S11.E20: Semi Finals 2

[Drogo]

The last 11 of the remaining 22 acts perform for a chance to win $1 million and be named the most talented act in America.

[UsernameGoesHere]

Jayna - Good voice, but I think she'll get lost in the shuffle.

Kaden - Yikes. So bad. So amateurish. So cringeworthy.

Linkin Bridge - I don't actually care one way or the other if they make it or not, but this was my favorite performance of theirs. Good song choice, though some of it was a little... shout-y?

Viktor - Such pretty staging, and I loved his bodysuit. A beautiful performance as always. Interesting to have him and The Passing Zone in the same episode, because they couldn't be more different. 4 minutes of talking, 10 seconds of juggling. They're fun to watch, but I don't see them making it through.

Calysta - Wow. This was not good. Like, at all. Not to mention it was completely sleep inducing. I'm sure she's a lovely person, but enough is enough. It's sad how predictable her song choices are. Just the other day I said to someone that she'd probably sing Human by Christina Perri next. Can't remember if I posted that here or not. And here she is, singing Human. Because it's inspirational, and in case you've forgotten, she had cancer. Which is the sole reason she's still on this show. And she's never going to give you that big note, Mel. She's not capable of doing so. She's a walking, talking back story - not a singer. Very sad that someone with real talent will probably get shut out of the finals to make room for more inspirational BS.

Steven - My favorite! So good.

Sofie - My other favorite. Love her.

Sooo tired of hearing about how Brian Justin Crum is about to "make it." Ugh.

My guess is that BJC, Steven Brundage and Clairvoyants are the top 3. Kaden is gone, right? Right?

[tribeca]

Simons face after Calyst performance said it all.  I was as axed when he gave her a glowing review.   

[Commando Cody]

Jayna: Mid song I zoned out.  Whatever "it" is, she doesn't have enough of it to hold my attention. I didn't care for the song choice. I don't believe anyone will know her name next Thursday.

The kid magicians: Terrible, amateurish act.  Mel B was being nice when she said it didn't go smoothly. You could see feet, or something, shuffling under the tarp. I think they knew it was the end, so they found a way to invite the entire class to be on TV. 

Kadie: She didn't sound good to me. 

Viktor: He's the most graceful juggler I have ever seen. 

Linkin Bridge: They did sound good. I didn't care for the song choice

Passing Zone: Waste of the judges wild card. There was barely an act there. It was mostly talking and setting up. I don't expect these guys to move on.

Calysta: Parts of the song were terrible. She started out okay. Not much of a song to begin with. I was wondering if it was going to pick up somewhere.

Steven: I never would have thought that someone could make an act out of Rubik's Cubes, but that is pretty impressive. 

Sofie: That was pretty amazing. I'm glad she got away from the "feets" of skill and just did the acrobatics. 

Clairvoyants: The act isn't bad. It just seemed a little slow. 

Brian: I didn't really like the arrangement of this song. He was the best singer tonight.  

[candall]

My satellite cable worked loose, so the whole show was unwatchable crackles and pops . . . except for kid magicians--thaaanks--and Viktor Kee.  YAY!!!  So graceful and beautiful, both man and performance.

My only criticism for his segment is Heidi Klum making ingenuous double-entendre jokes about balls.  Listen, Heidi, you're an icon, a brand, a fashion magnate--grow up.

[dbklmt]

The stars of this semi finals for me were Victor Kee (my favorite), The Clairvoyants, Steven Brundage and Sofie Dossi.  They were the only ones that I voted for in this round.  Hated all the singers including Brian Justin Crum but he doesn't need my vote as he will move on to the Finals.    

[Lonesome Rhodes]

Broken record me again...This semi was eons removed in performance from last week's dreck.  I feel for at least a couple of acts who will get cut today.

Viktor's act was easy for any professional juggler to execute.  However, the magic is in the vision and design.  Just gorgeous.  I want him to win.

Clairvoyants were fantastic, but they got jobbed by the audience on site who refused to hoot and howl like they usually do.  Sure, they were mesmerized and appreciative.  But, the "feel" of it all, and the jidges' comments, were far less affective than most all the acts.  What a shame.  They totally deserve to get through, and they won't. 

Passing Zone was genuinely hilarious.  Not Martin and Lewis, but really fun.  I'll never look at a polka dot shirt the same way again.

I could take or leave any of the singers.  None were all that.  Did you see in the transition from the first part of the Crum song (which Simon rightfully panned) there was a drummer absolutely pounding a giant drum as hard as he could?  Not the slightest sound came through the airwaves.  Hello, Malevo!  Of course, this makes me wonder how many effects were laid on his voice.

Brundage's stage presence has vastly improved, but that Pitt portrait in no way matched the backside of the cube array in the front.  It's like those fake picture mosaics of thousands of images which supposedly create a single portrait.  There was an obvious second/separate mechanism that created that image.

The variety acts, except the child magic act, all delivered good to phenomenal performance.  I wish they could all get in over any of the singers.  I'm resigned to at least three singers.   

