OK, so American Idol didn't actually take a trip to Dolly Parton's theme park (though that would have been great television, don't you think?) — instead, Parton came to them. The country legend was this season's first guest coach, taking the remaining nine contestants through the songs in her well-known catalog.

Parton was sweet and had praise for every contestant — and yet, her appearance made me glad they've cut back on the mentors this season. The clips of each of the singers working with Dolly were occasionally cute but not all that revealing, and Parton even admitted herself that she couldn't bring herself to criticize the singers, so it's not like we got much there. No wonder we didn't know the contestants as well last year when practically every episode had a mentor!

As I mentioned earlier, country week has been a tough week for many Idol hopefuls, with a handful heading home before their time because they just weren't convincing singing country. So who sailed through this week and who should be worried? Don't forget to vote for who you think is going home, and to read my thoughts and add yours, just read more.

Brooke White — Dolly, like the rest of Brooke's fans, liked her warmth and honesty in rehearsal. The acoustic guitar came back out for her performance of "Jolene," which I thought was a perfect choice for her. I didn't think, though, that she seemed to be really connecting with the song; she seemed overly earnest and not completely wrapped up in the performance the way she was with "Let it Be." Randy thought it was pitchy and rushed, Paula thought she stayed true to herself, and Simon said it was basically busking. Brooke really needs to not talk back to the judges so much.

David Cook — Well, hopefully that whole pre-performance interview will kill the covers controversy. This time his arrangement of "Little Sparrow" was his own. It didn't blow my mind like, say, his "Eleanor Rigby"; it sounded like any other alt-rock power ballad. But hey, that's his thing, and he does it well. Randy liked the falsetto bits, Paula liked his new slightly off-the-forehead haircut, and Simon said it wasn't as good as last week but he managed to make "a song about a sparrow" sound good. What is it with Simon and his aversion to bird songs?

Ramiele Malubay — Aw, Dolly seemed thrilled to be dealing with someone her own size. Ramiele came out singing "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind?" and frankly, I thought she sounded awful. Her voice practically went away during some parts of the song, like she could barely squeeze out the notes or was running out of breath or something. The judges were more charitable: Randy said it was a mixed bag, Paula thought she really connected with the audience (must be all the choreographed hand-clapping in the mosh pit), and Simon said she sang it well (really?) but it was forgettable and cruise ship-y.

Jason Castro — Heh, Dolly called him "funky-looking." Jason, too, brought out the guitar for "Traveling Through," and that's not the only way I thought his performance was like Brooke's. He basically did his usual thing, strumming and smiling, and I could see where Simon was coming from with the busking comment last week. Randy said it started out rough but got better, Paula said it was strong, and Simon said if that was the first time he'd seen Jason, he wouldn't have gotten him.

Carly Smithson — Dolly praised her for her song choice, "Here You Come Again," and it did play to the strengths of her voice. I finally figured out what bugs me about Carly, though: She seems so worried about hitting things perfectly that you can see her working and thinking through every single syllable. I'd love to see her just completely let go sometime. Randy said it was one of the night's best, Paula said it was great and bickered with Randy about his comments to Carly last week, and Simon said it was good but not great and she needs to start dressing better.

David Archuleta — Dolly got emotional hearing his take on "Smoky Mountain Memories." David is actually able to seem like he's always invested in his songs, which is cool and a little weird for a 17-year-old; I wonder why he hasn't gotten the comments Jordin got last season about not being believable singing adult songs? (Maybe because he doesn't sing about love?) It was a perfect song for his voice, but this is starting to seem too easy for him; I'd like to see him stretch. Randy said David was back and called him the new best of the night, Paula said his tone was amazing, and Simon said the song choice was "on the money."

Kristy Lee Cook — Dolly thought Kristy really connected with "Coat of Many Colors." I'll give her credit for this: She didn't actively screw it up. And her voice does sound best when she's singing country (and songs that are actually country, not just made to sound that way). Randy said it was Kristy Lee Week, Paula called it her best performance, and Simon called it pleasant but forgettable.

Syesha Mercado — Dolly liked the way Syesha chose to arrange "I Will Always Love You," which was a hybrid of the Dolly and Whitney versions. But um, here's the thing: Is it possible to hear that song anymore and not automatically hear the Whitney version in your head? That's why it will always be a dangerous song for Idol. Kudos to Syesha for attempting it and not falling flat on her face, but her voice almost sounded too simple and shallow for the song. Randy said she did a pretty good job with the "biggest tiger of the night," Paula loved the velvety tone of her voice, and Simon said it was good but not fantastic.

Michael Johns — It was cute to see how big a Dolly fan Michael was. He put a bluesy, soul-y spin on "It's All Wrong, but It's All Right," and while I haven't been the biggest supporter of Michael's this season, it was cool to see him show a side of himself that I didn't even know was there. Randy called it "blazing hot," Paula said he's a superstar, and Simon called it Michael's best yet.

My favorites: Michael, the Davids.

Bottom three: Ramiele, Kristy Lee, Carly

Going home: Ramiele. She's cute, but she's outstayed her welcome.

Photos courtesy of Fox