The TV Set: “Idol” Cuts Down To Four (SPOILER ALERT)

The results were not too surprising tonight on “Idol,” as we were forced to say goodbye to Brooke White, the teary-eyed, piano-playing, somewhat strange blonde on everyone’s favorite singing competition. Although it could be argued that her performance was not the weakest of the night, her personality and strange stage presence (the starting over of songs, the frequent tears) may have deterred some “Idol” viewers from dialing her number.

The hour itself was actually relatively enjoyable (but still extremely padded), featuring a call to Simon from his first childhood crush, a strange but in some way cool performance from Neil Diamond, and Brooke fighting through tears to sing her final song, with the ultra-chill Jason Castro (our dreadlocked “Idol” who escaped yet another mediocre week) awkwardly (what’s new) mouthing the words behind her singing of “I Am…I Said.” Was it just me who caught that?

Anyway, it looks like we may very well be heading to an all-male top 3. Pick to win? Still Cook for me. Could Castro pull off the dark horse victory? Does Syesha have a fighting chance? Is an Archuletta win inevitable? Is Ryan Seacrest a good host? (Yes, he is.)

Discuss your thoughts on tonight’s hour and the weeks to come!