American Idol

Episodes

• Episode 43 | Aired May 26 Nice Guys Finish First While the show treats the Lee-vs.-Crystal showdown as a supporting plotline to Simon's farewell party, it's the performances by current and former contestants that make the telecast worth watching Comments +
• Episode 42 | Aired May 25 Crystal, Clearly It looked like a close race going into the finale, but without breaking a serious sweat, the dreadlocked mother from Ohio rolls over the affable paint salesman from Chicago Comments +
• Episode 41 | Aired May 19 Texas Toast After emotional visits to the contestants' hometowns, the season 9 race finally gets whittled down to two singers Comments +
• Episode 40 | Aired May 18 Finale Destination The judges work overtime to convince us we've witnessed a ''Moment,'' and push hard for a Lee vs. Crystal showdown Comments +
• Episode 38 | Aired May 11 All I Got Was This Stupid T-Shirt Jamie Foxx tries to get the Top 4 to perform ''without boundaries,'' but the show's producers set up the contestants for failure with a list of lame-o songs Comments +
• Episode 37 | Aired May 5 Connick'd Four A particularly un-dramatic results show, Lady Gaga and all, brings season 9 down to its final four contenders Comments +
• Episode 36 | Aired May 4 Chairman of the Bored Harry Connick Jr. takes control of song arrangements, but the contestants fail to live up to the Sinatra swagger Comments +
• Episode 35 | Aired Apr 28 A Note to Remember! The show's ''season of women'' story arc becomes pure fiction as another female contestant walks the 'Idol' plank Comments +
• Episode 34 | Aired Apr 27 The Big Twang Theory Guest mentor Shania Twain's charming presence helps even the playing field among the Top 6 contestants Comments +
• Episode 33 | Aired Apr 21 'Gives Back' in the Saddle Again A-list stars join the Top 7 in celebrating a good cause, but as the evening comes to an end, one contestant still gets the heave-ho Comments +
• Episode 32 | Aired Apr 20 The Power of Good Cry On a night where not all inspirational performances prove equal, Crystal and Lee continue to distance themselves from the pack Comments +
• Episode 31 | Aired Apr 14 Two Blue Elvis Week ends with a pair of unsurprising eliminations and a wicked performance from last season's runner-up Adam Lambert Comments +
• Episode 30 | Aired Apr 13 Elvis Has Left the Building Guest mentor Adam Lambert delivers some solid advice, but most of the remaining nine contestants fail to hail The King Comments +
• Episode 29 | Aired Apr 7 Everybody Save Cheese! The judges exercise their veto power to rescue one of their early favorites, leaving the season's final seven weeks solely in the hands of (dun-dun-DUN!) the audience Comments +
• Episode 28 | Aired Apr 6 Revolution Nine A journey through the Lennon-McCartney songbook brings out improved performances from the season's remaining contestants Comments +
• Episode 27 | Aired Mar 31 All the Sinking Ladies For the third consecutive week, a female contestant gets the boot; meanwhile, Ryan rehashes threadbare conversations during the contestant interviews Comments +
• Episode 26 | Aired Mar 30 Windfall of the House of Usher The season 9 contestants (finally!) show some heart and soul with the help of their R&B-week mentor Comments +
• Episode 25 | Aired Mar 24 Tour of Doodie? Fire up the sad trombone! With a totally righteous elimination, the underwhelming ''Idol'' summer tour lineup is complete. Comments +
• Episode 24 | Aired Mar 23 10 Mileys of Bad Road Only one singer from season 9's Top 11 proves speed-dial worthy on a night that ranges from a'aight to downright awful Comments +
• Episode 23 | Aired Mar 17 Sympathy for the Bedeviled As the first season 9 finalist gets kicked to the curb, the focus shifts to guest stars good and bad; plus we get new insights into several remaining contestants Comments +
• Episode 22 | Aired Mar 16 The Jaggered Edge While Crystal and Siobhan offer their typical tour-de-force efforts, the rest of the field tightens up behind them — leaving half the remaining singers at risk of elimination Comments +