Edited September 7, 2016 by Lonesome Rhodes

[Zuleikha]

I hope Sofie moves on, and it was a very professional, very skillful routine. But I love "Wicked Game," so it really bothered me seeing her have zero connection to the song. It's basically the only sign of her youthfulness.

I remain a fan of Kaden  and I thought the trick was fine and good, but it was not their best presented trick. I don't expect them to move on. I don't understand the dismissiveness I see for the kids, though. I thought their trick was better than Jon Dorenbos's trick, where he almost certainly made a mistake. I know that Kaden's trick was of the same kind where people get pulled out of seemingly impossible boxes, so I get that people who know how that trick is done may view that as easy. But that is a trick I don't know (so no one tell me please) and given that I didn't know it, the way they got the first classmate and then the entire 5th grade class and then the teacher with a set change was impressive to me. I don't think it was a big deal that feet were visible because the feet were visible after the moment of magic, so the person was supposed to be there.

I'm intrigued by Viktor Kee's props. I've never seen juggling balls that work for both standard juggling and contact juggling like his did.

[Mr. Sparkle]

4 hours ago, Lonesome Rhodes said:

that Pitt portrait in no way matched the backside of the cube array in the front.  It's like those fake picture mosaics of thousands of images which supposedly create a single portrait.  

I felt like I really missed something there, because from my vantage point I didn't see how it was supposed to be Brad Pitt. I thought they might be going for a joke and have it be Howie or something. 

[giaNtsandYankees]

Jayna - I like her, thought that she did acgreat job. I'll take her voice over Calysta's and I believe that she has better control over her voice than Grace. Unfortunately, I don't see her making it through. But good on her for making it into a performing arts high school. I think it would be good way for her to develop her talent and stage presence.

Kadan and Brooklyn - cute kids, but their trick was a little too predictable to me. No surprises, plus you can see the classmates/teacher's feet.

Linkin Bridge - I thought they did great. When I heard the first few notes of the song, I thought to myself, "Oh no." I was iffy about the song choice at first, but they took a chance and it worked well. Will it pay off though? We'll see tonight.

 

Viktor Kee - beautiful performance as always. If he makes it through to the finals, I hope that Heidi drops the double entendres.

Steven B. - I'm not big on rubic's cubes, but he sold it to me last night.

Calysta - she's done better, I was not feeling her performance last night. And as someone else had mentioned, her song choices are too predictable. She might make it through based on her backstory alone.

Brian Justin Crum - he did great last night. He has been consistent. He will be back for the finals, mark my words. It'll probably be between him and Grace, probably due to the way the judges fawn all over them.

[TaraS1]

My favorites were Rubik's Cube guy, Sofie and the Clairvoyants.  The Clairvoyants have been my pick to win it all since I first saw them because I thought they were phenomenal, but I didn't love last night's performance as much.  They seemed to have a few miscues here and there, and I wish the cameras would have shown us what the other three judges wrote on their pieces of paper instead of them just telling us that the guy's guesses were correct.

I wish Brian would get the boot, but I know that's not happening.

[marketdoctor]

Quote

Mel B was being nice when she said it didn't go smoothly. You could see feet, or something, shuffling under the tarp. I think they knew it was the end, so they found a way to invite the entire class to be on TV. 

I thought that was a cute thing to do--and maybe a way to squeeze out a few extended family votes.  Other than that it wasn't a mind-bending trick, but--last week they probably would have made it through.

Passing Zone was almost making fun of the idea of showmanship over substance that the audience seems to like.  Though I (sort of) got why they didn't juggle for longer--one way to avoid a drop is to keep your act short.  There were some other things where I thought there were some very clever techniques (like the torch hat).

Sofie gets credit for not doing another bow shot, and for doing something else that looked hard and looked cool.

Viktor Kee once again with the showmanship.  That he was shown as close as he was to Passing Zone is a sign someone along the way has stopped trying.  Unless they're both in the Dunkin' Save, they'll be called up together to make it look like a "juggler vs. juggler" (which is not exactly how it works; it's entertainer vs. all other entertainers), but they might mix it up.

I hope the kid acts who get sent home become the coolest kids in their school for years, and for Career Day explain that they're just going back to Branson over Christmas Break to earn enough for the rest of college. That way their fans get what they want, and the rest of us know they turned out OK.

Edited September 7, 2016 by marketdoctor

[UsernameGoesHere]

3 hours ago, marketdoctor said:

I hope the kid acts who get sent home become the coolest kids in their school for years,

Yes! You know everyone at school is going to be jealous of Jayna for being Louis' golden buzzer.

[bluepiano]

11 hours ago, Commando Cody said:

The kid magicians: Terrible, amateurish act.  Mel B was being nice when she said it didn't go smoothly. You could see feet, or something, shuffling under the tarp. I think they knew it was the end, so they found a way to invite the entire class to be on TV. 

What Mel B. said was the only thing the entire night that even came close to being a critical comment about any act. And then the new, super-nice Simon had to argue with her. He's completely dropped any pretense to the standards that made him the tough judge on American Idol. And with Calysta, he kind of admitted that he's so emotionally invested in her that he's unable to render any objective opinion.

