It's the first elimination show of the year! Generally, it feels like a huge loss when four contestants are eliminated all at once, but based on the lackluster performances by both the girls and the guys, I have a feeling that unless there's some huge shakeup, few tears will be shed.

But before we get to all that, we have a (lip-synced?) Top 24 performance, and 'Idol' winner Kris Allen makes an appearance, along with runner-up Allison Iraheta. We also get to see Kara's husband and one of the contestants in a bathrobe, so let's get started!

After a gender-crossing group performance of Estelle's 'American Boy' in which both the guys and gals traded verses, four contestants were eliminated from the 'American Idol' top 24. Not surprisingly, some took the news better than others.

Watch the eliminations after the jump.

Finally! We get the live show and our first chance to vote. How has everyone changed since Hollywood week? Are they already jaded Hollywood types? Can they sing in front of a television audience of nearly 30 million people? These are all things we'll find out tonight during the real beginning of 'American Idol.'

Other things we find out? This season's contestants really like The Beatles, and I may or may not be completely drunk right now, as my critiques match up with the judges way less than they usually do. So let's continue to see who your opinions match up with!

Last night, we had roughly 30 minutes of content spread out over two hours, so for this hour-long episode of 'American Idol,' 15 minutes of actual stuff sounds about right. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the pace with which we sped through the remaining contestants. There wasn't a lot of hullabaloo, just people sitting in chairs and discovering their fates.

There were a few surprises, but for the most part, the people you thought were going to make it did. What really worked for me in this episode is that the focus was on the people who got in, with a relatively short amount of time devoted to watching the rejected contestants cry. 'Idol' has a tendency to linger on peoples' pain a little bit too much, so it was nice to see that they refrained here, for the most part.