Idol Chit-Chat
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Thursday, February 9, 2012

My Beloved Group Day: Another Cruel Cliffhanger

I love Group Day. It’s my very favorite part of the “Idol” season—other than the finale. So, I am never opposed to stretching it out over two hours…

But stretching those two hours out over two weeks? That’s just wrong! Especially this season when the possibility of a local person going far is a true reality. Nigel Lythgoe is right. He IS a mean producer…

For the record, Point Pleasant’s Chase Likens is still in the competition at this point. I spotted him in the crowd when Executive Producer Ken Warwick was explaining the Group Round. But apparently, his group didn’t have any drama, because we did not see him again…

Here’s a look at what we did see, to the best of my ability to record it...

Before we could begin the Group Round, we had to wrap up the Symone Black drama. When last we left her, she had fallen off the stage. When we picked up the action, the other contestants were praying for her and a panicked woman was asking, “Does anybody have a Coke?” Even in a medical situation, the sponsors get plugged…

Symone got to her feet and went off to the ER and the competition continued. Symone went through, as did Jeremy Rosado. But Lauren Mink and Ethan Jones (My #5) went home, as did Brianna Faulk.

185 made it through to the Group Round. And then the drama really began…

This year, the groups could choose from a list of 20 songs and each group had to have four or five people who were a mixture of Day One and Day Two contestants—which, just as it did last year, totally perplexed the contestants who had already started forming groups…

Seriously, do they not watch the show?...

Alisha Bernhardt, a police officer, was the first to have trouble to find a group as she roamed all over the theater refusing to change from her song choices “Joy to the World” or “Stuck Like Glue.” She also talked a little too much about being a cop…

Another contestant with issues was Amy Brumfield, aka Tent Girl, who was sick as a dog with the flu. Everyone was avoiding her like the plague, because she looked like she had the plague. Amy ended up having a little breakdown…

Meanwhile Alisha the cop teamed up with Dustin Cundiff. Eventually, Amy found her way to Alisha and Dustin…

#Alishaism Alert: “I’m used to people running from me.”

Heejun Han, Phillip Phillips, Jairon Jackson were joined by Richie Lawson and formed M.I.T…

Meanwhile Brianna Bell (who is from Stow, Ohio, by the way) couldn’t find a group because she was so picky about the songs everyone was doing. She eventually joined The Bettys…

Mathenee Treco and Jacquie Cera angered Alisha when they said “Joy to the World” sounded too much like a Christmas song and Alisha walked away. But when she did, Amy and Dustin teamed up with Mathenee and Jacquie to form the Make You Believers, leaving Alisha out…

Brielle Von Hugel, who was in a group with Pia Toscano last season, took command of her group with Shannon Magrane and Kyle Crews (My #9), who were practicing “Hit ‘Em Up Style”…

Symone Black returned after being diagnosed as dehydrated. She was rudely told by an “Idol” person that she needed to find a group. After a little roaming around and some annoying behavior from her dad, George “I am not a stage dad” Black, Symone started rehearsing “Mercy” with her group…

The “Idol” bug started spreading through the contestants as The Bettys member Gabrielle Cavassa, who held hands with Amy during round one, started throwing up…

Meanwhile, M.I.T. started falling apart and I started falling in love with Heejun. Richie, or The Cowboy as Heejun called him, started taking over and Phillip’s kidney stones started making him ill…

#Heejun-ism Alert: “Phillip has a kidney stone. Cowboy had a brain stone.”

Alisha ended up doing “Stuck Like Glue” with Those Girls and That Guy, but they ran into trouble when That Guy, Christian Lopez (who is from Martinsburg, WV, by the way) got hit by the “Idol” bug…

Just a tip for everyone. You probably shouldn’t hug the sick people…

“Patient Zero” as Ryan referred to Amy, was feeling better because she was “speaking herself into being healthy”…

As is always the case on Group Day, at least one group breaks up when some members decide sleep is more important. This year, it was The Bettys. Everyone but Jen M went to bed, leaving Jen M to have a breakdown until Brianna Bell came back. Brianna helped Jen with choreography, while Jen tried to drive home the “Hit ‘Em Up Style” lyrics for Brianna.

Finally, morning and the judges arrived…

#Tylerism Alert: “A little sleep deprivation brings out the best in everyone.”

First up on Group Day was The Bettys. Jen M opened her mouth and…After the break…

Yes, it was another “Idol” cliffhanger as we have to wait until Wednesday to see the rest of the Group Round. And Wednesday we’ll also get the four rooms filled with contestants. Then Thursday, the remaining contestants are off to Vegas and the Elvis stage…

So what did you guys think? Did you enjoy the episode as much as I did? And are you in love with Heejun now too?

Discuss…