See, I said '77 was not a good year...

So much surprise. Bo in the bottom two. Nadia leaves before either Scott or Anthony.

But was it really surprising?

I've been thinking about this all day -- the two I fantasized in the finale, both standing center stage last night. And, although I still haven't come to any solid conclusions, I have decided that it wasn't very surprising after all.

But what happened between then -- when some thought our finale was set -- to now, when they're both forced to stand there and await one's execution?

All I had to do was remember the semi-finals.

Bo exploded upon the Idol stage during the semis. Everytime someone whines about lack of airtime up to the semis, I scream Bo Bice. No one had really seen him until the 24 show, and yet, the minute he took the stage he challenged everyone not to love him. His performances were crisp. They were new. And he set a bar for himself, one that he simply has refused, or been unable, to raise since. He knows his everything will not be defined by this show. He knows that he has earned enough attention and enough critical praise to reach beyond cheesy group sings and Ford commercials. That knowledge is enough to allow him the freedom to perform as he wants. And, he has to deal with the complacency of fans who hear things like "see you at the finals," applaud and smile, then go out for pizza.

Nadia is the same. Her first true performance was a showstopper. She grabbed the viewers -- the voters -- by the throat, and made us notice her, not only for her hair and to-die-for wardrobe, but for her performance skills. She made it clear early on that she was her own person, unwilling to stay contently in the Idol box, and that may have just been her undoing. She has had some terrific performances, but they've been hit and miss. And, if one wants to move further in this competition, one must be willing and able to play the game. She wasn't willing. She's gone.

Constantine is playing the game about as well as Clay did in season two. He understands how to grab an audience, and he's not only raising the bar, but carving out a new trail in risk taking. Many people who didn't really give Constantine much credit outside of his sex appeal are changing their tunes. Could he have been the one sandbagging throughout the semis? I'm starting to think so.

Vonzell is playing the game. She knows that people will vote for the contestant deemed the most genuine, and every performance, every interview reveals that she is much like Kim Locke -- a sweet girl with a great voice who is just flat-out nice. And who doesn't like nice? Plus we are expecting better and better from her, considering the lackluster way she started off this competition.

Carrie is trying hard, but since everyone has shoved her into that country box, her performance risks, unlike Constantine's, have been met with a lot of negativity. She simply looked pained to be rocking on the Bo stage, but you gotta give the girl credit for putting herself out there. Her bar, like Bo's, was set high from the beginning. And, while she's not exactly raising it every week, she is not falling into that pit of predictability. Like Bo.

I'd like to be able to say with confidence why Bo ended up in that downtrodden duo. I'd like to blame it on overconfident fans. Or I'd like to blame it on an overconfident Bo. Or an apathetic one But I think it's more of a combination of all of them. Next week could dispell any apathetic rumors.

And as soon as I find out (or think I've found out!) next week's theme, I'll be fantasizing all over the place.