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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.

Several American Idol alumni, such as Fantasia and Diana DeGarmo, have taken their musical talents to the Broadway stage. But now, Idolmania has actually inspired an original Off-Broadway show called Idol: The Musical. The story revolves around a group of outcasts that idolizes Clay Aiken.

According to press notes, the show is described as "a satirical musical comedy that focuses on the outrageous and delusional fan base of the hit television show."

I guess once you're an American Idol finalist, you're always an American Idol finalist (unless you get an Oscar nomination and decide to bite the hand that fed you). But as long as you stay on good terms with the show's producers, you could probably milk this thing for the next century.

On Friday, February 9, past finalists Kevin Covais, Melissa McGhee, Diana DeGarmo, Ryan Starr, LaToya London, and Frenchie Davis (the disgraced, disqualified finalist) will be guests on The Dr. Keith Ablow Show.

This is an old clip from MadTV, but I just found it, so it's new to me, and probably to many of you too. The clip, called "Since We Were On," spoofs the first three seasons of American Idol winners (Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Fantasia Barrino) and runner-ups (Justin Guarini, Clay Aiken, Diana DeGarmo), as well as Simon Cowell, and the unforgettably-bad William Hung.

People online has a nifty little photo-story updating us on some of our favorite American Idol contestants who didn't win the title. Here are a few:

• Diana DeGarmo: after spending the holidays entertaining the troops abroad, she's joining the cast of Hairspray on Broadway on February 7.
• Frenchie Davis: proving that racy photos on the internet aren't the end of all things, she's a cast member of Rent on Broadway, where she's been since she was prematurely booted off the show in 2003.
  
• William Hung: thinking he's entitled to more than 15 minutes of fame, he's still performing crap from his three, yes three, albums.
• Tamyra Gray: the one who should've gone against Kelly Clarkson in the finale, Tamyra is working on her second album and persuing more acting roles.
• Josh Gracin: lookin' a little thick around the middle, Josh just kicked off a tour where he is opening for Trace Adkins. He and his wife, Ann Marie, now have two children.
• Corey Clark: ah, who the hell cares?

The story also includes new photos and updates on Ruben Studdard, Jennifer Hudson, LaToya London, and Justin Guarini.

Diana DeGarmo, who is now 18 years old, rang in the New Year by entertaining American troops across the globe. The American Idol runner-up's schedule had her performing for troops in seven countries, in seven days. Tonight is her final performance, in Germany. She's also been to Qatar, Afghanistan, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, and Iraq, where she spent the night in one of Saddam's many palaces. She's performing with comedian Reggie McFadden and country singer Michael Peterson as part of the USO Tour. Her part of the show includes pulling troops up on stage to compete in an impromptu-style dance contest and she wraps up each performance by singing America the Beautiful.