Steve lays it out for Paula, who is supposed to vote next: if she votes against Stereo Hogzz, they're done. Paula dabs at her eyes, and emotionally chokes out a flat refusal to vote, even when Steve pushes her. Simon protectively tells Steve she's not going to vote (and Paula grasps his arm gratefully), which tells us Simon's going to make it moot anyway: Steve says this means Simon has the deciding vote (which Simon must hate), and then it seems like Steve gets a signal from his hidden earpiece that if Paula abstains, it's an automatic loss for Stereo Hogzz. So I guess even Simon can't overrule two other judges by himself.

After another pause, Paula stammers that she wants to save the Stereo Hogzz, but she's not going to make a big speech about it. "I'm not gonna do this. I want the Stereo Hogzz to have this chance." Steve rather pushily restates that Paula's sending home Lakoda Rayne, then turns to Simon (who's kind of glaring up at him) and hurries him into making a decision. Simon...gets rid of the Stereo Hogzz.

So Lakoda Rayne's still in it, and Paula has to spend the next week working with a group she voted to send home. Steve sends them off the stage looking unhappy and turns to the Hogzz, letting Trace speak graciously about how blessed they are to have had the opportunity. Montage of their arc on the show up to now (including Simon calling them the best band in the world last week, a mere eight days before they got beat by four people who've been in a group for approximately one calendar quarter), while the judges hug them goodbye in a picture-in-picture window.

Back from that, Steve gives Paula the microphone for a minute so she can talk about how lucky she was to have worked with such talented guys. Although she neglects to mention how much she's looking forward to her last week with Lakoda Rayne. While one of the Hogzz insistently holds up his mini-boombox necklace behind him, Steve gives his wrap-up speech while and sighs, "It's been a hell of a night." He looks way too emotionally drained to put on that Fruit-Striped Leeloo costume now.

M. Giant is a Minneapolis-based writer with a wife, a son, and a number of cats that seems to have settled at around two. Learn waaaay too much about him at Velcrometer, follow him on Twitter, or just e-mail him at m.giant[at]gmail.com.