Reiew of the Season Finale of "American Idol"

It was certainly a star-studded night on American Idol, as the winner of the contest was revealed, Simon Cowell bid farewell to the show that he helped to build, and a number of spectacular stars took to the stage to show just why they've made as far as they have. In short, it was a fitting send-off for a series that has, admittedly, struggled to find its way the entire series.

Of course, the highlight of the evening was Simon's farewell which was, oddly enough, quite touching and almost tearful, as the normally taciturn and stoic Britain was almost overcome by emotion. A number of former winners, including Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson, and Kris Allen returned to sing a touching farewell to the often grouchy and unforgiving judge. All of this paled, however, in comparison to a surprise appearance by the inimitable Paula Abdul, who returned to the American Idol stage to build her old colleague farewell. Although her speech was touching, it was also somewhat strange and, not surprisingly, awkward. However, the whole thing was quite beautiful, and was a suitable send-off to the judge who has, honestly, been the core of American Idol.

The night was also full of some spectacular star performances. Christina Aguilera and Janet Jackson were particularly noteworthy, especially considering that both artists, for all of their fantastic talent, have rather slipped off the radar in recent years. Jackson's performance was especially striking, as she proved to audiences everywhere that she has that spectacular talent that has been such a hallmark of all her various very talented siblings. In all honesty, her performance was probably the most achingly beautiful of all of the guest stars. That being said, the performances given by several other artists, including Michael McDonald, Alanis Morissette, and Joe Cocker were also noteworthy. Others, especially that by the formerly great Hall and Oates were, alas, not quite up to par, but nevertheless engaging.

Several Idol alumni also returned for some fantastic performances, of which Carrie Underwood's was probably the most engaging. Indeed, she proved once again why she was a fitting choice to reign as the champion. However, the numerous pieces sung by this year's Top 12 were also noteworthy, including a powerful and rock-filled duet between Casey James and rock legend Brett Michaels, which nearly blew the house away.

Finally, the evening concluded with the announcement of the winner. Although many had predicted that Crystal would win (due to her superior voice talent,) Lee DeWyze was declared the winner of American Idol. Without a doubt, this is almost as big an upset as the victory of Kris Allen last year, which also saw a more talented competitor defeated by a lesser one. Bowersox fans should take heart, however, from the example set by Adam Lambert. Indeed, is entirely likely that Crystal will emerge as a powerful voice in the music industry, without the constraints placed upon her by the American Idol production machine. She might not have won the competition, but there can be little doubt that she will prove herself to be a powerful and bright star in the world of the music industry.