Andrew Leahey: Since American Idol was so sloppy this week, a number of people could’ve been justifiably sent home. Out of the rejected foursome, though, I do wish that Colton had been able to stick around, since he’s one of the only contestants to have shown improvement since the Hollywood round. And since he’s improving, doesn’t that mean he’s better than he was last week, when the judges put him into the Top 24? I would’ve rather seen Chikezie leave.

Garrett took his rejection like a man, albeit a man who can’t quite grow a mustache. This was our first “proper” elimination since Blake got axed last spring, and Ryan Seacrest did it quickly and cleanly, not unlike the lightning-fast method of removing a Band-Aid. The best part was watching Jason Castro’s wide-eyed reaction, as I get the feeling that he hasn’t really watched much Idol before. You could see him instantly register the intensity of Elimination Night, and it was sorta hilarious. I hope he stays with us for a long time.

The American Idol Show Choir made its first appearance of the season, and the dance moves seemed to bewilder Amanda. I can’t blame her, really — she’s probably never done anything like that in her life. The ’60s medley was forgettable at best, but I enjoyed David Cook’s high note toward the end of the piece. He’s got a smidgen of diva in him, which should blend interestingly with the rock ‘n’ roll side.

Kudos go to the ladies’ stylist for making Carly look great in a beehive.

Matt Collar: Nothing too surprising last night. However, as dweeby as Garrett “Mini Mutt Lange” Haley was, I actually preferred him to Luke “Save Big Money At” Menard who I could barely hear on “Everybody’s Talkin’”! I can’t say I’ll miss either Colton Berry or Garrett that much though, and I’m sure Colton will stretch his 15 minutes a bit farther with an appearance on Ellen — especially after he said he looks just like her. Simon’s comments to Colton to get a job and enjoy singing were laughably harsh, but I’m glad he’s bringing his opinions hard and unfiltered this season. These kids looked especially dazed last night and I think they needed Simon’s wake-up call.

As far as the girls go, it was also no surprise that sweet and pretty Amy Davis got the boot. I think she’s probably a better singer than her “Where The Pitch-center — er, Boys Are” let on, but nonetheless she was a HUGE let down. Joanna has an interesting, if small voice and is also quite pretty, but I just don’t think her talent matched up well with the other big female voices we have this season.

Stephen Thomas Erlewine:
The Girls:
Amy Davis: For as much as I crush on Amy, I am not surprised that she was the first female to leave: limited exposure on the show, combined with a horrible song choice, is a guaranteed ticket off the show. I’m disappointed, but I steeled myself for this outcome. Too bad she sounded better on Thursday than Wednesday.

Joanne: By all rights, Joanne should have been around another week or two as she’s a sweet, straight-ahead soul singer — but she was a little bit too sweet and straight-ahead to stand out, so she fell through the cracks. She never had a real shot at the top six, so this isn’t a huge surprise, but her quick dismissal leaves the sour aftertaste that she just may have made the Top 24 so she could leave quickly, giving other people room to grow.

Should have gone: Guess Alaina’s birthday pouting and Kady’s transparent loathing of the judges worked for them, as they made it through to the next round. Until they get kicked off, these bland blondes will be at the top of my “should have gone” list — cute with no charisma doesn’t wear well.

The Guys:
Garrett: You’d think that his blonde main and cheerfully dippy pseudo-surfer dude shtick would have made him a teen idol … and maybe it would have, if it was 1976. Instead, he was rubbed out with cold efficiency by Seacrest — and even if he didn’t sound that much better on his sing-out, it was hard not to feel that the kid might have deserved another week to awkwardly attempt to charm the nation, especially if Jason Yeager is still around.

Colton: A bigger surprise than Garrett, as Colton pushed at the opening and closing of Tuesday’s show … but he kind of deserved the quick dismissal, as his “Suspicious Minds” showed that he was in over his head as both a singer and performer. Cruel as it may have been, Simon’s advice to Colton of getting himself a real job is dead-on.

Should have gone: Jason Yeager surely is a nice guy and a good dad (even if he did approve that Muppet haircut on his moppet) but his “Moon River” was so cornball, it’s amazing that he lasted another week. Guess that proves that the AmIdol audience isn’t entirely consisting of tweens.

Heather Phares: The first elimination show of season seven didn’t just crush a few dreams, it also delivered plenty of cheesy, baffling and quintessentially American Idol moments. Dressing “the kids” in black-and-white ’60s mod outfits to sing “Needles and Pins” and “Spanish Harlem” felt like it was straight out of junior-high glee club. The premiere of Randy and Paula’s new video “Dance Like There’s No Tomorrow” was uncomfortable, and not just because Paula’s voice was so processed that it sounded like she’d swallowed a robot, nor because of the silly freeze-frame of Simon, Randy, Paula and Ryan at the end. Maybe Garrett, Colton, Amy and Joanne could’ve switched places with the judges and given their opinions on Paula and Randy’s performances? One improvement over previous seasons, however, was placing all of the “this was your journey on American Idol” retrospectives for each eliminated contestant at the end of the show — it really helped keep the night’s momentum going.