Going into last night's finale of American Idol, I was very excited to see the Davids battle each other for the title. It was the first American Idol in a while that did not have an obvious winner at the outset. Even though it really was David Archuleta's night, I still hold out hope that David Cook might pull out a win. He's the one with the most potential and is the better performer. Little Archuleta has that killer voice, though.

Anyway, last night's epic battle got me thinking about past American Idol finales and whether any of them were this much of a contest. It seems like we've gone into most of the American Idol finales with obvious winners. Here's a breakdown of the past American Idol finales, and whether they stack up to last night's performances:

Welcome back to "AI Aftermath," where we explore Idol's past. Each installment, as one more American Idol hopeful is eliminated from the competition, we take a look back at contestants past who were eliminated at the same point. We'll examine how they did on the show and what they've been up to since their eliminations. In honor of David Archuleta's elimination in the finale, we'll be looking at other second place finishers.

This week: 2nd place finishers, featuring featuring Justin Guarini (Season One), Clay Aiken (Season Two), Diana DeGarmo (Season Three), Bo Bice (Season Four), Katharine McPhee (Season Five) and Blake Lewis (Season Six).

Way back in the early days of American Idol, and by early days I mean "Season Four," there was a girl who was a little bit country and a long-haired fellow who was a little bit rock and roll. I think we all know who went on to win that season, but that southern rocker was a pretty amazing presence of his own. In fact, they were so strong together in the final, they both released "Inside Your Heaven," the Idol single for that year. And they even swapped spots at number one with the track.

Now Bo's out promoting See the Light, his latest album which is more true to his southern rock roots. But that doesn't mean he's not willing to take a break from his touring schedule to spend some quality time with the kids down at American Idol Camp this summer. The program, which began last year, is for 10-15 year olds and runs in five two-week sessions throughout the summer.

There, kids can go to learn about the music industry and hone their craft as musicians, as well as experiencing all the traditional things that make summer camps fun, just with the added bonus of hanging out with and learning from Idol alumni like Bo. For more on Idol Camp check out the official American Idol Camp website. For more on my chat with Bo Bice, follow me after the jump.

OK, I'm risking a comment assault on my inbox by posting this, but what the hell, I feel like taking some (calculated) risks today:

According to everyone's favorite column, Page Six in the New York Post, Bo Bice got into a drunken scrape with a fan the other night at a midtown Manhattan pub. But this wasn't just any fan, it was Glenn Parker, who at one time was an NFL offensive lineman (he played on my favorite team, the New York Giants, the last time they went to the Super Bowl).

The article states that Parker approached the Idol reject, asking him if he was indeed Bo Bice. Bice denied it; when Parker came back to Bo to apologize for bothering him, Bo started flailing his arms, grazing Parker under the chin with one swing. Instead of crushing him like a bug, Parker called for a bartender, who helped him throw the long-haired crooner out of the bar.

Parker needs to be commended for his restraint; at 6'5" and 300 pounds, he could have really gone to town on Bice. As for Bo... well... he should be grateful his face is still intact. The next time he grows beer muscles, he may not be so lucky.

Being in the Final 12 means that you get to perform on the big stage, in front of the big crowd, with the big fancy lights. This is the AI equivalent of getting to sit at the adult table at Thanksgiving. No more of that kids' table crap. It's the big show with the bigger band and the souped-up sound system.

But there was no souped-up sound system in my apartment tonight.  

Finally. A reason to watch the American Idol results show. Tonight, Bo Bice makes a special appearance on the show that made him famous last year. He'll perform his new single, The Real Thing (no, it's not a Diet Coke ad). Bo's album of the same title is nearing platinum, with 550,000 copies sold. The video reached No. 1 this week on MTV's TRL. Will he wear shoes? Maybe. A shirt made by his grandmother? Probably. Will he call someone "cat"? Certainly.

After Bo's performance, four contestants will be booted off the show and we will finally have our Top 12 Finalists.

