Yes it was!
Something else I noticed was how Carrie handled herself in all the post-show interviews. She was so graceful and dignified and soft-spoken--a sharp contrast from how Fantasia conducted her interviews last year, crying all over the place, snot--actual snot--dripping from her nose ... yuck, what a mess. And I didn't think she was genuine at all. Fantastia would go on a crying jag, thank God, her mama, etc., then the tears would suddenly stop until a new camera was pointed at her and the whole crying jag would start again: "I wanna thank God, my mama ..."
Carrie outclasses her (and out-sings her) by a mile.
Terrific job on this thread, silent jonny. Hats off and kudos, I know what a demanding job it is.
I did not watch last night or record the show but it's good to see pictures here of Carrie standing next to that Federov kid. They look great together and seem to have real chemistry. They'll make a lot of sweeet music together in the coming years and with the pressure of competition lifted, they'll probably be sensational.