So many things spring to mind after this week on Idol:

Haley is in the top three. I’ve been a big fan from day one but I never thought she would make it this far. It pains me to say that I didn’t think she had it in her, but she’s been firing on all cylinders lately. And what a perfect time to peak in the competition. I hope she makes it to the finale.

Haley gets another standing ovation. After last week’s stellar performance, I was worried how Haley would cope this round. Surely her best must be behind her, right? But wow did she manage to amaze with I Who Have Nothing, which was one of Jordin Sparks’s defining moments. Plus, it’s rare for an Idol contestant to get a standing ovation twice, and much more so in two consecutive weeks.

Those judges are crazy. At least JLo and Randy. Steven’s Mr. Nice Guy so he doesn’t really add anything to the critique although he did come to Haley’s defense. It’s pretty clear that the judges have favorites and, unfortunately, Haley’s not one of them. I wouldn’t mind the slightly harsh critique they gave her after Earth Song if they’ve been doling out such comments with some of the other contestants who deserved them. But they’ve been wishy-washy with Haley all season. One performance she sucks, another she’s amazing. It makes her fans (and her critics) wonder, Are we watching the same show? (We’ve always believed Haley had massive potential and she’s been quite the star in recent weeks.)

James is out. My jaw dropped to the floor! This season’s top four was pretty competitive in that it was hard to pick which one “deserved” to go home after performance night. But I had a feeling it was going to be either of the girls, plainly because the guys had never been in the bottom before. In a fair world, James would have won this competition. Yes, there’ve been a couple surprising eliminations this season but the ratings are up from last year, which means the show must be doing something right.