TVSquad

(S07E13) Take a last look at that picture because a year from now you won't even remember four of their names. But which four? Tonight was the first viewer-voted elimination and we had to say goodbye to the bottom two boys and the bottom two girls. It's also the first really live show as the previous two were pre-recorded for time considerations.

Do I have to say SPOILER WARNING after the jump?

(S07E08) Simon: "It ended for me when the weird strip tease started."

"The Best of the Rest," or as I like to call it "The Filler Episode." Even Idol knows that we're ready for Hollywood week because they open the episode by telling us Hollywood is next week. It's their little way of saying, "Look, we get it. You're done with this crap. You're ready for the next round. But that's too bad because here's more first round auditions. Deal with it!"

But by the end, they're giving us a sneak peek of "Hollywood Week" and I'm excited all over again. Based just on who we've seen get through so far, I agree that talent-wise this season may have more depth than almost any season before it. Once we get into the actual competition, and word starts to get around about how good some of these performers are, I expect ratings to jump back up to Season 5 levels. We're one week away from unveiling the Top 24. But first ...