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Tuesday's "American Idol" was bizarre in so many ways.

First, they were determined to fit 10 performances (two each from the Top 5) into an hour (and, actually, I'm grateful for that). But, as a result, everything was rushed and the judging set-up was just weird. Then there were the performances, but we'll get to that in a moment.

The weird judging set-up brought what ended up being the highlight of the evening for me: a glimpse into Paula Abdul's parallel universe.

They rushed through the first five performances, with Ryan Seacrest informing us that the judges will only judge after the whole bunch in the first round.

So they line up the Top 5 on stage, and Randy Jackson quickly goes down the line, giving a one-sentence take on each performance.

Then we get to Paula, who starts out flustered by having to, you know, speak coherently and quickly and read from her notes. She tells Jason Castro his first performance was fine but that his second performance lacked his usual charm. Huh?! You mean the second performance he hasn't given yet? The audience starts tittering, Randy and Simon Cowell look at her like she's a martian and Randy informs her that it's only the first performance.

Paula is dumbfounded that there's only been one performance from each, Randy is trying to explain it to her while Simon tells her to just pick her favorite. Seriously, it was as if she just dropped in from a stop at the bar or something. And the whole ordeal kinda saved the show for me, 'cause it's all really started to bore me.

It's Neil Diamond week, which means, of course, he has a new album coming out (what? they couldn't get Madonna?).

So, yeah, there were performances.

David Cook was "in his zone" as Randy said on both of his performances, "I'm Alive" and "All I Really Need is You," two lesser-known Diamond songs. He's really standing out week after week, and I really think he has a good chance to win this whole thing.

David Archuleta, who will almost definitely be in the Top 2, almost did the same thing he does every week. He sang "Sweet Caroline," showing a little more pep than he has in weeks, and "America," taking a page from the Kristy Lee Cook book of song choice (patriotic song = another week guaranteed). He did OK with "America," but he lacks the "meat" in his voice to really sell it. It just sounded a little sanitized from him, I guess.

Syesha Mercado was awesome with "Hello Again," and a little less awesome with "Thank the Lord for the Nighttime." Sadly, it doesn't really matter what I or anyone thinks at this point, because I think she's going home this week.

Brooke White was downright awkward trying to do another happy, guitar-strumming song with "I'm a Believer." She redeemed herself with "I Am, I Said" at the piano. It was quite nicely done, especially considering it's a difficult song.

Jason Castro just needs to go home now. He was OK on "Forever in Blue Jeans" but very weak on "September Morn." He really doesn't look like he wants to be there anymore, which makes watching his performances just painful to watch.

But Jason will likely still get enough votes to be safe. I think Syesha and Brooke will be in the Bottom 2, with Syesha going home. But I was oh-so-wrong last week, so who knows?

What did you think?

There's a real shocker every season on "Idol." And while Michael Johns' ouster a couple of weeks ago was surprising, I didn't consider it a shock.

This week, consider me shocked. Actually, no, call me dumbfounded. Apparently, I was watching an entirely different show than the gajillions of people who voted Tuesday night.

It's so ridiculous that I can hardly believe it enough to write it: Carly Smithson was voted off. She and Syesha Mercado, the other contestant who finally showed some personality (and whose performance I also loved) were in the Bottom 2.

The cringe-inducing performance from Jason Castro and the stop-starting of Brooke White earned them yet another week. I'm not disappointed that Brooke is staying, necessarily. But I really need for Jason to go. He's driving me up a wall with his doofus, croony schtick.

I don't necessarily feel bad for Carly; she didn't seem to feel bad for herself. She'll have a CD out within a year, I bet, and I might just check it out.

But I feel bad for "Idol." I mean, with Carly gone, who will be No. 3 (assuming the Davids are 1 and 2)? I think most of us thought it would be Carly.

We also heard more from Andrew Lloyd Webber about theater performance and his take on the "Idol" performances (and honestly so ... so I'm sure he was shocked with the results, too). I'd love to see "Idol" keep doing a Broadway theme every year. I think it's a nice change of pace and it's more challenging than contestants expect.

