Review: American Idol Season 7; The Hollywood Week Episode

Hollywood week on Fox's American Idol has usually been full of drama, from the real heartbreak of contestants being cut to the manufactured tension of group performances. This year, they did things a little differently.

The two hour Hollywood week special started with clips of contestants singing individually for the Simon, Paula and Randy, with the judges giving the better performers a "free pass" until the third day of Hollywood week, and the not-so-good performers another chance the next day. The first hour of the show was relatively drama free, as even the not-so-good performers knew they would have a second chance. The only drama of the first day seemed completely manufactured, as Simon walked off after arguing with Paula about the fate of the aspiring politician contestant Kyle Ensley.

Another thing they did differently this year was to allow contestants to accompany themselves on instruments, if they chose. For some contestants, like Brooke White and Josiah Leming, this worked well. For others, like the guy who chose to play the drums while he sang "Hooked on a Feeling," it didn't work so well at all.

The second day the brutal cuts began. Many of the contestants who were featured prominently in the audition process were cut at this point, as the contestants lined up in groups of 10 and performed accapella one at a time. Having a compelling sob story was no guarantee that you would progress any further in the competition, as single parents Perrie Cataldo, Suzanne Toon, and Jessica Brown were cut at this point. As was Angela Martin, who had tragedy heaped upon tragedy prior to Hollywood week. During her audition in Philadelphia, we learned that she is a single parent, and that her adorable daughter has Rett's Syndrome. During Hollywood week, we learned that her father was killed a mere two weeks before her trip to California. I would have liked to have seen her go farther, because she was a talented singer and genuinely likable.