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Season 12 of X Factor continues stronger than ever as we saw the judges graced by superstar after superstar ready to take the world of pop music by storm. They even let through a weird homeless man who licks hands and didn't sing a single note. HAVE THE JUDGES FINALLY LOST THEIR MINDS? Tune in next week to find out more. Only on NBC! Dunkin Donuts are the best!! 7. Mirror Image - It's like someone crossed jar jar binks with the "HI HI IT'S TY TY" segment after each youtube video and turned it into a person. AND THEN ANOTHER ONE. They were...better than last time? Is this the first time an act that has gotten buzzed by someone actually makes it through the judges cut? 6. Evie Clair - Can I just post a picture of Puddles looking sad as my review for each of these? Because that's exactly how I felt segment after segment. She continues to be a sweet kid, but the way the show is handling her story is INSUFFERABLE. It's everything wrong with shows like this. At least you can make some excuse for most of the other sob stories having SOMETHING to do with the act itself, not here. Here it's just an excuse to give a fairly average singer a story so everyone can cry at home and feel bad if she doesn't make it. 5. Junior and Emily - You spin me right round, baby. Right round like a record, baby...Imagine that song on a loop, because it's apparently all we are going to get from these 2 for now. It really isn't a good sign when an act runs out of material THIS early, but there is at least a glimmer of hope they can improve next time round... 4. Chase Goehring - Chase is a victim of my growing annoyance with singers on this show, but I'll at least give him credit for coming up with an original song. But he is just another young heartthrob with an accoustic guitar, a pretty decent one but still something we have seen thousands of times now. And it's yet another golden buzzer spent on an X-Factor reject (not an insult, he actually did get booted off that show) they can praise to high heaven and do the whole nauseating "You are gonna be a superstar, watch out Ed Sheeran" speech. It feels like we are being sold stuff they THINK should be popular and I guess they are right because as of now the guy already has over 100k followers on twitter so he's going to be a force to be reckoned with as soon as it's voting time. 3. Yoli Mayor - Yeah I wasn't too impressed the first time around we saw her, but she definitely left an impression this time around. She just needs a bit of work with her stage presence and as much as I find her voice to be really really good, she didn't quite manage to captivate me yet. I feel like she needs time to really grow and this show really doesn't allow singers to do that, but maybe she can impress even more next time... 2. Colin Cloud - I can't help but like Colin and his charming brand of magic/mentalism. He manages to escape the "sleazy salesman" (Hey Oz) hole a lot of other mentalists fall into and for once the "criminal profiler" backstory isn't just bullshit, it's an integral part in some of his tricks. It's hard to really analyse what he did here (besides the obvious phone trick) because the show edited out certain parts to make the act quicker, but the way he toys with people and uses information is amusing and clever. It annoys me that so many commenters genuinely believe he has some sort of a superpower and can actually read minds, when even Colin himself mentions how he is NOT psychic. The fact there's a certain subset of people out there that would actually be angry if they found out he is just tricking people is genuinely scary, but I guess it's part of why these acts do so well each year with the voters. 1. Puddles Pity Party - I knew of Puddles before this show, but never really delved any deeper than a video or two. I have now and honestly I'm kind of obsessed. I just love what he does. Let it never be said I'm against singers on this show, because as of now Puddles is one of my favourites. Yeah, definitely NOT a vintage episode...It started off with Simon saying "What I'm looking for is genuine improvement in an act, for them to take it to the next level" and by the end of the episode he seemed determined to prove himself wrong at all cost. Mirror Image got buzzed, Junior and Emily were a disappointment for everyone involved, Evie got called out for her wrong notes...none of it seemed to matter in the end as we waved goodbye to a ton of montaged acts who got standing ovations and praise to make room for...mediocrity Kyle got edited down to...nothingness and poor Xavier, second time now he's made it to the judges cut only to be left out of the live shows despite a really fun and clever performance. It might have echoed Tony and Jordan at times, but surely if there's room for 5 female pop singers, there's also room for more than 1 magic act that uses screens. Ugh. Thankfully next week is shaping up to be much more interesting with Bello Nock, the Englands, Daniel Ferguson, Diavolo, Mike Yung. Preacher Lawson and Shemika all being deserving quarter-finalists and 6 more acts to be revealed. This probably means that at least 1 or 2 of the above will be unfairly cut. But hey, at least we got...mirror image.

So Puddles didn't show up after all, despite the fact he could be seen sitting in the waiting room watching the Eric Jones performance they leaked online a few days early, but this was probably just another editing "mistake" (pro tip to the AGT producers: how about instead of cobbling your episodes together from a thousand different sources like someone creating the worlds shittiest ransom note you just show us ACTUAL real reactions that happened in THAT episode, thus eliminating continuity errors and the judges changing clothes between sentences like they were part of a quickchange act. Just a thought. I mean it's not like you've been doing this for 12 years now or anything...) 7. Sara and Hero - Catwoman look out, there's a new criminal in town. Yeah, people seem angry over this making it, but I kinda like them. The idea to create storylines AROUND the tricks is clever and fun and honestly I'd rather watch this again than see another mediocre filler dance crew or hear more Ed Sheeran covers. 6. Angelica Hale - LOOK AWAY, CHRIS, LOOK AWAY. RESIST THE TEMPTATION...DAMN IT. Another very safe and obvious choice for a GB, which is a shame. Luckily I happen to like Angelica and think for her age she's pretty great and adorable to boot, it was just a teeny tiny bit too screamy for me this time. 5. Eric Jones - I had actually noticed Eric in a montage a few weeks ago (along with Xavier Mortimer, who seems to be showing up next week just like in season 10, second times the charm?) and thought to mention him as a possible Blake Vogt of 2017 since I've seen him before on various shows, but forgot...Ah well, he's here now and I like him. From what I've seen he's just a very skilled sleight of hand magician focusing on smaller tricks that require a lot of precision and quick hands, which I personally enjoy more than bigger illusions. I also like his cool and calm demeanor and he's one of the few magicians who managed to fool even Penn and Teller on their show (and he's yet to do that trick on here). 4. Demian Aditya - I like Demian and it's nice to see this type of illusion represented and done WELL on the show after so many have failed to make it interesting before...buuuut this is now the 2nd time we have seen the "wife freaks out, Damian turns out to be someone else" ending and he absolutely can not keep using that if he wants to do well (and I actually think he has a chance of making the finals). The manufactured drama of "OH NO DID THE SCREEN GO OUT HOW UNEXPECTED" was painful at times to watch and having his wife (who just happens to be a professional actor and singer with 150k followers on twitter...I swear I'm not stalking these people, sometimes what the show DOESN'T tell you just happens to be more interesting) there was almost too much, even if she is in on the act. It just feels like a "cheap" tactic and I feel he's better than that. 3. Singing Trump - Is it gimmicky? Sure. Will it get played out soon? Probably. Did I have a blast watching him? ABSOLUTELY. Not only was he much funnier than the actual stand-up comedians this episode, he was also a better boyband than 5 alive. This show needs a bit of fun this season and he's bringing plenty of it.* *I almost don't want to break the illusion, but doing a bit of research on him I found out he's actually been an impersonator/singer since the 80s and I was shocked to find out I've actually seen him on TV in some shows before. It's interesting he chose to go with just 1 character for this show, since he seems like a skilled impressionist capable of doing over a hundred impressions of not only actors and singers but also cartoon characters and even musical instruments. He could have just as easily gone the David Ferguson route on the show since his voice is actually a LOT better than he lets on here (he can do a spot on impression of Bocelli, Timberlake, Jackson, even Lady Gaga) but he's chosen to go this way meaning we'll never truly see what he's capable of on this show. 2. The Masqueraders - There's just something likable about these guys, the energy and good feeling they give off is engaging and charming. 1. Just Jerk - You really are going to stick with that name then?...Not even a tiny change? O-okay then. I wasn't too sure about them in the audition round, but WOW they blew me away this time. These guys put all the hundreds (and hunreds) of identical looking dance crews we have seen on the show in the past to shame and if anyone deserves to finally break the "filler spot" curse it's them. First of all, let's take the time to salute our hero - The Dancing Pumpkin Man. Our one true victor was ROBBED. ROBBED. Secondly, had you told me that Carlos would get eliminated over Singing Trump before the show, I wouldn't have believed you. Everything from the time they spent showing him, to the sob story they had built up to the standing ovation led me to believe he was a lock to get through so I guess I can't complain about the show being predictable this time. Although we still have the wildcards left, so I'm not ready to count him out of the game quite yet. As for Tom London, he was my least favourite magician going into the judges cut and while I did like him more this time, Eric just showed more potential. Tom's whole shtick seems to be how he mixed technology with magic, but his first trick was based on math and the second one was just an excuse to take a ton of expensive trips. Sure the whole clip thing at the end was neat, but the amount of time, effort and money required to set-up something so easy to figure out seemed ludicrous. I would feel bad for all that going to waste, but if he has the capital to do all that just to impress the judges he's probably going to be just fine outside of the show. Meanwhile Canion fell into the exact hole of "let the effects do all the work" I was talking about, some quick research showed that he had been part of Mongolias Got talent at some point and even made the finals, so it just seemed like a bad day for him to get X-ed like this. Watching Yosein just made me sad, it was obvious he wouldn't make it from the beginning, yet it took tremendous skill, effort and training on his part to pull off what he did. Had he gone through, he would have needed to pull off something superhuman to impress the judges and the voters. Acts like this simply do not work on this show. Looking at the known line-up for next week only Puddles and Colin Cloud stand out so far along with maybe the Alabi's and Quiddlers for novelty value. Who knows, even the godfathers might impress. I'm just hoping the golden buzzer wont go to another mediocre singing act like Evie or Chase and we actually get something exciting for a change.

Yeah, that would seem likely. On one hand it's unfair towards the acts that audition regularly, but on the other hand it's probably given us some of the more interesting acts so I'm not sure how I feel about it all yet. Oh yeah, she was. Although it's nothing new for the show, they've done pre-recorded outdoor segments during the live shows plenty of times before with the motorcycle stunt guys and the flyboarder for example. They will either have a feed from the outside or a pre-recorded segment done hours earlier. I would cry foul, but pretty much any act that has tried this has been eliminated early on so it actually seems to be a disadvantage to NOT be on stage live when it comes time to vote.

If you check "the boys" section then the first thing they mention is "To top it off, they were contacted with a real world special invitation to audition for hit talent competition show Americas Got Talent". It's not the biggest deal in the world or anything, but I found their wording amusing considering they seem REAL proud of the fact they were invited to audition rather than doing it themselves.

