S18.E18: Qualifiers 4 / S18.E19: Qualifiers 4 Results

[Mr. Sparkle]

Tuesday, September 12th - Eleven performers take the stage live from the Pasadena Civic Auditorium as judging is turned over to the audience to vote for their favorite performer to move to the final round.

Wednesday, September 13th - Two acts from the previous night's show move on to the final round of competition.

If you're watching after the initial airing, winners will be revealed. 

[Tango64]

First guy acrobat: Inspirational? Yes. Entertaining? No. 

Puppets:  Dreadful. Just pandering to the judges, who lap it up like simpletons. 

“I’ll always love you” singer: Worst version of this beautiful song I’ve ever heard. What were the judges thinking?

15 yo dancer: Nice, but that’s all. 

Kylie Frye country singer: Hard to make out the vocals. Maybe overacting too hard. Simon was right, “a manic mess.”

Chibi dance: Finally, some real dance and entertainment. Very good. 

Freedom singers: Another mediocre choir. Ho hum. 

Orlando comic: Not bad. Like him but maybe could use better material. 

Card magician:  I normally don’t enjoy card tricks, but she was good. 

Little guy singer: Nah, not for me. Sofia liked an 11-year-old’s singing because it was “sexy.”

Shadow Ace: Seriously? The crowd is only reacting to familiar music. The judges, as always, are as easily entertained as a drowsy three-year-old. 

Edited September 13, 2023 by Tango64

[ams1001]

My ears are all clogged so I'm having a hard time hearing stuff. This might be a good thing.

• Zion Clark: A mini Ninja course followed by drumming? I don't get it.
• Puppet Simon & the Cowbelles: No.
• I agree with Howie on the buzzers, except he's a hypocrite because he's buzzed people in the past couple weeks.
• Roland Abante: Whitney Houston in the house. He's a good singer, but I dunno. I wasn't invested.
• Mariandrea: I like her. She's the first one tonight I want to see move on. Man, she's tiny next to Terry (who google tells me is 6'2").
• Kylie Frey: Does she never wear shoes? Is there are reason for that or is she just "quirky"?
• Chibi Unity: I remember not loving them the first time. I think that was the night I was watching with a migraine. No headache tonight but I still feel like there's just too much going on.
• Freedom Singers: Meh.
• Orlando Leyba: Mildly funny tonight (I didn't actually laugh) but the repetition was getting annoying. (I don't think Sofia was amused by the "you like relationship comedy, don't you?" comment. I really don't think her divorce should be joke fodder for the show. It's mean.)
• Anna DeGuzman: Took too long.
• D'Corey Johnson: Um...did Sofia just say "it was sexy"? He's 11. I kinda wish he'd done a Broadway song.
• Shadow Ace: He's silly fun.

I don't know who's gonna go through, but if I had to pick I'd say Mariandrea and...I dunno....Shadow Ace, just for something different. I don't think anyone from tonight is gonna win, anyway.

[Mr. Sparkle]

8 hours ago, ams1001 said:

My ears are all clogged so I'm having a hard time hearing stuff.

Lucky! 

[Mr. Sparkle]

Pretty boring this week. The only interesting part is there is no clear and obvious front-runner. 

• Zion Clark - it's hard to say something mean about him, but it's not an act I can see people paying for. 
• Puppet Simon & the Cowbelles - I'm a Hamilton fan, but that was still dumb. 
• Roland Abante - not a bad singer, but a bad song choice. Nothing we haven't seen before.
• Mariandrea - she's fairly original and likeable. Has a small shot to advance.
• Kylie Frey - energetic performance, but didn't change my mind about this type of music. The judge's comments did her no favors. 
• Chibi Unity - I liked them more the first time. This was nothing special. 
• Freedom Singers - what ams1001 said. Meh.
• Orlando Leyba - kind of funny and likeable, but the jokes were ok at best. 
• Anna DeGuzman - great looking, great trick, but needs to work on her pacing, like most of the magic acts on this show. She was obviously extremely nervous. 
• D'Corey Johnson - he sounded a bit out of key to me. The kid is obviously talented. 
• Shadow Ace - I think it's stupid, but I smiled in spite of myself. I can't believe he got the final spot.

