"American Idol" continued its brand of swift Las Vegas justice Thursday, presenting 10 singers and promptly cutting half of them by the end of the two-hour semifinal episode.
It was good news for glorious oddball Charlie Askew, bilingual singer Devin Velez, heartthrob-in-the-making Elijah Liu, soul singer Curtis Finch, Jr. and the earnest Paul Jolley, all of whom survived the sudden death elimination. Jolley was let through after the judges deadlocked and Jimmy Iovine was brought in to break the tie.