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The consensus four going home, based on the polls I posted, are Aaron Kelly, Todrick Hall, Paige Miles and Katie Stevens. We only got one right!

There were a couple of shockers.

Katelyn Epperly is the first one out. She failed to define herself and come up with consistent performances. There was no one great performance among her three, though her Coldplay was actually pretty good. Unfortunately, her last one was especially lackluster.

Next one out: cheesy Todrick Hall. He finally sang decently on Wednesday but it was too little, too late, and a wee bit too Broadway. He opened big with his audition. (I still loved his original song.) But he failed to impress the first two weeks of the semifinals and even though he performed seventh out of eight last night, failed to garner enough support to move on. He was a bit like Constantine with his ego but minus the necessary cheeseball sex appeal – only the cheese.

Third out: Alex Lambert. This was a minor surprise, given how well he did last night with “Trouble.” His problem: stage presence. He has none. He has the vocals to make it to the top 12 but I suspect he was fighting for votes with the other dude with similar hair: Tim Urban.

Fourth out: Lilly Scott! I didn’t see that coming at all. She has to be the first pimp spot person ousted at this stage in the history of the show. I am surprised. I suspect with all the quirky personalities on the show like Didi, Siobhan and Lacey, Lilly lost out in a split-vote situation. I liked her girly-type voice. She was visibly shocked she was ousted and seemed a little embittered.

So let’s quickly assess the top 12. I’ll post my predicted top 12 on Monday.

Didi Benami: She performed just well enough Tuesday to sneak through, I fathom. She’s this year’s Brooke White with a bit of Megan Joy thrown in. I don’t see her lasting too long.

Siobhan Magnus: She was ignored during auditions and Hollywood but quickly made a mark with her pimp spot performance week two of semifinals and closed the deal with “House of the Rising Sun” Tuesday. She’s now a favorite to potentially win this, behind only perhaps Michael Lynche and Crystal Bowersox.

Paige Miles: She snuck through but who knows how long she’ll last? She has made poor song choices and hasn’t commanded the stage or had a real handle on her songs. She’s going to have to really shine to make it to the top 10.

Tim Urban: Nobody before this week thought he’d have a prayer to make it to the top 12. But he saved himself last night with a surprisingly robust “Hallelujah.” So will he continue his climb up or was Wednesday just an anomaly?

Lee DeWyze:The judges like his contemporary sound and look. I’m mixed on him. But if he picks the right songs, he could make the top 5.

Casey James: He’s the biggest eye candy among the guys. He’s also been wildly inconsistent and played it safe this week. But it worked. He could make it top 8, for sure, maybe more.

Michael Lynche: He was Mr. Back Story for awhile but with two strong performances, he’s jumped into front-runner status. I could see him in the finals now.

Lacey Brown: After two poor performances, she saved herself with a solid Brandi Carlile Tuesday night. I’m still not sure she’ll last very long, though. She might eke into the top 10 but not much further.

Aaron Kelly: He made it through despite a less-than-enthralling performance Tuesday night. But he did put in his best effort to date. I think his teen/tween texters saved him. I see him perhaps making it to No. 9 at best.

Katie Stevens: She was an early favorite but stumbled during the semifinals. I have no clue why Kara thinks she’s contemporary. I don’t see her that way at all. She’s like a younger Kat McPhee. But she might make it further than I suspect. She could sing all genres decently.

Andrew Garcia: Like Katie, he was an early favorite who barely made it through because honestly, the guy is truly a one-trick pony. He has sung all his songs more or less the same and it’s getting boring. I expect he will finish in the top 10 but not much beyond that.

Crystal Bowersox: She has powerhoused her way through the semifinals and has become the leader Simon Cowell thinks will win. She’s the genuine package, a fully realized singer who could record an album tomorrow. She’s diabetic and hasn’t always looked like the picture of health. If she can make it through the rigors of “Idol,” she’s a virtual lock for the finale.

Other aspects of the show:

Group sing: I really like this Michael Buble song but it doesn’t work that well as a group sing. At least they appear to be singing live for the first time. When will “Idol” let them sing solos?

Idol alum report: Scott McIntyre and Matt Giraud reprise their “Idols Live” dueling pianos take on Billy Joel’s “Tell Her About It.” It’s entertaining enough. Giraud really pushes his vocals hard. And he’s pretty good. I never found him really “authentic” though and that problem continues. Scott? He’s pleasant enough but hardly going to be a big-time artist.