*Note: the "American Idol" recaps are a series of blog posts from "Morning Express with Robin Meade" Technical Director, Keri. Keri knows what every button on that giant panel (above) in the control room does, and she presses most of them while putting "Morning Express" on your TV every day. Keri is also a long-time Idol fan and provides the Morning Express writers and producers (who typically go to bed way too early to watch "Idol" live) with a recap. We get a kick out of Keri's "take" on the show, and thought you might as well. The opinions below are Keri's alone and do not necessarily reflect those of the staff of "Morning Express with Robin Meade" or HLN. Here are her impressions of last night:

Season 9 of American Idol has come to a close. Simon makes his exit, Lee takes the title, with speed texing tweens at his side, and my DVR breathes a sigh of relief as it gets a reprieve from its arduous task of recording this show’s much too long season.

I know I’ve spent most of this season wishing to be sucked, warp speed, into an alternate universe where Simon, the Han Solo of AI, still had his heart in his clever derisive witticisms, Paula remained an adorably incoherent yet always entertaining fixture holding it all together, and Season 8 was on continuous repeat as if caught in a bizarre perpetual time loop. But alas, the paradoxes of time travel have kept me and my DVR firmly fixed in Season 9.

Having said that, Lee and Crystal somehow managed to make the final few weeks of the season somewhat compelling and engaging (though as I watch the parade of Idols take the stage while writing this, that feeling diminished slightly in the relativity). As the season closes, I’m not screaming at the top of my lungs, “Simon, take me with you!” Instead, maybe now I am just speaking it in a soft but firm tone of voice.

So how did it all go down last night? Let’s talk about Crystal and Lee, since they are what the finale should be all about (though you would have never known it last night). After that, your mission, should you chose to accept it, is to continue on to read about Simon’s send-off and all the star performances, if you are so inclined. There were some pretty fun moments (the reappearance of Paula, the Top 6 girls with Christina Aguilera who were all kinds of awesome, Bret Michaels took a break from hospital visits and his new apprenticeship to sing a duet with Casey, Janet Jackson showed some serious skin with some “Nasty Boys,” and there were more Idols together on stage than I have ever seen in my life to help send Simon off), but it wasn’t exactly last season’s finale or anything. Here’s how it all played out…

CRYSTAL & LEE:
“Coming into the vote last night, less than 2% separated the finalists,” Ryan says in a statement that told us pretty much nothing. So that was the margin from last week, not the finale? And we don’t get a vote total at all. Copout!

CRYSTAL AND ALANIS MORISSETTE:
Following a look the crowd cheering her on in Toledo, Crystal sang “Ironic” and was joined by Alanis Morissette for “You Oughta Know.” It sounded pretty awesome, but I can’t figure out why they were each wandering back and forth on stage in opposite directions like they were lost.

FORD GIVEAWAY:
The reigning Idol champ, Kris Allen, “surprised” the Top 2 (come on, like they didn’t know it was coming) with their 2011 Ford Fiestas, complete with their very fitting custom graphics that they created earlier in the season (sunflowers on Crystal’s car and plaid on Lee’s). That leads into the final Ford music video of the season… not worth talking about.

LEE AND CHICAGO:
Lee sang a medley with Chicago. Umm Idol, just because the band has the same name as Lee’s hometown, doesn’t mean it is going to make for a good duet. Lee sounded good, but I couldn’t help my mind from drifting. We get a look at the crowd in Lee’s hometown of Mt. Prospect, and they all beLEEve that Lee is DeWISE choice.

CRYSTAL AND LEE DUET, JOINED BY JOE COCKER:
“Tonight is about Crystal and Lee,” Ryan states (Really? Are you sure about that?), and we get a look back at their journey. It seems like so long ago. But maybe that’s because it was. Crystal and Lee started off their duet beautifully together, singing “With a Little Help from My Friends.” Joe Cocker joined in, and it was a lot of fun, though I had trouble hearing Lee and kind of forgot about him. By the end, it became the Crystal/Joe duet.