Oh, and some singer (Leona Lewis, was it?) who is apparently the biggest thing in the world right now, sang some song I've never heard. Guess I'm too old ...

Next week is Neil Diamond week.

So, did your jaw hit the ground when the results were revealed? Who is your pick for the third spot now? Have you ever heard of this Lewis girl?

It was Andrew Lloyd Webber night on "American Idol" Tuesday, which means one thing: A make-or-break night for our Top 6.

I know there are some people who hate Webber and/or musicals in general. I am not one of them.

That said, there still were some cringe-worthy moments in Tuesday's performances.

But let's start with the great, fantastic and fabulous (all in the same performances, no less).

Syesha Mercado finally revealed some personality on stage. I don't know who scared her into being so boring before (Simon and his "Broadway" cracks, perhaps?). But Tuesday's performance of "One Rock 'n' Roll Too Many" from "Starlight Express" was phenomenal. The judges were right on: She has a Broadway career in her future. I think this performance came in the nick of time, too. Before Tuesday night, she was my pick to go home this week. Now I think she'll stay for at least another week.

David Cook, whom I've had mixed feelings about from week to week, really, really impressed me (really) with his understated, controlled performance of "Music of the Night" from "Phantom of the Opera." He showed a range that I hadn't noticed before, and his light touch proved that he can pull off a ballad without turning it into a rock show. Kudos to his versatility! The very last part at the end (where he kinda did a run instead of sticking to one note) I could have done without, though. Up until then, it was absolutely perfect. I got chills, it was that good.

Carly Smithson wisely took ALW's advice and chose "Jesus Christ Superstar" over her earlier selection, "All I Ask of You." And she was awesome. It may have gotten a little shouty, but she really had fun with it, and it showed. I hope she can keep up the momentum in future weeks; she obviously has it in her to do better than she has been.

David Archuleta did an Archuleta'd, pop version of "Think of Me" from "Phantom." It was very well done, of course. And he heeded ALW's advice and kept his eyes open. But it was still more of the same and, honestly, it's getting sooo boring. Is he ever going to step out of that box? And are the judges ever going to call him on it (like they do so many others), or are they just going to keep heaping praise on him week after week for his robotic performances? I mean, talk about lacking in personality ... Sure, he's a great singer, but would you want a whole CD of this stuff? I wouldn't.

Now for the bad ... and oh, boy, where they bad. And, sadly, they performed one right after the other. It was scary.

Jason Castro was obviously terrified going in, knowing that most of these Broadway tunes were way out of his league. And he was right to be scared. When he said he was going to sing "Memory" from "Cats," I knew we were in for a bumpy ride. It was torturous, and Simon hit the nail on the head when he likened it to a kid being forced to sing at a wedding. It was obvious Jason hated it as much as we did. Poor guy, but his voice is just too thin. He doesn't have the power to project very well, especially with most of the ALW songs they had to choose from. I think he's in real danger this week.

Brooke White. Oh, Brooke. What is going on?! I gasped when she stopped and started over. Seriously? Again? After that, it was just too distracting for her and for us and her performance of "You Must Love Me" from the "Evita" film soundtrack was too unsteady and self-conscious. The judges launched into a debate over whether or not she should have stopped and restarted. I see Paula's point, but I think I take Simon's and Randy's side on this one: it's better to stop and start right than to continue on into the Archuleta train-wreck we witnessed weeks ago. But, either way, it's a horrible thing to do. The lesson: Know your song!

So Jason and Brooke are definitely in the Bottom 3 tonight. Who will be there with them? I'm thinking Carly, although there's no way she's going home. David C. and Syesha were just too good Tuesday to be in the Bottom 3, and Archuleta was good enough and has the fan base to keep him out of there, too.

What do you think? Did you love or hate any performances Tuesday? Who will go home? Do you think Brooke should have stopped and restarted?

AFTER WEDNESDAY RESULTS: After a bizarre Red Rover-type elimination process, Kristy Lee Cook was sent home on "American Idol" Wednesday.

Ryan tried his best to trick us, but since he's done this in past seasons, I doubt that many people were fooled (especially when they didn't go to great lengths to get Jason Castro to sit on the couch or David Cook to sit on the stools).

