American Idol Final Three

Jason Castro's departure from American Idol was a couple of weeks overdue.

After his string of disastrous performances, including Andrew Lloyd Weber's "Memory" and Neil Diamond's "Forever in Blue Jeans" and "September Morn," it was time for him to go.

NEW YORK -- Simon Cowell once told Jason Castro that his face would save him from elimination. Not this time.

The dreadlocked heartthrob was voted off "American Idol" Wednesday as the show narrowed the competition to three finalists: David Cook, David Archuleta and Syesha Mercado.

Castro, 20, from Rockwall, Texas, started off strong in the show's seventh season but lost momentum in recent weeks. He gave weaker performances, and flubbed the lyrics to Bob Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man" on Tuesday's performance show.

Cowell predicted Castro's gaffe could spell the end of him. "Jason, I'd pack your suitcase," Cowell told the singer.

Castro took his fate in stride and didn't wipe the ever-present grin off his expansive face after learning the result.

Lately, it seemed like Castro was auditioning for a sequel to the movie Half Baked rather than trying to be the next American Idol.

...Castro had his share of spacey moments while he was in the running, like when a viewer asked Wednesday what the contestants' biggest challenges were in the competition. Castro answered: "Just the brain being dead."

As time went on, Castro's spacey moments appeared to be contrived. He developed a rather annoying persona, like he had been plucked off the street and didn't know quite what was happening.

He definitely didn't deserve to be in the final three.

Weeks ago, it was easy to see that the two Davids, David Cook and David Archuleta, would be contenders. I wouldn't have picked Syesha Mercado to be rounding out the final three, but she's had some strong performances in the later weeks of the competition. It seems right that she's there.

It was odd on Wednesday's show when she started talking about her emotions, how she's changed, and how we might have the first female or first African-American president. It was as if she morphed into spacey Castro for a while.

I bet Andrew Lloyd Weber has nightmares about Castro singing "Memory."