The president offered his thanks, Brian Dunkleman forgave Ryan Seacrest, JLo reminded everyone how itâs done, and Simon Cowell and his chest hair were once again reunited with Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul.
Oh, and in a big upset, Trent Harmon won the thing.
But even in the 15th and final finale of âAmerican Idol,â it was tough to beat Kelly Clarkson.
See the most-read stories in Entertainment this hour >>
The competitionâs first winner was one of the few famous Idols who did not appear live at the Dolby Theater for the blow-out farewell; as Seacrest explained, she is closing in on the due date for her second child. She did, however, manage to tape a mini-concert of her biggest hits when she visited the show in February. Which, for reasons of their own, the producers chose to run early in the finale even though it could easily have been one of the climactic numbers.
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From left, Caleb Johnson, Constantine Maroulis, Chris Daughtry and James Durbin perform during the âAmerican Idolâ finale at the Dolby Theatre on April 7.
(Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images) 2/39
âAmerican Idolâ winner Trent Harmon, center right, performs during the showâs finale.
(Matt Sayles / Invision / Associated Press) 3/39
Trent Harmon, winner of âAmerican Idol,â celebrates with fellow contestants.
(Matt Sayles / Invision / Associated Press) 4/39
âAmerican Idolâ winner Trent Harmon celebrates as judges Jennifer Lopez and Keith Urban look on.
(Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images) 5/39
Original âAmerican Idolâ judges Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell appear onstage at the showâs finale.
(Matt Sayles / Invision / Associated Press) 6/39
Ryan Seacrest looks on as William Hung performs during the âAmerican Idolâ finale.
(Matt Sayles / Invision / Associated Press) 7/39
Ruben Studdard and Amber Holcomb perform during the âAmerican Idolâ finale.
(Matt Sayles / Invision / Associated Press) 8/39
Marley Fletcher and Harry Connick Jr. perform during the âAmerican Idolâ finale.
(Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images) 9/39
Jessica Sanchez performs during the âAmerican Idolâ finale.
(Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images) 10/39
Joshua Ledet performs during the âAmerican Idolâ finale.
(Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images) 11/39
Katharine McPhee
(Matt Sayles / Invision / Associated Press) 12/39
Host Ryan Seacrest speaks in the audience during FOXâs âAmerican Idolâ Finale For The Farewell Season at Dolby Theatre.
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Lauren Alaina, from left, Kree Harrison, Skylar Laine, Kellie Pickler and Diana DeGarmo
(Matt Sayles / Invision / Associated Press) 14/39
A screen shows a pre-taped performance by Jennifer Lopez during the âAmerican Idolâ farewell season finale.
(Matt Sayles / Invision / Associated Press) 15/39
Carly Smithson
(Matt Sayles / Invision / Associated Press) 16/39
Ruben Studdard, left, and Amber Holcomb
(Matt Sayles / Invision / Associated Press) 17/39
Singers Marley Fletcher, left, and Harry Connick, Jr.
(Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images) 18/39
Taylor Hicks
(Matt Sayles / Invision / Associated Press) 19/39
Recording artist Jessica Sanchez
(Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images) 20/39
Singer Joshua Ledet
(Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images) 21/39
Jennifer Lopez takes a selfie at the âAmerican Idolâ farewell season finale.
(Matt Sayles / Invision / Associated Press) 22/39
Recording artists Constantine Maroulis, left, and James Durbin perform onstage during âAmerican Idolâ finale.
(Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images) 23/39
Recording artists Caleb Johnson, left, Constantine Maroulis, Bo Bice and James Durbin
(Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images) 24/39
Diana DeGarmo
(Matt Sayles / Invision / Associated Press) 25/39
Skylar Laine
(Matt Sayles / Invision / AP) 26/39
Larry Platt
(Matt Sayles / Invision / Associated Press) 27/39
Keith Urban and Carrie Underwood
(Matt Sayles / Invision / AP) 28/39
Recording artists Caleb Johnson, Constantine Maroulis, Chris Daughtry and James Durbin
(Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images) 29/39
Recording artists Jordin Sparks, left, Allison Iraheta, Tamyra Gray and Justin Guarini perform onstage during Foxâs âAmerican Idolâ finale at Dolby Theatre.
(Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images) 30/39
Pia Toscano
(Matt Sayles / Invision / Associated Press) 31/39
Singers Trent Harmon and LaâPorsha Renae
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Singers Trent Harmon, left, LaâPorsha Renae and Dalton Rapattoni perform onstage during Foxâs âAmerican Idolâ finale
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âAmerican Idolâ past winners and finalists perform together.
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From the audience: âAmerican Idolâ past winners and finalists perform together onstage.
