On Wednesday night's episode of American Idol, it was clear that while the judges may have failed in the judging department this season, they certainly exceeded expectations when it came to selecting contestants.  With only two weeks left, Season 11 of American Idol has proven to be one of the most talented seasons ever. With the coveted hometown visits on the horizon, the final four fought to deliver performances that would earn them their place in the top three.

The first round of performances were California-themed; the song needed to be about California or sung by a band/artist from California. Thank goodness we only have two weeks left in the competition; it seems that the producers are completely tapped out when it comes to choosing creative themes. In the second round, Ryan Seacrest announced that contestants needed to perform a song that they wished they had written. Or was it a song that inspired them?  Ryan himself seemed unsure, using both descriptions to characterize the second round. Either way, it was a vast improvement over the first round theme.

The contestants seemed to think so too. The final four appeared to be on auto pilot during the first round, each of them understanding that with America's short-attention span, they needed to focus their efforts on the second round.  But with a talent pool like that of

Season 11, even when phoning it in, they are some of the most gifted vocalists on television.