It’s Adam vs. Kris in ‘American Idol’ final

So much for that Adam Lambert-Danny Gokey final that Paula Abdul predicted months ago.

After more than 50 minutes of video clips, guest performances and lots of random filler and product placement, Kris Allen was the first of the three remaining contestants to hear he’d made the finals, which shocked both him and the judges. That left Adam and Danny fighting for one spot, and Adam is the one who will join Kris in next week’s finale.

So much for that fanbase: Danny hadn’t been among the bottom three vote-getters all season, so he and his family looked understandably disappointed that he didn’t make the cut. They weren’t the only ones, as the judges all looked sorry to see him leave, particularly Paula. But someone had to go, and this is the second time in three seasons that the third-place finisher hadn’t faced elimination before. Melinda Doolittle earned that dubious honor two years ago.

Never a dull moment: Based on the clips “Idol” has shown this season, it seems that Adam has the most interesting life of this season’s finalists. That dramatic trend held true in his visit to San Diego, as his performance at a local high school was highlighted by a streaker. He also hung out at the Marine Air Corps Station in Miramar, where he sang the National Anthem. No word on whether Maverick and Goose were there to give him tips on being named the Top Gun next week.

It’s easy being cheesy: Kris Allen received some exciting news when he went back home to Conway, Ark. and ate in his favorite restaurant — it gave him free cheese dip for life. Ryan Seacrest took great pleasure in mentioning that fact, because it fits Allen's image as the stereotypical small-town Southerner in the Big City; humble, grateful, and uncool enough to be excited at the prospect of an endless supply of artery-clogging appetizers.

Slideshow   It’s down to 2 on ‘Idol’ Kris Allen and Adam Lambert will compete for the season 8 crown on “American Idol.”  more photos

From tragedy to (almost) triumph: Danny’s trip back to Milwaukee featured a reunion with his friend Jamar from the audition and Hollywood rounds, as well as several ruminations on the journey his life has taken over the past 10 months, from the death of his wife to his extended run on “Idol.” Of course, the producers also included footage of an extremely devoted female fan chasing after Danny’s limousine, and a young girl gushing that “He’s cute, he has good glasses, and he lives in Milwaukee.” If nothing else, he’ll always have Wisconsin.

A Night at the Kodak Theater: “Idol” opened up with Ben Stiller playing the role of the host in a video clip, which — shocker of shockers — turned out to be a product placement for the upcoming “Night at the Museum” sequel as well as an announcement that the “American Idol” desk will join a whole lot of other pop-culture knickknacks on display at the Smithsonian. “Last night, Ryan Seacrest was injured in a horrible bikini-waxing accident,” Stiller said by way of introduction. He then paused, as most of the viewers thought to themselves “OK, that sounds plausible enough.”

Rwandan Idol: “Idol Gives Back” took the year off from its musical extravaganza, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t want your money. A night after showing footage of Carrie Underwood in Africa, Alicia Keyes came onstage to ask for $5 contributions via text message and introducing Noah, a young singer from Rwanda who performed before the “Idol” crowd. Considering he he just learned the song in English over the past week, he looked like a natural performer and worked the judges like a pro. Watch out for him in a few years.

Hot and Cold: Katy Perry was the headliner among the guest performers, and she did an excellent job playing to the young male portion of the fan base. To perform “Waking Up in Vegas,” she showed up in an Elvis cape with “Adam Lambert” embroidered on the back, and not much else. Ironically, the performance was a lot better than her vocals, and if she had actually been a contestant, she might have been in trouble.

Craig Berman is a writer in Washington.

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