Simulblogging "American Idol."

7:00. Time to see a lot of people who used to be good turn out to be terrible. Carrie Underwood, the farm girl, when asked about "the stars" in Hollywood, thinks the reference is to the heavens. She's officially all sweet and innocent. Another woman says she isn't going to disappoint her baby twin girls by having to go home, and we kind of are glad she doesn't sing well. The tracheotomy guy Anthony Federov sings well. Another guy, who once was thought to be brilliantly good, is a horror. The teaser before the commercial has a weeping woman saying "If I'm not able to, like, express myself through music, I will probably die."

7:15. Rashida Johnson is sick and barely has her voice! Drama! She reminds me of Jennifer Hudson last year. They tell her they love her and she makes it. They show a bunch of good singers in a row, and I suspect these of being overdubbed. A contestant named Shunta goes with the wrong group and we're subjected to boring suspense about whether she'll make it to her audition.

7:26: Shunta Warthen makes it to the audition and makes it through. Kind of a dumb manufactured drama. Crying girl -- named Regina Brooks -- sings really well -- though again, I think it looks overdubbed. But she doesn't make it! Well, I think it was overdubbed, so I don't think we heard how she really sounded.

7:38. Mario Vasquez! He's good. I liked him from before. Francisco Torres. I like his interviews, but the singing was kind of bad. Mario makes it, of course. Torres gets a no, and I'm not surprised. Marlea Stroman: pretty, but off-key, as far as I can tell. I guess I'm wrong. She makes it.

7:48. Now, we're seeing some rocker guys. Aaron Kelly, Bo Bice, Constantine Maroulis -- they all sing "The Letter." They all make it! The Phantom of the Opera girl is next. She tries to sing "The Letter." The freakishness is irksome. She's out. We see Marlea Stroman feeling bad in the audience: the other girls are mean. Mikalah Gordon: the most confident 16-year-old ever. The teaser to the commercial shows Stroman losing it. Is she going to quit, Verna-ishly?

7:56. Stroman wants to go home: "I really miss my son... I don't want to be here. That's my life: a mother." She vernas, but in a strong, positive way. (I do suspect this whole segment of being bogus, though, because I don't think she did sing well. Maybe this was fiction. You're out, but do this. It will be cool.)

UPDATE: Here's the Television Without Pity mini-recap. You know, I'm going to confess that I rewatched this show. That's how much of an "American Idol" sucker I am. And I must say it was a very nicely put together episode, something that was more easily perceived when not simulblogging. (Or perhaps it was just that I could see the themes the editing was based on and knew what various things were foreshadowing.) One thing about simulblogging is that you look for trouble. Rewatching the show was a mellower and more enjoyable viewing experience. (Though, as you might suspect, I find blogging about the show more enjoyable than the show.)