I was so relieved to see Kristy Lee go before Brooke White. I really want to see what more Brooke has to offer. I know she won't win the whole thing (or even be in the Top 3), but I'd like to see her in the Top 5, at least, maybe even Top 4 (over Jason and Syesha Mercado).

We also got a performance from Elliott Yamin, whose sweet mother recently passed away (remember her? She seemed so cool). And, of course, Mariah performed. I fast-forwarded through her performance, but I watched Elliott's. I wouldn't run out and buy his CD (sorry), but he certainly is a talented guy.

Next week is Andrew Lloyd Webber week, and word is that it won't just be a general Broadway theme. They're doing "The music of Andrew Lloyd Webber." This should be a real test for the Top 6, and it could be either fascinating or really painful to watch. 

UPDATED after Thursday's elimination:

I have to say, I gasped in shock when Ryan said Michael Johns was going home. And I don't gasp a lot during "Idol" elimination nights.

Looking at the trio in the Bottom 3 (once again, ignoring those poor Bottom 3 stools -- sorry, everyone, I just can't get over that, I guess), I could understand why he was there. But I fully expected Syesha Mercado or Carly Smithson to go home.

So, wow.

But I think Michael's biggest problem was finding his niche, especially compared to the other guys left. You know, David Cook is the rocker, David Archuleta is the Josh-Groban-esque crooner and Jason Castro is the strumming, chilled-out crooner. But what was Michael Johns? The blues singer? A Freddie Mercury-type? A rocker, kind of? I'm still not sure.

But, like just about everyone else left in the competition, he'll have some success and I'm sure we'll see a CD out from him within a year. So, no worries for him.

So now we have four girls and three guys left, and the competition is getting tougher. But I think it's becoming clearer it will be a David vs. David final, so the other five will just get picked off in a somewhat random order until then. Kinda takes the fun out of it, but that's kind of typical for "Idol."

That said, perhaps we'll get an even bigger shocker in weeks to come?

So, were you shocked? Who did you think should have gone home instead?

After Wednesday's telethon:

We were treated to not one, but two Miley Cyrus performances during "Idol Gives Back" Tuesday night (one of them after a tad-too-long comedy bit between the teen queen and Billy Crystal).

Truth be told, I fast-forwarded through both performances (I'm waaay out of her target audience), but considering her popularity, I'm sure millions watched her over and over again. I just hope those millions also translated into more money donated to the worthy causes in "Idol Gives Back."

Highlights of the 2 1/2-hour telethon, for me:

The opening dance and music number was incredible -- the dancing was outstanding, I thought. I was surprised to hear they were "So You Think You Can Dance?" contestants. I might just have to check that show out now. (I got sucked into Randy Jackson's "America's Next Big Dance Crew" on MTV earlier this spring; did any of you see that?)

I also loved (and was surprised by the out-of-network promotion) the Teri Hatcher/Mike Delfino (whatever his real name is) "Desperate Housewives" bit with Carrie Underwood. It ended with a weak performance by Teri (keep your day job, Teri) but she was backed by "The Band From TV", which turned into a game of "hey! it's that guy!" Good times.

I thought it was a good touch to have the Idols answering phones and not worryng about elimination Tuesday night. I bet that alone attracted more calls.

Ben Stiller and Jimmy Kimmel were funny; Robin Williams was OK (maybe I was just ready for the show to be over at that point).

Annie Lennox, of course, was brilliant with "Many Rivers to Cross"  and Underwood was incredible. And the Fergie-Heart performance was an unexpected treat.

Also amazing: British PM Brown pledging 20 million mosquito nets to help keep children in African nations safe from malaria-carrying mosquitoes. Wow.

I was getting antsy at the end, wondering where Brad Pitt was (Ryan promised!), but then he showed up. He offered a tear-jerking video from New Orleans, which was followed by another of Daughtry in Uganda. Of course, the night was full of these videos. But that's good. It reminded us all of what Tuesday's show was about, and that we all have the power to make a difference, here in the U.S. and around the world.

Sigh -- warm hugs everyone! (Quick, before we get back into the cutthroat business of ousting another "Idol" contestant Thursday night.)

