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Review: The Finale of American Idol Was a Glorious Mess, Just Like the Show Itself

5 minute read

Thursday night’s farewell episode of American Idol was poorly produced, at times slack in pace, and subject to simply bizarre decisions as to staging and song choice.

It was, in short, American Idol, and even those who tuned into the juggernaut show after years away found something they knew they were going to miss.

The series — in recent years a victim of its talent-show component taking a backseat to its judges’ celebrity — was at its best all about democracy. And on Thursday night it provided a sort of recall election, placing the vast majority of its alumni performers into stagings chosen seemingly at random. Viewers at home got to re-evaluate just how well past decisions had been made. Yes, Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood, the show’s two most successful winners by far, got showcase performances, proving the show’s success at launching real superstars; several other winners, though, got relatively limited stage time.

All of them, too, were subject to song choices that felt outdated. (Five of them, the so-called White Guys With Guitars who marked the show’s later years in which tween girls were the major voting base, were limited to 20 percent apiece of a David Bowie tribute.) Jordin Sparks and Taylor Hicks, two relatively early winners, had arguably less to do than Pia Toscano, who came in ninth place five years ago. It seems like a historical accident that season three competitors LaToya London, Jennifer Hudson, and Fantasia Barrino were at the time adversaries rather than a girl group, but with their sublime “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” we got a moment to pretend as though the opposite were true.

The giddy randomness was a delight on its own merits and because it distracted from the bits that were, unfortunately, thought out. Idol tended, over the course of the show’s run, to push jokes until they weren’t funny anymore, and so it was that there were performances by William Hung and the “Pants on the Ground” guy (who, in one of the evening’s most noticeable moments of poor decision making, wasn’t just left to flail on his own but was pitted in a sing-off against an actually talented Idol alumna, Allison Iraheta. Weird!). Past judge Kara DioGuardi, for some reason, got a solo singing spot of her own, as did Jennifer Lopez, whose elaborate number was a tribute to the sort of flashy showmanship that has never helped a single Idol competitor win.

Idol‘s history was, it became clear over the course of the evening, far more fun to have lived through than to relive. Take the meta reappearance of season 1 cohost Brian Dunkelman, joking about how his career has flatlined since, or the long and strained appearance by the show’s first judges, featuring the overblown “chemistry” of Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul. They felt like happy reminders that this was out of our lives, that watching Abdul pretend to be angry at Cowell, or whatever, was in the past. It was only the music that created a real sense of loss. Not because it was all well-executed or judiciously chosen, but because sitting at home thinking about why it was poorly executed or a poor song choice was the sort of fun Idol generated for years.

Surely no one believes that in this era of 24 and Prison Break revivals at Fox, Idol won’t be back within, say, five years. The show itself did more than hint at the possibility; the “farewell season” ends with host Ryan Seacrest saying “Good night, America… for now.” But it’s worth believing, if erroneously, that Fox might leave well enough alone. Its moment seems conclusively over. This final episode had a lot of good in it, but if I’d been offered the opportunity to vote on which contestant I liked the best, I wouldn’t have known what to do.

