Going into this week’s “American Idol” shows, the competition had waved goodbye to an astounding five consecutive females. With only two remaining, it seemed nearly impossible that Haley Reinhart or Lauren Alaina would end up on the chopping block.
But neither set the world on fire during Movie Night on Wednesday, and Reinhart, in particular, struggled. As the only contestant to receive even remotely negative feedback from the judges, she indeed seemed at risk of keeping the unprecedented streak alive.
And the scare did not vanish as this week’s results show commenced. Haley was the first contestant sent to the bottom three stools, on which she was eventually joined by Paul McDonald and Stefano Langone.
This time, however, the endangered female was left standing. Host Ryan Seacrest sent Reinhart back to safety, bringing the announcement down to McDonald and Langone. A male was going home.
That male, Paul McDonald, ends his run as this season’s eighth place finisher. McDonald had developed a nice little run on the show due to his resemblance to Hollywood heartthrob Bradley Cooper, his quirky, bluesy musical style and his James Blunt-esque voice. But not even rave reviews from the judges were enough to convince voters to get behind his “Old Time Rock ‘N Roll,” and it was the end of the road for McDonald.
The seven remaining contestants return to the stage next Wednesday.