Last night's zippy American Idol was a producer's dream—literally. The show's producers finally realized the dream of an all-David finale they'd been pushing for since mid-season, knocking Sayesha Mercado out of the running. Of all the contestants in season seven, it stands to reason that both David Cook, arguably the most musically original of the set, and David Archuleta, the most vocally gifted, should battle it out in what judge Simon Cowell hopes is a "humdinger" of a competition—whatever that means. It should be an evenly matched competition: the handsome young teen heartthrob versus the cute bartender-cum-accidental rock star.

Before learning the final two, AI cameras followed each contestant back to their home towns, where all three became king and queen for a day visiting their old schools, local malls, and other rallies in their honor. Only David Cook managed to not let the tears spill over during his trip, while David Archuleta joined the thousands of teary-eyed girls who'd come to greet him. At one point, the screaming throngs almost succeeded in pulling off his sweater as he made his way into the local mall.

We were also "treated" to a performance by season three winner, Fantasia Barrino. Since winning the show, Barrino has conquered Broadway in The Color Purple, been nominated for multiple Grammy awards, and is expanding her considerable acting repertoire. This is maybe why her performance seemed extra strange. Sporting hair that can only be described as electric red, and wearing a bedazzled velvet jump suit, Barrino screamed and danced over a song from her new album that had a beat so crazy, even Pharrell wouldn't be able to keep up. The camera cut quickly to Simon Cowell's dumbstruck face near the end of the performance, and it's safe to say his confusion fairly represented the crowd's feelings. Let's all hope Fantasia's new album doesn't sound anything like that or her lucky streak is clearly up. For such a seasoned performer, this homecoming was one of the weirdest ever.

In any case, after the crying, the ticker tape, the 25 "goshes" from Archuleta, and the Barrino fiasco, Ryan Seacrest was ready to make the announcement. After re-mentioning the show's new season-high record of 56 million votes received, David Archuleta was named the first finalist. As usual, he seemed genuinely shocked and on the verge of passing out. Then, Cook was named the second finalist. Mercado, though she looked temporarily down as Cook gave her a hug, was all smiles moments later as she sang herself out—probably because she knows a third-place finish on Idol is just as good as first anymore. She'll land on her Happy Feet.