AJ is a floor director for HLN's "Morning Express with Robin Meade". She has been obsessed with this season of Idol, and takes notes to share with the Morning Express writers and producers. The opinions below are AJ’s alone and do not necessarily reflect those of the staff of "Morning Express with Robin Meade" or HLN. For one last time this season... these are her impressions of last night:

For whom does the confetti fall? It falls for thee, Scotty McCreery, and how he lapped it up. Taste the rainbow, Scotty! It tastes like victory.

Despite faux drama and suspense brewing since Tuesday night, the country boy’s coronation capped off two hours so chock-full of performances and celebrity appearances it’s like they were being doled out by Oprah. You get a Beyonce! And you get a Jack Black! You! I don’t like you, you get a Marc Anthony. Don’t feed him after midnight.

Of course there was a series of tepid numbers reuniting the top 13. If you cocked your head and thought “Who dat?” You weren’t alone…a handful of these people might as well have been strangers. Remember Ashthon? Thia? Yeah, me neither. But They Were Born This Way, clad in white and waiting to be raptured. The girls did a Beyonce medley, joined by Ms. B herself, but in my opinion they were far overshadowed by the men singing Tom Jones, or more specifically, Tom Jones himself. Tom freaking Jones! What kind of legend are you if you’re still picking ladies undergarments off your suit at 70 years old?

In the spirit of Dreams Coming True n Stuff, our final few got paired off with some of their own idols. James, coiffed, bedazzled and in fine spirits, hollered with Judas Priest, Jacob preached it with Gladys Knight and Kirk Franklin, and Haley sang beautifully and danced awkwardly with Tony Bennett. Casey sang a bizarre bromantic Fat Bottom Girls with Jack Black, during which they tried, and failed, to out-weird each other. Let’s call it a draw, boys. As for our final two, Lauren sang “Before He Cheats” before Carrie Underwood and her greased up legs joined her. It was a fine performance, but it looked like they were really into pantomiming like, “Yeah, it really sucks he cheats! No? We really can’t relate on any other level!” Scotty leathered up to sing “Live Like You Were Dying” with Tim McGraw, a song with the implicit wisdom that if you are, in fact, dying, you should participate in activities like skydiving and bull riding. Although my dying wish would be to just look at Tim McGraw a little more…Scotty’s been touted as a sex symbol in the making, but standing next to that t-shirted man mountain, it’s clear he has a long way to go.

As far as solo performances, a few Idol mentors returned to show the little kiddies how it’s done. Beyonce slunk around and taught us that the best bedroom conversations involve math. Marc Anthony emerged from his goin’ out coffin and sang in Spanish while JLo-hontas shimmied her fringe in his face. The whole thing there was kind of icky. Lady Gaga, looking like a Star Wars extra perched on cliff, groped and gasped through her new single, “Edge of Glory”. She’s on the edge, get it? Literally and, uh, maybe figuratively. Double ick. Then she made out with the shirtless man and they jumped. Yawn. Typical Gaga. Some Steven. Some piano. Ah, memaw Tyler never gets old.

Then it’s Scotty, everyone, and he crumpled over before making out with Lauren, I think, and hugging everyone in ‘tarnation while singing his victory song, “I Love You This (shudder) Big”. He was probably trying his hardest to avoid actually singing the song. Boss move, McCreery! A pro already. He got a little loopy, poor boy, catching confetti in his mouth and generally being odd, and somewhere someone was probably whispering his ear, “Hey kid, millions of people are watching you make a fool of yourself on TV,” but he didn’t care, dernit, he’s just a fancy singing sweet pea who just won American Idol, and if he wants to pretend confetti pieces are delicious snowflakes and ramble on about Lauren Alaina and God and sit down on the stage and weep as the credits roll, that’s what he’ll do, thankyouverymuch!

So that’s the season, Idol watchers. Through angst (why so country?) and shocking eliminations (Pia!), frustrations and threatened boycotts (Idol hates women!), a very deserving fellow prevailed, with equally deserving contenders trailing behind. Only one can win. Was it the one you wanted? What did you think of the season? Will you watch again? I thought it was pretty awesome, guys!

Let’s have one for the road: was it…'in it to win it?'

Special thanks to AJ for really going above and beyond the duties of "Floor Director" to write these recaps all season. We hope they made you smile at LEAST as much as they did for all of us at "Morning Express with Robin Meade." Maybe we'll be able to convince her to be our "Idol Expert" again next year.

