After Tuesday night’s poorly produced performance episode, last night’s American Idol finale was a breath of fresh air, punctuated by engaging performances and a willingness to poke fun where necessary. I was disappointed we didn’t get a final Lauren Alaina / Scotty McCreery duet as in past seasons, but there were still plenty of highlights to choose from:

• Top 13, “Born This Way” medley – A ridiculous and fitting choice all at once. The animated Top 13 made the most of the anthem, cheesy choreography and all. It was a trip to see contestants like Scotty McCreery and Casey Abrams dig into the whole thing with reckless abandon.
• Casey Abrams & Jack Black, “Fat Bottom Girls” – There were a handful of great duets last night, but I’m not sure any of them were more entertaining than this one. Abrams and Black infused the performance with the spirit and commitment of the best SNL parodies - and they actually sounded pretty good together.
• Top 13 Girls, Beyonce medley – I don’t know that we’ve ever had a fiercer, more dynamic group of girls in the finals. Sure, Beyonce schooled the whole crew when she came out guns blazing on “Crazy in Love,” but who doesn’t pale in comparison to Sasha Fierce? The girls brought impressive individual swagger and vocals to the slew of hits.
• Haley Reinhart & Tony Bennett, “Steppin’ Out With My Baby” – I love how this song drew out the delicious, feathery-light jazz side of Reinhart’s voice, and I adored the sweet dance intermission. I’ll say it again: Reinhart has grown into herself as an artist in a big way this season.
• Scotty McCreery & Tim McGraw, “Live Like You Were Dying” – Maybe it was the song or maybe it was the adrenaline rush, but McCreery has never sounded better. It was a telling glimpse into his future as a recording artist - and how cute was their high five at the end?
• Idol humor– Props to the producers for recognizing that a little self-parody goes a long way. My favorite segment showed the contestants musing over the young age of the final two contestants (the best: “So we have like two sixth graders in the competition and they’re kicking everyone’s ass” – Stefano Langone). Close seconds were the James Durbin / Casey Abrams / Pia Toscano fight over the “most shocking elimination” title and Randy’s “in it to win it” (never again, please) montage.
• Lady Gaga, “The Edge of Glory” – Yeah, the performance got a little over-the-top towards the end, but if this song isn’t in the sweet spot of her vocal range, I don’t know what is. She sounded amazing, and maybe I totally dug the saxophone interlude. Don’t judge.
• The results – Those who’ve been following me this season know that I’ve always been more drawn to the color and character of Alaina’s voice - but a sense of satisfaction washed over me when McCreery took the crown. Take a look at his best qualities –his firm sense of self, solid vocal talent, consistent performances and endearing sincerity—and you’ll see that he’s made of the same stuff of the previous Idol winners, albeit wrapped in a different, straightforward package. His post-Idol career will be an interesting one to follow, as he delves into a country music industry that doesn’t always seem willing to shed light on traditionalist artists like himself. Here’s to hoping he knocks down some doors and is met by people who allow him to embrace his individuality.

And that’s a wrap, folks. Share your thoughts on the finale below, and sincere thanks to all of you for taking this wacky ride with me this season!

Get more of Tara Seetharam's pop culture musings on her website www.taraseetharam.com and follow her on Twitter @TaraAshley.