12: Mirror Image - There was almost a fist shaped hole in my TV and THESE GUYS are to blame. Everything about them felt like a set-up for one fo those "LETS LOOK AT THESE OVERCONFIDENT DOUCHES BE ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE AND GET MOCKED FOR IT" segments you get on X-factor. Instead we ended with a standing ovation for what amounted to little more than two caffeine addicts jumping around like duracell bunnies...Come again? It's a shame, because the idea/name was fairly solid, just that these 2 were obviously wasting it on mediocre dancing and singing. 11: 5 Alive - A quick glance at their website (which hilariously enough reveals the fact they were scouted to be on AGT right on the front page) would have you believe they were a parody group straight off of SNL, complete with "amusing" (read:cringeworthy) fake facts, fake names (obviously ages too) and songs making fun of old boy band tracks...yet on the actual show they were played almost straight, I say ALMOST because they were over the top, but weren't funny enough to be considered a good joke act nor talented enough singers to compete with better groups on the show. 10: Angelina Green - After 2 weeks of waiting for another golden buzzer act THIS is the one they saved for last, THIS is the big reveal...huh? I haven't been a fan of the cowellization (more on that later) going on this season and singers being the ones in the spotlight, but at least the other golden buzzers made sense on SOME level. Here it was just a case of "Out of ALL the singers we've heard so far...you chose her?". I...okay sure, why not, THAT'S AGT FOR YOU, FOLKS. looking forward to forgetting who she was once we get to the live rounds. 9: Harrison Greenbaum - I remember when the show kept teasing a stand-up comedian actually winning it. Each year it seemed like we were getting closer and closer to that, we were ALMOST there and it seemed like it was inevitable at one point someone would break the 2nd curse. Yeah, that ain't happening this year. Look, Harrison wasn't awful or anything, but not especially great either. Maybe someone will really surprise us in the live rounds, but so far it looks like a fairly average year for comedians on the show. Also whoever edited his package together needs to rethink things, because he was pretty much making the same jokes in his introduction as he was on stage. 8: Jonathan Rinny - Rolla Bolla...Rolla...Bolla...heh, funny words. I'm just wasting time here while I try to come up with things to say besides "it was good" because it was, but we see at least one act like this each season and they always leave us wondering "Well what's next?" and never deliver. 7: Canion Shijirbat - As always, I'm intrigued by the potential of acts like these, but I think what a lot of them forget is that Kenichi infused personality, humor and showmanship into his acts. The effects weren't just there to distract you, they were an organic and amusing part of the act, where Canion felt a bit too much like he was throwing stuff at us just to have effects. Still, looking forward to seeing what else he can do. 6: Brandon Rogers - I feel bad ranking him anywhere, but I guess I should be honest with myself and just place him where I would if he had been a regular contestant. This was a bittersweet segment, I had seen his death mentioned before so I knew it would show up at some point and they handled the situation nicely. He seemed like a lovely person with talent to spare and while the competition is tough in the singing category this year, he might have actually done okay in the end. Tragic, RIP Brandon. 5: German Cornejos Dance Company - Just rolls off the tongue, doesn't it? Any act ending with the words "Dance Company" is pretty much destined to be cannon fodder on the show, but at least they are enjoyable cannon fodder. 4: The Quiddlers - I think the show has finally broken me, because I'm finding these gimmicky acts far more enjoyable as we go on. Maybe it's just the fact I can actually remember them after the episode ends and don't have to go on a witch hunt on youtube going "WHO? WAIT WHO? WAS THAT REALLY THIS EPISODE?". Sure, it's stupid, but it was kinda cute and original and fun. And at least we now know how the hobbit movies were filmed. 3: Mike Yung - Watching him get jerked around by the judges was infuriating. It's time the judges learn that people are tired of vocally perfect, yet empty performances. How many THOUSANDS of people have we seen on singing shows like Idol, X-Factor or The Voice so far? Most of them can hold a tune and have voice to boot, yet they get forgotten hours later because they simply do NOT connect with the audience or leave any sort of mark on them. You can have a great voice, but if you can't use it to make us feel something or be memorable then there's just no hope for you and I was captivated during Mike's performance, while being bored during Angelinas. 2: Danylo & Oskar - You are going to ask me "why" and I'm just going to point at a tree and run away. I honestly have no idea why I liked them as much as I did, but something about the ease at which they did these tricks made me really really enjoy this. 1: Inka Tiitto (no, that's NOT the name of the next bond girl, that's ACTUALLY her real name) - Oh hey look something cool and new and interesting...MONTAGED. A TON of people got the dreaded MONTAGED treatment this week and I was half-thinking of watching those again to figure out who was who and adding them to the ranking, but then I slapped myself and came to my senses. She was easily the most interesting one out of all of them anyways. So that's the audition rounds over with and it's been a mixed bag as usual, we got off to a REALLY strong start with episode 1 being one of the strongest audition rounds in the history of the show (in fact I wouldn't be surprised if we get at least 4-5 finalists from this episode alone). The rest of the episodes were a much more normal assortment of acts, but even then the show proved that it still had some steam and things left to show us. ON THE OTHER HAND, this season has been the worst case of something I like to call"cowellization" we have seen in a long while. What is "cowellization" you ask? I can break it down into 3 categories: 1. An OVER-ABUNDANCE of singers pushed to the spotlight until the show becomes less of a free-for-all talent show and closer to "X factor with some dancers and a magician here or there" 2. Manipulative sob stories milked until the cows dry up whenever possible. 3. Playing weirder/quirkier acts off as nothing but jokes meant to be ridiculed. Basically what I feared after Howard left has come true and all the good-will the show had generated with variety acts over the years is being done away with in favor of sob stories. There's still enough greatness this season for me to keep watching and be interesting but it's going to be a hard fight going forward.

I'm going to give the acts the benefit of the doubt here and assume they audition normally and just answer a TON of questions from the pre-judges/producers as they guide them and later edit the footage to fit whatever narrative they want to portray on the show. All he needs is to buy some wooden dolls and dress them up as the other members, then attach them to a rig he could wear on his body and....wait...oh.........

11: Carlos De Antonis - Pro tip for AGT: When trying to pass your act off as just a simple cab driver, make sure he doesn't have multiple IMDB credits and a lengthty wikipedia entry describing all the world famous opera houses he's performed in. I really wanted to like this guy, but everything from the very first moment they tried introducing him with wacky goofy music to the "simple cab driver" story felt like something out of a talent show cliche book written 10 years ago. Once the nessun dorma kicked in I was prepared to hide my head under the couch like an ostrich. It doesn't help that you can easily find info online on how he's actually a fairly known, classically trained singer who has performed all over the world in sold out concert tours in some of the most renowed concert halls and even recorded an album in Capitol Studios. Why they needed to push this tired "simple guy turns out to have an amazing talent" cliche on us is beyond me when there is actually a much more interesting story here having to deal with him being invited to sing at the oscar gala as he's involved in a bad car crash the same night and ends up spending years going through physical therapy to take up a part time job as an uber driver as he tries to get his old career going again...But no, instead we get fed bullshit and lies. COME ON AGT, I thought we were beyond this... 10: Sara Carson & Hero - I liked this better than the judges and actually felt a little sorry for her considering it was a neat spin on the "dancing dog" act and it takes a TON of time and effort to put execute something like this, yet she pretty much had to claw her way to the next round while "professional huggers" and Bon jovi rejects miming playing the keyboard get through with ease. This show sometimes... 9: Henry Richardson - Glad to see Chipps Cooney found a way to inspire people through this show. All jokes aside, he was actually pretty good, even if the trick was basic and something we have seen before on the show. There's a worry here that he's too young to really offer us anything unique, but good on him for giving it a go. 8: Oskar and Gaspar - Forget Blofeld, Oskar abd Gaspar might just be the biggest threat james Bond has ever faced. Or was "Oskar and Gaspar" just a codename for LG? Because this felt like a tech demo..."the most unique act we have seen this season" KINDA...But I've seen this technology used at concerts to add a bit of flair to the artists costume and it works PERFECTLY for that, here Heidi was just standing in one spot as they made her look like she was using a badly broken face swap app. There's great potential for technology like this to be used WITH something else, but it doesn't seem these guys bothered to figure it out so as it stands It was just...weird. 7: Maria Popazov -They're creepy and they're kooky, Mysterious and spooky, They're all together ooky, The Popazov Family *finger snap*. Both her and her husband felt like a serious case of "seen it all before" without really offering us anything new, but good enough for now I suppose. 6: Maxim Popazov - Well that's one way of making sure nobody else can get to your cake... 5: Final Draft - Yeah they felt very much like a better version of Linkin Bridge, but without the backstory I doubt we'll see them going as far. 4: Vinny Grosso - Another act I'm familiar with, although this is the only routine I've ever seen him do so I have no idea what might come next besides more shots of Tyra acting like she's never seen a man naked before. I like my comedy and my magic so I'm alwayd down for seeing more of them on this show. 3: Johnny Manuel. He's probably the best singer we have had this season, I can see him doing quite well in the future... 2: Sirqus Alfon - This was funny and clever and these guys fascinated me so I did some digging online and what I found out was...well..where do I even begin? Turns out these guys are actually a Swedish award winning comedy/circus/music/performing arts/dance/the kitchen sink group who have been around since 1997. If that's not mindboggling enough, they also have 4 albums out as of today. It seems their stage shows consist of A. Humorous music, B. comedic 3 stooges style acrobatics and C. tape face style audience participation gags with the use of technology. While it might ruin the gag a bit, sometimes I wish instead of tired sob stories the show would shed a bit of light on acts like these and explain their backstory a bit, because the 15 minutes of research i did on these guys was far more interesting than anything we heard this episode. I...am intrigued and while I fully expect them to get the "joke act" treatment and be cut early on, there is at least some cool potential here. 1: The Masqueraders - Yeah these guys won me over, they just had great stage presence and it helps that they sang in a genre that's very dear to my heart.

