American Idol Top 3: "Choice."

That's a fun little ironic theme. Don't get me wrong, I totally get that Idol is first and foremost a television show, and only then is it about forwarding the contestants' careers. Still, last night's show was so lopsidedly produced that no such Paula-puppet was needed. To their credit, it seemed like the judges actually struggled a little (only a little) with acting like the good doobies that the producers wanted them to be.

The judges' song choices were, as always, amazing. This is usually my favorite Idol round because it's the first time that the judges really get to impart their true expertise on the contestants. Yes, even Paula and Randy are relevant. They get song choice. They get that you have to work within your limitations (of which both have in spades). Simon's pick for Cook was by far the most daring and the most successful. I couldn't hear it work before Cook made it work, in a way he didn't with Music of the Night. It was a straightforward rendition with a smattering of rock. I'm not a Cook fan, but that was very cool. Paula's pick for Archuleta was equally cool. Arch gets criticized for singing old ballads well and nothing else. The insight into taking a Billy Joel song is that these songs are timeless, in a way that only a master like Joel can produce. Arch gets his old-time ballad, but we get a radio ready hit.

Syesha got the underside of the bus view all night. Everyone wants an all-David finale, so she was just cannon fodder all night. None of her songs were memorable, and that's her weakness: she has had no "Idol Moment." Arch had Imagine, and Cook had Always Be My Baby. Syesha has teeth and a pretty dress that looked like it was two shades of champagne. That's not a good thing.

I'm confused by the Producers' Picks. What makes the producers music experts? They know how to put on good TV, but that's it. This seemed like a blatant way to favor/disfavor the contestants. And Cook's bombastic crap showed how the producers wanted it. For goodness sake, they even had Diane Warren in the audience, and they had Simon praise the song as one of the all time greats. What? Dude, I listen to N'Sync on repeat, and even I hated that song.

In the end, it only matters if big and little David don't both make it to the final. That's what the producers and what we want. Syesha, make a beeline to Broadway. Honey, you are made for the Great White Way.