Bo Bice is having a busy time of it lately. He had a new baby boy last month, he had major surgery and then ended up back in the hospital with complications from the surgery, and on top of that, our own Anna Johns thinks he's one cool cat. As if that weren't enough for one guy,  his new album "The Real Thing" is being released, and the singer is said to be "very excited" about it. As you no doubt know, Bice came in second to American Idol winner Carrie Underwood (who, by the way, was just named Oklahoman of the Year), and there has been much speculation about whether Bice will pull a "Clay Aiken". Aiken, who placed second behind Ruben Studdard in Season Two of Idol, has far surpassed Studdard in album sales and fan base. 

 

I just finished reading a short interview with Bo Bice on the Pop Candy section of the USA Today website, and it reminded me why I like that guy so much. He's just so real, isn't he? Unlike any of the other American Idol contestants, he seems more like an artist than a singer. If he drank White Russians, he would totally be "The Dude" from The Big Lebowski. He still remains totally cool, even though he's had a huge year, including a runner-up slot on American Idol, an album, a concert tour, a wedding, a baby, and major surgery. That's like a lifetime wrapped into one little year!

The interview was done just before he was rushed to the hospital recently for complications from intestinal surgery, so it's a little bit out-of-date. In it, Bo tells Whitney Matheson (Pop Candy) that he's feeling fine, but is exhausted and hasn't had time to heal properly from the surgery. He also says that he's had a lot of star struck moments this year when he met people like Snoop Dogg, or band members from Audioslave and Nickelback. Bo still has a good head on his shoulders, saying that his latest album isn't going to make or break his career. He says he wants to create a respectable legacy, both in music and in his family. I just adore that man!

Aaron Barnhart over at TV Barn wonders if American Idol has worn out it's welcome. He makes some good points ("Wednesday's two-hour finale did seem like a half-hour program that had been tortured out of its mind"), and he wonders why they included that sketch that seemed to make fun of the whole Paula Abdul/Corey Clark scandal.  

You watched him for weeks on American Idol, you wept tears of disbelief when he lost to Carrie Wednesday night in the season finale (okay, maybe you didn't weep, but you at least knew about it, right?). Maybe you like Bo's rocker style, his laid-back attitude, his killer vocals. Maybe you just think he looks hot in a pair of tight jeans.

Millions of fans have been voting for Bo Bice, week after week, on American Idol. Everyone wants a piece of him - or wants to claim they knew him "way back when". Now TV Squad goes to the people who know Bo best - his longtime friends and Sugar Money bandmates, John Cooper and Shane Sexton, to bring you the story of the "real" Bo - the guy they've known for over 12 years and consider a "brother". Below is a taste of what's coming your way early next week when TVSquad dives deep to discover who Bo was before he was an Idol, and how he's likely to handle his sudden fame.

TVSQUAD: Any truth to the rumors that Bo was glad when Constantine got booted off, because that meant he'd be the only "rocker guy" left?

JOHN COOPER: Nah. Bo and Constantine got along just fine. Besides, they have totally different sounds. Our band and Constantine's band, they sound nothing alike. Constantine does his thing, and he's good at what he does, and Bo is good at what he does.

The whole 'rocker guy' thing is just a label, you know? If two of your main influences are James Taylor and Jim Croce, like Bo -  you aren't really a 'rocker guy'. But I think, you know, if you mixed Mick Jagger, Eddie Vedder and Axl Rose together, that's kinda Bo. He's got this great stage presence, he engages the audience. And what you've seen on Idol week after week, that's the real Bo. He's the real deal.

TVSQUAD: Did you think about going to Orlando and trying out for Idol with Bo?

JC: *chuckles* Me? I'm not an American Idol. Bo, he's the songwriter, he's the front man. We're friends and brothers before we're bandmates, we supported him all the way. We've been friends for over 12 years, you know? The friendship's not gonna change. Ruben (Stoddard)'s band, they were playing a gig in Alabama, and they invited us to come hang with them - not to play, you know, just to hang out. Because they're from Alabama and so are we. And we went, and Ruben was there too, just hanging with them. He was there. And so I know, eventually, all this craziness is gonna slow down, and Bo will be back. And we'll be here.

There's much more to come from John and Shane, kids. And if you're real lucky, we might just be bringing you an up-close-and-personal chat with Bo himself. Stay tuned to TV Squad for more Bo-diggity goodness than you can shake a stick at.