The next American Idol will be David - but which one?

Houston Chronicle - United States - It's still unclear what we'll most remember about this year's American Idol. But it's likely not what host Ryan Seacrest repeatedly promised - the most talented singers ever! - during the early weeks of the show.

If anything, quirky details and disasters, more than the music, made this season worth watching: David Hernandez's seedy stripper past; Brooke White's do-overs; Carly Smithson's tattoos; Jason Castro's distant gaze; David Archuleta's stage dad; Danny Noriega's peculiar energy.

So what we're left with on tonight's show isn't exactly a David vs. Goliath battle - despite glaring differences in age, attitude and size.

Instead it's David vs. David. Both Davids - Archuleta and Cook - are reasonably talented guys who have soared past lesser contestants and sludged through ho-hum theme weeks. (Neil Diamond's tunes didn't do anyone any favors.) They're survivors, if nothing else.

Wednesday night's overlong, overstuffed finale will come down to the final 10 minutes, when 'tween dream Archuleta or emotive rocker Cook will be crowned the eighth Idol winner. That's after, of course, tedious stretches of filler and, if we're lucky, a few entertaining performances.

Expect to see Jordin Sparks, last year's perky winner. Her tour schedule is clear the next few days. And pray that producers persuade Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson to hit the stage with fantastic new single Spotlight. We can always dream.

Despite ratings attrition this year, Idol is still an event that pulls tens of millions of viewers, third-place finisher Syesha Mercado among them.

"David Archuleta has that beautiful smile, and he has that really, really good connection with kids," Mercado says.

"David Cook — the girls go crazy over him. All the older women. They're like, 'Syesha, could you just tap David on the shoulder and get him for me?' "

Archuleta was aggressively positioned as the early front -runner. Producers likely envisioned the precocious Star Search vet as a merchandising fantasy. And he delivered, too, with engaging renditions of Shop Around and Imagine that carried him into the top 12.

"(He) has that sweet, boy-next-door charm that has every teeny-bopper running to the phones ready to dial 9 million times," says Season 3 runner-up Diana DeGarmo.

"He has that certain ideal pop image that American Idol once used to strive for in their winners."

But Archuleta's inexperience and nerves became more prevalent over the course of the competition. So did his overbearing stage dad, Jeff, who was eventually banned from backstage. He seems like the responsible party behind song choices such as You're the Voice and When You Believe, syrupy even by Idol standards.