A bit late but here we go: 11: That old lady who hit on Simon - I seem to have missed what the actual ACT was here, but it's nice seeing Simon flirt with women more age appropriate for him. 10: Oscar Hernandez - Sam B, is that you? This was a bit of fun, but he's hardly a fantastic dancer. That being said, if Beyonce has an opening on her team... 9: Kechi - The backstory was pretty much inevitable considering her appearance. It's a horrific/inspiring story and she has a lovely voice, but she did seem a tiny bit timid and we've heard better even on this season so far...still, I wish her the best. 8: In the Stairwell - Howie seems to have it in his contract to hit the buzzer on something completely harmless and middle of the road each season and then act like he's suddenly remembered he's supposed to be a judge. This year it was these guys turn, but similarly to JM I thought they were pretty fun and we've heard MUCH blander/duller singers even this season... 7: Pompeyo Family Dogs -This was pure chaos, but fun chaos and I quite liked the hunger games capitol city family running around trying to control the herd on stage. It's been a while since we've had a good dog act and while these didn't seem QUITE up to bar with the Olate Dogs, they were still enjoyable. 6: Christian Guardino - FINALLY a singer gets the golden buzzer, after years and years of patiently hoping and waiting it's FINALLY HAPPENED. WE HAVE DONE IT GUYS, THE IMPOSSIBLE IS POSSIBLE. I DREAMED A DREAM IN A TIME GONE BYYYY....Sarcasm aside, he's quite good and very likable...I just find it increasingly harder to get excited over singers as they seem to be PLENTIFUL this season and he didn't have the added benefit of an interesting gimmick (Puddles) or impressive feats in the face of disability (Mandy). Saying all that, he's so likable as a person I would not mind seeing him do well. 5: Daniel Ferguson - I keep bringing up BGT and this is another case where an act VERY similar to this appeared there and did pretty well so this wasn't a surprise to me...and yet I STILL really really enjoyed it. He needs some grannies on stage throwing their underwear at him when he's doing the Simon impression, but he brings a welcome bit of levity to a season full of sob story singers and I very much look foward to hearing more. 4: Elena and Sasha - What they do is very dangerous and impressive and yada yada yada can we just talk for a moment about how Elena was funnier than most of the stand-up comedians on this show? I kind of fell in love with them during the interview stage, sure we've seen the "quirky couple doing something really dangerous and impressive while acting goofy" thing before, but something about them felt very refreshing. I didn't mind the rope either, we have seen what happens when things go wrong before (Uzeyer) and it didn't take anything away from the act, I just fear they will run out of things to show us kinda like throwings last year. 3: Shemika Charles - Holy moley, Batman! This was quite something and I don't think we've seen limbo done quite this way before on the show. How low CAN she go? No, seriously...what's next? Is she going to limbo her way through the gap in Tyras shoes? This might be a case of her showing TOO much and while I HOPE she can make it far on this show, I really can't see how she's going to top herself...time will tell I suppose. 2: Tony and Jordan - This is everything I love about the show, creative, fun, exciting and surprising all rolled into one. They are pretty much HARA 2.0, but where he might have seemed too distant and artsy fartsy to the audience, these guys managed to add a LOT of personality and humor to the act which should hopefully make them more likable and relatable to the voters...here's hoping at least. 1: Dancing Pumpkin Man - Winner. Overall, this episode was just FUN if you leave out the bit with Kechi in the middle, which almost didn't seem to match the tone the rest of the show was going for. Still, it's been a very strong start for the series so far and while I'm getting a bit worried over the amount of singers, there's just enough cool variety that makes me hopeful for the future...If anything the show is proving that even after 12 years it can still manage to show us new things, which is something...

Episode 2 of 8000 has aired, so it's time to do the rankings..be prepared: 11. Artyon & Paige - Had they been dancing to a One Direction song Simon would have given them a standing ovation. As it is though, it was a cute little number that felt more suitable for a school party than a big stage. Also I'm going to have that damn song stuck in my head all day now, THANKS AGT. 10. Mia Moore - Yeah, starting off with another gimmick animal act really does nothing to shake up the formula. It's a clever trick, but that's unfortunately all it is, there's nowhere this act can go unless the dog learns how to play a guitar, shove him together with the chicken and THERE is an act. 9. Pelican212 - Is this just named after a fake youtube spambot? Harmless enough I guess... 8. Chase Goehring - Meh? It's nice of him to do an original song, it's just a shame nothing else about him felt or sounded original. 7. Azeri Brothers - Take 1 cup of Jackass, 2 cups of Steroids and remove any and all trace of charm and personality and voila. The tricks themselves seemed a lot less "OH MY GOD SOMEONE IS DEFINITELY GOING TO DIE" than Howie was trying to make them seem, but they were both impressive and dangerous. That being said I prefer my muscle/freakshow acts to have better presentation than this. 6. Mandy Harvey - Yeah she got the golden buzzer because of her story, but I'm kinda okay with that...She seemed nice and for once the sob story actually means something ABOUT her talent and isn't just "My entire family died in a freak car accident, so now I juggle". It's hard enough to speak when you are deaf so I can't even imagine how hard it must be to sing, but she made it worked and had a good voice. Good on her for coming out with an original song too. 5. Nick Uhas - I'm pretty much placing this as high because it was fun and entertaining and different from the usual norm on the show. I've seen the guy pop up on youtube before and he's charming and knows his stuff, unfortunately what works as a neat online video or a segment on Bill Nye the science guy doesn't really work...as an act? The IDEA of using chemicals and science to create a big stage show is fascinating, but I don't think he's really figured the second part out yet. It's just a way for every chemistry teacher in America to scream "YOU THOUGHT MY CLASS WAS BORING BUT YOU WANT TO GIVE HIM A MILLION DOLLARS? That's it, I QUIT" at the TV. I'm conflicted...yet intrigued what he might do next. 4. Angelica Hale - I was pleasantly surprised by her. Maybe it's because I was terrified I would have to hear nessun dorma again, but her voice was lovely and I was waiting for Stitch to join her any moment as she was adorable enough to be in a Disney movie. She probably needs an ukulele to win, but that's another story... 3. Billy & Emily England - What they do is incredible to watch and I can't even imagine the amount of time it takes to rehearse something like this and NOT end up with a metal plate in your head. There's just one problem...I've seen it before. As Simon mentioned they were on BGT back in 2015 and by seeing them there I can kinda confirm that this...is all the act is. Their 2 performances on BGT ended up being pretty much the same, just in slightly different order and while I'd like to hope they have learnt more since then and can shake things up a bit, I have a hard time seeing them making it through even MORE rounds here when they resorted to repetition in just 2. It was a case of "seen it once, seen it all" the last time, I'm HOPING they can prove me wrong this time. 2. Diavolo - Creating a giant see-saw out of what looked like a piece of the titanic was enough to sell me on this. Are they the best acrobatic act we have seen? I have no idea, but I do know they have a LOT of potential to do something cool in the future and hopefully surprise us. 1. Colin Cloud - I know, I know..It's yet ANOTHER mentalist and had it been anyone else I would probably have been sick of them by this point. HOWEVER, I have seen our Mr Cloud here before on various TV shows including Penn and Teller and Good Morning Britain and know that he is REALLY good. He is so good in fact that he's part of The Illusionists, which makes it a bit weird to see him on this show. From what I know he's quite a big deal in the world of mentalism and mostly comes up with his own tricks, which I can very much respect. He is the guy OTHER starting mentalists *coughozpearlmancough* learn routines from. I guess he's just not quite as known outside of the UK so this show should give him the boost in popularity he needs overseas. This wasn't him at his BEST, but I know he's a very very clever guy that mixes genuine psychology, misdirection, suggestion and a healthy dose of bullshit to sell the whole "Sherlock" gimmick and seeing what he CAN do on other shows, I am very intrigued to see how this goes for him... To conclude, not as strong as the first episode, but still a couple of potentially great acts...It's looking like at LEAST an okay season so far so let's ride that choochoo train all the way to the end.

Howie Mandel showing up in my twitter feed? Screams of horror echoing in the night? It can only mean one thing... AGT IS BACK!!!111 *confetti drops* Yes it's once more time to revel in overwrought sob stories, slow-motion shots of people walking down a hallway and endless montages set to Fleur East. The judges remain the same cheerful bunch as usual, while Nick has done something weird with his hair again and looks like an entirely new person. Ah well, I'm sure I'll get used to it. Lets's get down to business and rank these: 10: A flock of seagu...I mean Jokgu of the Flockstars. I'm sure there is a much easier way to explain this than what it initially seems like, but as far as novelty animal acts go, this wasn't bad at all. There's very little they could show us after the initial surprise wears off, but it was...neat. 9: Yoli Mayor. I remember last year when the judges stopped Sal's initial performance to guide him in the right direction of singing nothing but Ed Sheeran songs, they really helped him find his TRUE voice...Oh wait, that never happened. Meh. Everything about this felt forced, from the sob story to the judges going overboard with their praise. I feel like we've heard much better on the show before and I was left underwhelmed by her. If anything she came across as Alicia Michilli lite and a desperate attempt by the judges at creating excitement where there is none. 8: The Singing Trump. I was waiting for something like this to happen, it was pretty much inevitable. Trump impersonators are dime a dozen these days and are soon going to outnumber even people walking around as Disney mascots. That being said, this was a bit of good fun and he knew how to be witty on the spot. It's also very clearly a gimmick to hide the fact he's not actually that great of a singer or a dancers, but it worked as an audition piece. Probably not much more though... 7: Merrick Hanna. Cute. Most of the robot dancers we get on these show just do their moves to Mr. Roboto and call it a day, but creating an actual story was a clever idea. It was pretty much a modern dance number, but done with robotic moves instead. I can imagine some pretty neat things once we get to the lives if he can keep the creativity up. 6: Junior and Emily Alabi. Another dance act mixing it up a bit, this time the usual ballroom/salsa dancing we see and the more edgy hip-hop show dancing the groups usually take part in. There's clearly a LOT of talent here and it's the best human dreidel I've ever seen, but it's going to be hard for them to be anything other than fodder if they get to the lives. 5: Preacher Lawson. Chris Tucker, look out, there's a new model out. Yeah I liked him, not the funniest guy we've had on the show, but he was lively and had personality to spare, very much interested in seeing where he can go with this... 4: Demian Aditya. It's been a long time since we've seen a proper Harry Houdini escape artist/magician and he's one of the best if not THE best to appear on the show. Things like this tend to be less appreciated these days than close-up magic since the methot for each trick/escape tends to be the same, but he's a wonderful showman. 3: Darci Lynne. If it feels like I'm underrating her, then it's only because I see a bit more potential in my top 2, but she absolutely deserved that golden buzzer and if Terry Fator ever needs to take a day off he knows who to call as a replacement. Ventriloquists obviously have a history of doing well on the show so her journey will be interesting to see, however her age probably means she's a bit more limited in her range. Still, excited to see what she can show us in the future. 2: Puddles Pity Party. I've heard of postmodern jukebox, but never came across Puddles for some reason and that has been a BIG mistake. Wow, it's EXACTLY the type of creativity this show needs, not only does he have a wonderful voice, but the character he's created is enrapturing. It's clear this isn't just a quick gimmick thrown together to stand out in a sea of singers, but a very carefully worked out character that shines through every moment he does ANYTHING on stage. The performance that was absolutely captivating to watch and listen to, he has so much emotion and personality not only in his face but his voice too. It's the first time in YEARS I've genuinely been excited and interested about a singer on the show and I'm incredibly interested in seeing what he can bring next. Forget Yoli, THIS is a dark horse. 1. Will Tsai. This went viral days before the show even aired, which is quite telling. I've mentioned my frustration with some of the magicians on the show before, as good as Jon Dorenbos or even Matt Franco were, they were also performing minor variations on decades old tricks thousands of other magicians have done (and done better). This on the other hand was beautiful, smooth, captivating and most importantly ORIGINAL. Videos are already online explaining how he did it, but none of that matters when he managed to make it seem as effortless as he did while also being the mastermind behind the trick itself. I've been waiting for someone like him to come on the show for years now, my only real worry is that America might be getting a bit tired of magicians at this point, but if he can keep the creativity up and continue showing us original, beautiful things like this, he's a lock for the top 3 at least. So there you have it, I started wathing season 12 with some trepidation, as much as I have enjoyed the last few seasons the format of the show has become stale and acts are starting to fall into boxes and become predictable. While the former is still true, this episode proved to me that there are still a LOT of cool stuff the show has to show us and I walk away with genuine excitement after a really strong opening episode. Whether the show can keep this momentum up is another thing entirely, but even if all the other acts here on out end up being mediocre I have at least 5 or 6 to root for and look forward to from this episode alone. ONWARDS WE GO, THIS SHOW WILL NOT BREAK ME YET

