Holy Carp they saved him!
I saw your fish too soon! (The carp). It spoiled me. So while Sam was singing for his life, I was stunned thst they were going to save him. He sounded like dog poop on the sole of a shoe. He’s a cute shy young boy. But not a good singer. Either in sound or in connection to lyrics or audience. Zero charisma. But maybe the judges know he does but is nervous onstage? Seriously, in a singing competition, how is he to be saved? Or was this the last week to use it? Or maybe they know they would never use it on CJ or Urk?
I used to love AI and the opportunity it gave people like Carrie Underwood, Kelly Pickler, and Jennifer Hudson to develop a career they probably would not have had otherwise. I liked that Taylor Hicks got his moment in the national spotlight and then go back to what he was doing.
Something changed. I think that it was really noticable with the Jordan Sparks win. She was obviously well-connected and she was propped up by the judges. I saw her as an okay singer but not really an idol. That's about when the show started having some glitches in their popularity.
What's my point? Look at that final eight. There really isn't someone up there who has that overall appeal to young teens, and they don't want that audience to erode even further. Sometimes, as with Sam, the viewers see weaknesses that the judges miss. They saved him to keep the teenage audience, not because he deserved it....the others have obviously improved so much more. Also, like someone said it might be strategy. Do they get to vote two of them off next week?
Another thought. I liked Paula as a judge, a lot. She was incoherent at some times and maybe overly kind, but she seemed to get those with that inner something to shine. She recognized that unmeasurable quality which is star potential. Without her, the magic of undiscovered talent is gone.
That's my impressions. I think things out best when I'm typing. So, yeah, that's my impression. Also that the heavy set black guy (CJ?) has something special, something he seems to have developed through a combination of life experiences and raw talent.