Like many American Idol fans, I’ve unblinkingly watched every single second of Season Seven’s broadcast. I’ve coached, I’ve judged, I’ve criticized, and now I’ve been completely blindsided by the show. Anyone else feel that way?

Why bother watching hours and hours - and hours - of audition footage if only a handful of the top 24 are featured? What’s with the confusion of Hollywood Week, as I scramble to remember faces and names and scream “What ! How did he make it to the top 24? Why haven’t I ever seen him before at all?”

It’s no secret the judges and producers of Idol have their special favorites. On the flip side, they have contestants they can’t stand (remember Simon Cowell’s unabashed loathing of Sanjaya Malakar last year?). The massive amounts of air time devoted to some and the quick two-second glimpses of others aren’t an accident: it’s a not-so-subtle plot to influence votes, to get rid of the “extras” and keep only the ones producers want.

Jason Castro, Luke Menard, Jason Yeager and Garrett Haley suddenly appeared on screen as if from nowhere, only to be told they’d made it to the top. But I didn’t recognize them at all. Fans haven’t heard you sing and know nothing of your stories - and that doesn’t bode well as far as voting goes. People vote for those they like, and it’s impossible to like those we can’t see. Colton Berry won a spot in the 24 over adorable Kyle Ensley (my governor of Oklahoma), though judge Simon Cowell quite vocally dissed this decision. I’m already rooting for Berry to lose, and many other fans simply won’t vote for him at all because he brought about the anger of Cowell. You’re in a bad place right now, Berry.

The Top 12 women were all shown throughout the first weeks of the series, but many of them got very brief camera time. Among these, contestant Carly Smithson shines bright. Irish-born Smithson was disqualified from Season 5 because her Visa paperwork (not credit cards, green cards) didn’t go through the proper channels. After this, Smithson signed up with a major label and created an album that completely tanked in the sales department. Already a pro (and a failed one, at that), many fans of the show don’t think Smithson should even get a fair shot. Smithson isn’t even the only controversial singer on the show, and the drama has started before any of the Top 24 have taken to the stage.

Idol promised us that, this year, there would be more focus on the stories. You got that part right. Now…when do we hear some actual singing? Maybe even…a whole performance?

(You can find all the American Idol 7 posts here.)