Yeah the time management is a BIG issue when it comes to the results show, they simply aren't capable of figuring out how to make 10 acts work with celebrity guests and maybe they should just drop the whole thing and have the acts performing small sketches with eachother (I would much rather have seen The Clairvoyants do a magic trick with Tape Face and his bag or Sofie performing with Victor than what we got in the end) with just 1 big celebrity performing with the whole group in the end, The current format just feels unfair and rushed (Sal gets to perform with Jersey Boys, yet Brian got NOBODY, Sofie only on screen for 5 seconds, Paula Abdul has NOTHING to do with magic etc).

Does Vello know that Nick had been in his dressing room? First of all, congratulations to Grace!! The curse has been lifted, the prophecy came true, all female acts can now take it easy for the next 10 years knowing it wont happen again. I don't for a moment buy into the idea that she'll "be the next Taylor Swift" or "the biggest star of our generation" as Howie said in one of his interviews, we've been told COUNTLESS times how acts like Kevin Skinner, Emily West and Neal E Boyd would be the biggest stars ever, but it will certainly be interesting to see what happens to her and if she falls off the radar like Bianca did or manages to carve a nice little career for herself like Jackie. My heart broke when Sal and Tape Face were invited up there by Swami Salami Cannon as I knew what would happen...I would have been happy seeing him end up 5th, JUST to see him in the top 5 would have been enough as he's one of the true stand-outs this season, but it just wasn't meant to be. I think my original thoughts ring true that he was simply too divisive, if you look at the AGT facebook page there were TONS of people complaining how "this is not a talent" and "real talent got robbed" by his inclusion. He does what he does with such ease that people fail to see the nuance and creativity that it takes to come up with an act like this. It's probably a bigger, more deep seeded problem with society that comedy in general is regarded as a "lesser" art form, but that's a discussion for another time. At the end of the day though, it's clear he's already a winner and has gained a MASSIVE following that will secure him a career for a very VERY long time. After all the confetti stops pouring down and the excitement is over, he's the one people will remember. I certainly will, as one of my all time favourite acts on this series. What made Tape Face's exclusion from the top 5 almost bearable for me was seeing how high the Calirvoyants ended up. I've not exactly made it a secret that I loved their act and thought they were a real dark horse from the very beginning. It was good to see at least one of my predictions coming true as I was ready to say goodbye to them when they started announcing who finished 4th, but they just kept on climbing past both Brian and Jon and came THIS close to taking it all. As my favourite magic act of the season and the best mentalists to ever appear on the show, I think it was well earned and I wish them the best. They should do just fine as long as they stay far away from Paula Abdul. Speaking of hot messes, the entire first hour and a half of the show was a complete clusterfuck. Having Sal sing with Jersey Boys fit well enough and Tape Face doing a skit with the guys was hilarious, but after that they seemingly ran out of budget and time as we got Sofi hanging from the ceiling like a christmas decoration for 5 seconds while Viktor just stood there holding a ball. I especially enjoyed Brian Justin Crum ft. Brian Justin Crum as apparently there were NO singers around who were willing to do a duet with him. Stevie Nicks must not be allowed near children unless there's a parent or an extra from Aladdin present so Grace was forced to just sing alone...and I'm not even going to go into Paula Abdul. Seriously, AGT, what the fuck? So I guess that sums up my feelings towards yesterdays finale, a mixed bag. And "mixed" is the perfect word to describe this season with. On one had it gave us some of the most innovative and unique acts this show has ever seen (Viktor, Tape Face) and a BUNCH of others I really really enjoyed seeing throughout the season (Grace, Jon, Clairvoyants, Steven Brundage, Passing Zone, Julia Scotti...the list goes on and on) so in terms of talent this was a fairly successful season that I would rank in the better half of the bunch. On the other hand, it's hard not see it as a bit of a step back, rather than forward. A step back into overbearing sob stories ruling the show and singers being unfairly praised. And a step away from the "everything fits" variety show image that the Howard Stern era tried to create. I have similarly mixed feelings towards Simon. He certainly fit in with the rest of the crew VERY well and he's softened over the years making quite jovial and willing to go along with the sillier aspects of the show. At the same time, Piers and Howard both added something important to the show and acted as the "head judges", keeping both the acts and the other judges in line..and I can't think of anything that Simon added that wasn't there before. The other judges pretty much did their usual stuff, Mel B was off the chain. Howie used to annoy me when he was letting nonsense through to the live rounds, but after he stopped doing that I'm pretty much fine with him...he works as the comedic relief and he makes even the lamest of jokes tolerable by just being himself... he's practically an institution now that he's been on this show for so long, I mean what would the poor guy even do if the show went off the air? He'd have to find a new trailer to sleep in. Heidi is the one who has probably grown on me the most over the years, while her comments are largerly useless in the live rounds she was curiously enough one of the more sensible and tough ones during the auditions. I also like how she actually seems to enjoy being on the show and taking part of the acts, from playing along with Taylor Williamson and grabbing Piff's ass to jumping into tubs full of shaving cream and having fun being juggled around by passing zone, she never looks annoyed or prissy when asked to do something, which is more than you can say for some of the other judges *coughMelBcough*. It's pretty clear from the small skits they do that the judging panel works as far as chemistry and comedy is concerned, just not as an actual vehicle for genuine judgement and criticism. In conclusion: Pitbull sucks. It's been fun, guys, and I thank anyone who bothered to read through all the rambling nonsense I've written throughout the season. See you all next year!

IT'S HERE, IT'S FINALLY HERE...Merry Christmas everyone, it seems like just...8 months ago the season began and already we are reaching the finish line. Time sure flies when you are busy watching Nick's hair transform, doesn't it? And from the very first moment the show started we were presented with a question that lingered until the very end...why is Pitbull still relevant? The judges might as well have left their chairs in the storage locker as most of the evening passed by with them standing up, I would complain about the lack of critcism and the pointlessness of 10 standing ovations, but I don't think any act deserves to be ripped apart at this stage either so we'll just let it pass. ONWARDS WITH THE RANKING 11. Pitbull and LunchMoney Lewis - Worst. Wildcard. EVER 10. Linkin' Bridge - The right song sung in the wrong way. This felt like a round of vocal gymnastics rather than a good performance of a very meaningful song. I think the original version has a certain tenderness about it that gets to you, but this felt...emotionless. They still haven't managed to perfect their harmonies and it just didn't leave much of an impression on me. Prediction: Bottom 5 9. Laura Bretan - I actually had to check and make sure she HADN'T sung this before, that's how badly all these songs blend into one in my head. I assume Big Bird from Sesame Street was supposed to do the backing vocals and got stuck in traffick, that's the only explanation I can find for the giant bird cage she had on stage with her. As for the performance itself, YUP...that was DEFINITELY opera. Not her best, not her worst. Prediction: Bottom 5. 8. Sal Valentinetti - You know what? This was a boatload of fun and a great way to open up the show, although I do wonder who he pissed off to get the opening spot twice in a row. I say boatload because ANY cruise ship in the WORLD would be proud to have elderly couples shaking their hips to good ol Sal here. I joke, but I'm actually pretty happy to see him in the finals, he's just likable and goofy in his own strange way and if any of the judges need to call in sick then he would make for an excellent replacement, he even comes with enough catchphrases to rival Mel B. Prediction: Could sneak into the top 5, probably 4th-5th at best. 7. Brian Justin Crum - I'm sure this is the only way Batman could ever genuinely enjoy pop music, but I wasn't the biggest fan of this rendition either. I think his performance in the judges cut is still his strongest and he really hasn't gotten better since. It's been consistently GOOD since, but just not...improving in any way. His vocal abilities are still astounding, but I would have liked to hear him REALLY give it his all and I don't think this was it. Prediction: Still a contender, but looking less and less likely every minute... 6. Sofie Dossi - I keep expecting her to disappoint and run out of tricks, but she continues to deliver week after week. She is just full of surprises and she's somehow managed to stay afloat as part of one of the most underappreciated variety genres on AGT. For someone who is self taught she has a GREAT sense of showmanship and knows EXACTLY how to perform for the camera and make herself captivating to watch. Just the spins she was doing alone were amazing...just looking at it again and seeing her spin and spin and spin and...uh...excuse me, I need to lay down for a moment. Prediction: Close, but probably no cigar. I'm guessing she'll barely miss out on the top 5. 5. Jon Dorenbos - I said I wanted to see Jon's sleight of hand skills and he certainly delivered on that, coupled with a speech fit for ANY self-help seminar. At the same time, I can't help but feel it was a bit of an odd one to finish on, as most magicians on the show have STARTED their journey with similar acts. I can't hold it against him too much as it's obvious he had FAR less rehearsal time than any of the other acts and in my eyes, he's proven that he IS a good magician and deserves his spot here. Prediction: A contender, BUT this might have been too "small" for most people to actually get him to win, but he has a chance. 4. The Clairvoyants - Who knew potential credit card fraud could be THIS much fun? If Simon finds his bank account emptied out by tonight, don't blame me, there are at least 90 000 other guys going through the footage with a fine-tooth comb. As I've stated before, I love these guys and although I SHOULD be annoyed by all the "we have a special connection" mumbo jumbo, I feel it's the direction the producers have pushed them towards and it's not exactly their fault if some of the audience members are stupid enough to fall for it. That being said, I didn't think this was their best. I loved that they brought things back full-circle and referenced older tricks they had done, but it felt a little less polished tonight than usual, a bit too unfocused and repetitive...Still, I'm strangely fascinated by Tommy's spot on Christoph Waltz impression. Prediction: I feel pretty confident in saying they will make the top 5, although not high enough to be in any danger for the contenders, should they miss out it will probably be due to Sal. 3. Grace VanderWaal - I've never gone along with all the "hype" acts on this show, it even took time for me to warm up to Emily West, but I give up...there's just something about Grace that makes me WANT to listen to her rather than begrudingly sit through the act waiting for others to start like most other singers on the show. This was her best vocal performance to date and I enjoyed the song too, whatever happens she's hopefully going to have a career after the show as she deserves it. Prediction: Legend has it that every 10 years on a star-filled night the curse of Bianca Ryan is lifted and another female child singer may win the show. Could this be the night? Possible... 2. Viktor Kee - There was a strange looking man sitting in Viktors spot during the intro package, but we thankfully got him back when the act started and this has got to be his best so far...we had a blindfold, we had great music, we had great balls of fire and it was all looking so good until...another mistake. I've not really talked about the fact that Viktor's dropped a ball in ALL of his live performances now because his recovery is so damn good, but he absolutely needed to nail every last move tonight to have even the slightest of shots at making it into the finals so my heart broke when he dropped it again. And yet I enjoyed every last bit of it and wish him the best in the future. Prediction: Sadly, bottom 5. 1. Tape Face - HE BROUGHT THE HORSES, I had seen him do this bit before on youtube and it always looked like a good finisher and it worked absolutely PERFECTLY on stage last night. The jokes were hilarious, Mel B's eternal annoyance at having to do anything on this show besides drink soda fit perfectly and the tape looked EXCELLENT on his face. Prediction: If this didn't get him into the top 5, I don't know what would have...but I still don't see him winning, I never did from the very beginning. For all the people that fall in love with him and die laughing, there will be as many going "WTF was that? THAT is supposed to be worth a million dollars???" at home and I just don't see the general public getting behind him enough to get him the prize, but it's clear he's already a winner no matter what happens. OverallI still think Jon, Tape Face, Grace, Brian and The Clairvoyants are the most likely top 5, with only Sal possibly ruining it. As for who will win? Pfff...I think a good case can be made for all of these acts as to why they WILL win and also why they WONT. Out of all of them, Jon is probably the one that needs the victory the least. I'm not here to judge the acts financial situation, but being a pro football player in the NFL means he's not exactly struggling for cash. He's also not really given any indication that magic is anything but a hobby to him, I just can't see him quitting the NFL and pursuing a career in magic at Vegas any time soon, while most other finalists do what they do for a living. I find the idea of Brian winning exceedingly dull. He seems far more fit for broadway (where he DOES work at) than Vegas and I'm not seeing the massive support behind him that we all expected. Kevin Skinner, Landau, Michael Grimm etc all had massive hype behind them from the very beginning and were gaining more viewers as the rounds went on...Brian has consistently been getting less views than even Sal or Calysta...and while youtube views don't mean much in the end, I'm just not sure he has quite the fanbase we thought at first... I love the clairvoyants and find them deliciously creepy in a way that really appeals to me, but this wasn't their best and I can't see them doing better than 3rd place MAX. Grace has the same issue so many before her like Barbara Padilla, Jackie Evancho, Emily West etc have had: the voting majority is made up of women and it's far likelier they will vote for someone male. Not to mention the fact she's a child AND has developed a huge backlash against her in recent weeks. Tape Face is just too out there, too "love and hate" to appeal to MASSIVE amounts of voters (kind of like the regurgitator). So after all that...who WILL win? The answer is Pitbull. Pitbull always win.

