Ep 3. Auditions #3: San Diego, CA

In American Idol season 11 episode 3, the judges head to San Diego, California for the third round of auditions. As always, there are a variety of contestants with different backgrounds, styles, and levels of experience.

The episode kicks off with a montage of some of the more memorable auditions from the previous episodes. We see clips of singers hitting impressive high notes, judges getting emotional, and of course, a few not-so-great auditions for comedic relief.

Once we're caught up, we're introduced to the first contestant of the San Diego auditions. She's a young woman who works at a hot dog stand and hopes to make it big with her powerful voice. She sings "Natural Woman" by Aretha Franklin and gets a standing ovation from the judges. They all agree that she has a great voice and could potentially go far in the competition.

Next up is a group of three guys who call themselves "The Couch Potatoes." They all work at a tech company together and decided to audition as a joke. They sing "I Want It That Way" by the Backstreet Boys and while their harmonies aren't perfect, the judges can't help but be charmed by their camaraderie and enthusiasm. They get a "yes" from all three judges and make it through to the next round.

We see several more auditions, including a young mom with a soulful voice, a country singer with a tragic backstory, and a college student who impressed the judges with her original songwriting skills. The judges have been in agreement for the most part, but they do get into a bit of a disagreement over a rocker who they can't seem to agree on. Ultimately, they decide to send him through to the next round and hope that he'll improve with a bit of coaching.

As the episode nears its end, we're introduced to a young man named James who has been living in his car with his dad. He shares that he's had a tough life and has always turned to music to cope. He sings an emotional rendition of "A Change is Gonna Come" by Sam Cooke and brings the judges (and the audience) to tears. They praise him for his resilience and talent and unanimously send him through to Hollywood.

Finally, we see a montage of several other contestants who made it through to the next round. The judges comment on how impressed they are with the level of talent in San Diego and hope that they'll continue to find great singers throughout the rest of the audition process.

Overall, Auditions #3: San Diego, CA is a heartwarming episode that showcases a diverse range of contestants. While there are a few standouts, it's clear that the judges are still keeping an open mind and are excited to see what else is in store for them this season.