In the end, the first person Simon predicted to win "American Idol" this season didn't end up making the final three. Early favorite LaKisha Jones got voted off this week after a few so-so performances. I don't think LaKisha ever quite matched the intensity of her performance in the first week, and a lack of versatility and an unwillingness to listen to the guest mentors might have hurt her in the end. She does have a powerful voice, though, and I wouldn't be surprised if she goes on to have a decent recording career. Plus, LaKisha, look on the bright side: You got to kiss Simon Cowell. OK, maybe that's not such a bright side.

But LaKisha's ouster might be second only to another big announcement: The "Idol" producers will be spinning off the show into a nationwide search for a band, which will follow the "Idol" format of televised auditions, live performances and phone-in votes. The show — currently called "The Search for the Next Great American Band," how inventive — is expected to debut in September. The producers will be the same, but Seacrest and the judges won't be making the trip over, so we can look forward to a whole new group of crazies. I've got to say, I'm not sure about this trend of shows launching spinoffs on the heels of their weakest seasons (you hear me, "Grey's Anatomy"?). What do you think? Meanwhile, to hear some of my other thoughts on Wednesday's results show, read more

  • Oh, Seacrest: "You can really tell we have an hour to fill tonight," he said, after an extended segment of making random folks on the street sing "Staying Alive."
  • Pink was wearing ... a spider? Blake, meanwhile wore a T-shirt meant to look like the front of a tuxedo, and Jordin wore some earrings the size of her head.
  • Finally, we got to learn a little bit about the "Idol" contestants personally! Doesn't it seem like the "meet the family" bits came earlier in the other seasons? Among the revelations: Three of the final four (all but Jordin) are only children; Melinda was a goody-goody in school while the other three were troublemakers; and little-kid Jordin looked exactly like teenage Jordin.
  • Pimpomercial: A "Hard Day's Night"-ish homage, set to "You Really Got Me," with the four remaining Idols running away from a throng of cheering children.
  • The group sings are a guilty pleasure of mine, but the Barry Gibb medley really did drag on, didn't it? The best part was Seacrest referring to the four of them as "The Lewis Sisters."
  • Barry Gibb's voice = nails on a chalkboard. Seriously, ow.
  • "The top three get to go home!" Seacrest gushed to the final four. Actually, Ryan, all four of them get to go home — just three of them will be followed by an "American Idol" crew the whole time.
  • Cuteness of the night: The contestants huddling together and refusing to face Seacrest when he (finally) got around to reading the results.
  • About 45 million votes came in this week, down from last week but well above the pre-"Idol Gives Back" average.

    • Photo courtesy of Fox

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