It happens every year in predictable stages: Anticipation over the return of American Idol, boredom and irritation as the auditions drag on and the wrong people are kept while the good are sent home … and then, once the field is set and turned over to the voters, a sense that hey, this group might not be so bad after all.

It might not be the “most talent ever!” (Randy Jackson, 2002-2011), and I’m still not entirely sure how most of these kids can be turned into relevant artists (though if it could happen for Ke$ha, it could happen for literally anyone), but when you consider that the likes of Aaron Kelly, Chris Richardson, and Scott Savol have finished in fifth place on previous Idol seasons, this deep field makes it hard to credit the theory that America is running out of talent.

If truth be told, however, the top 24 looks a little top heavy from a gender standpoint. Despite all the best efforts by producers to tilt us in the direction of a female (and preferably a girl) champion, the ladies’ half, while featuring a commendable ethnic diversity, looks a little lackluster. But on the men’s side, nine seem to have what it takes to make deep runs. At least a couple of them won’t even make it past the first week, since there will be just one semifinal this season.

I hope that semifinal is worth the wait, because the last stage in picking the top 24 has gotten interminable. For most of Idol history, the green mile was dispensed with in one hour, but like the Super Bowl pre-game show, it just keeps gettin’ longer. It took three full hours spread over two nights to fill the field this time around. One happy byproduct of this decision is that Season Ten finalists are starting on a more equal footing than ever before: Everyone who made it through got a short segment recounting their path to this point, including footage of their singing. So while Lauren Turner probably wishes she had gotten the producer push of that other Lauren, at least we know what she sounds like. Five years ago, Idol might have just tossed her overboard and let her drown in the first semifinal.

Still, there has to be a better way of entertaining viewers than the judges’ misdirection that has never once misdirected anybody. Whenever someone had to be cut, the judges got right to the point. But whenever a singer was being sent through, one of them would always try to make it sound as if the news might not be good: “It’s very tough … you had some high points and some low points, but it’s very important to be consistent … and that’s why I’m very sorry to have to tell you … that YOU MADE IT!” Three full hours of that is too much, especially when you realize that all these kids have seen the show too, and know when their legs are being pulled. What I wouldn’t give to see one of them interrupt and say, “Spit it out, sister. You know I’m in, and I know I’m in.”

It’s hard to criticize too many of the top 24 decisions, but a few of the picks seem to make little sense. Tatynisa Wilson was shown botching the lyrics of “I Hope You Dance” in the montage that featured Scotty McCreery doing the same thing; add these two to Haley Reinhart, and it’s apparent this once-mortal Idol sin has become pretty venial. And it’s hard for me to figure how Idol veteran Aaron Sanders fell short, when viewers saw him outshine the successful Jordan Dorsey both times they were in a group together.

The traditional green mile-ending “two chairs” segment became three for the men, when Brett Loewenstern got the nod over the lovable-but-overmatched Jacee Badeaux, and Southern emo boy Colton Dixon, whose final solo was that Paramore song from the vampire flick and probably deserved to stay over at least two guys who made it. Afterwards, Brett addressed the cameras and said it wasn’t about which one of them got through, which I’ve always found is a lot easier to say when you’re the one who got through. On the women’s side, the final face-off came between Thia Megia, who has been featured every step of the way this season; and Jessica Cunningham, who has tried out for Idol seven times before age 25, gotten to Hollywood three times, and gotten past Hollywood the last two seasons. So she was enough of a veteran to know what was up, but while she didn’t seem surprised to get cut again, she had some fun on her way out, flipping the double bird and commenting that she knew her hands were being covered with little American Idol logos.

