A season begins: The first step into a new world

Fact about the number eight: In the Judaic religion, eight is a very auspicious number, designating both the complete days of Hanukkah (the faith’s second-biggest miracle) and the moment, when a Jewish boy has lived this many days that the rite of circumcision is performed on him. 

The dawn of a new "Idol" season is an event too huge for its full consequence to be adequately represented in any one episode of television programming. As when a child gets on the bus for his first day at school or an army crosses over the border of its neighbors, the first inches may be but a small step but they commit one to a journey of such enormity that we can only begin to guess how we will emerge at the other end.  So we take that deep breath and plunge ahead.  And then ... stare out the window at the passing countryside knowing that a long, long trial lies ahead.

The kick-off of Season Eight had that feeling of a deep breath, and then settling in to watch the scene drift pass, with the real battle lying somewhere ahead.

But still, after eight seasons, that deep breath as we take the first plunge is a powerful one, made all the more so by the affecting “Wonderful World” montage at the show’s open.  After all these years together, we have stored up quite a trove of shared memories, America and its show have.  Rolling through the highlights of the past seasons, from its schmaltziest of highs to its heartbreaking lows (in both the comic and serious strains), instantly places us in the context that we are standing on the stage of history here, and what happens in the next six months will be remembered for eons to come.

Having established that, it was time to get down to the business of the season, and so the auditions began.

The first big question mark of the night hung over the debut of the “new judge,” Kara Dioguardi.  With the show always willing to use the ruckus it creates to its own advantage, Dioguardi’s step onto the "Idol" stage was shown through the eyes of the media frenzy surrounding her addition to the proceedings. At first glimpse, it was hard not to be struck by the visual difference between Diogaurdi and her new colleagues -– in appearance younger, sharper, more attractive, conveying a slightly dangerous edge to her smile -– she instantly put a little spring in the aging juggernaut’s step. But the question remained: How would she fit in and stand up to the other judges.

In the first half of the show, we heard little directly from Diogaurdi, but there was an unmistakable effect at work on the rest of the panel. For the last two seasons, Randy, Paula and Simon have looked from Day One of the audition tours like they were going through this one bloody more time at gunpoint.  Last season in particular, the weariness was often painful to watch on some days. Last night, at least, there was energy, even vigor, from the judges. Randy and Paula in particular seemed to have pumped it up about eight notches, and Simon’s “I need a new job” harrumphs felt more like quips than desperate cries for help.    

In the first half, while Diogaurdi was largely unheard, an interesting dynamic took shape as her presence in the middle of the table had the effect of seeming to isolate Randy from the real action -– which was taking place in the Simon/Paula banter.  In the past, Randy has served as the amiable third wheel to their buddy comedy, casting the deciding vote between Mr. Cranky and Miss Bleeding Heart.  But with his access to the two physically cut off, he suddenly seemed a bit on a separate panel altogether.

In the second half, however, hints of the Dioguardi promise were seen. In the heated “bikini girl” incident, the new judge showed clearly that the knives are there, waiting to come out.  She demonstrated an edge sharper, more informed and potentially even nastier than Simon’s occasionally shopworn put-downs.  In her parting comment to the bikini girl, a tossed aside of “Sing naked next time,” she gave us a glimpse of potentially deadly force to come, with an edge that could inject a great deal of energy into the show.

The rest of the episode had that feel of those first relatively quiet miles just over the frontier.  There was no sudden revelation discovery, but a handful of decent talents.  (Although after one episode, I declare Emily Hughes the front-runner to be the next American Idol.) (Note that after the first episode of last season, I made the same declaration for Kristy Lee Cook.)

The other big question mark that loomed was: In light of tragic events, in light of a new age of “hope” dawning, would we see a softer, gentler show in regard to the painfully misguided tier of contestants?  I would say after one episode the answer to that was tentatively yes.

Although the freaks were still present and their self-delusion and nutty expectations of stardom were still fully displayed, one might say it was done with an almost loving hand compared with years past.  Instead of forcing the humiliation into the vanquished’s faces, we come close to actual empathy, nearly experiencing the tragedy through their eyes, to the tender sounds of “Dust in the Wind.”

And so the border has been crossed. The year of the Davids is but a memory. And the only way home is down a long and treacherous road at the end which, six months hence, we will find one of these young dreamers standing on stage at the Nokia Theatre.

PROGRAMMING NOTE:  Please join me for a live chat at 12:30 Pacific Time on Wednesday, January 14.  Go to latimes.com/americanidol.

-- Richard Rushfield

Photo credit: Fox

Comments

[ml66uk]

Not all Jewish families circumcise. There are at least three websites run by Jewish men and women who are against circumcision. Brit Shalom is an alternative way to celebrate the birth of boys to Jewish familes.

[Connie]

I cringed when Kara uttered the most insulting comment of the evening: "What does that make me?", referring to her fan in the pink cowboy hat. I fear that her immature, self-centered, comments will ruin this show. Is she competing with the contestants?

[MONTANA USA]

I LOVED THIS GIRL KATRINA IN THE BATHING SUIT. I ALSO LIKE HER VOICE. GOOD LUCK TO HER!!!

[KateCoe]

I think immature, self-centered comments from the judging panel are the high points of the evening for me. Do people really watch for the music?

[Stephanie Lysaght]

The show did not feel particularly gentle to me.

What is fun about watching a crying person wail, "stop filming me," after they have been humiliated? The scene before the judges panel is one thing, but chasing a sobbing reject down the hall is quite another.