You'd have to be a stone-hearted SOB - which, admittedly, I am - not to be just a little moved by that final scene last night with Syesha and Carly locked in this final death embrace, that as if to disengage would mean one would vanish into a puff of smoke.
And in fact one did.
Carly gone: Will I be the only one today saying what a complete "Idolian" outrage her early departure is? The only to say what a bunch of morons voters are? The only one to say that this whole damn thing is rigged? The only one to observe the obvious fact that once more a superior singer is gone while two lightweights (and why bring THEIR names into this) remain?
Carly - I can now reveal as if not at all obvious - was my personal favorite this season. Yes, we know she was a plant, and once worked with Randy, and was a former professional who put out a bad album (with dirty lyrics) and who had an advantage (unfair, perhaps) over others who hadn't worked the professional grind the way she had. Dr.Evil (Planet 19 superboss Simon Fuller) wanted her here too, if only to keep this competition respectable and interesting into the final rounds. No one ever expected her to win. I never expected her to win. With Archie in the pact, she probably didn't deserve to win.
But: She had guts, perseverance, and projected an undeniable sense that failure isn't the end but a roadblock to be surmounted. She had an outrageous flop in 2001 with her album, but kept on coming back when she could have done what a lesser person would have done - disappeared into a wallow of booze or something worse (if that's possible, and I suppose there is.) She kept on coming and coming, though best of all - she didn't have one lousy (REALLY lousy) performance all season. Not one.
Man, I'll miss her and that inked arm and gorgeous voice. Now we can all talk about Brooke and Jason.