Gibb and Judge Judy bomb

MILES away, Griffith Park may have been on fire, flames no doubt taunting the homes of many members of the “American Idol” crew. But in the Idoldome, nothing distracted attention from the work at hand -- the last round before the semifinals.

As it turned out, after all the buildup and coming off an epic week, Barry Gibb night was a letdown.

Go figure -- Bon Jovi night sounded like a disaster waiting to happen but proved to be a classic “Idol” evening, while the Barry Gibb collection seemed can’t lose and turned out a night of awkward, clumsy missteps. Even the crowd in the Idoldome, these days overflowing with excitement, seemed slightly deflated by the night -- failing to give even cursory standing ovations to a couple of the numbers.

Part of the problem was that eight songs were squeezed into a single hour -- the most hectic show all season, prompting sarcastic asides from Ryan Seacrest and mere abbreviated hints of the bludgeonings that might have been from Simon Cowell. Even Judge Judy’s attempt to hi-jack the show -- only half captured on TV as she leaped over Ryan to embrace Simon -- was cut off at the knees.

Blake Lewis’ most ironically endearing moment of the season also went unaired in the bustle -- after receiving his thumbs down from Simon, Blake grabbed his tie and mimed hanging himself in mockery of his slaughter.

And therein lies the charm of “Idol” -- its acknowledgment of its foibles and its missteps.

“Idol’s” producers, in conversations, have said that the one thing that could harm the show is if its credibility were to be damaged.

And to that end, what other show openly jokes about how rushed it is forced to be? What other show allows its stars (the judges) to trash on the air one of its biggest nights as a series of weak performances?

And thus, even an off night adds another layer to “Idol’s” epic tale.

One of the questions I get asked most frequently -- after “Can you get me tickets?” -- is related to suspicions cast by the Sanjaya Malakar saga. Did the show tamper with the voting to cut him down before his time (before “Idol Gives Back,” as some suggest)? Or alternately, did the show keep him on beyond his time?

Since the vote totals remain the most closely guarded secret on the planet, we cannot verify anything with certitude, but the fact is that the “Idol” formula has never been about perfection or about manipulating a flawless storyline. Rather it has been about celebrating unpredictability and making an epic around the cruel winds of fate.

If it were a perfect story they sought, Tamyra Gray would have been in Season 1’s final, Chris Daughtry in Season 5.

But sometimes in life, senseless things happen without warning. Sometimes you get Bon Jovi night; sometimes you get Bee Gees night.

The question “American Idol” asks each and every one of us is how we rise to the challenges the day brings. And this night may have been no cakewalk, but for one of the four finalists who connected just a little bit less with the audience, Barry Gibb night will be the last night of his or her “Idol” career.

richard.rushfield@latimes.com