Hotly contested seasons of American Idol and Dancing with the Stars ended with a bang this week. Glee and the Bachelorette brought even more excitement to ABC and Fox with new seasons.
Caution, spoilers ahead!
Dancing with the Stars
“Melissa and I have become quite good friends,” competitor Shawn Johnson said of her fellow finalist Melissa Rycroft on Tuesday’s finale of Dancing with the Stars, “so it’s a shame I’m going to beat her.”
And beat her Johnson did. Johnson, a 17-year-old Olympic gymnast, and her professional dance partner Mark Ballas rightfully claimed the title of season eight champions on Tuesday night. Finishing less than one percent behind Shawn in votes was actor Gilles Marini and his partner Cheryl Burke. Rycroft and her professional partner Tony Dovolani came in third. The fact that Rycroft and Marini were both more favored to win than Johnson gave the tight competition a fitting end.
Monday night’s performance pitted Marini, Johnson, and Rycroft against each other in a Paso Punchout. The three competitors performed with their partners and each couple had a solo section. This three-couple Paso Doble, or the “dance of the bull,” was absolutely electrifying. The attack and emotion that all three brought to the dance floor thrilled, proving that the competitors deserved to be in the finals.
Johnson and Ballas received 28 points out of a possible 30 from the judges for the Paso Doble, but their passionate and technically flawless performance deserved more. Judge Len Goodman sent conflicting messages as he called Johnson’s performance “exciting” but still gave the couple a nine out of 10. Also, Judge Carrie Ann Inaba told Johnson that she did not connect to the dance emotionally as well as Marini did. However, Rycroft was no more emotional in the dance than Johnson but received a score of 10 from Inaba. Marini got a well-deserved perfect score for his performance in the Paso Doble.
The second round of the finals on Monday night, the freestyle round, did not have any rules in the dance. Johnson far outshone her fellow finalists in this round with a fun, energetic freestyle that earned the only perfect score of the round. Crazy masks and fast choreography added to the great effect of the dance. Marini received a score of 28 for his Flashdance-themed freestyle. Finally, Rycroft underwhelmed the audience and judges with her disjointed freestyle that earned 27 judges’ points. Neither Rycroft nor Marini actually danced enough in their freestyles to live up to the the expectations for the amazing dancers they are.
Tuesday’s finale saw the return of all season eight couples to the dance floor. Each couple got the chance to perform a favorite dance from the season once more. Season seven champion Derek Hough was obviously not ready to relinquish his title. Hough playfully “stole” the show’s top prize, the mirror ball trophy, during his repeat jive to “Jailhouse Rock” with his season eight partner, rapper Lil’ Kim.
Jeffery Ross, a season seven contestant, returned to the ballroom to interview the finalists. Ross’ comments were distasteful and insulting to the finalists. He told the finalists that they were not famous enough to be considered stars. Ross even went as far as to imply that Lil’ Kim, who recently had a stint in jail, only appeared on the show for community service.
Finally, all of the finalists performed their favorite dances of the season for a new set of judges’ scores. Marini’s passionate Argentine Tango, Rycroft’s fun Samba, and Johnson’s energetic and precise Cha Cha Cha each earned 30 judges’ points. Johnson got a 28 the first time she did the Cha Cha Cha. The dance proved even more fun the second time and her scores reflected that. Rycroft and Marini both earned 30s the first time they did the dances they selected and managed to repeat that feat.
Marini had been a front-runner in the competition from the beginning, but Johnson ultimately stepped up her game in the past few weeks to earn the title. Her eye-popping freestyle certainly did not hurt either.
The Bachelorette
After Rycroft, who won and then apparently lost the heart of Jason Mesnick on last season of The Bachelor, competed for a mirror ball trophy on Dancing with the Stars, her friend Jillian Harris, another woman Mesnick dumped, began her search for a new life mate on a new season of The Bachelorette
During the premiere, Jillian hosted a party for 25 eligible bachelors vying for her heart. Then, five more bachelors entered the running in the middle of the party, a first in Bachelor.
From a personal country music performance to a break dance competition, many of the men on this show went to great lengths to get Jillian’s attention. However, some of them seemed to want her attention for the wrong reasons. Many of the contestants continued to emphasize how beautiful Jillian looked rather than focus on the inner beauty that Harris herself values.
One of the men Jillian has to choose from is obsessed with feet. Tanner P sneaked a look at her feet by asking her to dip them in the pool. Tanner charmed Jillian, who did not realize that he was fixated by her feet. He may have made it past the first round, but if Harris discovers this crazy obsession, Tanner will not last long.
