1. I've been watching this show since Season 4 and think that David Cook is by far the best contestant I have seen, but singing Duran Duran is a waste of everyone's time (although even on an off night Cook is better than Simon Le Bon). He took a Chris Daughtry approach, which is sad because he's better than Daughtry. IMO he's flattened off a bit because he's listening too much to the judges, who encourage a softer \ emo style, even when it doesn't particularly work for the song at hand (see Baba O'Riley).

2. Cook is #1 only by default. At least he has the brains and guts to try to sing something approaching rock and roll. Syesha is trying to act and bump and grind her way through. (Indeed, in a weird way, her gryrations on the first song reminded me of Taylor Hicks.) It is intoxicating to the half of the audience to which I belong (male) when you have a rack and legs like she does, and I respect her improvement during the season. But Syesha's act is wearing thin because her song choices and arrangements could not be more obvious (Simon was right on song #1), and I didn't get her association between the civil rights movement of the 1960s and her standing on AI in 2008.

3. David Archuleta did not deserve the lapdog kissses from the judges. His first song was OK, provided you think that the do-wop school of rock and roll is integral to its history (I don't). On Love Me Tender, Claire Zulkey of the Onion (who does an excellent job, check her out) got it right: the song does not work when the singer does not present any sexual presence, as Robot Boy David lacks. Overall, Archuleta's approach was pre-rock and roll, the harmless pap that was swept aside by the likes of the great Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry. Archuleta is the new Pat Boone, who became famous by pilfering the nascent rock by the real performers (on the soul chart) and then sanitizing the songs for the white middle class audience. We don't need a new Pat Boone.

4. Jason's second song actually was good except for the disaster with the humming, as he showed unusual energy for him. He tried, he seemed to care. And his comment after he said that he had picked a Bob Marley song -- "go figure" -- was priceless. That alone made the night somewhat worthwhile.

I have a sneaking suspicion that David Cook is going to go. It makes sense historically. He may or may not be better off for leaving, but as far as I can tell he does not want to go, so it would be disappointing to him as well as me. I hope I am wrong.