Group 4: "Wishing on a Star" by Jay Z: The singing/rapping combo seems ripe for disaster but the group performed reasonably well. Brian Bradley continues his run as brattiest reality show contestant: in addition to refusing to dance during boot camp (because "Jay Z doesn't dance on stage") he also brags that in about five years he will eclipse Jay Z as best rapper in the rapper-verse. I hope this kid gets booted because he needs an ego check.

Group 5: "Superman" by Five for Fighting: I got all excited when I saw Nick Dean, 16, of Rochester, NY, my old college stomping grounds. Then he started singing and I just felt bad because in addition to not sounding great, he forgot the words. Burrito-slinging Josh Krajcik was the standout of the group. I can't wait until he gets to take the stage solo.

Group 6: "Feeling Good" by Nina Simone: This performance was all about Tiah Tolliver, the deli clerk that Simon begged through during the audition round. Paula and Nicole have faces of stone (or the editing makes it look that way) but Tiah comes out singing, and she is amazing. Simon knows that the most important part about being right is saying "I told you so," which he does ten times after the audition is over, whilst smirking happily.

Group 7: "I Have Nothing" by Whitney Houston: Oh. Em. Gee. I have sung this song, badly, a thousand times, alone in the car. It's really hard. Rachel Crow -the first contestant we met in the Episode 1 auditions (Episode 1) - manages to sell the chorus of this song, even though she is only 13 years old. She has a ton of talent and personality, although listening to a 13-year-old sing this song convincingly makes me uncomfortable.

Group 8: "Run" by Snow Patrol: Houston group Stereo Hoggz perform admirably, as do Mackenna and Brock - remember them? He's 18 and secretly in love with her? Well she's secretly in love with him, too! Yay! Seriously, I think it's cute. Anyway, that crazy Siamese guy is still dressing like a Prince impersonator but he has toned down the stage antics; his voice sounds decent but I'm not sure that it's enough.

While ratings have continued to drop, and in spite of the unusual production and editing choices, The X Factor remains eminently watchable for one reason: Simon Cowell. In a recent Rolling Stone piece on The X Factor, RS writes:

(N)o matter what talents and personalities get discovered on The X Factor, none of them can compete with watching Simon revel in his role as the unchallenged king.

He continues to offer up blunt criticism, he continues to mug incessantly for the cameras, and to flirt with/harass Paula Abdul, and breaks it up with the occasional soft emotion--it's addictive.

Part 2 of boot camp continues tonight at 7 p.m. CT on FOX. Watch video excerpts from past episodes online.