America took a step into crazy town with me as my prediction regarding Linkin Bridge came true, but overall I'm quite pleased with the results because it could have gone SO much worse. In a perfect world, Steven would have gotten the spot instead of Linkin Bridge, but I'm glad he even got the chance to come back into the live shows after being eliminated early on. I've liked him from the beginning and he's consistently been in my top 5 so it's bittersweet to see him go, but for the sake of having a more varied finale, Sofie and Viktor were the better choices. I WAS surprised to see Calysta go, but the show hasn't been kind to female singers in the recent years so I should have seen it coming. At least we know the voters got it right this time and weren't swayed by sob stories alone. It's interesting to think that out of all the main judges golden buzzers Simon's was the one that got cut (and OBVIOUSLY Calysta got to stay on stage and be talked to when all the other acts were unceremoniously ushered off) which just shows how he's slowly losing his influence over people. I certainly would have made some changes if it was up to me, like replacing Sal with Malevo and Linkin Bridge with Passing Zone or Steven, but it's hard to deny we have a pretty good and most important...VARIED finale. 5 singers and 5 variety acts, split exactly in the middle...and on closer inspection no two acts are the same. We have a kid opera singer, a close up magician, a contortionist, a young accoustic singer/songwriter, a juggler, a pop singer, a crooner, a mentalist duo, a vocal group and a...a uh...a tape face.

Another strong night that will be impossible to predict: 11. Calysta Bevier - Yes, Mel B, I'm sure she'll just be NAILING those big notes she hasn't found all season if we just let her through to the final. I bet she will sound like Adele once she gets to the top 5. I liked her just a TINY bit more this time and I'm starting to kind of see what the judges are talking about when they mention her ability to transport you away. Calysta does have pretty good stage presence, but her vocals are simply not up to bar. She was overshadowed by the backing vocals and her voice is very...plain. She'll probably make it through, but it will only be due to her story and that's just not right... 10. Kadan Bart Rockett - It's important to find the right group of friends to hang out with in grade school, as MANY of Kadan's classmates found out yesterday. This was...cute and entertaining enough considering their age, but incredibly easy to figure out. I'm pretty sure we should report a crime if they DO get through, but anything is possible on this show. At least Kadan's earned himself a few wedgie-free weeks. 9. Kadie Lynn Roberson - The saga of the ghost dad continues as Kadie Lynn took the stage and...sang...a song...with her...voice. It's the year of the magician (how many years in a row now is this?) and kid singer and Kadie just isn't as impressive as her fellow competitors, but I continue to like her calm nature and stage presence. 8. Linkin' Bridge - For a while there it was looking like the show was moving away from it's "SOB STORY ACTIVATE, PLEASE USE THE RED BUTTON NOW TO CRY" ways. Maybe we just got lucky last year, I mean we had Drew taking entirely too long to talk about what a bad boy he had been in the past, but none of it ever felt quite this pandering. The shot of a single tear falling down one of the Linkin Bridge members face made me laugh over how cheesy it was and I don't think that was the reaction they were going for. As for the singing, they improved from last time, but why they didn't let their best singer do the solo bits is beyond me. 7. Sofie Dossi - She absolutely made the right decision to leave the bow behind and she knows how to play for the camera, making her act a joy to behold... but I'm not sure she offered anything really big or impressive in place of the crossbow. I mean it WAS really nice and all, but she will have a hard time getting through. 6. Jayna Brown - I have been a bit unfair to Jayna in the past so I'll just fully admit that this time it was easly her best performance yet and frankly a LOT better than the original version (not that it's too difficult to achieve that..), but the fact that her doing so well made me just more worried for other acts instead of happy for her probably means I would be lying to myself if I placed her any higher on my list. Sorry again, Jayna. 5. Brian Justin Crum - I wonder which part of your career was more difficult for you, Brian..when you were winning awards for "Best Broadway Actor" or when you were singing along with members of Queen as the lead in their broadway show as your website loves to boast? Yeah, I would have given up at that point too. Viewer manipulation aside, whoever was in charge of the stage show this time must be a fan of Eurovision as this could have easily passed as an entry from Macedonia. I think Brian peaked a bit too early and hasn't really managed to get massively better, but his voice is still pitch perfect and man does he know how to work some leather. 4. The Passing Zone - I love these guys, but MAN did this take a long time to get going and Simon being anxiously annoyed didn't help much. I've seen them perform this before on TV multiple times and it's never taken THIS long to set up for THAT tiny amount of juggling. Don't get me wrong, the banter was hilarious and if the people watching were more lenient, they could easily pass as the best comedians this season, but they keep constantly undermining their skills as jugglers on the show. 3. Steven Brundage - Which came first, the magic or the cube? In this case, the answer is probably the latter. I continue to be fascinated by his mixture of magic and rubics cube trickery. The trick he did today was a variation on something Oz performed early on last season, but it seems he came up with it himself and although Brad Pitt looked more like Willy Wonka, I enjoy seeing him every single time. 2. Viktor Kee - Oh Viktor...he's now dropped 2 balls officially taking him into puberty. As always, he's WONDERFUL to watch, but I don't think he showed enough new things to impress casual viewers. We've seen the light-up balls before and I would say he's run out of moves, but I've seen videos of him juggling balls on fire so that's not true. He reminds me of Uzeyer from last year, a professional who has MASTERED their craft and taken an underappreciated art form to new heights. Unfortunately I fear his fate will be closer to Siro-A. 1. The Clairvoyants - I...I kinda loved this. I keep being reminded of something Penn and Teller (well mostly Penn, Teller just nods) talk about when it comes to mentalists and that is how they tend to come off as sleazy while being performed by men in tuxedos. I liked Oz, but he definitely fit the description and we've had mentalists in the past like Mike Super who have tried using gimmicks that just didn't work, but I just LOVE the presentation of the Clairvoyants. They have taken something a bit sleazy and infused it with...charm and slight creepiness that really appeals to me. I SHOULD be annoyed by the fact that they continue to present themselves as real clairvoyants and NOT as a magic act. I SHOULD be disappointed that we've seen tricks like this before. I SHOULD feel like they take too long to set things up...but I don't. I saw them as a dark horse even before the live shows and I think that still holds true... As for who will get through? Umm...uh...pfff....can I pass? Okay look, Brian and Clairvoyants the most likely locks to get through, but things get difficult after that. I think Steven has enough fans to at least get him to the top 6 and I see him winning the dunkin save. I have a hard time seeing Calysta end up in the top 3, but an even harder time seeing her eliminated so my guess is she will end up in the middle 3, where Simon will save her no matter what. This leaves one last spot. Viktor is the one who obviously SHOULD get it, but I just can't see him having enough fans..best he'll do is get to the top 6 and he stands a good chance of being picked by the judges (unless he's up against Calysta) but I see him narrowly missing out at 7th or 8th...The last spot will more likely get divided between Linkin Bridge, Jayna and Sofie with Linkin Bridge being my pick since male singers seem to have an edge on this show. So in order of most to least likely. 1. Brian Justin Crum 2. The Clairvoyants 3. Steven Brundage (If I can take a step into crazy town for a moment, this could be Linkin Bridge too) 4. Linkin Bridge 5. Calysta Bevier 6. Jayne Brown 7. Sofie Dossi 8. Viktor kee 9. Kadie Lynn 10. Kadan Bart Rockett 11. Passing Zone