• Episode 21 | Aired Mar 11 The Unbearable Triteness of Leaving It's an hour of shock and sadness as the Top 12 finalists are named. Can season 9 be saved? Comments +
• Episode 20 | Aired Mar 10 Dudes, Where's My Star? On the final night of semifinal performances, the eight remaining guys do little to dispel the notion that this season is all about the women Comments +
• Episode 19 | Aired Mar 9 Octo Fuss A pair of also-rans raise their games at exactly the right moment -- throwing the status of the top six women into an unexpected state of flux Comments +
• Episode 18 | Aired Mar 4 Jesus Balks! Jermaine Sellers thought God would help him crack the top 16, but 'Idol' voters had other ideas, kicking the sassy singer and three other contestants to the curb Comments +
• Episode 16 | Aired Mar 2 Boys of Slumber The 10 male semifinalists improve on their dreadful first-week showings, but is going from woeful to middling really cause for celebration? Comments +
• Episode 15 | Aired Feb 25 The Crazies? With a wide variety of woeful contestants to choose from, voters instead send a trio of halfway decent singers (and one obvious pick) to an untimely demise Comments +
• Episode 14 | Aired Feb 24 Man-ick Depression! The guys of season 9 make a middling first impression, putting the cap on a two-night fiasco that doesn't bode well for this year's talent pool Comments +
• Episode 13 | Aired Feb 23 Ladies' Blight Season 9's 12 female semifinalists take the stage for the first time, but pitch problems and nerves derail more than half the pack Comments +
• Episode 12 | Aired Feb 17 Twenty-four on the Floor! A sweet slate of season 9 semifinalists is announced, but a couple of wacky decisions and a punch in the gut to one hard-luck contestant leave a hint of bitter aftertaste Comments +
• Episode 11 | Aired Feb 16 Semi-Charmed Lives Plodding pacing and a few bunk calls by the judges drain some of the joy from seeing the first seven singers advance to the season 9 semifinals Comments +
• Episode 10 | Aired Feb 10 Group Therapy As the show works overtime to whip up Hollywood Week drama, talented performers get left on the cutting-room floor Comments +
• Episode 09 | Aired Feb 9 Ell(en) Yeah! On her debut episode, Ellen DeGeneres provides rock-solid feedback, and leaves room for a number of potential front-runners to shine Comments +
• Episode 08 | Aired Feb 3 Twelve for the Road! As auditions come to a close, the show puts the emphasis on (le gasp!) talented singers -- showing 12 successful auditions in an hour! Comments +
• Episode 07 | Aired Feb 2 Skin Show! A 'stripper,' a bikini-clad dude, and a dermatological revelation prove that naked ambition is alive and well in Denver Comments +
• Episode 06 | Aired Jan 27 Whips, Smarts Neil Patrick Harris' legendary guest-judging stint makes the so-so talent in Dallas a little less hard to swallow Comments +
• Episode 05 | Aired Jan 26 California Screamin' Bad attitudes! Bum notes! Squabbling! And that just describes the scene at the judges' table as the Audition Express arrives in Los Angeles Comments +
• Episode 04 | Aired Jan 20 Sunshine Spate As the competition heads to Orlando, the show's producers start focusing on Golden Ticket recipients -- almost a dozen of 'em -- and not a moment too soon Comments +
• Episode 03 | Aired Jan 19 Breaking Windy The singing stinks as the audition rounds hit Chicago, but guest judge Shania Twain and a handful of contestants come out smelling like roses Comments +
• Episode 02 | Aired Jan 13 Devil Went Down to Georgia Simon Cowell's farewell tour stops in Atlanta, where a church boy, a pageant queen, and a country gal all make strong impressions Comments +
• Episode 01 | Aired Jan 12 Bean There, Done That Victoria Beckham brings a fresh face to the judges' panel, but the Boston auditions can't erase fond memories of Kris, Adam, and Allison Comments +