American Idol trimmed four more hopefuls from its ranks Thursday night, leaving an even dozen to duke it out in the finals.
In the final round of multiple eliminations, Kinnik Sky, Will Makar, Ayla Brown and Gedeon McKinney were issued walking papers, a result that even the judges predicted incorrectly.
Sky and Makar were the first to fall, after each received the lowest number of votes in their gender group. Both seemed resigned to their fate and maintained their composure as they gave their last performances.
Then it came time to name the six girls who would be continuing on to the finals. One by one, Paris Bennett, Katharine McPhee, Kellie Pickler, Mandisa and Lisa Tucker all made their way across the stage, leaving Brown and Melissa McGhee waiting to learn which one of them would claim the last spot.
Always one to make the most of a suspenseful situation, Ryan Seacrest took a moment to ask Randy Jackson which contestant he thought had made it through.
"It's a tough decision. But I guess at this moment, I would probably have to pick Ayla," Jackson said.
As it turned out, the viewers disagreed, sending an overjoyed McGhee to the finals instead.
Upon hearing her verdict, Brown's chin quivered, and she tried vainly to hold back her tears, explaining, "I never cry."
"It's okay to cry," Seacrest said. "It's because you care."
Clearly devastated, Brown managed to pull it together for a wavering final performance before dashing backstage.
Next came the moment of truth for the guys. Taylor Hicks, Ace Young, Chris Daughtry, Elliott Yamin and Kevin Covais quickly joined the girls in the good seats, leaving McKinney and Bucky Covington to sweat it out.
Again, Seacrest turned to the judges, asking Simon Cowell to predict which hopeful viewers would put through to the finals.
"I think they would have put Gedeon through," Cowell said.
But once again, the judges proved fallible, and a grateful Covington advanced to the finals.
Though he admitted he was surprised by the result, McKinney managed to keep smiling as he gave his final performance.
"By the blood of Jesus I'm saved," he said. "This is only the beginning."
According to Seacrest, more than 46 million votes were cast to determine which hopefuls were worthy of a spot in the final 12.
As the four ousted contestants packed their bags to head home, the 12 elated finalists went on to celebrate their good fortune at a red carpet bash in West Hollywood.
"This is amazing. I don't know if it hit me yet," said Lisa Tucker, who, at 16, is the youngest female contestant in the competition.
Country girl Kellie Pickler said her father, currently incarcerated in Florida State Prison, has been cheering her on from behind bars.
"Him and all the guys there gather round to watch," she said. "They made me this huge card and sent it out here, saying 'Go get 'em, Kellie. We're picking Pickler.' "
Starting next week, the talent search drops down to two nights on Fox, with all the contestants performing on Tuesday, followed by the results show on Wednesday.
As an added bonus for Idol fans who simply can't get enough of the show, American Idol Extra, a new window into "the backstage drama of what really happens" after contestants are eliminated, premieres Thursday on Fox Reality.
In its fifth season, American Idol continues to dominate the ratings, consistently averaging between 25 million and 30 million viewers each telecast.