And the race is on, I thought this was a fairly predictable night where everybody did pretty good, but without any real big surprises. It could also not be any more obvious that Simon wants the finals to be nothing but singers considering the absurd amount of standing ovations and "I hope people vote for you" speeches he gave to damn near all of them. But enough about that, I'll rank the acts based on how much I liked ecah of them. 11. Musicality - You know what's better than 1 sob story? 30 OF THEM. Dialling the self-pity up to 11 didn't impress the judges much, but they were an improvement from the last time. It's all still fairly unremarkable though and if they manage to somehow make it over all the other singers today, SOMETHING has gone horribly horribly wrong. 10. Edgar - The good part about having 3 members in your group is that when one of them exhausts their sob story, you have another one ready to take over. This was...pleasant...in the same way oatmeal is pleasant. You eat it, you enjoy it, but you aren't really craving for more and move on to bigger and better things. 9. Lori Mae Hernandez - Watching the performances again on youtube I noticed Lori had the second to most amount of views (more than Laura, Jon and Tape Face, even twice as much as some of them) and more dislikes than likes. The dislike ratio is unfortunate, but the view count is just baffling. Are there that many people out there checking her out JUST to spread hate? It's a shame, while her material clearly needs refinement and she started out rather weak, the ending was ballsy and made me chuckle. I've always liked her and continue to do so, even if it should have been Julia here before her, but that's hardly her fault. 8. Sal Valentinetti - With his overflowing confidence in "winning" and shtick as old as dirt, I should dislike the guy...but he's just so goofy and cheesily charming that I can't. He went back to old standards as was expected and did it well enough that I wouldn't even be upset if he made it to the final. At the very least he's not just another sob story and is entertaining and likable both on and off the stage. 7. Blake Vogt - Being mostly a behind the scenes guy, he's clearly still finding his personality on stage and trying off different things, but I like the quirky weirdness and think he should go even further with it. But I have to agree with Heidi this time, it's not that "going big" was the wrong move, it's that the trick he chose to go big with was fairly underwhelming and easy to figure out. Any other day I would I would still give him a chance to make it through, but there was another magician on today who beat him in every way possible... 6. Laura Bretan - Hey you know what we haven't had in a long time? A GOOD SOB STORY. Thankfully Laura is here to help us out with that and do some pretty wonderful singing as an added extra, Opera will never be my preferred choice of music, but she did her best performance yet and it was close to giving me chills...close...then I closed my window and everything was back to normal. 5. Deadly Games - Besides Malevo I think this is the most polished vegas ready "act". And act is the right word, because everything feels well thought out. It's not just a sequence of dangerous tricks, their costumes, the stage decorations, the movement, the music choice - it all adds up to a package that feels complete. They even managed to avoid the usual danger act pitfall by integrating new elements into the show. While I don't think they have a chance in hell of making it through, they should be remembered as one of the best acts of its kind to have ever appeared on this show and a good example for future contestants looking to do the same. It's also uh...it's hard not agree with Howie...get it...HARD not..to..a..I hate myself. 4. Grace VanderWaal - Yeah, her shyness is VERY apparent and she might as well be singing the same song round after round because I can't make out a WORD she is singing and all the tunes sound the same anyways, but she still manages to captivate with simple charm. That being said, It sounded like she was straining her voice today...something about it just sounded off, like she had a cold. Even when talking to the judges later, it sounded like her voice was going and I'm not seeing people talking about it...am I..am I losing my mind? Is it normal to see pink elephants flying around? HELP? 3. Malevo - I wasn't too big of a fan of their song choice this time around, it didn't seem to match the movement as well as it usually does and they continue to drown out the drums and steps (I guess adding microphones to all the drums would just cost too much, better to use all the money on a giant pirate ship and fake trees), BUT..BUT...THEY ARE JUST SO DARN ENTERTAINING TO WATCH *jumps up and down like Mel B*. I'm sure it's THAT much more exciting actually being there live, near the fire and smell of sweat and their biggest problem is the fact that it just doesn't translate to TV as well as some other acts, but they always put on a good show. 2. Tape Face - As always, this brought a smile to my face even if I had seen the routine before. I am beginning to get worried about him though, with the element of surprise gone it's hard for him to impress people as this...well...this IS the act. SO much of his stuff consists of interacting with the audience and the 2 or 3 minutes he's given on this show really isn't enough to show off his best stuff, causing him to do sped-up versions of his usual routines. He also suffers by making things look TOO easy, I can see lots of people seeing this and thinking "WTF was that? I could do that in 5 minutes" not considering how much creativity is needed to come up with original ideas and how many years he's spent perfecting this character. In a season relatively devoid of originality (we've seen "I predicted what you would pick" tricks, opera singers, contortionists, knife throwers, crooners etc before) he's a shining beacon of something we actually HAVEN'T seen before and I hope enough people agree with me to vote him through (even if the judges are more interested in their own shenanigans than promoting him) 1. Jon Dorenbos - WIZARDRY AND REAL MAGIC, I BELIEVE IN GANDALF! I can't be the only one that's annoyed with Simon's comments at this point, can I? The whole "you are a wizard" thing was cute at first, but it's going too far now. I know half the fun is in playing along and pretending like magicians are real, but Simon continuously pushing the idea that "this is NOT a trick" like he's trying to make the audience believe Jon has actual supernatural powers and has dedicated his life to using them exclusivley for insignificant card tricks, makes him out to be either a great actor or just senile. As for the act itself, it was a great and original twist on an old TRICK that was easily his best performance so far. I've been a bit hard on Jon in the past, but he blew the roof off tonight. His enthusiasm and energy is absolutely infectious and you can tell he LOVES doing this, at times the energy can be too much and it all turns to chaos, but he somehow manages to bring it all together in the end. Jon and Grace are locks for the final. Laura was given the pimp spot and was impressive enough to get people voting. Tape Face might be losing his luster a bit with viewers and I AM worried for him, but he has an ENORMOUS amount of fans that should get him at least the dunkin save. The last spot is a bit of a gamble, but I'd say it's going to be a fight between Malevo and Sal, with Malevo winning it if they end up in the judges choice. I also don't rule out Edgar and their "good old fashioned christian values" charming enough people to get to the dunkin save, but I can't see them getting out of it. So in order of most to least likely to go through: 1. Grace 2. Jon 3. Laura 4. Tape Face 5. Malevo 6. Sal 7. Edgar 8. Musicality 9. Blake Vogt 10. Deadly Games 11. Lori Mae In either case, it can't be as bad as last weeks results..r..right? *gulp* At least we have the illusionists to look forward to.

It seems like they got caught up in the "Next time have Heidi, Mel B and Howie in your act" game they were playing with Simon and they didn't have anything besides this that utilized 3 people. I'm guessing the idea was to then use Simon in the semi-finals and do something extra dangerous with him, far worse than with all the other judges (they have videos on youtube that hint what it could have been...). Set-up and pay-off, but you are not given ANY leeway on this show as you are constantly competing with others and so they ended up being cut before the culmination...which is incredibly frustrating, but not all that surprising.

Well that was just depressing to watch...We've had injustice done to deserving acts in the past and some completely infuriating decisions (Marty Brown, anyone?) have taken place, but no other results show has made me feel like it was out to annoy me at EVERY single last turn like this one...the ONLY saving grace was seeing Malevo winning the Dunkin Save, but them ending up there in the first place unfortunately confirms my initial gut feeling that they would be underappreciated by the viewers. I could spend the next 15 paragraphs ranting about how a professional like Julia Scotti was sent home, when people like Gary Vider have made the top 10 and Tom Cotter nearly WON a few seasons back. WHO IS SUPPOSED TO END SECOND NOW, AMERICA? WHO I ASK YOU? I could also go on about how America's obsession with magicians and cute kids means a 3 year old pulling a rabbit out of a top hat would probably get a spot in the final. I COULD do all of this, but looking at MIchael Phelps's bored face the entire episode bummed me out so much I just can't be bothered. At least we got a fun and original segment with Simon ranking the judHAHAHAHA no, I'm just kidding it was the EXACT same routine he's already done on Britain's Got Talent, even reusing the criterias. I guess it fit the theme of the episode with RECYCLED percussion being in it..EH...EH? I'm starting to sound like Howie...I...I need to stop watching this show. Well, we have finally reached the semi's and this is often when things get REALLY frustrating so I'm walking into it with cold shivers running down my back, but even if Edgar ends up winning the season, there are too many acts I love still left in the contest (Viktor Kee, Tape Face, Steven Brundage, Clairvoyants, Malevo etc) for me to consider it as one of the worst, but it's certainly going to be an interesting (and terrifying) battle between variety acts I adore and a load of singers. If I had to make prediction on the finalists, Grace and Brian seem like the only 2 singers 100% certain to make it through, tons more could easily make it (Calista, Jayna, Laura, Musicality, Edgar) but none are safe picks and can easily be switched with other acts. In terms of variety, barring complete disasters Tape Face, Clairvoyants, Steven Brundage and Jon Dorenbos seem about as safe as they could possibly be, all have proven their worth and have a well established fan base. That just leaves 4 spots open and those are the 4 that will be interesting/frustrating to witness. With the line-up known (for the most part) for next week, I'll try to rank them based on how much I like them. 11. Musicality - The episode is absolutely loaded with singing acts so you have to imagine it's going to be very difficult to get through, but we've underestimated them before and anything could happen. That being said, they are by far the least interesting act in this entire group. 10. Edgar - I gave them props for improving, but I think the ceiling has been reached and while the simple "good old Christian values" image will appeal to some, I'm not sold on it. 9. Laura Bretan - My earmuffs are ready, BRING IT ON. 8. Sal Valentinetti - My guess is he's going back to old standards and I'm a sucker for them so I can't be too harsh on the guy. 7. Deadly Games - They impressed me in the quarter-finals so I do look forward to seeing them again, but I can't imagine anything but disappointment being the end result as of right now. 6. Lori Mae Hernandez - I've liked her from the very beginning and hope she does well, but as Julia proved the only way to make it through as a comedian on this show is to be an awkward/cute looking young guy. 5. Jon Dorenbos - Out of the remaining 4 magicians, the 2 I like less are both in this episode, but I will always take even a medioce trick presented well over a dull and forgettable music act (Musicality, Edgar) 4. Blake Vogt - The only reason I have Blake above Jon is because I think his skill level is just higher and I know we haven't seen the best of him yet, so I'm hopeful he'll bring out the big guns next round... 3. Grace VanderWaal - I'm not one to go along with hype, but I enjoy listening to Grace and as long as she continues her current path, she should be pretty safe (please don't do a one direction song). 2. Malevo - I still love these guys, they are just FUN to watch and I imagine seeing them live is like getting an adrenaline shot straight to your vein, but they need to rethink things and bring back the musical elements, just tap dancing and pretending to play the drums some more will NOT impress people a 4th time. 1.Tape Face - Could there be anyone else? I know enough of his routines based on various youtube videos that I'm excited and hopeful he'll do great next round, but there's always that lingering sense of fear... Just looking at the line-up, the obvious ones to go through are Tape Face, Grace and Jon...the last 2 spots will probably be taken up by Laura and Blake if he can deliver. Sal also has a small chance of slipping by and we can't underestimate Edgar or Musicality either...It's going to be interesting.

