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The entire Round of 32 has performed, and John Stevens, Jasmine Trias, Amy Adams, LaToya London, Matthew Rogers, Camile Velasco, Diana Degarmo and Fantasia Barrino have been voted through to the finals. But there are still four spots left to fill in the Top Twelve. Hence, the Wild Card Round! The top vote-getter, as before, will proceed to the next round, and each judge will also select one person to advance.

Twelve performers were brought back as Wild Card contestants: Marque Lynche, Katie Webber, Jennifer Hudson, and Matthew Metzger from Round 1; Lisa Leuschner from Round 2; Elizabeth LeTendre, Eric Yoder, Jon Peter Lewis, and Leah LaBelle from Round 3; and George Huff, Suzy Vulaca, and Tiara Purifoy from Round 4. Four were told on the show that, after a week of rehearsing, they would not be performing and were out of the competition -- Eric Yoder, Lisa Leuschner, Marque Lynche and Tiara Purifoy. Read on for the reaction of Brian, Mary, and Molly on the remaining eight Wild Card contestants.

Jon Peter Lewis - "A Little Less Conversation"

Brian writes: All right, here's Jon Peter's chance to show America that he's so much better than his earlier performance! And ... vocally, he wasn't so bad. He had fun with the song, kind of like how a school kid performs a stunt in class without caring about whether he goes to detention. Yes, his "dance moves" were comical, but that can be improved. Overall, his performance reminded me of a talent show. I hope he advances, because I like his personality, but if he does, he won't last long.

Mary writes: I had to watch his performance twice. Not because I thought it was a work of art, but because he nearly had William Hung dance moves. Jon's dancing was incredibly unfortunate. He is stiff and only has a bare modicum of rhythm. I think his voice was absolutely overshadowed by his dance movements -- and not in a good way. I think Jon's voice was okay, but it absolutely pales in comparison to Elvis. Jon couldn't hit the low notes in the song.

Molly writes: I agree with Mary -- Jon Peter was definitely William Hung-esque. I feel very torn. On the one hand, I admire his chutzpah. It's nice to see someone take a risk. But strictly judging him on his merits ... it was not a great performance. If he'd done it in the earlier rounds, he wouldn't have been invited to Hollywood, and might have made it on one of the "worst auditions" specials (although considering how much Fox has been featuring "worst auditions," that's not saying much -- they have a lot of airtime they need to fill!).

Elizabeth LeTendre - "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face"

Brian writes: Elizabeth made a great decision to choose a slow tempo song, and as a result, she didn't dance. That will help her to be judged by her voice, as she stated that she wanted. The beginning of her song was just awful, missing her cue and going off key (again!). When she hit the upper register, it sounded like she was squawking. The whole thing just had an insecure feel about it.

Mary writes: The piano was far too loud. It was difficult to hear her singing. I think she was trying a bit too hard, but she seemed to hit most of the notes which is a good thing. I was not wowed by her performance, but she did an adequate job.

Molly writes: When we saw the clip from her audition, when she sang a couple of lines of this song, I was really impressed, and started looking forward to her performance. Unfortunately, tonight didn't match up to her audition. Tempo problems, pitch problems, and a strange enunciation. She also seemed way too nervous.

Katie Webber - "So Emotional"

Brian writes: This was the perfect opportunity for Katie to shine. The song choice was right up her alley. She should have been able to knock it out of the park. However, when she started, her voice had no strength. Her stage presence is still strong, and she plays well to the camera. Although I didn't think this performance was great, I think she'll succeed with development.

Mary writes: I really liked her performance of this song. She had a lot of energy and she sang it really well until the last note. I disagree with the judges who thought she was just kind of "eh." I think Katie did a very nice job and was definitely the best of the three so far. In my opinion, the acoustics in the studio must be very different than my home tv because Katie sounded fine to me.

Molly writes: I wasn't crazy about this performance. Her vocals were too staccato at the beginning of the song. Last time, I thought her strong vocals were being obscured by the off-beat song choice. This time, her song choice was pure pop, but I wasn't as impressed by the vocals. I do think that if she makes it through she'll be a good contestant, but I'm not sure if that performance will get her over the top.

George Huff - "Lean On Me"

Brian writes: George made a smart move by choosing a "younger-sounding" song. His performance this time was much more animated than the last one, although his voice was still uneven. He really shined in the freestyle part of the song. The best thing was that really got him and the audience into it.

Mary writes: I enjoyed his performance of "Lean on Me." I still think his voice always sounds hoarse, but his performance Tuesday night was 100 times better than last week's. His voice sounded a lot better and his confidence and energy were contagious. We do need to give George some dancing lessons, because his bounce during the song was distracting. George's performance didn't blow me away, but he sounded pretty good.

Molly writes: While better than last week, George's voice still didn't sound as good to me as it did in auditions. But boy, did he pour on the performance tonight. He really lit up the room and energized the crowd. If he makes it through, can he marry energy and vocals? I hope so!

