TV: THANK YOU, America! You Done Good!

I have to say that tonight’s AI7 finale was VERY enjoyable. I enjoyed 90% of the performances (which is up from past years’ shows). I thought everyone looked relaxed and like they were having fun.

Amanda Overmeyer still has a dead mike when she sings. You know they don’t turn hers on until she sings a solo. But this was the last time we’ll see her, so I’m okay with that.

Man, that Michael Johns is hot. And I love his voice. He was amazing on the George Michael medley – it made me wish he had sung a GM song during the season. And his duet with Carly was fantastic.

I heart Seal. I have all of his CDs and he’s just awesome.

Jason Castro. LOVE his version of “Hallelujah” very much. Glad he reprised it for the finale.

Am I the only one that laughed when, during the George Michael medley, it was David Hernandez that sang “naked” during ‘Father Figure’? Even HE almost laughed.

Brooke White’s solo with Graham Nash was wonderful. And he genuinely seemed to be enjoying himself, which was nice. I think it helped Brooke that she was only singing for fun, not a competition. She was better.

I love how David Cook was like the emcee of the night during the performances. I mean, Ryan introduced the idol medleys, but Cook introduced a LOT of the live acts and it came quite naturally to him. LOVE his ease on the stage and on tv. And the Guitar Hero commercial was HILARIOUS.

As I said, I liked 90% of the show. I can’t pinpoint the stuff I didn’t like, but I did fast forward through many parts. Oh I know one thing I didn’t like. Paula’s dress. Ugh. However, Syesha looked gorgeous in everything she wore tonight. The girl needs to go on “America’s Next Top Model” next.

David Archuleta seemed less cracked out tonight as well. More at ease. I’m still glad that HE DIDN’T WIN!!!! HE DIDN’T WIN!!! HE DIDN’T WIN!!!!

Dude, I am VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY happy that Cook won. He was fantastic all season. He’s the dude I downloaded the most from iTunes. And he got better and better looking during the season, too (our local Fox affiliate keeps showing a picture of him from the very early days when his hair was MISERABLE – once the stylists fixed that he got better looking). Loved his song with ZZ Top, and is it my imagination or was he playing on Carrie Underwood’s song as well? She had about six guitarists on the stage with her, and I could swear Cook was second from the right.

And it turns out that the song Cook sang last night from the original songwriting contest is NOT going to be his first single. It’s a treacly thing that is called something like “Time Of My Life” and he managed to make it not suck. You know if Archie had sung it it would have been this melodramatic awful thing. But Cook made it more like a FUN song. He’s so great.

I’m watching “Idol Tonight” on TV Guide channel and it’s a bunch of pre-finale interviews. The Davids were just talking with Kimberly Caldwell and Justin Guarini and Cook said to Kimberly, “I’m just excited because I get to actually talk to you. I’ve been hearing you say all these nice things about me all season. And so I’m actually going to ask you out to dinner right now.” Kimberly said yes. That’s awesome.

And finally – the thing that cracked me up more than David Hernandez’s GM solo: seeing model Janice Dickenson say, “I love you!” to one of the finalists (don’t know which one). VERY funny.