What initially started off as one of the more disappointing quarter finals, quickly took a turn for the better and ended up being one of the hardest ones to predict: 12. Alla and Daniel Novikov - Wait, what? Howie Mandel buzzing someone who wasn't a singer with an original song? Did they tell him his contract may actually expire by 2025? Did he finally decide to start judging acts after 6 years? He looked so proud of himself too "Guys..guys I..I SAW A MOVE..I've seen that SAME move before...GUYS...I..I think..should i?...I..YES..YES IM GOING TO HIT THE BUZZER..YES..DOING IT..SEE? I CAN JUDGE TOO!". Worse acts have gotten standing ovations, but it's hard to ignore this was weak filler from the very beginning. 11. Vello Vaher - Going in I was just hoping he wouldn't get buzzed. Clearly my hopes were misplaced. Had he curled himself into a ball and shot out of a cannon, this whole thing might have made sense, but Vello arrived to America with exactly 1 move and damn it, he was going to USE that move. This was a LOT of production trying to mask him doing the exact same thing he's done before and for someone who I KNOW has been a professional contortionist for decades and has toured with multiple circuses, it's baffling he couldn't come up with anything new to spice things up. 10. Kadan Bart Rockett - I'll give the kids this, they know how to work an audience and the trick certainly wasn't badly done, but it's a very well known one I've seen a hundred times before and considering their parents are magicians too, it's not hard to see where they might be getting their ideas...Judging by the reaction on twitter and youtube and their pre-existing fanbase they might actually do a lot better than most of us think and might even end up in the dunkin save, I'm certainly not ruling it out. 9. Linkin' Bridge - Clearly all the the design time and budget had been spent on a giant pirate ship so by the time these guys arrived on stage nobody had a CLUE what to do for them. Clearly they are fine vocalists, but the song choice left me cold and they were overpowered by more memorable performances later. 8. Ronee Martin - Her experience and professionalism shine through at every turn and she's a welcome moment of ease among all the scream queens doing their best Christina Aguilera impression on the show, but her unfortunate draw and rather tame song choice didn't do her any justice and like with Linkin Bridge I was struggling to remember WHAT she sang by the end of the evening. She could belt out one hell of a Bond tune if they ever asked her though. 7. Edgar - I saw them wheeling in the dope trailer and setting up fake trees when Nick was talking and just thought to myself "Oh no...", but I have to give props where props are due, as they were one of the few acts that showed genuine improvement from their past auditions. The mom is still doing all the heavy lifting and the daughter seems to only be there to act as a decoration, but it worked well enough and managed to surprise me.. 6. Blake Vogt - Forget abrakadabra, "That would have been cool though!" must be the magic words to get through on this show because ALL the magicians are using it, either that or they've all read the same manual. I've mentioned before how I think Blake is secretly the most gifted magician OFF the stage, but he didn't do half bad on stage today either. It wasn't exactly the best trick we've seen, but it was good enough to show off a bit of his personality. 5. Malevo - The music is exciting as heck, but what started out as a dance/percussion act is slowly turning into just...a dance act. The well might be running dry for these guys, but the same can't be said for all the female fans watching this so hopefully they have enough to push through. 4. The Passing Zone - I have to mention they already did this exact same routine back in season 1, but it WAS better this time around and I can't blame them too much for repeating things considering it's one of the few routines they have that include more than 2 people and most besides the nuttiest of nutcases (me) will have no idea about season 1. This was silly nonsense, but FUN silly nonsense that made me laugh and was entertaining to watch. The question is, did they earn the right to go this light this early in the contest or will they get punished for it? There's two ways you can look at this, either as a hilarious and clever spin on what juggling is or a pointless and disappointing follow-up to their more dangerous performances. I HOPE people think the former as it would be a shame if they got cut before we get the big pay off with them including Simon in the act, but I fear the worst... 3. Brian Justin Crum - I wasn't too keen on him after his first audition, but with Creep and In The Air Tonight, he's proven he has what it takes and is possibly one of the greatest male singers this show has ever seen. He's a safe and predictable choice to win the show, but I couldn't complain too much because he does deserve it, even if I don't like the idea of singers winning this show... 2. Grace VanderWaal - When will Grace perform? Where is Grace? Is Grace on yet? HAS GRACE PERFORMED YET? GRACE??? GRACE!! That up there pretty much sums up what's been going on on youtube for the past month or so, but looking past the ridiculous hype and fandom surrounding her, she managed to captivate me in a way that's quite rare on this show. She might not be the greatest singer alive technically, but she feels..genuine...and her awkwardness only adds to the performance as Simon mentioned. She also deserves endless respect for singing original songs in a style rarely seen on this show. The judges comments are as hyperbolic as ever, but as opposed to Calista I think Grace actually deserves some of it. The fandom she's gathered around her is ludicrously huge and only rivaled by Tape Face, but while I don't see either ending up as winners I think she's earned a spot in the final 5. And hey, according to Howie Mandel she will be BIGGER than Taylor Swift so she doesn't even need to win and who knows more about being a big star than Howie...Man...del... 1. Julia Scotti - She makes me laugh and as someone who didn't really like Tom Cotter and thought Taylor Williamson and Drew Lynch were merely okay, that's a big deal. I've mentioned before how I like the fact she doesn't just spout random unconnected gags, but tells a bigger story that just happens to be hilarious, it's something only great comedians can pull off and she does it with ease in my eyes. I have a bad feeling she wont get the recognition she deserves on the show, but she's certainly one of the best comedians to ever appear there. Trying to predict the results tonight is a bit of a tougher job than usual, but I'll give it a try...We can safely eliminate Alla & Daniel and Vello as the 2 buzzer receivers. Ronee happened to be a victim of circumstance and I just can't see her standing out so I feel safe in considering her eliminated. Grace and Brian on the other hand are about as safe as they could possibly be. Julia isn't as big of a hit as she should be, but I still think she's safely in the top 5 tonight. Blake might not have the most...charismatic presence on stage, but the trick was solid and he's likely to impress enough people to sneak into the top 5. That leaves Linkin Bridge, Passing Zone, Malevo, Kadan and Edgar fighting for 3 more spots and things get difficult to predict...Honestly, I feel anything could happen and any of them could make it, but if I had to go by gut feeling...Linkin Bridge will slip through to the top 5, leaving Passing Zone, Malevo and Kadan as the 3 dunkin save acts, with Kadan losing out. So in order of most to least likely: 1. Grace 2. Brian 3. Julia 4. Blake 5. Linkin Bridge 6. Malevo 7. Passing Zone 8. Kadan 9. Edgar 10. Ronee 11. Vello 12. Alla and Daniel It's going to be an exciting evening as we are joined by Michael Phelps who will be...doing something...diving into...foam?..Polishing his medals? Who knows

Impressive notes and about what I guessed the solution was... I think he would have been out long ago had he JUST concentrated on his rubics cube skills, adding an element of magic to it allows him to cover more ground even if it's not always great.

It comes down to the judges expecting acts to get better week after week like a normal competition, but with most danger/acrobatic acts it's always translated to "up the ante", which places HIGHLY unrealistic expectations on them. The worst in doing this is Simon, who has a history of buzzing acts because they "didn't step it up" and offering ridiculous examples like "well you should have been on fire or something". For the audience, surprise is the key. Acts that can consistently change things round after round are somehow seen as superior and more interesting and voted for. Singers usually get compared to their last performance and people can go "Oh she sounded better today" or "oh I like this song MUCH more" but as soon as an acrobat repeats something from their last performance, people get confused and disappointed because it lacks the surprise element. Years of shows like the voice and x factor have made people used to the fact that they will see/hear something different every week, even if it's riduculous when applied to variety acts. The fact this show goes on for as long as it does absolutely fucks over any acrobatic/danger/juggler/quick change/contortion act and has done so from the very beginning. The chance of a contortionist or an acrobat winning this show is absolutely 0% because they simply do NOT have enough material to consistently surprise and "up the ante". Some acts are just NOT meant to last 18 rounds in a competition like this, but the show has never cared or tried to do anything about it, the judges just put through acts EXPECTING them to somehow drastically step it up the next round while washing their hands of all responsibility. You can train 25 years to do something REALLY amazing and do it better than ANYONE else in the world, but it will amount to squat on this show if you can't do 8 other amazing things even BETTER. It's unfair and it always has been.