Suzy Vulaca - "I Will Survive"

Brian writes: I said that Suzy's problem the first time around was a lack of "oomph." That problem has apparently been fixed. It was a great performance. The only criticisms I have was that the ending was a little weak and her presence need some more maturity. I have no doubt that Suzy will advance.

Mary writes: She started off the song a bit too high for her range, but when she got into the song, she really sang it. I liked her performance a whole lot. She generally sang the song well and I really hope she advances. I'll be disappointed if she doesn't advance.

Molly writes: A great job by Suzy! Her voice was a little rougher than last time, she flubbed the lyrics a bit, and there were a couple of notes that were iffy. But it was a 100% improvement over her last performance. Last time, she was technically better. But this time, she had a lot of power, passion and style in her performance. She definitely deserves to go through.

Matthew Metzger - "When I See You Smile"

Brian writes: I was shocked that Matthew was asked back to perform in the Wild Card round. The King of Karaoke didn't relinquish his title tonight. His voice improved a small amount since last time, but the overall performance was quite boring. He made it his own, but not in a good way. There was improvement, but not enough.

Mary writes: Okay, I really didn't care for him the first time around. I didn't like his hip-slapping and I thought he performed very badly. Guess what? He did more hip slapping this time. His performance was mediocre at best. He does not have enough power in his voice and he can't sustain singing even these short pieces. Also, his facial expressions and his awkward gestures during his performance are really awful. He does not have "star quality" and I really hope I never have to see this man again. Please America, don't vote him through! Please judges, don't vote him through!

Molly writes: When Matt started, I thought he sounded okay. Better than last week. Pretty vocals. However, like Randy said, it went downhill quickly after that. I think it was better than last week (although maybe I just feel that way because I don't love this song as much as "Walking in Memphis"). But for some reason I just got the giggles halfway through. I don't think that's a good sign. If Patrick Lake couldn't make it through on this song, I don't think Matt should.

Leah LaBelle - "Let's Stay Together"

Brian writes: Leah was pretty much the same as she was in her last performance. She just has that ... European disinterest in the competition. I don't like putting it that way, but it best conveys what I'm thinking. It's like she's too good for the show. Anyway, she was once again lazy-mouthed and flat, and somehow made a song boring that I never imagined could be. Leah still is way behind the pack of the eight that have gone on.

Mary writes: Oh dear. This literally is the worst performance I've ever heard of "Let's Stay Together." I love Al Green, and Leah just didn't do the song justice at all. She didn't enunciate the words she was singing and she tried to play sex kitten to the camera. Wow, this was not good. I'm not sure why Randy and Paula liked this performance. I completely agree with Simon. He didn't care for her performance and neither did I.

Molly writes: I'm not sure what she was trying to do with this song. It was too fast to be sultry, and it was too subdued to be pop. Leah didn't seem at all comfortable with this song. Her bobbing up and down bothered me more than George Huff's!

Jennifer Hudson - "I Believe In You And Me"

Brian writes: Jennifer gave one of the best performances of the night, but also the oddest. Her facial expressions were a bit goofy, her eyes darting around for example, but it worked. She definitely had the best voice of tonight's contestants, showing that she really does deserve to advance. I hope she becomes this year's Kimberley Locke.

Mary writes: Okay, I think she has a fine voice, but she was trilling up and down the scales with her voice and I'm not sure the song needed all that. I disagree that hers was the best performance. She needs more training and discipline and she could become a really excellent singer. I'd like her to advance because she might be able to outsing most of the people in the competition. Again, I agree with Simon that her voice is a bit all over the place. I would be disappointed if she doesn't make it through.

Molly writes: Based on her performance last round, I'd really like to see Jennifer advance. But this performance ... not so much. I think she was trying too hard to impress. While that's understandable, I think she would have been better served by not trying so hard. And by a different outfit -- maybe next time her friend could just make her some jewelry or something.

Final Thoughts

Brian writes: I was very disappointed in this year's wild card round. Based on tonight's performances, I expect Jennifer, Suzy, George, and Katie will advance, although I'm rooting for Jon Peter instead of George.

Mary writes: In my opinion, there were two top performances, two bottom of the barrel performances, and the rest fall somewhere in the middle. I will be disappointed if Jennifer and Suzy do not make it through to the next round. I would like to see more of Jon (especially because he made me laugh really hard tonight) and George. I never ever want to see Matt again. Ever. I think the top four will be Jennifer, Suzy, Jon, and George.

Molly writes: Hmmmmm ... my top two performers would be Jennifer and Suzy, with George coming in third based on his improved performance, and I think they'll all make it through. Jon has an outside chance at being voted through, but I don't think he'll be a judge's pick. I do strongly suspect that Matt Metzger will make it, because the judges are going to want to add guys (particularly heart-throb-by guys) to the mix. Sorry, Mary!

American Idol roundtables at The Trades: 1st Quarterfinal | 2nd Quarterfinal | 3rd Quarterfinal | 4th Quarterfinal

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