Jillian gave the first impression rose to David, a charming man who choked up at the first sight of her. Many other men seem to be promising candidates for Harris’ heart. Commercial pilot Jake, contractor Juan, and break dance instructor Michael came off well in the premiere as well.
Who knows how the season will end? Jillian says she is looking for a man who will love her forever and be her best friend. She may become the second bachelor or bachelorette to marry someone they meet on the show.
American Idol
Host Ryan Seacrest described the Idol finals as a showdown between the “acoustic rocker” Kris Allen and the “glam rocker” Adam Lambert. According to Seacrest, just under 100 million votes were cast after Monday night’s performance show. Adorable crooner Allen was crowned the eighth American Idol on Tuesday night over the favored Lambert.
Monday night’s show featured three performances each by Allen and Lambert: the contestants’ favorite song of the season, a song chosen by American Idol creator Simon Fuller, and a song co-written by judge Kara DioGuardi called “No Boundaries.”
Lambert brought an incredible theatricality to all three of his performances on Monday night. His acting background showed when he brought incredible emotion to each performance. Lambert delivered a hauntingly beautiful rendition of “Mad World,” a song with which he earned good reviews from the judges when he first performed it weeks ago. His face showed the pain his second song expressed when he performed “Change is Gonna Come.” As DioGuardi said, Lambert has the incredible ability to sing high notes while exhibiting the internal emotion of the song. Lambert finished off the night with a powerful performance of “No Boundaries.”
Allen differs greatly from Lambert; Allen’s performances are introverted and he cannot deliver the “wow” factor that Lambert flashy performances have. “Ain’t No Sunshine,” Allen’s first performance, still showed him at his best. The performance was beautiful and moving. Judges Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson both called Allen’s second performance, “What’s Going on,” too intimate and “light.” And it was, especially compared to Lambert’s performances. The inspirational tone of “No Boundaries” should have fit Allen’s style well, but he failed to impress. He had to reach for the high notes in the song but his voice still sounded soulful and pretty.
Tuesday’s finale featured this season’s top 13 singing duets with famous artists. These duets proved that Allen and Lambert deserved to be the finalists. They both shined in the top 13 performance with Carlos Santana of “Smooth.” Lambert and Allen also put a delightful twist on “We Are the Champions” when the two sang with Queen. Allen performed a sweet duet with Keith Urban and Lambert managed to hold his own singing with Kiss. Lionel Ritchie’s duet with Danny Gokey, who came in third to Lambert and Allen, fell flat. Allison Iraheta performed an awkward duet with Cyndi Lauper of “Time after Time.”
The finale also marked the return of some who did not make it far on the season. “Bikini Girl” Katrina Darrell sang a duet with DioGuardi to reflect a conflict between the two that started in auditions when Darrell questioned DioGuardi’s talent.
Allen’s win came as a shock to many, even him. “Are you serious?” Allen asked Seacrest after he was named the winner. “Adam deserves this.”
Lambert did deserve it. Apparently, America just was not ready to see a man who wears eyeliner become the American Idol.
Glee
Fox followed the final competition on American Idol with brilliant new show about singing. Glee, which tells the story of a group of singing misfits and a jock who decides to join them, manages to balance cynicism with an uplifting and hopeful message.
The show may have a similar storyline to High School Musical, but Glee is far more realistic than the Disney juggernaut. McKinley High School football star, Finn (Cory Monteith), has to be threatened before he joins the glee club: the glee club director, Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison), tells Finn that he will tell the football coach about Finn’s invented “drug problem” if he refuses to join.
Despite its sarcastic undertones, the show’s pilot has a hopeful air. Will wants to leave teaching to make more money as an accountant to support his family. He decides to follow his passion by continuing teaching and bring glee club to Nationals and its former glory. Finn decides he does not want to be a part of the football team’s harassment of the glee club members. The pilot’s final number that the glee club sings, “Don’t Stop Believin’,” really embodies this hope that shines through the ironic elements of the show.
Lea Michele’s performance as glee club singing star Rachel Berry is a highlight of the fantastic show. Michele has an incredibly beautiful voice. She shines singing both Broadway classics like “On My Own” and in pop hits like “Don’t Stop Believin’.” Michele makes Rachel genuine and vulnerable, which draws the audience to her otherwise stuck-up and prissy character.
Fox was cruel to tempt viewers with a pilot of Glee and make them wait until the fall for more new episodes. Perhaps the two songs and free pilot of the show on iTunes will be able to tide them over.