Smokey Robinson stopped by American Idol this week to advise the 10 remaining contestants in the ways of Motown. The night included footage of a trip to Detroit, some weird stuff with Paula, Simon, and a magic marker, and a lot of fairly boring performances. Or maybe it wasn't the performances as much as the show itself, which seemed bloated with random asides (a coloring book?) and yet somehow still managed to seem rushed by the end.

All in all, I wouldn't say this was one of the season's more memorable outings, though there were still some performances that will have people talking. If you haven't already, go tell me which singer you think is headed home, and to check out my take, just read more.

Matt Giraud — Initially I thought "Let's Get It On" would be a good pick for Matt, but his high notes were really not working for me, though he did appear to gain confidence when he stepped out to center stage and got his soulful groove on. Simon said it was a brilliant song choice, Kara said the girls will want to get it on with him now, and Randy said he's one of the frontrunners.

Kris Allen — It's official: I like Kris more with the guitar than without. I liked the little singer-songwriter-y vibe he got going on "How Sweet It Is (to Be Loved By You)," and the slow bit at the start showed off his voice. I'm worried he may go into Jason Castro not-really-trying territory, but it's working so far. Kara praised his modern spin, but Simon said he needs more star quality.

Scott MacIntyre — "You Can't Hurry Love" seemed in Scott's comfort zone, even as the least adult-contemporary thing we've heard him sing. I thought his voice kept pace with his piano playing for the first time, though does that mean the piano was worse? I can't say I found it terribly memorable. Simon called the performance cheap, and Kara liked the tempo but not the melody.

Megan Joy — First, whoever's dressing her should be fired. Second, Megan should have ditched the strutting and camera-flirting and sung "For Once in My Life" the calmer, quieter way she did for Smokey, because this performance turned her unique, jazzy voice into weak karaoke. The judges universally said it was a mess, with Simon saying she's in serious trouble.

Anoop Desai — Sure, some people love Lambert, and some love Giraud, but for my money, Anoop is Idol's true heartthrob this year, and "Oooh Baby Baby" played into that image. I give him a thumbs-up for proving he can really sing, but a thumbs-down for lack of creativity. All together, the judges' feedback boiled down to: We get it, you can sing, now be fun, please.

Michael Sarver — Remember my range rule? Michael stomped all over it with "Ain't Too Proud to Beg." I mean, it's just the same three notes we've heard from him every week (not including the high ones he missed). I'm bored. So's Simon, who said it wasn't good enough. Even Paula called it Vegas lounge-y.

Lil Rounds — Love the wig, love the choice of "Heat Wave," didn't love the performance. It was actually more unique when she sang for Smokey. On stage, she got a little shouty and bland and didn't bring anything particularly "Lil" to either the notes or the arrangement. Randy said it sounded rushed, Kara was disappointed she didn't nail it, but Paula said it felt fresh.

Adam Lambert — Here's the thing about Adam: No matter what, I always want to see what he does when he takes the stage. To go from last week's "Ring of Fire" to this week's falsetto-laden, emotional "Tracks of My Tears" is kind of insane. Personally, I was not a fan of the falsetto. But whatever, he's safe. Simon called him a star, and Kara gave him a rare standing O.

Danny Gokey — I think you ignore Smokey's advice at your own peril, but Danny elected to do his own thing on "Get Ready," and it was . . . fine. His voice has enough depth to it that it stayed a notch above karaoke, but it wasn't the kind of song he could do anything with (except dance awkwardly). Simon called it clumsy, but the others were generally positive.

Allison Iraheta — Allison has managed to fit into every theme week without changing herself or her sound, and I'm beginning to think that's a real asset. I'm not surprised at all that she did "Papa Was a Rolling Stone," and she brought a perfect amount of funkiness to it. I couldn't focus on the judges because of the unfortunate marker incident, but I think they liked it?

Best of the night: I suppose I've got to give a spot to Adam, even if it wasn't my personal cup o' tea. Anoop's up there, as is Allison, though she probably benefits just from having gone last.

Bottom three: Scott, Michael, and Megan

Going home: Women are an endangered species on Idol this year, so I've got a feeling it's Megan, though I'd rather see Michael go; I just don't think he has anything to offer me.

Your thoughts?

Photos courtesy of Fox

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