A lot of viewers thought this season's American Idol gave us the weakest, blandest pool of contestants ever. It was a complaint I heard almost daily while blogging about Idol for TV Squad.

Producer Nigel Lythgoe obviously heard the same complaint, and he addressed the issue directly during the TCA Press Tour, admitting that mistakes were made.

The American Idol format is so brilliant. It's like the marriage of a national sports league, Star Search and the presidential election. After seeing the final three go home to all the fanfare, I can't help thinking how amazing all the intense community support is for the local Idol. It's like watching the home team during the NBA playoffs.

I never really had that experience, though, since my dad was a military man, and I grew up all over the country. That, and because I stayed in L.A. after the show instead of going back to school in Idaho, which is where AI decided to place me.

Boy, that's rough having to learn a couple songs in a week; I think the challenge took its toll on the contestants. Those guys couldn't have looked or sounded more tired -- a fact which wasn't lost on the judges, it seemed.

There was very little love coming from the judges' table tonight. Only Jordin and Melinda seemed to get any praise on a night that should have been Blake's moment to stand out.

Granted, there's only so much you can do with '70s dance tracks, but it's dance music nonetheless. And you'd think that'd be enough to give him an edge.

Last time on The Real World Austin, Danny's mom died, and Danny blamed himself (it wasn't actually his fault or anything - he's just sensitive like that). On this week's episode, Danny flies home for the funeral, and the rest of the castmates stay in Austin and think about what life, death, family and love mean to tham. So, in short, this is the most emo reality show episode ever.

Back in Texas, Wes and Nehemiah eat burittos and talk about parents.  Nehemiah mentions that he's never met his dad, and that his mom is a life-long drug addict, currently in rehab. Wes gives him this crazy look, as if to say, "Oh shit, I forgot - you're a minority" - Wes has obviously never actually met anyone with a past anywhere near as "unfortunate" as this. This scene is fantastic, because with all of Wes' intolerable frat boy bravado, just that shot of the look he gives Nehemiah is enough to jab at how spoiled and sheltered and afraid of the world the guy actually is. He is, essentially, street-smarts wise, The Token Country Virgin.