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Host Ryan Seacrest, left, and Brian Dunkleman
(Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images) 36/39
Actress-singer Jennifer Lopez and singer Harry Connick Jr. onstage during Foxâs âAmerican Idolâ finale.
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Fans at the âAmerican Idolâ finale.
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The âAmerican Idolâ stage is set for the finale.
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President Obama addresses the audience during the âAmerican Idolâ finale.
(Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images) Many have said, with a regularity that borders on mania, that no other winner embodies the inner grit, eternal enthusiasm and musical passion of the âAmerican Idolâ ethos better than Clarkson, and Thursday nightâs medley offered final and fabulous proof.
Never mind the litany of hit songs with which Clarkson proved that winning a talent competition really could launch a legitimate and long-lasting career. Never mind her still stunningly powerful voice or the moving rendition of her Season One signature, âA Moment Like This.â
What was truly amazing was that she did it all pregnant. Not just a little pregnant, a lot pregnant.
Do you know how hard it is to breathe when youâre that pregnant? How hot you get anyway, even without the form-fitting black dress and relentless stage lights?
But there Clarkson stood, in high heels, belting out song after song, a musical mother goddess with enough self-deprecating sass to tweet, during the performance: âWhoâs that sweaty, pregnant girl singing? Oh snap, thatâs me hahaha.â
Which is pretty much âAmerican Idolâ in a nutshell: Sing big, own your brand and leverage social media.
Even for those of who stopped watching âIdolâ years ago, the finale was worth watching for Clarkson alone.
But there were plenty of other amazing moments too. Opening with President Obamaâs masterful pivot from the importance of âIdolâ to the importance of voting in November, the finale was essentially âAmerican Idolâs Greatest Hits,â two hours filled with strong and varied performances from stellar fan favorites, from Pia Toscano and Jordin Sparks to the goofy âpants on the ground guyâ and William Hung.
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FOR THE RECORD
April 8, 2:16 p.m.: An earlier version of this article misspelled William Hungâs last name as Huang.
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Keith Urban teamed up with Carrie Underwood, Katharine McPhee showed up blond, the Three Divas âJennifer Hudson, Fantasia and LaToya London â amazed (and Fantasia continued her personal style revolution) and a group of male âIdol Rockers,â including Caleb Johnson, James Durbin and Chris Daughtry brought down the house.
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Melinda Doolittle, left, Jordin Sparks and Taylor Hicks were among those walking the final red carpet for Foxâs âAmerican Idolâ at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
(Left and right - Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images / Center - John Salangsang/Invision/AP) 2/12
Carrie Underwood arrives at the âAmerican Idolâ farewell season finale at the Dolby Theatre.
(John Salangsang / Invision / Associated Press) 3/12
Allison Iraheta, left, Jennifer Lopez, Fantasia Barrino
(John Salangsang / Invision / Associayed Press) 4/12
Finalist Trent Harmon
(Alberto E. Rodriguez / Getty Images) 5/12
Chris Daughtry arrives at the âAmerican Idolâ farewell season finale at the Dolby Theatre.
(John Salangsang / Invision / Associated Press) 6/12
Keith Urban
(John Salangsang / Invision / Associated Press) 7/12
Joshua Ledet, left, James Durbin and Heidi Lowe, Kimberley Locke
(John Salangsang / Invision / Associated Press) 8/12
Constantine Maroulis
(John Salangsang / Invision / Associated Press) 9/12
Lauren Alaina
(John Salangsang / Invision / Associated Press) 10/12
Maddie Ziegler
(John Salangsang / Invision / Associated Press) 11/12
LaâPorsha Renae and Trent Harmon arrive at the âAmerican Idolâ farewell season finale.
(John Salangsang / Invision / Associated Press) 12/12
Maddie Ziegler, left, Katharine McPhee and Diana DeGarmo
(John Salangsang / Invision / Associated Press) For once âIdolâ seemed all about the music (as opposed to all the sappy back-story, back-stage stuff), but the showâs other in-house celebrities had their moments as well. As Seacrest attempted to open the show, he was interrupted by his original co-host, Dunkleman, finally forgiving him for elbowing him off the show.
But the big reunion came late in the game. Original judges Jackson and Abdul came out on stage grumbling about Cowell, who then appeared, amid thunderous applause, to make a lame joke about how Paula had been the mean one. Thus proving, once and for all, that it was the actual unscripted moments that made that particular trinity work for so long.
Even for those of us unable to name every performer and his or her season, it was a splendid end to a significant show. More important, with tweets flying like they did in the good old days, #Idolfinale beat #Scandal three to one.
As Clarkson proved, though the due date is near, the original can still bring it.
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