Idol Chatter - The Final Finalists Finally

So last night the three remaining Idols sang three songs with the hopes that you would pick up the phone and dial the numbers that translated into votes that would save them tonight and launch them into the one night, winner-take-all event next week with the chance to join the other immortals from Idols first nine seasons. But first a few questions:

Did your favorite make it to the finals? Better question: was your favorite in the line up last night? Best question: did America send your favorite home long before they deserved to go home? Bestest question: have you lost all respect for Idol and the process for finding THE American Idol?

Questions asked, answered, and debated...and now it's time to find out what happened on the second to last elimination show of Season 10. Check out all the action starting....NOW!...THIS...IS...IDOL...CHATTER!

Here's the rundown of tonight's special guests: there will be performances by Italian Trio Il Volo, Pussy Cat and Mirror Ball Champ Nicole Scherzinger with an assist from rapper and business mogul Two Bits...er, 50 Cent. Plus we get to go home with the final three as they were given the special treatment by the hometown fans--radio/TV interviews, parades in their honor, and keys to the city...usual fare.

We watched as Hailey was whisked off by private jet to her hometown of Wheeling, IL by way of Chicago. Hailey's parade was literally rained on, but that did dampen (pun intended) the spirit or turn out of the people of Wheeling. She was cheered everywhere she went--to her high school, the parade, and finally at Arlington Race Track where she performed "Sweet Home Chicago" to thirty thousand of her adoring hometown fans.

Scotty flew home to Garner, NC and received the southern fried star treatment from his mostly pre-pubescent Carolina fans. Included in his itinerary were stops at the local baseball diamond where Scotty showed his pitching form, the grocery store where he bagged groceries pre-Idol, and a concert that turned out to be a sing-a-long with Josh Turner (he of the "Lock the doors and turn the lights down low" fame). Scotty, rightly, called it the best day of his young life.

On our final Idol trip home, we joined Lauren as she spent time with her family and friends in Georgia. Lauren's trip was especially poignant because it was her first time seeing the destruction caused by the many tornadoes that destroyed many homes and lives a few weeks ago. As you might imagine, Lauren's trip home was filled with emotions of all shapes and sizes. It was quite humbling to see and hear some of the stories shared during her trip.

But emotions aside, it is finally time to find out who is in the Finals next week...the first Idol to go through to next week is...Scotty. Any guesses as to what type of song he'll be singing come next Tuesday?

And the other finalist is...Lauren. So it's official, Idol's gone country. And the judges couldn't look happier.

Tune in next week for what promises to be a predictable and likely boring one-note country fest. Until then, I will continue watching TV so you don't have to...

Charlie