“One hundred thousand down, two to go. One guy, one girl, and one last chance to win your vote. This is the night. This is the audience. This...is ‘American Idol’.” – Ryan Seacrest
American Idol: Season 6: Finale Performance Show: The Top 2 DVD Review
By Casey Richards
Let’s see...how does one introduce a DVD review of American Idol? Maybe...nah, not that. How about...no, that won’t work either. Face it, if you haven’t heard of the cultural phenomenon that is American Idol, then you’re probably dead. And if you’re dead, you’re probably not going to read a review of American Idol: Season 6: Finale Performance Show: The Top 2. So, let’s just jump right into it and assume that you know all about Randy, Paula, Simon, Ryan, and, in all likelihood, the two contestants who performed their way to the season finale.
As the show begins, we meet the judges and learn that Paula tripped over her dog Tulip and broke her nose the night before the show. Paula’s nose, that is, not Tulip’s. On some shows, this might be a cause for concern, but fans will know that it’s Just Paula.
Finalists Jordin Sparks and Blake Lewis both hail from Seattle, thus giving the producers a chance to trot out a montage of the city’s worst auditions. This leads to a “how they got here” montage. Yes, American Idol is a show that loves montages.
With those out of the way, it’s on to the competition of “the entertainer” (human beat-box Blake) versus “the singer” (honey-voiced Jordin). Each is to perform three songs: one of their favorites from the season, one that they didn’t perform during the season, and the winner of the American Idol songwriting contest. Conspiracy theorists take note—the winning songwriting team is also from Seattle.
In the first round, Blake performs his beat-box version of “You Give Love a Bad Name,” while Jordin takes on Christina Aguilera’s “Fighter.” In the second round, Blake sings a relatively straightforward version of Maroon 5’s “She Will Be Loved” and Jordin performs Martina McBride’s “A Broken Wing.” As Ryan urges viewers to vote after each performance, a helpful subtitle reminds us DVD viewers “PLEASE DO NOT CALL OR TEXT THESE NUMBERS.”
No American Idol finale would be complete without a schmaltzy ballad that will serve as the winner’s first single. You know, a “look-at-me-my-dream-has-finally-come-true-and-now-I’m-at-the-top-of-the-world-and-it’s-great-(remember-to-belt-the-‘great’)” song. As noted, this season’s song, “This is My Now,” was the winner of a nationwide songwriting contest judged by online voters. Poor Blake is so out of his element he looks as if he’s choking on a gallon of Mrs. Butterworth’s syrup while singing this one. Jordin, naturally, belts the heck out of the song, even tearing up toward the end.
Past non-winner Chris Daughtry, wearing enough kohl eyeliner to keep Sephora in business well into the next century, performs his hit single “Home,” while another montage—this one of contestants that got voted off—rolls behind him.
Seventy-four million votes later (which, by the way, is more than either of the individual candidates earned in the 2004 presidential election) and the 2007 Idol is crowned. Guess who wins?
It is hard to imagine who this DVD is aimed at beyond diehard Jordin and Blake fans. Casual fans may just want to download their songs or buy their CDs.
Having the finale on DVD does provide one source of fun: spot the celebrity! That’s right, viewers can rewind and pause to try to figure out who’s in the audience. Hey, there’s The Hoff! And Jerry Springer! It’s Rick “Don’t Call Me Ricky Because I’m a Republican Now” Schroder from Silver Spoons! Is that the guy from Grey’s Anatomy? Hmm...hard to tell. And is Marlee Matlin really enjoying herself?
