Canadian Idol 6 - Episode 5

We start with Mookie Morrison addressing the camera. He talks about not making the final 22 last year because he wasn’t focused, about taking his career seriously for the first time, about keeping busy building a home studio, writing and “trying to mature.” He was only 17, only 17; he’s aged a year since then.

Mookie’s is the first of 23 performances we will see on the final day of auditions before the judges decide who moves on to the live portion of Canadian Idol 6. The majority will do Maroon 5’s She Will Be Loved or Rihanna’s Umbrella. It is a business like episode, so here we go:

Omar Lunden tells the judges about last December, when his 25 year old little brother became another Toronto homicide, another young black man shot to death. He does Break It To Them Gently and leaves not a dry eye in the house.

The Pigott brothers dial it in, looking tired after 3 days of playing and, one hopes, enjoying the perks of staying in a fine hotel in downtown Toronto while young, unattached, good looking and on a TV show.

Kristina Lankinen has lost it. The judges’ little head game last episode has convinced her she is doing something wrong, but she doesn’t know what it is. Her performance is shrill and desperate. I grieve for her and hope she returns next year with a deeper confidence than what’s been revealed over the past 24 hours.

Vince Vorkpor does a nervous, shaky She Will Be Loved. It is clear he doesn’t understand the tune and has no feel for it whatsoever.

Ramil Omosura is a new talent for me, if that’s the right word: based on his strained, mugging performance, it (talent) may not be.

Jade Padua isn’t bad, but her reaction when she exits the stage makes it clear she is deeply disappointed with her performance.

Mitch MacDonald, who came to Toronto on the basis of a version of You’re No Good that I thought spoke for me, surprises with one of the better turns at what I am now abbreviating to SWBL.

Drew Wright is another singer who is new to me. SWBL couldn’t have been a better choice – he sounds so much like the Maroon 5 lead singer it’s eerie.

We now get a 6-singer run of performances that show how stress, long hours and a circus-like environment can wreak havoc on short-term memory. Each of these final performances is timed. The singer sings for 2 minutes – no more, no less. Katelyn Dawn, Earl Stevenson, Nicholas J. Gordon, Katherine St. Laurent, Adam Castelli and Tetiana Ostapowych all vapor lock and spend a portion of their stage time staring blankly, praying for lyrics that will not come.

Gary Morisette, one of the 11 online applicants invited to Toronto, gets some profile time. Nice rock voice but not much finesse.

Mark Day is too grateful to be nervous and is the happiest looking performer we’ve seen all episode. His SWBL is a little flat in places, though.

Carly Campbell looks like her head’s going to explode. Effortless is not in her vocabulary. Jesse Cottam and Amberly Thiessen don’t hurt their chances. Paul Clifford is here for his 3rd year. We met him for the first time in the group performance last night and I mentioned I like his voice. John Fogerty but less mannered.

Shaun Francisco (have I mentioned what a great name that is? If it’s on his birth certificate, even better.) impresses even arch-enemy, Jake. Uninteresting no more.

The judges deliberate. The envelopes, please.

Sass tells Mark Day she thinks his true calling is as a comedian. He is about to cry and she hurries to the punchline: “But we all like a singer who can make us smile,” and baby face is in the next round. Once off stage he drops to his knees and weeps.

We watch several nameless contestants come to the end of their season. We then watch Ramil Omosura go quietly into that good night. Joe Nolan (?) and Mookie are next. Joe isn’t ready yet, Mookie is. Mitch MacDonald and Earl Stevenson go through together. Omar gets kudos for not being afraid to show his heart (remember this is a guy who started with the judges freakin’ on him for being too musical theatre) and gets a pass the live shows. Nicole, Charlie and Kristina are sent home.

Katherine St. Laurent is the first female in the top 22, after 4 guys. Katelyn and Amberly make it 3 females. Lindsey Robinson and Martin Kerr are in. Tatiana makes it (big, long hug from Oliver). Marie-Pierre and Lisa Bell both make it. Adam Castelli, who spent a long time staring into space after forgetting the lyrics to his song, gets a good grilling, but gets a pass. The guy doesn’t know when to shut up. He keeps trying to explain his failing even after they’ve passed him and they have to tell him to shut up.

Gary Morisette gets a pass, but I wonder if he got points just because they wanted at least one online applicant on the live show. Shaun, Theo and Jesse are next. There are already 8 guys in the final 22, so I’m figuring there are only 3 slots for males left and am surprised when all three go through. There’s no way the Pigotts aren’t going through so what’s it going to be: more guys than girls, more than 22 selected or both?

Vincent is finished for the season. Both Pigott brothers make it. That’s 13 guys. Lindsey Barr becomes the 8th girl and there’s only 1 left for 22. Jade and Carly are both told thanks but no thanks.

Drew Wright is the 14th male and the 22nd member of the top 22. They bring in the final two, Paul Clifford and Jessica Sheppard. The last two eliminated at this point last year, become the final two members of Canadian Idol’s first Top 24.