See American Idol's Most Successful Alumni

Carrie Underwood performs at the 2014 American Country Countdown Awards at Music City Center in Nashville on Dec. 15, 2014.
Carrie Underwood, winner of American Idol season 4, performs at the 2014 American Country Countdown Awards at Music City Center in Nashville on Dec. 15, 2014.Jason Merritt—Getty Images
Kelly Clarkson performs "Heartbeat Song" onstage during the 2015 iHeartRadio Music Awards at The Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on March 29, 2015.
Kelly Clarkson, season 1 winner, performs "Heartbeat Song" onstage during the 2015 iHeartRadio Music Awards at The Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on March 29, 2015.Kevin Mazur—Getty Images
Chris Daughtry performs at Pompano Beach Amphitheatre in Pompano Beach, Fla. on Nov. 12, 2014.
Chris Daughtry, who came in 4th on season 5, performs at Pompano Beach Amphitheatre in Pompano Beach, Fla. on Nov. 12, 2014.Larry Marano—Getty Images
Congressional Candidate Clay Aiken Casts His Vote In The Midterm Elections
Clay Aiken, Democratic candidate for U.S. Congress in North Carolina's Second District, poses for a selfie with supporters after casting his vote in the midterm elections oat Mills Park Elementary School in Cary, N.C. on Nov. 4, 2014. Aiken was runner up on the second season of American Idol.Grant Halverson—Getty Images
7th Annual Mother's Day Music Festival
Fantasia, winner of season 3, performs at the 7th Annual Music Festival at Boardwalk Hall Arena in Atlantic City, N.J. on May 9, 2015.Donald Kravitz—Getty Images
Ruben Studdard performs at When Georgia Smiled: The Robin McGraw Revelation Foundation And Verizon Unite For Second Annual Domestic Violence Summit at Paramount Studios in Hollywood, Calif. on Oct. 3, 2014.
Ruben Studdard, season 2 winner, performs at When Georgia Smiled: The Robin McGraw Revelation Foundation And Verizon Unite For Second Annual Domestic Violence Summit at Paramount Studios in Hollywood, Calif. on Oct. 3, 2014. Mathew Imaging—WireImage/Getty Images
"FOX & Friends" 2014 Holiday Special
Scotty McCreery performs during "FOX & Friends" holiday special at FOX Studios in New York City on Dec. 4, 2014. McCreery won season 10 of American Idol.Slaven Vlasic—Getty Images
2014 USO Gala: Honoring Those Who Serve
Kellie Pickler, who came in 6th on season 5, performs at 2014 USO Gala: Honoring Those Who Serve at the Washington Hilton in Washington on Oct. 17, 2014.Paul Morigi—Getty Images
Soles4Souls Presents A Sole-ful Evening, Sponsored By Barefoot Wine & Bubbly
David Cook, season 7 winner, performs at the Soles4Souls charity concert, sponsored by Barefoot Wine & Bubbly at the Bridge Building in Nashville on April 1, 2014.Jason Davis—Getty Images
Jennifer Hudson performs at We Day at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill. on April 30, 2015.
Jennifer Hudson, who came in 7th place on season 3, performs at We Day at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill. on April 30, 2015.Timothy Hiatt—Getty Images
Jordin Sparks performs at Jeffrey Sanker's White Party in Palm Springs, Calif. on April 25, 2015.
Jordin Sparks, winner of season 6 of American Idol, performs at Jeffrey Sanker's White Party in Palm Springs, Calif. on April 25, 2015.Chelsea Lauren—WireImage/Getty Images
Phillip Phillips performs at Hard Rock Live! in the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla. on Nov. 15, 2014.
Phillip Phillips, season 11 winner, performs at Hard Rock Live! in the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla. on Nov. 15, 2014.Larry Marano—Getty Images
KIIS FM's 10th Annual "American Idol" Finale Viewing Party
David Archuleta, season 7 runner-up, performs at the KIIS FM's 10th Annual "American Idol" Finale Viewing Party at Regal 14 at LA Live Downtown in Los Angeles on May 25, 2011.Jonathan Leibson—FilmMagic/Getty Images
Adam Lambert is seen onstage at 102.7 KIIS FM's Wango Tango at StubHub Center in Los Angeles on May 9, 2015.
Adam Lambert, season 8 runner-up, is seen onstage at 102.7 KIIS FM's Wango Tango at StubHub Center in Los Angeles on May 9, 2015.Chelsea Lauren—WireImage/Getty Images
Josh Gracin performs during the 2012 Downtown Hoedown at Comerica Park in Detroit on June 8, 2012.
Josh Gracin, who came in 4th place in season 2, performs during the 2012 Downtown Hoedown at Comerica Park in Detroit on June 8, 2012.Paul Warner—Getty Images
Taylor Hicks performs at Tony La Russa's 3rd annual Leaders &; Legends Gala at the MGM Grand Hotel/Casino in Las Vegas on Nov. 22, 2014.
Taylor Hicks, winner of season 5, performs at Tony La Russa's 3rd annual Leaders & Legends Gala at the MGM Grand Hotel/Casino in Las Vegas on Nov. 22, 2014.David Becker—Getty Images
Bo Bice performs in concert following the 2012 Colt Ford & Friends Celebrity Golf Classic at Legends Golf Course Club in Braselton, Ga. on Sept. 24, 2012.
Bo Bice, season 4 runner-up, performs in concert following the 2012 Colt Ford & Friends Celebrity Golf Classic at Legends Golf Course Club in Braselton, Ga. on Sept. 24, 2012.Chris McKay—Getty Images
Elliott Yamin performs at the Malaria No More Reception With American Idols To Celebrate Recent Progress In The Fight Against Malaria in Washington on March 7, 2012.
Elliott Yamin, who came in 3rd in season 5, performs at the Malaria No More Reception With American Idols To Celebrate Recent Progress In The Fight Against Malaria in Washington on March 7, 2012.Paul Morigi—Getty Images
NFC Championship - Green Bay Packers v Seattle Seahawks
Katharine McPhee, season 5 runner-up, walks out on the field to sing the national anthem before the 2015 NFC Championship game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Green Bay Packers at CenturyLink Field in Seattle on Jan. 18, 2015.Ronald Martinez—Getty Images
Diana DeGarmo arrives at the "American Idol" XIII season premiere event held at Royce Hall, UCLA in Westwood, Calif. on Jan. 14, 2014.
Diana DeGarmo, season 3 runner-up, arrives at the "American Idol" XIII season premiere event held at Royce Hall, UCLA in Westwood, Calif. on Jan. 14, 2014.Michael Tran—FilmMagic
Kris Allen performs at the Soles4Souls charity concert, sponsored by Barefoot Wine & Bubbly at the Bridge Building in Nashville on April 1, 2014.
Kris Allen, winner of season 8, performs at the Soles4Souls charity concert, sponsored by Barefoot Wine & Bubbly at the Bridge Building in Nashville on April 1, 2014.Jason Davis—Getty Images

More than that, too, it seems like too much of a good thing. Idol produced enough talented and employable singers to bulk out a two-hour special that only went to the well of comically bad singers or serviceable past judge-singers a couple of times. It seems like enough singers were trained on this show’s particular brand of showmanship, one that’s applicable to nothing in the contemporary media but itself. The difference between the performances of the superstars and the rest—between, say, Underwood, allowed to do what she wants, and LaToya London, placed in a trio to sing Simon and Garfunkel—on the final Idol were glaring. Singing (often beautiful) group covers of retro songs, the Idol alumni were existing, in some cases more than a decade after their TV run, in a competition bubble that looks nothing like modern music. It’s time to let them, and Idol‘s fusty concept of old-fashioned showmanship, go.

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