THE RESULTS:
It came down to “our mother from Toledo and our paint salesman from Chicago.” Lee was in tears the minute they dimmed the lights. And those tears continued when, despite Crystal clearly blowing him away Tuesday night, Lee was crowned the new American Idol. “How does it feel,” Ryan asked him. “I don’t know,” he responds honestly while in shock, and it was hard not to be happy for him. He tells Crystal he loves her and tells us, “I’ve never been happier in my life.” Aww. He was kind of adorable.

“BEAUTIFUL DAY:”
Idol seemed determined to get out at their designated time (which my DVR told me was 10:07), and they literally cut Lee off in the middle of him speaking as the music for his song began and he realized he had to sing. Not cool, Idol! Surrounded by a shower of sparks that continued into a blizzard of confetti, Lee sang “Beautiful Day,” which will be released as his single (And can I just say again how strange it is to have the Idol winner releasing a cover song, especially one already so popular and well known like this U2 hit). He was emotional, beckoning for his fellow Idols to join him on stage. When they decided to let him have his moment, Lee went to them and to the fans and to his family. And then… Idol cut him off again! A fitting finish to Season 9.

This would be the point I would usually head into a downward spiral of Idol withdrawal looking for distractions until January. Somehow, I don’t think that is going to be a problem this time around.

I might have joked all season that this would be my last as a viewer. But the truth is, like it or not, I am a creature of habit. If Idol is on my TV, I will watch. Well, at least I’ll give it a chance… maybe stick around to see who replaces Simon. See if maybe they can find an impressive crop of candidates and return to being the television ratings death star. It’s like a book that everyone tells you is wonderful but is really slow to get started. One that you are ready to put down, give up on, and forget all about, but you fear you might only be a few pages away from the best read of your life. Of course, that is why I have suffered through, in their entirety, some seriously mind-numbingly dull books.

So where is Idol headed? With Paula’s absence, Simon’s departure, Ryan’s wackiness, and after a seriously unexciting season… What does next season hold? And will you watch? Or will you free yourself from this television phenomenon? And did America get it right this season?

We now return you to your regularly scheduled Tuesdays and Wednesdays…

Keri's recap of Simon's Farewell (featuring the return of Paula Abdul) and the Guest performances (Brett Michaels? Wow.) is coming up on the next page... but first:

And now... for the crazy mashup of singers and bands from Joe Cocker to the "Pants on the Ground" guy to Chicago to the Bee Gees... Read the rest of this entry »

Posted by: Morning Express Technical Director Keri
Filed under: Aaron Kelly • Adam Lambert • Alanis Morissette • Allison Iraheta • American Idol • Big Mike • Brett Michaels • Casey James • Chicago • Chris Daughtry • Christina Aguilera • Crystal Bowersox • Dane Cook • David Archuleta • David Cook • Ellen Degeneres • Elliott Yamin • Extras • Janet Jackson • Jordin Sparks • Justin Guarini • Kara Dioguardi • Kelly Clarkson • Kris Allen • Lee DeWyze • Mommasox • Norman Gentle • Paula Abdul • Randy Jackson • Ricky Gervais • Ruben Stoddard • Ryan Seacrest • Season 9 • Simon Cowell • Siobhan Magnus • Tatiana • U2

*Note: the "American Idol" recaps are a series of blog posts from "Morning Express with Robin Meade" Technical Director, Keri. Keri knows what every button on that giant panel (above) in the control room does, and she presses most of them while putting "Morning Express" on your TV every day. Keri is also a long-time Idol fan and provides the Morning Express writers and producers (who typically go to bed way too early to watch "Idol" live) with a recap. We get a kick out of Keri's "take" on the show, and thought you might as well. The opinions below are Keri's alone and do not necessarily reflect those of the staff of "Morning Express with Robin Meade" or HLN. Here are her impressions of last night:

Results night! The Top 3 become 2. “Sometimes it’s good to go home… but not tonight,” the opening montage reminds us.  Gee Idol, thanks for stating the obvious.

No "Top 3" group performance this week.  Instead, we got a lengthy chat with them about their perspective at this point in the competition.  As my eyelids got heavy and my mind wandered, I astonishingly found myself wistful for the gooey cheese of the fondue pots that are the group performances.  How is that possible?  Stop the talking, and get to the hometown visits…

HOMETOWN VISITS:
TEXAS THINKS “CASEY IS HOT:” Casey headed to the hospital where he recovered from an accident 6 years ago and thanks them for saving his life. He sings for Texas, but strangely, we don’t hear a single note. There are tons of screaming girls holding “Casey is hot!” signs. He autographs a puppy. There is a horse with “Hi Simon” in tape on its butt. Ha ha! Casey’s response to it all? With a little A.I. sign covering his mouth, “Holy bleep!”

