This is the part of the American Idol season in which the show descends gently into a relative ratings hammock, which sways gently between the Really Bad Singers episodes and the Really Good Singers episodes (the final four or so). But I’ve always had a soft spot for the Hollywood-audition episodes, which introduce a nice hell-is-other-people element, as aspirants try to make it to the next round without being dragged down by their loser partner who was out partying until 4 in the morning. Maybe it’s the aftereffects of having watched Fame as a preteen. Maybe I’m just a sucker for three-part arrangements of Band of Gold.
But there’s something else. There’s a special zone between utter rejection and glorious success–the heartbreak of being very, very good, but not quite good enough–and I can’t really think of another show on TV that captures it so well. Mostly it’s the three-part arrangements of Band of Gold, though.