T

David storms into his room and tries to ignore daddy Jack… Jack tries to have a conversation about Alice in Wonderland, but David storms out… they don’t see each other often and there’s an awkward pause before Jack’s mom calls him… of course, David doesn’t want to come…

back at the temple… Sayid in his foreboding black tank top doesn’t like being stared at… Sayid is trying to get the whole story from Jack… Jack serves it up straight… he never was much for bedside manner… the pill was poison, they’re pretty sure that you’re going to be very bad… it happened to someone else… who?

in the woods… Jin still stuck in the polar bear trap… Claire comes to help free him after making sure that the others are dead… oh… she recognizes Jin… and she’s going to help him… he can’t walk on that leg… Jin faints

Hurley in the tunnels under the temple… looking for the right symbol… there it is… push the block… what are you doing? Dogun tells him to go back to the courtyard… Jacob appears only to Hurley and instructs him to tell Dogun to shove off… Hurley identifies himself as a candidate and Dogun gets bent out of shape and mumbles curse words (presumably) as he leaves Hurley to his business…

Still in the tunnel… Jacob complains that Hurley didn’t bring Jack… Hurley doesn’t want Jack because Jack is impossible to convince to do anything… “it’s bad enough you made me write down way too much and I had to lie to a samurai”… Hurley asks Jacob how to get jack to come… Jacob smiles wryly…

temple courtyard… playful background music… Hurley approaches Jack as if he’s the Cheshire Cat… trying to get jack intrigued about a secret tunnel… Jack won’t bite… finally Hurley pull out a trump card… “Jacob said to tell you that you have what it takes”… Obi-Wan Kenobi reference… now, Jack is on board…

Jin wakes up to a bloody stump of a leg… maybe not stump, but bloody for sure… and Valentine’s boxers? lots of explosives, an oar for a crutch… and a cradle with the skeletal remains of some sort of a dinosaur? Claire returns to the flat with one of the others – i forget his name – and she ties him up, promising to find out where he’s hiding her son…

Claire goes to get a treatment for Jin’s leg – “if there’s one thing that will kill you out here, it’s infection”… Jin asks her if she’s been alone this whole time… “Oh, no, I’m not by myself”… she leaves Jin and the other alone in the flat… the other makes a plea to get out of here now… Jin says it’s okay… the other promises that Claire will kill them both…

Hurley is leading Jack to the secret tunnel… he’s got his directions written on his forearem like a quarterback… Jack sees a backpack… they just happen to bump into Kate who, naturally pulls a gun on them… Kate doesn’t want to go back to the temple, she must find Claire… Jack explains that Claire was infected and invites her to come with him and Hurley… Kate doesn’t care, she’s gonna find Claire anyway… Hurley DOES care and says that Kate can’t come… Jack overspeaks Jacob’s order… Kate says, no… “I hope you find what you’re looking for [Jack]“… i think he already found it, but she’s leaving yet again…

Jack pulls up to his mom’s house in that crazy old Jeep… they’re going through boxes trying to find his dad’s will… she drinks, he does not… she asks about David… he was apparently upset at the funeral… bad communication runs in the family… she found it… on the bookshelf… she’s reading it and is asking about, “a Claire Littleton”…

speaking of Claire, she’s fixing some grub and sharpening an axe… the other is still trying to convince Jin to untie him… threatens to snap her neck… oh, that’s a nasty looking cut, Jin… she’s stitching him up… gross… Claire and the other start arguing about whether or not the others have Aaron… Claire knows that the others have him because she was told by her father and her friend… who’s her friend? “you’re still my friend, aren’t you Jin?”… that’s a little creepy, but an easy answer, since she’s stitching him up right now… she finishes stitching up Jin, stands up, grabs the ax, starts swinging it and tells the other that it’s his turn…

wow, only halfway through… Jack and Hurley looking for the secret tunnel… Hurley apologizes for wreaking Jack’s game with Kate… Jack says the game is totally over, Hurley says Jack would be a great dad, Jack finds an inhaler… Hurley says it was Shannon’s… they’re at the Adam and Eve caves… Hurley talks about dinosaurs, time travel and “what if these skeletons are us?”… Jack sees the smashed up casket… admits to Hurley that his dead dad led him to the caves and that he wasn’t in the coffin…