“MAMA SOX ROCKS” TOLEDO: Crystal headed to Toledo where she got a key to the city on what became Crystal Bowersox Day. There are tons of fans with “Mama Sox Rocks Toledo” signs.  She pops her head out of the limo’s sunroof like she’s playing Wac-A-Mole to tease them.  She autographs “Mama Sox” on some dude’s chest, and the guy plans to turn it into a tattoo! Performing at “Bowerstock” (Girl has the coolest name ever!), she sings an original song, “Holy Toledo.” Excited to finally have some of her original music heard, Crystal explains, through tears, that the song has become an anthem for an area hit with tough times.  She is happy to give them hope and something to look forward to, “That’s what this is all about, man.”

CHICAGO “BeLEEves IN LEE:” “One minute you’re mixing paint… and the next minute, you’re here,” Lee explains on the local news. He throws out the first pitch at a Cubs game and is overwhelmed at seeing his name on the Wrigley Field sign. He heads to his elementary school where there are scores of squealing girls and one little boy with his finger in his ears.  They all have “BeLEEves in Lee” signs.  Then he stops for a visit at his old paint store where he breaks down in tears. At a racetrack, he sings “The Boxer.” During the song, he breaks down in tears again. His parents follow suit. And then I join in too. I literally had to pause my DVR to get a tissue. As he leaves an event, he assures his screaming fans, “I’m going to try and win the thing, alright?”

THE RESULTS:
No dragging it out with theatrics since they spent too much time on the hometown visits, and we all know who is going home anyway. After over 47 million votes (Wow! Up 10 million from last week. Though still a far cry from the 88 million of last season’s Top 3), Lee is the first person headed to the finale.  Crystal is joining him. She’s not sure she heard it correctly and asks, “I’m safe?” Dear Crystal, would we have it any other way? All is right in the Idol universe.; She runs up to Lee and, literally, jumps on him (though not as gracefully as those springy gazelles that Ellen’s been talking about). Aww.

Casey managed to make it all the way to the Top 3. And as he said in the chat at the top of the show, it is like winning 10 million or 100 million in the lottery, “It can’t be bad.” He sings himself out with this week’s judges’ choice, “Daughters.” Looking distracted and without the comfort of his guitar, he walked into the audience and picked up a little girl, who I’m hoping is related to him since she was sitting with his family. He sings the second half of the song seated behind the judges with the little girl on his lap. She looked just as distracted as him. Like they were both thinking what I was thinking… Can we get this over with already?

Afterwards, we got one more look at Casey’s Idol journey. And yes, we got one more look at him taking his shirt off too. Now his journey is complete. Goldie Locks and his little lamb head home.

Despite the over-pimping from the judges this season that tends to backfire, we got our inevitable Top 2 after all.  Crystal and Lee are headed to the finale. But after the hometown visits finally left me feeling somewhat emotionally vested in these two, I’m actually kind of looking forward to it… a little. I’m not expecting anything as immensely entertaining as last season’s epic Adam/Kris/Queen collaboration, or the colossal Adam/KISS extravaganza, or even the exceptional Allison/Cindi Lauper duet (I mean, come on! Can it get better than that?), but it might be special in its own way. Here’s hoping…

*Casey's Idol journey is over... but Keri's recap isn't! Twitter's golden boy Justin Bieber and Travis Garland (who?) performed last night too: Read the rest of this entry »

Posted by: Morning Express Technical Director Keri
Filed under: Adam Lambert • Allison Iraheta • American Idol • Casey James • Cindi Lauper • Crystal Bowersox • Ellen Degeneres • Extras • Justin Bieber • Justin Timberlake • Kara Dioguardi • KISS • Kris Allen • Lee DeWyze • Perez Hilton • Queen • Randy Jackson • Ryan Seacrest • Simon Cowell • Travis Garland