UPDATED with Wednesday results:

A very teary Ramiele was sent home Wednesday night, and I'm guessing not many people were surprised. Well, except for Kristy Lee, who apparently is kind of enjoying her nearly permanent spot in the Bottom 3 (which I find kind of endearing in an odd way).

The fact that Brooke joined them there, though, was a surprise. I totally expected Jason to be there before Brooke.

Next week is "Idol Gives Back" week, so I'm guessing they'll be singing "inspirational" songs like they did last year (anyone else worried about Archuleta's song choice?).

So Tuesday is an hour, but Wednesday's show is (hold on to your keyboards) 2 1/2 hours! Methinks there will be much fast-forwarding. I really only care about some of the celebrities they are promising. Here's hoping there won't be another Il Divo performance this year ...

UPDATED Wednesday afternoon with news about David Cook being rushed to the hosptial last night (he's OK -- high blood pressure and anxiety).

Here's the link to the Fox News story:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,344851,00.html

POSTED EARLIER Wednesday: Dolly Parton coached the "Idol" contestants Tuesday, setting the stage for what could have been a very disappointing display of country music performances.

But it ended up only being kinda disappointing.

My disclaimer from the start: I've never been a big country music fan and didn't know most of these songs, and I watched this after a fun-filled election night in the newsroom.

But still, I wasn't as cranky about the whole thing as Simon appeared to be. He's like this for every country night, yet he claims it's not the music itself. At least Paula loved every performance -- we can always count on her for that.

The Pretty Good

David Cook got a haircut! Yea! He looks sooo much better! Oh, and he continued to impress with his offering of "Little Sparrow." He seems to do well every week, and I find myself looking forward to his performances.

Carly Smithson was amazing, again, on a slower-tempo "Here You Come Again." But it still feels like she's not connecting with the audience or something. It's so weird.

David Archuleta was nearly flawless, again, on "Smoky Mountain Memories." But he did what he's done for the past bazillion weeks (well, after he flubbed the lyrics that one week): He came out and sang a nice ballad, emoted in all the right places and smiled at the end. Seriously, is he capable of singing anything else? Inquiring minds want to know.

Syesha Mercado surprised me. I was dreading "I Will Always Love You," 'cause we've all heard it ad nauseum on "Idol" in the past -- and we were all bracing ourselves for Randy to name-drop and say it's not as good as Whitney. But Syesha's understated, controlled performance (especially at the beginning) was very well done. The best "Idol" performance of the song I've seen.

The OK

Brooke White did an OK job on "Jolene," but I thought it was a weird song choice for her. She couldn't do much with it. And she kept smiling, while singing about another woman taking her man. I think she needs to listen to the lyrics a little more closely.

Jason Castro was kinda the same he is every week, strumming on his guitar to "Traveling Through." But he did show a little more spunk and emotion this week. I still think he might end up in the Bottom 3 again this week. His luster is fading.

Kristy Lee Cook's performance of "Coat of Many Colors" was in key and all that, but it was boring. She sat through most of it, and her wardrobe choice just didn't mesh with the country theme (my fiance says she looked more like a hippie).

Michael Johns gave us a bluesy "It's All Wrong, but it's All Right" which was all right. I don't know what else to say about it, it just didn't impress me a whole lot.

The horrible

Please, will someone make Ramiele Malubay go away? Why is she still in this competition? Her voice is so thin, her performance so hesitant on "Do I Every Cross Your Mind?", just like it is every week. Oh, and this just in: She's small. We get it. She can go home now.

So, no one to get overly excited about this week (or this season), in my opinion. I'm still waiting for someone to break away from the pack (David Cook is heading that way).

Bottom 3 tonight should be Ramiele (who should go home), Jason Castro and ... and ... oh, just roll a die, really.  I think the only really safe ones are the Davids.

But Ramiele might make us cringe for another few weeks, at least. She must have some kind of major voting bloc backing her; I don't think she's been in the Bottom 3 yet, and she's been oh-so-deserving for weeks now.

Who did you love, like, hate? Who do you think will and/or should go home tonight?