And then there were six...at last! Back when Kristy made it into the top ten (at the expense of Amanda) and in spite of a less than stellar performance, I worried that once again talent was taking the back burner. Now that Kristy has finally departed, I have to admit that even I am impressed by her improvement in the last three weeks.

Nevertheless, she was in over her head and I am thankful I will no longer need to yell at my TV, "Stop bouncing your knee while you're singing!!" Honestly, I longed for someone to take her in hand and teach her some performance skills. Oh, well...water, and a contestant under the bridge. We must move on.

Now it's time to talk about who can win, not just who will go home. Clearly, David C. is a favorite. I didn't start out a fan, but week after week it's become increasingly undeniable that he's what the judges keep calling, "the total package". He makes good song choices-and good arrangement choices, too; of equal importance as far as I can see.

But do the rockers really want to win? Might the untimely dismissal of Michael be the same sort of blessing in disguise that it was for Daughtry? It can't be easy to pull off that edgier persona rockers need to succeed when they've been crowned the Miss USA of the music world, can it? Would Jim Morrison, Rod Stewart and Mick Jagger have the same cache if they had the Idol title? Okay, so maybe Rod could pull it off...he does look good in a tux. But you wonder if David C. might rather take home only a piece of the enchilada.

Brooke has, in my opinion, made less than stellar choices of late. Yes, as Paula said, she's authentic, but I agreed with Simon that her "Hero" left me wanting for meat in the bun. And really, in the beginning I bought the tears, thinking that a particular song on a particular night, critiqued in a particular way had pushed her to the edge. Now I'm thinking that's where she lives. Someone better hand her a Prozac when her time arrives or we will see the weepiest farewell appearance in Idol history!

Carly, Carly, Carly...who are you?? You've got the lungs, the chops, the talent...but what kind of album are you planning to produce? Please, figure it out, make good choices and give us the excellent performance I know you've got in you. (FYI...excellent and loud are not synonymous.)

I'm hoping Andrew Lloyd Webber week will be her overdue comeback. As Yoda said to Luke, "You could be...." But it's up to you, babe.

Sayesha was blessed to be there for Mariah Carey week-this is the mentor for her. I know, she's no Mariah-or Whitney, and God knows I always cringe when contestants attempt the songs of either, but this girl's got some potential. She can't win-she shouldn't, but that doesn't mean she can't sing. Sayesha, I think, is one of the contestants who is learning from their experiences on the show, and that can make for surprising results. Just ask Clay Aiken!

I'm already on the record that I like Jason Castro. The kid reminds me of one of my sons and I just wanna hug him every time he's on. I know it's sad...call it empty nest syndrome, if you like. I do, however, have other reasons to like him, and that would be how much he also reminds me of James Taylor and Cat Stevens (talk about wasted talent!). I'm not sure we've ever had a contestant like Jason on Idol before-at least not one that got this far. Granted, I know the little girls are voting with fluttering hearts, but every week I look forward to what he's chosen to sing.

I'm familiar with the Hawaiian version of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" and knew instantly it was the perfect choice. "Fragile" was an equally good choice, just sung too fast without enough emotion. "I Don't Wanna Cry" was another good choice. Look at the list of what Jason has sung and you'll see he knows who he is. Can he handle being Idol? Well...he's clearly feeling like he's fallen into some weird time warp in reality, but imaging what his internal monologue must be is half the fun!

Finally, and supposedly, our future American Idol, David. A. Yes, I agree he's got quite a voice. And, like so many others this season, he plays an instrument. (One of the better features of season 7, if you ask me...and even you don't!) And he's young, so he's got everyone from the t'weens to the grandmas voting for him. And he's got that adorable adolescent smile (though he is 17, not 12). Still...what's his CD gonna be like? I'm having a hard time putting him in a category, and I'm sure Idol's producers want someone they can market. Even Kristy has a clearer market than David A.

In the end, the majority of the contestants' careers might be better served by being runner-up than winner. Of them all, David A. seems like the one who would most benefit by the Idol title, and be worst served as an also-ran.