'The X Factor' Season 1, Episode 8 Recap - 'Judges Homes #2'

Cue the Carmina Burana. It's time to face the music and whatnot.

Yes, it's a special Sunday episode, pushed back from last week thanks to the ALCS, which I would rather not talk about due to how badly my Tigers lost. Thankfully, I have some bright-eyed, optimistic "X Factor" contestants to watch, half of whom with have their hopes and dreams crushed by the end of the episode.

For a quick catch-up, the Groups are being mentored by Paula and judged with the help of Pharell, the Boys are being mentored by L.A. Reid with the help of Rihanna, the Over 30s are being mentored by Nicole with the help of Enrique Iglesias, and the Girls are being mentored by Simon, who is solo due to Mariah Carey's plane being held up in the States.

The ever-nervous Jazzlyn will start the episode off, continuing the performances at the judges' homes. Some shots of Jazzlyn walking around Simon's villa have her pretending to be stressed out. This was cute at first, but now it's getting a little annoying.

Simon is still wearing his shirt unbuttoned down to his navel which, combined with the shades and bare feet and extra-relaxed pose, makes him look extra creepy. Jazzlyn comes out and does a slowed-down version of "I Will Survive," another strange arrangement provided to these contestants. At least she didn't say that she was nervous.

Afterwards, she shows how much she's shaking. LOOK EVERYONE! LOOK HOW NERVOUS I AM! LOVE ME! It doesn't do anything for Simon and the vocal coaches, who agree that she was good but not great.

Brennin and his skinny jeans are up next for the Boys, and delivers a Brennin-esque ballad of "Like a Star" from the forgettable Corrinne Bailey Rae. Rihanna calls him "beautiful" and loves his tone, but says he's "a bit corny." Glad she called him out on that.

The Stereo Hogzz are up next for the Groups, and they might be the favorite in this category thus far. They're rolling around in the grass and marveling that there are no ants. It's kinda cute.

The boys are lucky enough to get one of the best Motown songs ever, "I Heard It Through the Grape Vine" by Marvin Gaye. Their arrangement is much peppier and more dance-oriented, which they take full advantage of with lots of choreography, including some kind of scrotum-rubbing move that makes me kinda uncomfortable. But hey, Pharell wanted some dirtying up of style. They note that the lead vocalist is a star (and his vocals were indeed solid), but the whole group needs to be up to his level.

When Pharell calls the lead a motown guy with some Ginuwine in there, Paula thinks he's so spot-on that she grabs his arm and hits and then won't let him go. He looks very uncomfortable.

Josh is up next for the Over 30's, and slows things down a bit with "First Time I Ever Saw Your Face." He's just awesome, again. Nicole keeps closing her eyes like... well, like she's really enjoying it. We'll leave it at that.

Here's what's great about Josh: not only is he one of the best singers on the show, he's also humble and genuine. He's "likable and relatable," as Nicole says. She and Enrique bring up an interesting point, though: he also needs to be a "star," and he is a little "rough around the edges," as Nicole puts it.

2Squar'd is up next, a girl group that has been overlooked a bit thus far as their audition was cut down to a few seconds. They were given "Bohemian Rhapsody," so this should be interesting.

Nope, it was just terrible. And we continue to wonder whether this group is actually talented or not, as that was just a horrible and difficult song choice for them.

Country boy Tim is up next, and talks about how he wouldn't trade being a father and having kids for anything. News flash, dude: being a music star will keep you from your family. A lot.

Tim does a perfectly fine version of Luther Vandross' "Dance With My Father," which works pretty well as a country song. L.A. notes that he was expecting more from him. After his pre-performance interview, though, I'm not sure this competition is for him. There are other ways to buy yourself a farm that won't require you to be away from your family all year.

The sunny Rachel Crow and her quirky attitude are up next for the Girls. The 13-year-old does a slowed-down, ballad version of "I Want It That Way," which is funny as she was probably born the same year this song came out. Hang on, let me fact-check that... nope, she was one year old when this song came out. Close.

