the buzz log

Was elimination night on "American Idol" a mercy killing or a massacre? Turns out the episode was a mixed bag. Antonella Barba's infamy wasn't enough to land her a coveted seat in the Top 12. Sanjaya snuck in with his boyishness winning over enough voters. A somewhat shocking elimination night knocked out four of the most buzz-worthy contenders...

As for the shockers that left the judges' jaws hanging, well, sacrifices to the "Idol" gods had to be made:

—Sanjaya's persistant popularity with searchers isn't a surprise, given how much camera time he had during auditions. He's always remained among the top five in Buzz rankings.

—Judges' fave Sundance peaked early and then slid down the charts, while the likes of Blake and the two Chrises pushed forward.

—Haley may be invisible to Simon, but she's consistently drawn more searches than Sabrina...or Stephanie, for that matter.

Does Idol's top prize even matter now that the likes of Chris Daughtry and Jennifer Hudson have proven winning isn't everything? We'll be wondering that all season, 'cause we're sure they'll be some shocking eliminations along the way.