S16.E11: Quarterfinals 2

[helenamonster]

Quote

Another 12 performers take the stage live to vie for America's votes.

Original airdate: 8/17/21

[ams1001]

Okay, I had the show on but I was barely watching but for some reason I watched the mentalist or whatever he is with the canned food. Geez that went on forever...

The only other one I stopped to actually watch was Josh Blue. I still like him. (I laughed at the disability pile. "If you're deaf...help the blind guy find the pile. If you only have one leg...hop on!" And it's very true that we could join that minority group at any time.)

Then I caught the end with the opera girl and the judges blowing smoke up her ass. Simon, I sincerely doubt she's gonna be the next Carrie Underwood of Opera.

Edited August 18, 2021 by ams1001

[Mr. Sparkle]

I don't care, I really liked Johnny Showcase. I know they have zero chance of going through. The mentalist was ok and the opera singer had a better song than last week. Other than that, zzzzzz. 

[Tango64]

It was good to see Simon calling acts out on their mediocre performances. So tired of the “you’re all fantastic” reviews. 
Thought Howie was kind of a dick for calling out that one dancer for falling, thought Simon was piling on, then realized Simon actually was adding an encouraging comment. 
Muscle boys, eh, think I agree with Simon’s X. 
Mentalist: Assistant off stage conveying their choices from where they grabbed cans. Second part more impressive, not sure how he did it. 
Josh Blue, funny as usual. But a professional. 
The precocious kids singing opera benefit from Simon’s admission that he and the other judges know nothing about opera or classical music. So a young girl trilling high notes just impresses them. 

[Lonesome Rhodes]

This is the first quarterfinal show where I would be happy if not one got through.

I still can't believe that Simon scorned production values on a show he designed with ridic ostentation.  It's his calling card.  Send in the clones?  Or is he simply a clown?

I will admit that the joke at Simon's expense was damn funny.  I also acknowledge the beauty of that last singer's tonality.  I don't wish her ill.  Another Jackie E.?  Seriously doubt it, but who knows?

I genuinely felt for Sofia and I loved her plaintiff "woe is me" cries.  She's right.  I almost always hope for a magic/mentalist to survive.  I want this guy to return to whatever hole from which he came.   

Johnny Showcase was a major disappointment.  He put together a fine crew/act and they were wasted.  They made, one might say, no difference.

Like last week, any combination of acts could get the nod and any combination could be outta here.  Whatevs.

Edited August 18, 2021 by Lonesome Rhodes

[ams1001]

9 hours ago, Lonesome Rhodes said:

This is the first quarterfinal show where I would be happy if not one got through.

 

That'd be an interesting twist... 

[saber5055]

The show opened with three guy singers who chose a song I hate and then proceeded to sing it badly with background images that creeped me out and had nothing to do with the song. I agreed with Simon.

Next were the Orange Dancers who all kept together in their moves but were still boring and were no better than some high-school cheer group. How did they make the semis? Again, shockingly, I agreed with Simon.

Johnny Showcase. It cracks me up that the judges put these acts through and then red X them in the lives. It's your fault this act was on, dumbasses.

Disney Princess Singer Girl ... too much production I thought, which once AGAIN means I agreed with Simon. This has never happened before! I also hated her being so cutesy at the end with her "Look at me" and "Wow, I'm hot" posturing. Ugh.

If the Orange Dancers were too Orange, Shufflution was too Pink, and on top of that, they were  ... let's say, less than average. Shocker: I agreed with SIMON! However, I really REALLY hated Howie for pointing out that the one dancer fell. We know, Howie, we know, and so does he know. Way to be a jackass for making him feel crappy on national teevee you jerk.

I like Ring Boy Aiden but there were a lot of pauses with the camera on the judges so I agree with Simon AND Howie, sadly. I wish he would have done more ring stuff but I still want him to go through. He's pretty awesome, to use a worn-out word.

Howie's Golden Buzzer Nurse Choir ... eh, the opening singer was flat and I quit listening after that.