A few other notes from the night’s proceedings:

What was with Julie Zorrilla lifting and tackling Ryan Seacrest? In that dress she had on, that could have been dangerous.
If James Durbin wants to avoid comparisons to Adam Lambert, might it be a good idea to not do one of Adam’s signature Idol songs for your last solo? Someone put that on a Post-it note so he’ll find it.
Randy telling Jacob Lusk that his “God Bless the Child” solo in Hollywood was the greatest Idol performance ever tells you everything you need to know about Randy Jackson.
I hope Rachel Zevita eventually found that funeral she was supposed to be attending.

Finally, my annual and always hilariously unsuccessful ranking of the newly named finalists, in terms of their likely order of finish (not a ranking of my own preferences). At least I’m pretty sure no one from my very bottom will win (Kris Allen, two years ago), and that the person I put on top won’t be the first finalist told they are going home (Janell Wheeler, last year).

1. Casey Abrams: An easy pick as the most likely champ; fits the general mold of the three most recent winners, but with a much stronger personality.
2. Robbie Rosen: Talented New York teen with a good backstory doesn’t have heartthrob looks … yet, but the Idol style team will take care of that.
3. Stefano Langone: He does have the looks and onstage charisma, but does he have the musicality Idol voters have recently been demanding?
4. Lauren Alaina: They keep trying to make this whole “next Kelly Clarkson” thing happen, but while she’s admittedly good, her voice doesn’t match the hype, at all.
5. Julie Zorrilla: She needs to avoid diva material that her voice can’t handle, but if she makes the right choices, the hotness factor should take her a long way.
6. Paul McDonald: Even this high and with little airtime for him so far, I might be underrating him; the buzz has been building for him since Wednesday’s show.
7. Ashthon Jones: If this Idol thing doesn’t work out, she can always star in the made-for-TV flick on the life of Beyonce. But seriously, she looks strong.
8. James Durbin: Seems to be polarizing folks even faster than Adam Lambert did, and fans of the original will wig out at his attempts to poach Adam’s legacy.
9. Brett Loewenstern: Josiah Leming’s revenge. There’s a lot to like about his voice and artistic instincts, but lack of charisma could be a problem.
10. Scotty McCreery: Seriously, he could win. He’s shown no range, but really shines in that limited zone of his, and Idol has never had a country boy like him.
11. Naima Adedapo: Exactly the kind of person you want to see succeed on Idol, but her lack of an obvious niche will hurt her in building a fanbase.
12. Rachel Zevita: As a big-voiced eccentric from the East, she recalls Siobhan Magnus and will likely win over the same voters. Opera Girl could surprise.
13. Thia Megia: The younger you are, the harder you fall. She’s a likely wild card pick, but her lack of growth since her audition is apparent.
14. Jacob Lusk: The judges love him, so he might get in as a wild card even if the voters find him to be way too much. He’s so strange, it’s hard to know what to think.
15. Tim Halperin: Post Kris Allen I can never write guys like this off, but I just think there’s too much competition in his demographic.
16. Pia Toscano: The Idol veteran quietly had some decent showings in and since Hollywood; probably has the best chance of the relative female unknowns.
17. Lauren Turner: The onetime maid has big ol’ pipes, but has only a short time to overcome her relative lack of footage so far.
18. Kendra Chantelle: Her maturity is welcome in this field, but there’s not much to distinguish her.
19. Jordan Dorsey: One of the best looking of the guys, but acting as arrogant as he does while constantly being outshone in his groups is a bad strategy for winning over voters.
20. Karen Rodriguez: Even more forgettable than last year’s top 24 cut Ashley Rodriguez; ass-kissing of J. Lo is embarrassing.
21. Clint Jun Gamboa: Probably doomed by his villain edit and his oddball appearance, but he always looks assured on stage.
22. Haley Reinhart: Has yet to sing well even once; easily the biggest mystery in the finals as to what the judges see in her.
23. Jovany Barreto: If his cheese-laden efforts so far are as good as he gets, he might not want to say goodbye to shipbuilding just yet.
24. Tatynisa Wilson: Another lyric-forgetter like Haley, she’s ranked lower because she’s had less airtime and isn’t blonde.