That kind of wisdom could be invaluable as the season wears on. She didn't hesitate to be blunt, either, telling one contestant, "It was really, really . . . dull."

Personally, I would put Ellen through to the next round. But if she starts leaning on her talk-show catchphrase "KAAAAAA" - roughly translated as "Shut up" - we'll know that she's peaked.

But Paula wasn't the only thing missing from the judges' table. Where were the Cokes? Instead they sipped from some sort of orange drink that turned out to be Vitaminwater Zero, which is made by Coke. And here I was hoping that Tang had staged a coup.

Last night's standout singers:

*Crystal Bowersox was born in Ohio but lives now in Chicago, which is apparently a better place to get tattoos. The single mother got the audience involved in her rendition of "(You Make Me Feel) Like a Natural Woman," and even impressed Simon. He called her "infectious" and "real."

*Charity Vance of Arkansas moved on to the next round, although we didn't get to see what she sang. Her sweet and soulful "Summertime" surprised the judges at the Chicago auditions.

*Paige DeChausse looked to be a sure thing after her Chicago audition - a good sob story goes a long way, and Paige nearly died at age 15 when she went into anaphylactic shock. But Simon was never sold on her, and Ellen told her, "You just were all over the place." She was dismissed.

*Michael "Big Mike" Lynche got quite a bit of airtime, which was unexpected. He's the contestant whose wife went into labor during the Hollywood round. He's also the contestant who was reportedly booted after his father told his local Florida paper that Mike was a top 24 finalist.

Has "American Idol" forgiven and/or forgotten?

Big Mike's version of "Waiting on the World to Change" earned him a pass to the next round. Or it could have been his exuberant charm. Or the fact that he threatened to "pummel" anyone who rejected him.

Whatever it takes, Mike. Whatever it takes.