The Muscle Boys got an X from Simon after one guy missed dunking the basket. Yeah, their first act was better. But you X a group you put through? Alrighty then.

The mentalist with the food cans was pretty good. I kept thinking I would like to have all those cans of dog food though. It would have been funny if one of the judges grabbed a bunch of cans from different shelves, then mixed them all up and put all but one can back. Let's see the guy mentalize that.

Josh Blue ... his whole act paid off with his great burn on Simon. Good one Josh.

Opera Girl was saved for last so that means TPTB figures her to win this show. So far anyway.

[Tango64]

I forgot to mention that I kept wondering what that nurse choir is going to do if they win the whole thing. They're all going to give up their nursing careers to go sing in Las Vegas? They won't be heroes anymore?

 

[ams1001]

4 hours ago, saber5055 said:

Next were the Orange Dancers who all kept together in their moves but were still boring and were no better than some high-school cheer group. How did they make the semis? Again, shockingly, I agreed with Simon.

I thought they looked like some kind of dream sequence from Orange Is the New Black.

[marketdoctor]

I'll give credit for the mentalist doing a less-lethal, funnier, version of "which paper bag has the spike in it?"

This might be Josh Blue's year; it's almost certainly his week.

 

 

[lynxfx]

7 hours ago, Tango64 said:

I forgot to mention that I kept wondering what that nurse choir is going to do if they win the whole thing. They're all going to give up their nursing careers to go sing in Las Vegas? They won't be heroes anymore?

 

The prize is only a 3 night engagement in Vegas. One weekend produced by AGT then they are on their own. The acts that are actual acts tend to get offers from the different hotels including acts that don't win. Guess which ones don't get shows...singers unless you sing through a puppet. 

[Lonesome Rhodes]

The guarantee may be a 3-Day appearance (I believe it is a week this year), but AGT has got to fill the house for a hoped-for extended stay that begins 11/5.

By the way, is their any chance the Vegas show is not filled to the brim with high production values?!  

[marketdoctor]

Quote

By the way, is their any chance the Vegas show is not filled to the brim with high production values?!  

It wouldn't surprise me if,, "for COVID reasons", the acts are in a different time zone, and there's a giant screen which shows rotating images of:

The face(s) of the act, then

A wide shot of the whole stage, possibly taken from the balcony, then

Someone backstage, waiting to go on, but enjoying the current act, then

A shot of cardboard cutouts of one or two of the judges, photographed when the judges were so impressed they're about to stand up and cheer, then

A shot of the audience reacting in a way that indicates they're all on the wrong level of medication, then back to a close-up of the act.

Repeat the entire cycle every 30 seconds, even for a two-hour Vegas act, and then wonder why your show isn't nominated for more awards.

 

 

 

[Taeolas]

On 8/17/2021 at 11:59 PM, Tango64 said:

Mentalist: Assistant off stage conveying their choices from where they grabbed cans. Second part more impressive, not sure how he did it. 
 

I suspect he may have looked for the missing cans and matched to the judges, maybe there was some other setup ahead of time (as in each judge could only pick from particular sections). I do wonder what might have happened if a Judge was 'clumsy' and knocked over a bunch of cans. 

For the second half, my guess is the cans were really two cans. All 4 were dogfood side up, and when the final pick was locked in and all three revealed, he picked it up and flipped it over to the fruit side for the reveal. (That is the only one he actually touched). But that is just a guess. 

[Tango64]

35 minutes ago, Taeolas said:

I suspect he may have looked for the missing cans and matched to the judges, maybe there was some other setup ahead of time (as in each judge could only pick from particular sections). I do wonder what might have happened if a Judge was 'clumsy' and knocked over a bunch of cans. 

For the second half, my guess is the cans were really two cans. All 4 were dogfood side up, and when the final pick was locked in and all three revealed, he picked it up and flipped it over to the fruit side for the reveal. (That is the only one he actually touched). But that is just a guess. 

I'm sure you're right about that. Good thinking.