Episode Recap: American Idol - Season 6, Episode 10 (The Top 24)

Episode 10 - The Top 24 Are Chosen Original Air Date: February 14, 2007 Forty contestants are left, but ony 24 will survive the end of this episode. That means sixteen will be eliminated (that's just in case you're too lazy to do the Math yourself). The contestants are made to sit in a holding room while they wait to be called one by one to take the elevator ride up to the judge's room. The whole episode will consist of contestants going to that room, sitting down, and hearing the verdict. Of course, the judges could've just eliminated 36 people instead of 20 last night, or they could just tell all sixteen losers at once that they're out. But then FOX wouldn't be able milk another night of advertising revenue out of this show, now would they? Another thing I don't like about this episode is that the judges feel some psychopathic need to be cute when they tell the winners they get to go on to the next round. For every single winner, the judges use a variation of one of these comments: "I'm sorry to tell you .... [long pause] ... [takes a swig of whatever alcoholic beverage is contained in the red cup]... [picks something out of teeth] ... [checks breath and pops a Tic Tac in mouth]... that you're going to be seeing a lot more of us." "We've decided that you're not... excluded from the next round." "I have to tell you now that you haven't... failed to make it to the next round." For the Love of Goober, make it stop! It's not cute anymore. It was never clever. And besides, these people have been waiting all day in the little room. Do you really need to stretch out their suspense anymore? Highlights Sanjaya, who was separated from his sister last round, makes it. Extremely tall Anna "the Giraffe" doesn't. She does get an apology from Simon for the giraffe comment, though. Melinda, background singer, makes it. "There's a reason people are background singers," Simon tells her, "Usually it's because you're not as good as the other singers. So you may be surprised to learn... you're good enough to be at the front of the stage... You're no longer a backup singer." Simon even comes out from behind the table to hug her. Regina Glockson, been training for last two years like Rocky and was booted off last season. Paula tells her she's made it. "Shut up!" she says. Philip Stacy, who missed the birth of his daughter to audition for American Idol, makes it. Chris Sligh, everyone's favorite funny guy, walks in to the judge's room and says, "You guys are probably wondering why I called this meeting today." He makes it. Beat Boxer Blake is another member of Chris' super boy band that blew the roof of during the group rounds. He makes it, too. Thomas Lowe and Rudy Cardenas are the other two members of the boy band. Rudy makes it, Thomas doesn't. Paul Kim has decided to go barefoot each and every time he makes the sho. He also wears the same pair of underwear, his "lucky drawers", on every cut day. He makes it, smelly undies and all. Alaina Alexander looks as if she is about to have a nervous breakdown. She doesn't want to sit at first when she faces the judges, but she finally does. She makes it. She tearfully promises to take their criticism and apply it, then blubbers, "Anything you can tell me...?" "Yes," Simon says, "Blow your nose." Antonella, one of the "best friends", makes it. Sundance Head makes it. Thomas Daniels, who slept on the street behind trash cans so he would make it to his first audition, doesn't make it. He makes sure to flip off the camera in the elevator. Referring to Thomas' size, Sundance says, "If I do make it, I'll make you my bodyguard." Now that's a real sensitive thing to say. Next week - It's up to YOU, America!