TV recaps: 'Idol' result, more

Image credit: Fox

MYSPACED OUT After casting her fears aside for one more "Hero," the eliminated Karen Rodriguez entered the warm embrace of her own hero's pointy lavender talons

Episode 19 | Aired Mar 17, 2011

A singer goes home, an Idol returns, and the Black Eyed Peas care about Japan

By Annie Barrett | Published Mar 17, 2011

It's times like this ? as well as every day ? that I wish I had taken Spanish instead of French. �Spanish expressions of anger and sadness! That works, right? Not really. But neither did pretty much anything about Karen Rodriguez's run on American Idol. The lovely and sweet MySpace enthusiast left the Idoldome on last night's results show after begging the judges to look inside their hearts and save her. Oof. I liked Karen, but the voice was really not there! The crescendo of ohhhhhs before the bridge during her final performance of Mariah Carey's "Hero" was cringeworthy, and then two seconds later her voice full-out cracked. It was a major television event. "The CRITICAL moment on this stage," as Ryan had called it just after urging viewers to text 90999 to donate to Japan via the Red Cross.

Karen insisted she didn't want to cry. But since that's just nonsense talk, just when she was on the brink of a breakdown, Ryan tipped it in by reminding her: "Your mother is here watching you." Oh, no, her adorable mom! The one who thought she deserved it. Ryan, you devil.

Haley Reinhart and Naima Adedapo joined Karen in the bottom three. No big surprises there. Hey, maybe I'll shake things up with a bulleted list.

Annie's March 17, 2011 Results Show Highlights

• Grandmother Tyler's sparkly green necklace (and, it should go without saying, sparkly purple blazer)
• Bagpipe music and green-laser light show for St. Patrick's Day. Cheers to the lighting director for hitting the sauce early! (If I were Scotty McCreery, I'd call him "mate.") The only thing better would have been an impromptu Durbin/Abrams/McDonald Riverdance. With Seacrest. And Lusky Stank, because why not?
• The studio audience's tepid Dude, Where's My Car? reaction to Ryan's announcement that the Idol compilation album was under their chairs
• Jacob fulfilling his childhood dream of being an anchorman (a fine step up from "journalist," indeed) in one of the most painful Ford Music Videos yet
• Thia Megia putting our fears that she might be a boring robot to rest when she announced that she collects quarters with her grandpa
• Silly Sally censors bleeping the s--- out of Pia's "shih tzu"
• Paul McDonald announcing that he'd taken vitamins

As you can see, a jam-packed show!

NEXT: A liiiiiive group dance, Lee DeWyze, and the Black Eyed Peas

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