She does a nice job with the song, she has a great vocal tone and really puts a lot of feeling into her performances. Simon notes that she has a lot of competition in her category, against older girls who might be able to "deal with the pressure" more.

Leroy, the oldest competitor in the competition at 60 years old (and probably the one who looks the youngest for his age), is up next for the Over 30's. Leroy puts his trademark soulful, wispy version of "Make You Feel My Love," a beautiful song and a lucky assignment for him. It's hard to screw that one up.

Nicole thinks that Leroy's nerves are holding him back a bit, but she also says that he's "the coolest." Agreed. He is pretty cool.

Illusion Confusion is up next, another group that has been overlooked a bit. They do David Bowie's "Let's Dance," and while they get points from Paula and Pharell for their enthusiasm and drive, their skills are in question.

Tiger's up next for the Over 30s, and he's crying already. It's for a good reason, though, as he says he's here to try to support his family. He, rather meaningfully, sings "Don't Give Up On Me," as if pleading directly to Nicole, who does not cry. Not the best sign. She wonders if there's a market for him, but Enrique notes that there "shouldn't be any rules" with music.

Marcus, who impressed the judges with an energetic rendition of "I Wish," is up next for the Boys. He flirts with Rihanna, who says "don't be flirting with me!" And then he shuts up.

Looks like Marcus will be doing a ballad this time around, as he launches into "All My Life." He's still clearly very talented, but a little less impressive when he's just standing and delivering as opposed to dancing around. Rihanna says "I can't contain myself," but is unsure whether he's a star.

Tia is up next for the girls, and it's a lucky break for her that Simon is her mentor as he loved her from the beginning and fought for her while the other judges were unsure. Apparently she was having a bit of a meltdown earlier about her mascara, which Caitlin calls her out on.

Tia oddly enough gets "No Diggity" as her song, which really doesn't go anywhere and allow her to show off. Simon is encouraging after the performance, but it sounded like she went off key. Nobody makes a mention of it, so maybe she was fine, but the vocal coaches do say she's a bit "raw."

Christa is up next for the Over 30s, and apparently she was a solo artist for Disney Records back when she was 10. Interesting. Also interesting is her song assignment: another Radiohead appearance as Christa belts her way through "No Surprises." She really gets into it, delivering an impressive vocal and emotional performance. Enrique is very enthusiastic about her. Nicole says she wanted to hear more of the pain behind the lyrics. I think we saw plenty.

The gigantic group Intensity, which is created from the leftovers of the Boys and Girls groups, is up next. They've apparently stayed in touch on Skype, but are definitely at a disadvantage as they haven't been able to practice. The ten of them file in and perform an insipid performance of "That's Not My Name" with their own names stuck in, mashed up with "You Make My Dreams" by Hall and Oates. They would fit very nicely on the Disney Channel, but they're pretty obnoxious here.

Chris Rene, the garbageman fresh out of rehab who impressed the judges with his original song at the auditions, is up next for the Boys. We get a look of him hauling trash at his job, and he reveals that he played in a punk band. Ha.

He does a version of "Everyday People" with his own lyrics substituted in the verses. Fitting message for him. L.A. thinks he was a bit uncomfortable, and blames Rihanna for being intimidatingly hot. I might use that as an excuse from now on. If anybody asks me why I screwed something up, I'm just going to say "Rihanna distracted me."

Melanie Amaro, who is clearly one of the favorites in the competition, is up next for the girls. She gets "Will You Be There" by Michael Jackson, and is predictably great. Simon falls backward onto his couch in awe. He and the coaches wonder if she can deliver a more contemporary song, in an effort to not telegraph the fact that she's definitely on to the next round. You're fooling no one, Simon. NO ONE.

Night has fallen over the four judges' homes, and someone has laid out a ridiculous number of candles. Simon is being decisive already about his cuts while Paula and Nicole waver. Rihanna calls someone "green" and gets him sent home. Is she referring to Brian? It's always impossible to tell with all the tricky editing during these sequences.

By the end of the intentionally vague sequence, the judges have made their decisions... but we won't see them yet. So, no tearjerking victories or crushing defeat yet. We'll have to wait until Tuesday.