It felt like going back in time on American Idol, and for a good reason.
Monday night’s episode was framed as a “Class of 2006: Reunion,” a 20th anniversary celebration of the season that crowned Taylor Hicks.
Randy Jackson returned to mentor the Top 5 contestants, while Paula Abdul pulled double duty, working with the singers backstage and joining Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie, and Carrie Underwood at the judges’ table.
The Top 5 — Hannah Harper, Jordan McCullough, Keyla Richardson, Braden Rumfelt, and Chris Tungseth were each
paired with a Season 5 alum for duets.
Paula was moved to tears more than once, including during Elliott Yamin’s performance, having cried at the same song two decades earlier when he first sang it on Idol.
Lionel Richie summed up the feeling simply: “These are the originators. It’s always great to have them here.”
Another person was missing from the show’s original members. Simon Cowell, whose incisive critiques helped define the show’s early identity, did not appear. Reports indicate that he was invited but chose not to return. He’s explained his feelings before:
“I just got to the point where this is not real, which is why I moved on.”
Simon Cowell With Paula And Randy
The episode concluded with Hannah Harper, Keyla Richardson, and Jordan McCullough advancing to the May 11 finale.
The reunion delivered the nostalgia it promised,
But watching Randy’s frail appearance and Simon’s empty chair, it was difficult not to sense the weight of how much time had passed.