American Idolatry Finale: Our Journey has ended.

Yowza! I have to say I really enjoyed this year's finale of American Idol. Going in to it I really thought little David would win it all, but still had a small feeling.. or hope.. that there could be a huge upset on the way for Rocker David.. and there was! I'll be the first to admit that I've never loved David Cook. I just didn't ever have that excitement of seeing him perform like I did with my little Castro or Michael Johns. I always really liked what he did every week taking well-known songs and putting his "rocker" spin on them. He's very talented and Simon was right when he said early in the competition that if the contest were to be an actual talent competition that David Cook should and would win. So I'm glad he did. 

On to the recap!

I always have mixed emotions when I see the top 12 together again in each of the finales. I'm reminded first of all of how little choreography they have to learn for the medleys, but it still looks so unnatural. Then I'm reminded of the contestants that were voted off too soon.. and of course the ones that made me want to stop watching the show all-together.

I nearly lost it when the David's Archuleta and Cook dueted on "Hero". That fabulous power ballad from Spiderman that I'll never tire of. Funny thing; I heard that song on the radio the other day for the first time in years probably and I thought it would be the perfect song for David Cook to sing. Lo and behold.. I'm psychic. 

Oh, Castro! How great it was to see you on the Idol stage again.. by yourself (the only Idol to have an actual solo!).. singing one of the greatest songs ever written. I could hardly contain myself. I really don't know what it is about Jason Castro, but I just can't get enough of him. And even though he rushed ahead of the music a couple of times, he gave a super performance that I've watched three times already. 

(side note: why did Castro sing by himself? did the producers not care enough to get anyone to sing with him? Obviously he couldn't sing Hallelujah with Jeff Buckley for obvious reasons, but I've heard Castro's a big fan of Ray LaMontagne. Why not try to get him or someone like him on the show? Come on Idol!! Branch out a bit!)

Amanda Overmeyer. Your group performance awkwardness never ceases to entertain me. I absolutely love the look on your face. The disdain for everything choreographed and peppy. I especially love how you don't even try to hide the fact that you are extremely uncomfortable singing Donna Summer's songs with 5 other girls vying for the spotlight. I say give it to them. They know how to use it better. 

Possibly my favorite performance.. or duet.. of the night had to be Carly Smithson and Michael Johns singing "The Letter". Two singers who were obviously eliminated before they should have been. There's no denying this girl can wail and she looked like she was having a lot of fun (not so during the actual competition). But who wouldn't have fun singing with Michael Johns? He's foxy. And if these two ever make an actual recording of the song (here's hoping!) I'd buy it for sure.

I was also really fond of the Graham Nash and Brooke White duet. This is the type of music Brooke sings best, and for the first time since the Beatles weeks she didn't seem like she was about to spontaneously com bust on stage from nerves, or being overwhelmed or whatever always had her in a tizzy. This was the first time in a while that I enjoyed hearing her sing.

Those were the high points for me. I did like the Brian Adams medley, but it would have been better had he sung "Everything I do (I do it for you)". George Michael was surprisingly good, too. I actually skipped through his performance during my first viewing of the finale, but went back and gave him a listen. Not bad.. but why does Paula have to cry during every meaningful song ever sung? It doesn't make her seem less crazy.

I'd love to go into the details now of how excited I was when I heard Seacrest say "Cook" after a pause that would put to shame the pauses usually reserved for "This....... is American Idol", but I didn't get to see much after that moment. My recording didn't anticipate an extended Idol crowning celebration, so my Idol finale ended mid-hug for the David's. There was no flying confetti, no warbly singing of the This-is-my-now-moment anthem, no giant group hug from the top 10 plus the other two that no one really got to know because they're not going on the tour.

Ah, well. I'll find it somewhere out there on the interweb. But for now I'll just remain glad that "rocker" David won. I'll also hope that he doesn't have to put out a cheesy first album and that his version of the Guitar Hero commercial will continue to air. I thought it was genius.. until there was one for little Archie as well. That just didn't make sense. He should have been on a Dance Dance Revolution commercial dancing to the my boo song. That I would have liked.