Posted by: Morning Express Floor Director AJ
Filed under: American Idol • Beyonce • Carrie Underwood • Extras • Gaga • Gladys Knight • Jack Black • Jennifer Lopez • Judas Priest • Lady Gaga • Lauren Alaina • Marc Anthony • Oprah • Randy Jackson • Ryan Seacrest • Scotty McCreery • Steven Tyler • Tim McGraw • Tom Jones • Tony Bennett

*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 cinematic impressions of last night:

Results night! The Top 4 went to the movies, and someone’s character ended up on the cutting room floor.  So who was deemed expendable? Did someone Silence the Lambs?  Did this mean the Death of a Paint Salesman?  Did Big Mike face The Elimination: The Sequel?  Or was the leading lady cut in a surprise plot twist?  Either way, all is not lost.  You can find the deleted scene as a bonus feature on the summer release… The American Idols LIVE! Tour. (If anyone is actually going, tickets go on sale this weekend.)

But before we get to the exciting conclusion, there is a flashback sequence.  Since the Top 3 will return home next week for a "hero’s welcome," we see a montage of this moment in Idol history.  Limos and parades.  Mobs of screaming fans.  Jordin Sparks gets a day named after her.  Taylor Hicks gets a key to the city.  A wild pack of cheerleaders engulf little David Archuleta. Carrie Underwood has the most adorable number one fan ever.  Kris and Adam reach out to grasp the hands reaching back for them.  And tears.  Lots of tears.  David Cook gets choked up.  They all hide their tear-streaked faces in their hands.  Elliott Yamin’s sweet mother in awe of it all.  Oh Idol, why?  Why do you do this to us?  I found myself tearing up… nostalgia for the show I miss.  I’m such a sap.

Back to the reality of Season 9…  It is time to send someone home, but not as part of the "hero’s welcome" the Top 3 will get next week.  Ryan stresses that the results are "in no particular order."  We don’t find out who is in the top group and who is in the bottom.  I think this is code for – the results are no surprise so Idol is going to try to make things interesting by feigning a close call for a frontrunner.  But I could be wrong.  Daughtry is on the show, which reminds us that frontrunners are always at risk for early elimination.

THE RESULTS:
The Top 4 are on stage.  All of them want to be a part of the visits home next week, but someone’s trip home will be much sooner and with much less fanfare.  Their families are seated on the couches at the side of the stage for support.  After almost 37 million votes, the highest of the season (Really America? What show were you watching?), Casey is the first contestant in the Top 3. I guess those lambs won’t be silenced after all.  As Casey goes to hug his family, Idol cuts to a shot of Mike.  He doesn’t look happy.  Since he is left standing next to the two frontrunners, he has to be scared.

Mike, Lee, and Crystal await their fate.  Ryan tells us, "Lee is headed back to Chicago (long pause) to celebrate."  Saw that one coming Ryan.  The long pause didn’t even fool the audience.  Lee joins Casey in the Top 3.

Mike and Crystal remain, though that doesn’t mean this is the Bottom 2.  Are we going to get the surprise twist after all?  Or does Idol just want to make us sweat?  Turns out, it was the latter.  Predictably, Crystal is also in the Top 3.  After surviving 5 additional weeks following the Judges’ Save, Mike is eliminated.Crystal goes to hug her boyfriend, and Mike’s wife is in tears.  "I wasn’t even supposed to be here," he says about his "unbelievable" ride.  We get a look at his Idol journey, which is basically a montage of babies and bear hugs with a bench-pressed Aaron thrown in.

Mike sings himself out with an encore of this week’s song, "Will You Be There." His crying wife was holding their baby, and there was an audible "aww" from the audience as they realized that Baby Lynch was in the house.  He sang like he was trying to prove America wrong.  Ryan summed it up, "A guy who auditioned and had a baby along the way."  Thanks for that astute observation Ryan.  With plenty of time to spare, we watched, for an awkwardly long time, as Mike hugged everyone he came in contact with.  He ends up holding his crying baby.  We get to hear those adorable little baby cries as they fade out and his Idol journey ends.

Keri reviews of the Guest Performances from Fantasia, Daughtry and Bon Jovi: Read the rest of this entry »

Posted by: Morning Express Technical Director Keri
Filed under: American Idol • Big Mike • Bon Jovi • Carrie Underwood • Casey James • Chris Daughtry • Crystal Bowersox • Daughtry • David Archuleta • David Cook • Elliott Yamin • Extras • Fantasia Barrino • Jordin Sparks • Lee DeWyze • Michael Lynche • Mike Lynche • Mommasox • Morning Express crew • Ryan Seacrest • Season 9 • Taylor Hicks • TV Web Proudcer Grayson