Tough to pick who will be going through. 

Has a chance - Roland, Mariandrea, Chibi Unity, Anna, D'Corey

Maybe - Zion, Kylie, Freedom Singers

Unlikely - Puppet Simon, Orlando, Shadow Ace

[rr2911]

I don't really feel like typing a long drawn out review so I'll just cut to the chase.

Chibi Unity is going through

Anna DeGuzman and Roland Abante I think will be in the final three.

I think Chibi Unity and Anna DeGuzman go through.

[Lonesome Rhodes]

The act overall fell short, but the muppets were again very witty.  I enjoyed it, but can't give them a vote.

Chibi was the most complete for me.  The art/set design was gorgeous with the white costuming.  The big red flag is typically a red flag for me.  I wanted to make sure it did not have the emblem of the PRC (China).  It did not.  No politics = better act.  I particularly loved the two movements where one of them walked on top of the "stairway" and later, a "footbridge."  Inventive and very well executed.  The background projection - especially the blue field with the white wisps, was stunning.  They get one of my votes.

Simon got caught in a big lie as he applauded Kylie upon completion of her act, and then took his cue from the others and announced (rightly) that the act was a mess.  Bad Simon was back.

The magician is the clear second vote for me.  Sofia damned near sabotaged the whole thing with her BS in not being able to name her card.  What the hell was Anna supposed to do in that moment?  Fine by me if she said a not-nice word to Sofia.  She deserved it.  You keep on affecting the Wonder Woman pose while sitting, dear.

I can not remember being more surprised of the choice SYCO made in giving the pimp spot to the hand figure artist.  Then the jidges fell all over him as if he were Streisand, or something.  Very odd.  Likely shenanigans.

 

[ams1001]

I saw a comment on reddit that puppet Simon is Gabriel Brown from last season...(I had to look him up because I don't remember most of the acts five minutes after the show ends.) 

 

[ams1001]

Top Five:

• D'Corey Johnson vs Puppet Simon & The Cowbelles: No surprise there.
• Roland Abante vs Chibi Unity: Well, duh. I feel bad for the guy who got hurt. How long between now and the finals? Will he be able to dance?
• Mariandrea vs Zion Clark: Really? If we're going for actual talent, she was better. He's "inspirational" and all, but his actual act isn't something I'd pay to watch.
• The Sonic Tot Seat? What fresh hell is this?
• What's with the singers starting with their backs to the audience? Roland did it last night and now Drake Milligan. Didn't love his song.
• Orlando Leyba vs Shadow Ace: Good. He's funnier than the comic.
• Freedom Singers vs Kylie Frey vs Anna DeGuzman: Not surprised, though I don't really see what everyone thinks is so great about her. But between the three of them I'd pick her, anyway.

Top Three:

• Chibi Unity
• Shadow Ace
• Anna DeGuzman

"America always gets it right"...geez, don't even wait for the people voted off to leave the stage...

Top Two moving on:

• Chibi Unity - wow, they announced the obvious one first!
• Anna DeGuzman

Edited September 14, 2023 by ams1001

[Lonesome Rhodes]

I love tots.  So tasty.  The bit was funny and I am glad they will be repeating it.

Once again, we see the power of the pimp spot.  I'm glad it didn't quite put the dude into the Final.

Seeing the highlight replay of Anna's act got me fired up again about how the jidges torpedoed the act.  I believe it says a lot that she made it through despite their toolishness.

Chibi is gonna miss having one of their principals out with the busted knee.  I wish them the best.

By any chance, did they bring back another Country artist to entertain us?  Asking for a friend. 

[Mr. Sparkle]

I only caught the last 15 minutes, but JFC, Shadow Ace in the top 3??? America did NOT get that right.