WOW, well this was certainly a night of mishaps, Mel B-isms and ghostly interventions, but even with all of this I found it MUCH more exciting than last week. Let's just get on with it: 12. Sos and Victoria - Was the rug store she wore weighing her down so much she required an extra hour to wobble her way on stage? That's the only explanation I can come up with as to why they got the pimp spot... they tried though...they really did...there just was NOWHERE to go with this and the sloppy mistakes, annoyed facial expressions and music sounding like armpit farts through a leather vest didn't help. 11. FLIP - Yup, this happened. 10. Calysta Bevier - When they have to add a projection on a piano to spice up your ballad, you know even the producers are bored. This is classic Simon hype train followed by an obligatory standing ovation that's probably written into their contract As someone who watches Britains Got Talent, i'm quite used to seeing him try to manipulate us all into thinking his golden buzzers are the best thing to ever happen in entertainment, but people have been seeing through his BS for years now on that show...we'll know if America falls for it or not soon enough. Look, she seems like a sweet person and I have NOTHING against her, but take away the story and you are left with a very average singer that fails to impress. 9. Moya Angela - A very safe and adequate performance that failed to set the world on fire. She's a vocal powerhouse, but she's been consistently giving us "good enough" and not "chills down my spine" performances and without a clear sob story, much of a fan base and middling reaction from the judges, she's going to struggle. 8. Kadie Lynn Roberson - If tape face needs to take a day off and find a replacement, then Kadies step-dad has the shtick absolutely PERFECTED. It sounds like I have it in for singers at this point, but I don't...I regularly watch shows like The Voice and root for my favourites there, but I'm just sick and tired of average singers with dull, safe, predictable song choices delivering middle of the road performances, which unfortunately includes everyone I heard tonight. You can essentially take Moya, Kadie and Calysta for me and put them in any order you want, none of them were bad by any means, but not great either..just...average. I like Kadie's calm nature and she's certainly mature for her age, but she got drowned out too much to have much of an impact. 7. Sal Valentinetti - I didn't think it was possible for one direction to get any cheesier, but Sal managed it. His voice is like smooth velvet and I usually love this style of music, but tonight felt like a midnight performance on a cruise ship that's been out at sea for far too long. There's a fine line between cool and cheesy when it comes to this style and Sal was closer to the latter, but what saves him a bit IS his over the top/cheesy personality that goes along with the performance, it's enough to at least make the whole thing pleasant and fun and probably why I have him higher than the other singers tonight (even though objectively Moya is a better vocalist). 6. Ryan Stock and AmberLynn - Objectively speaking they should be much lower, but I can't look past the fact I did enjoy the act more than the singers up until...what happened. I like to read up on acts and do some research when I'm interested enough and Ryan is certainly one of the more fascinating ones this season. Beyond the sideshow trappings he's fallen into on AGT, he's an accomplished sword swallower, juggler, comedian, magician (even SELLING tricks he comes up with to other people), fire breather and even starred in his own TV show on the discovery channel for 3 whole season. So it seems the man was born to entertain and is almost a "best of" compilation of all the other acts on the show. It's a shame it all went wrong like it did yesterday as I think this is probably the best act of it's kind to appear on the show, certainly in terms of presenting it in a way that's amusing and easier to accept...but even if it HAD gone right, I don't think they would have had a better chance to get through. 5. ThroWings - A clear case of an act simply not translating well on a show like this. I'm sure whatever move she did that originally broke her back was REALLY difficult and impressive if you knew what to look for, but they didn't manage to convey that to the audience and it just looked like more of the same. But I really enjoyed that "more of the same" this time around too...kudos to whoever came up with the stage show and picked the song, it DID manage to make it exciting even if I knew exactly what they were doing. At least for me... 4. Sofie Dossi - She's fallen into the same manhole as every other act of her kind on the show and clearly ran out of material after the auditions, BUT the act was very polished and managed to entertain...for the absolute LAST time. I have a VERY hard time believing she can show us anything new after this, but I like her enough to want to see her get through. Why am I so soft on Sofie and ThroWings and hard on Sos and Victoria when they all essentially did the same exact thing? Hypocrisy perhaps...I am trying to be a bit more subjective with my rankings and just go with gut feeling/how much I enjoyed it and I'd still want to see more of her than Calysta for example... 3. The Clairvoyants - On a night with countless missteps and near deaths, it was nice to see something this polished. The chalkboard bit and things being written slightly differently is a nice catch and a throwback to Oz's final performance from last year. They might not be the most innovative magic act this season, but I adore the showmanship on stage and there's something about their whole look, the accents, the story that just works REALLY well for me. If nothing else, it gives tumblr something to work with thanks to Simon's facial expressions. 2. Steven Brundage - Little does Simon know, Harry Potter was actually a documentary. I'm continuously impressed with Steven's skills both as a rubics cube solver AND a magic creator. Apparently he came up with this routine all by himself right before the live finals and to be able to do that shows skill and innovation beyond the likes of even Mat Franco. They weren't the hardest tricks to figure out, but I think he did a better job than Jon and I continue to look forward to what he has in store for us. 1. Viktor Kee - Magic. Pure magic. Not the card kind, not even the mind reading kind, just...magic. The mistake was unfortunate, but he recovered so nicely it hardly mattered and every time I see him I'm just transfixed, the whole act is mesmerizing from beginning to end and captivates me unlike anything else this season. A bit of an interesting one to predict this time. Steven and Clairvoyants should both be 100% safe and sailing through considering how well they did. Sal and Calysta were both not at their best, but should still have enough fans to push through. The worst I see them doing is one of them getting to the Dunkin Save, where they will get through with ease thanks to the judges. I'm not at all sure about Viktor, but I have a gut feeling he's in the top 5 for this time at least, I wont be shocked if I'm wrong, but I think and HOPE he manages it. Never underestimate the "southern charm" vote which is why I think Kadie will end up in the Dunkin Save and probably win that. The last spot I'm going to give to Sofie as the judges save. The third spot in the Dunkin Save will probably be either Moya or ThroWings, who will both get eliminated. So in order of most to least likely to qualify: 1. Clairvoyants 2. Steven Brundage 3. Sal Valentinetti 4. Calysta Bevier 5. Viktor Kee 6. Kadie Lynn Roberson 7. Sofie Dossi 8. Moya Angela 9. ThroWings 10. Ryan Stock and AmberLynn (Pity votes...maybe?) 11. Sos and Victoria 12. FLIP

I'll add a small spoiler box below for those who are interested, but this is in no way official, just what I noticed/think

Well, that happened. I managed to get 6 out of 7 of my predictions right only messing up with Musicality (I had Hara going through instead of them). With both Hara and Sila Sveta out, I think we can officially say this is the end for multimedia/projection acts, EVERYBODY has gotten bored of them.

Manbuns, ill people and naked grandmothers, YES it's finally time to begin with the live shows and while this wasn't exactly the best QF we've ever seen (although I'm sure Howie would think so) it still provided us with PLENTY of good so lets get started on ranking them based on how much I liked/enjoyed the act: 12: Dorothy Williams - I would have liked to have been a fly on the wall when dozens of professional stage designers and coreographers were trying to figure out how to make a 90 year old woman spinning her boobs around work as 3 minute stage act. At least she didn't take off more clothes this time, so y..yay? Cute enough considering her history, but nothing more 11. Outlawz - WHO YA GONNA CALL? Certainly not their number by the looks of things. This wasn't a total disaster and really didn't deserve to be buzzed, if not for Simon being contractually obligated to buzz at least 1 act each week, but it was still disappointing and stale. At least they kept it consistently ghostbusters themed with..J..Justin...Bieber?...riiiiiiight, time to pack up, boys. 10. Musicality - I'm fairly certain no Ariana Grande song has been designed to work as a choir piece and they proved it. They are much stronger together than as indiviual singers and they needed something big and impressive to be memorable, but failed to do so. 9. Sila Sveta - This would have made for a pretty good Black Eyed Peas music video about 10 years ago, but as of now it felt like a lot of special effects trying to mask above average dancing. Okay so the effects are still impressive and cool to look at, but we've seen this so many times now even the judges are getting bored and they failed to add anything meaningful to stand out and beat another act who did this a bit better... 8. Jayna Brown - I really really hate having her this low, but I have to be honest with myself and say that SUBJECTIVELY I was struggling to remember her by the end of the night, despite OBJECTIVELY thinking she was wonderful when she sang. This was definitely her best vocal performance yet and she's an absolute natural on stage that knows how to control her voice much better than half the adult singers...and yet I just haven't found myself connecting with her song choices and while I was compelled to watch the following 7 acts again later on youtube, I...I wasn't with Jayna...Blame it on personal taste. 7. Daniel Joyner - I...I...I liked...it?..I....I'm really throwing all credibility out the window by placing him above Jayna aren't I? This whole ranking business has been a mistake...Look, this was cheesy as hell and his vocals were really struggling at times, but I can't look past the fact I enjoy this type of music and found it fun and energetic...and if he fails to make it through he could have one hell of a career as a Michael Buble tribute act. 6. Laura Bretan - Hey there Laura, enjoying your relative obscurity and being surprised at how popular you are despite WINNING Romania's Got Talent this June? Oh what's that? Oh we are not supposed to mention that are we, oh well...at least it means the stage directors don't have to come up with anything new for you. Recycling is caring! I have issued with her shrill voice, but I found it much better this time around so I have to give her some credit. And the sheer intensity and power she was displaying on stage made it look as if she was trying to summon an ancient rain god down from the sky, frankly it made me afraid she would hurt me if I placed her any lower. 5. Lori Mae Hernandez - I can absolutely see people hating her (even non Trump supporters) and finding her annoying, but I still think she's charming enough to make even the cringiest of jokes work thanks to her personality. There's only so much material you can mine from current politics until it becomes stale, but she's doing a nice job right now of keeping things balanced. 4. Jon Dorenbos - Knowing how long magic acts can take, the producers must have told him to haul ass as he was absolutely speeding through this with a lot of energy from the very beginning. I wasn't quite as impressed with him this time though and managed to figure the trick out mid-way through. The whole thing felt a tiny bit under-rehearsed and nervous, but he managed to recover nicely from a slight mistake made with Howie and ended on a high note. 3. Hara - Going into tonights QF I was sure his main competition was going to be Jon only to be surprised he went back to his audition and it was actually Sila Sveta he was competing against. When comparing the 2, I think Hara was much more effective by telling a simple story and not just throwing random effects on the screen. That being said, he still hasn't quite managed to figure out the right balance between magic/effects and is at risk of overshadowing his actual magic with all the lasers. I fear this decision will ultimately lead people to get bored with him, just like every other multimedia act, but for now it worked. 2. Deadly Games - This could easily work as the new intro to Game of thrones. I wasn't expecting to enjoy this as much as I did, but for some reason it just...worked. The show has a history of throwing production in our face and overshadowing the act with it, but here it all just came together perfectly and I think they nailed it. While I still can't see this actually getting better in the following rounds, I did really really enjoy it. 1. Tape Face - I think I'm fairly biased for placing him this high, but I just can't look past how much I enjoy seeing him every time he comes on stage even if this was his weakest performance. I'm a bit worried by the judges comments that his initial novelty is wearing off and the element of surprise is gone so he is going to be struggling to make it to the finals, but for now he seems like a safe bet to get to the semis. If I had to predict the qualifier, I think Jayna, Laura, Tape Face and Jon are all pretty safe picks. Lori will divide people, but manage to sneak in to the dunkin save and get through. I also have a feeling Deadly Games will make it through as the second save. That just leaves 1 more spot to fill and I'm going to give it to Hara with Daniel Joyner barely missing out. So in order of most to least likely to qualify: 1. Tape Face 2. Jon Dorenbos 3. Laura Bretan 4. Jayne Brown 5. Hara 6. Deadly Games 7. Lori Mae 8. Daniel Joyner 9. Sila Sveta 10. Musicality 11. Dorothy Williams 12. Outlawz