The judges of The Four are pulling no punches: Not with the contestants, and as they told me just before last week’s episode, not with each other. But the instant karma of this was evident as the night went on, as their tough critiques may have contributed to a turbulent state of affairs: By the end of Episode 2, three of the four contestants who started the night had been ousted (bye bye Sayeed, Ash, and Lex Lu), and all four of the original Four had been dismissed. Had the judges doled out their tough love too well?

After the show, Diddy and Khaled sat down for a post-game heart-to-heart. They seemed concerned. Their responsibility was not just to making sure the best person wins, but also to taking the winner into he studio to produce a record. With the world watching for the results, the stakes were high for all five parties involved. The catch: The judges don’t get to call the shots on the challenges that actually dismiss the contestants — America does.

I asked the judges about fan-voting and picking the right contestant. Check it out.

The Four airs Thursdays (tonight!) on FOX at 8PM local.