Michael Becker/FOXLet it be known that the judges didn't just prolong the inevitable last week.
More than 45 million votes were cast Tuesday and the voters apparently thought better of Matt Giraud: Despite his not all that great rendition of "Stayin' Alive," they threw enough support in his corner to put him in the Top Five.
But when one is saved, two must be sacrificed.
Or so went this season's new rule, which mandated that the American Idol judges could save one otherwise out-of-luck contestant whom they felt deserved another chance. But as Matt's fellow hopefuls rallied around him last week, they knew full well that two heads would roll tonight.
Disco night played host to several truly great performances, leaving little room for error among the quickly dwindling group.
And the love ran out for Lil Rounds, who after several imitative performances in a row was finally given her walking papers. To her credit, she sang the guts out of "I'm Every Woman" after hearing the bad, yet probably unsurprising, news—an encore that elicited a "Why didn't you sing like that last night?!" from Paula Abdul.
Also finished is Anoop Desai, who also went out on a far stronger version of "Dim All the Lights" than the one he offered up yesterday.
Meanwhile, Matt joined the yet-to-hurt trio of Danny Gokey, Adam Lambert and Kris Allen, none of whom have been in the bottom three to date. (Although that obviously changes now that there are only five left.)
And in case you hadn't done the math yet, Allison Iraheta is still in it to win it—barely. The 16-year-old again inexplicably found herself among the lesser vote getters. (Maybe the problem's the white patent-leather platforms, because it certainly shouldn't be her pipes.)
With two contestants getting the boot, there wasn't too much time for pleasantries, but the judges told each castoff that "this is only the beginning."
David Archuleta, proof that the journey doesn't end if you don't win and that being the so-called frontrunner week after week doesn't guarantee a victory, stopped by to perform "Touch My Hand."
(Originally published April 22, 2009, at 7:10 p.m. PT)