As you’ve undoubtedly heard by now, American Idol ragamuffin Casey Abrams was saved by judges Jennifer Lopez, Steven Tyler, and Randy Jackson last Thursday after he wound up with the lowest vote tally of the final eleven. The move was something of a surprise, given how early along in the process we were; however, according to the judges, this was a no-brainer. Without even listening to Casey sing for redemption one last time, Randy Jackson et al announced that they’d be having Casey back for another week. This caused the bearded singer to tremble with shock before having a borderline breakdown.

In the wake of Casey’s reprieve, the blogosphere erupted with exultations about the twist, with many describing the hour as one of Idol’s most dramatic yet. I’m sure I would have felt the same had it all not been spoiled for me on Twitter and Facebook, but that’s neither here nor there. The point is that this was a pretty ballsy move by the judges to use their one save of the season so early, and it has me wondering: was it worth it?

Let’s look at Casey’s track record: his “Smells Like Teen Spirit” was a growly mess, but his “With A Little Help From My Friends” was pretty solid (although still indulgent with the growls). Then again, his “I Put A Spell On You” was over-the-top, and his “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” was forgettable karaoke junk (hence him receiving the lowest votes of the night).

That being said, I know there are those who love his style, love his look, love his sound, love his energy, and love his parents (well, we all love his parents). So, yea or nay: should the judges have used their one save of the season on Casey?