Jack brings home some pizza for dinner, but David is gone… Jack looks out on the skyline and is rather perturbed… tries to call his son… leaves a message… Jack heads to David’s mother’s house… who could it be?… the key is under a white rabbit… of course… David’s not here either, but he apparently likes classical music and old pictures of him and his dad… Jack’s listening to old answering machine messages… one’s about a performance and one is him calling from Sydney because “something happened”…

Jack and Hurley hanging out, old school jungle mission… off to do what they don’t understand… and the million dollar question is “why did you come back to the island?”… Jack deflects… Hurley says that Jacob told him he was supposed to… Jack came back because he was “broken… and stupid enough to think this place could fix [him]“… Are we there yet? almost… there it is… the lighthouse… how have they never seen THAT before? “I guess we weren’t looking for it”…

back to Claire and her axe… his name starts with a J, right?… Justin… that’s it… (had to look it up)… Claire and Justin are arguing about who has Aaron and why the others captured and tortured Claire… Justin says that it was because she was picking the others off… Claire gets ready to swing the axe… Jin says, “hold on!”

Claire looks at Jin incredulously… she explains that the others stuck her with needles and branded her, showing a scar on her shoulder… Justin doesn’t know where Aaron is… she winds up to deliver the axe-blow… Jin explains that Kate took Aaron… Justin promises to never tell anyone anything about Claire if she unties him… she’s processing a lot of information right now… and then she buries the hatchet into his chest anyway… Jin is a bit concerned as Claire leaves…

back to the lighthouse… Hurley thinks it’s cool… Jack wants to see Jacob… Hurley says they need to turn it on, but the door is jammed… Jack gives it the old college try and kicks it in…

Jack heads to the conservatory to see David’s piano recital… the one that he’s probably not supposed to know about… David is realy good and Jack is so amazed that he can’t even find a seat… there’s a judge’s panel… some random kid tells Jack that his son is really good… oh, it’s Dogun’s son… Dogun and Jack converse… about youth and gifts and not being able to help… “how long has he been playing?” “I don’t know”…

at the top of the lighthouse… lots of mirrors… oh, 108 degrees… Hurley thinks it’s super cool… Jack sees things in the mirrors… buildings… the conservatory? there are names next to each number… Jack wants to see his name pointed to… he sees a house… his house… the house he grew up in… Jack really wants to see Jacob now… “he’s been watching us this whole time”… Jack is very angry… don’t break the mirrors… don’t do it Jack… aw, crud… he broke the mirrors… who is 108? Kate rhymes with 108…

oh David… shepherd… duh, why did that take so long?… they’re talking about his performance… David didn’t want Jack to know that he played the piano… he didn’t want his father to see him fail… Jack has repeated the sins of his father… Christian used to tell him that he didn’t have what it takes… and it’s haunted him his whole life… Jack is trying to break the cycle like he broke the mirrors… man, why did he break the mirrors?… now they’re heading home for some cold pizza…

Jack on a cliff… Hurley far away… Jacob shows up and asks how it went… Hurley freaks out because he feels like he failed… Jacob says that it will be okay… Hurley figures out that Jacob got what he needed… Jack had to “understand how important he is”… he’s here to do something that he has to figure out for himself… Jacob needed to get Jack and Hurley far away from the temple because somebody bad is coming…

back to Claire’s flat… she questions Jin’s comments about Kate and Aaron… he lies and says that he lied… now he lies and tells her that Aaron is at the temple and that he’ll help her break in and find him… Jin says that he knows a secret way… Claire says that if Kate was raising Aaron, she’d kill her… in walks Claire’s friend… “not John”… woah…

L-O-S-T…

there is so much going on, but the pieces are finally falling into place… still a lot of questions and plenty of room for speculation, but we’ll see what happens…

more to come later… and, as always, check out what Robin had to say about this episode at the newly-relocated and rebranded LOST Explained…

peace… love… bdg…

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