Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Nigel Lythgoe sent out a rather urgent tweet late this morning.

“Spoiler alert: Shocking American Idol news tonight!!!”

Note those three exclamation points.

Hmm, perhaps Steven Tyler has watched tapes of the first three performance shows. Maybe he’s come to the same conclusion I have:  That’s he’s basically done nothing to earn his paycheck, nothing to help viewers at home discern the good from the bad.

Maybe he’s decided to be critical of something.

So he’ll deliver a scathing critique of the group number.

Now that would be shocking.

Or maybe the shocking news is that Idol has decided to take all 13 finalists on the summer tour.

That would be more consistent with the lovefest we’ve witnessed through the first three weeks of the new mood post-Simon-Cowell Idol.

That said, let’s give the Idols this. Saddled with singing outdated songs yet again, they performed better this week than last.

I’m just not as sold on their overall awesomeness as our three esteemed judges.

So unless Casey Abrams, Pia Toscano, James Durbin or Scotty McCreery gets the heave-ho, I won’t be shocked.

Moderately surprised if some of the others depart? Perhaps.

Especially should a male depart. Heck, we haven’t had a male in the bottom three yet this season on Cute Boy Idol.

Along with the shock, we can look forward to an appearance by Jennifer Hudson.

Have you checked out her new album, “I Remember Me?” It’s worth checking out.

Oops, I was wrong on the summer tour joke. Ryan just reiterated that only the top 10 go.

Oh, great, we start off tonight’s show with a plug for Marc Anthony. Come on, Idol. Enough with the filler crap.

After that self-serving garbage, I’m looking forward to the group number. Wow, did I just type that?

Now we get a cameo from Stevie Wonder. To help celebrate Steven’s birthday.

OK, was that the shock?

Results time: Lauren Alaina, Pia Toscano and Scotty McCreery are summoned to center stage. All three are safe. No shock there.

Results interrupted. Time to hear from Sugarland, the duo Casey James has been touring with this month.

Results interrupted. Time for a silly wrestling segment, featuring James “Wild Man” Durbin.

Now James and wrestling buddy Paul McDonald are summoned center stage. They’re told they’re not safe. Then Hulk Hogan shows up on stage, to tell them they’re safe. And fake punches Ryan. And rips off his shirt.

Oh, my. How many more of these shocks can I stand?

More results: Jacob Lusk, Thia Megia and Stefano Langone are summoned to center stage.

Jacob is safe. But Thia and Stefano are in the bottom three.

Haley Reinhart, Casey Abrams and Naima Adedapo are summoned center stage. Naima is safe. Haley is safe. Casey is in the bottom three.

Naima and Haley are safe and heading out on tour.

Wow, two guys in the bottom three?

How can that be?

Results interrupted. It’s Jennifer Hudson time. She’ll sing her hit single, “Where You At.”

Nice return to the Idol stage, where I believe Simon Cowell once told her she’d never make it.

And Thia Megia is safe, leaving Casey and Stefano sitting on the stools.

Huh?

Now Stefano had better be worried.

Nope, it’s Casey with the lowest number of votes. You must be kidding. This makes no sense.

And the judges save Casey, not even making him finish the song.

Though Casey seems beyond shocked.

He admits he didn’t think the judges would use the save tonight.

And Ryan announces that all 11 will go out on tour.