What's the point of even having judges when they tell literally every act "you deserve to be in the final, America should vote for you? Hey guys, 11 acts, 5 spots in the final. How's that going to work? When you fill up your show with kid acts and cancer survivors (or both) no one is going to get an honest critique.

I doubt that was actually Kaden's real 5th grade class, unless he goes to some uber privileged all white private school. (Only about 10 kids total in a class?) I can't stand their act for the same reason I don't watch family sitcoms. Cute kids mouthing lines written for them as if they know they're adorable is a huge turn off.

Passing Zone was brought back just so they could goof with Simon, as promised. Maybe they can really juggle, but their last two performances were all about the judges and to me a complete bore. But I guess making your act about the judges is a good ploy for getting a wild card.

I thought the costume Sofie was wearing, combined with the lighting effects, was distracting and made it harder to focus on what she was doing. But she's the only one of the kid contestants that doesn't need to be graded on a curve because of their age. (After the first three acts I never wanted to hear "I have to remind myself that you're only ____ years old again.)

Kadie was originally interesting because she was doing classic country like Patsy Cline and there was a cool retro vibe about her. But "I Hope You Dance?" Really? Now that she's singing the same schlocky songs that every young girl sings on American Idol she's completely forgettable.

And Heidi. Please stop already with the jokes about Victor's balls. Once was enough. Assuming he makes the finals, are we going to have to hear that again?

Edited September 7, 2016 by bluepiano

[Lady Iris]

I'm so happy to see Victor Kee is still in it. I thought I missed a week somewhere and he was out. I will be sure to fast forward through Heidi's comments after he performs. You do a ball joke once, just once. Anymore than that and it's just puerile.

[helenamonster]

Jayna Brown: I usually don't like kids, or singers, or kid singers, but I thought she did a really spectacular job. I'm not necessarily pulling for her in this competition, but I'm happy for her that she got into a performing arts high school and wish her well.

Kadan Bart Rockett: Yeah, the building continuously falling down was really amateur hour, and the trick wasn't all that special. They can go home.

Kadie Lynn Roberson: Forgettable.

Viktor Kee: Light of my life. Seriously, his artistry is just phenomenal. It's more than juggling. The way he times everything to the music takes amazing skill and creativity. I'd really love to see him go through to the finals and possibly win the whole thing.

Linkin' Bridge: I was always kinda meh on them but I think they really stepped it up tonight. They have passion and drive and I respect that.

The Passing Zone: I think they're one of those acts that is just as much comedy as it is juggling. Sort of like Piff was with magic. Piff didn't do the most spectacular, mind-blowing tricks, but his character was what really sold things. I feel the same way about these guys. I can see them sustaining an hour-long comedy/juggling show.

Calysta Bevier: Where's Randy Jackson when you need him? Cuz it was a little pitchy, dawg. Jesus, when will this walking sob story finally come to an end? Although part of me is a little curious as to which basic white girl song she'd pick for the finals. Not curious enough to see her get in over someone more deserving though.

Steven Brundage: Another great job. I'm not particularly invested in him, but I wouldn't be upset to see him go through.

Sofie Dossi: I love her, and I'm glad getting rid of the arrow trick didn't hurt her in the eyes of the judges. When we were watching, my mom mentioned that she could see her being someone you'd see in Vegas, and I agree. She'd be perfect for Cirque.

The Clairvoyants: The trick was slow but they're still really talented.

Brian Justin Crum: Ugh, enough with the pretending that he doesn't already have quite a successful career behind him. I agree with Simon, the start of his performance was definitely shaky.

[Edgehopper]

Individual singers (Jayma, Calysta, Kadie, Brian) - they're all good singers, but ordinary individual singers don't excite me on AGT.  I like Sal because he adds banter and charm to an ordinary singing act, but all of these...meh.

Linkin Bridge: My favorite of the night.  The song choice worked really well for this group, and they made it better than the original IMHO.

Kid magicians: I really liked their audition and quarterfinal performances, not as much their judge cut and semifinal performances.  Like Passing Zone, this is a comedy act as much as their skill, and when they don't have the cartoon sibling violence thing going, the trick falls flat.  And it didn't help that there are four other magic acts in the semis, three of which do consistently more impressive tricks.

Steven Brundage: Didn't we learn anything from "The Prestige?"  Without any indicator to prove that the back of the mosaic really came from the same cubes in the front, the act isn't that satisfying.  Nowhere near as good as...

The Clairvoyants: Great showmanship and great tricks, though the time limit hurt them.  Best magic of the night.

Victor, The Passing Zone: Both fairly simple acts improved by the surrounding showmanship.  I prefer comedy to art, so I enjoy the Passing Zone, but they won't go on.

Sofie: Contortionist acts are tough to change, but the spinning ring part was a nice change and improvement.  Very impressive.

The ones I want to go through: Linkin Bridge, The Clairvoyants, Sofie, Kadie, Steven Brundage

The ones who will go through: Linkin Bridge, The Clairvoyants, Kadie, Brian, Calysta

[BeatrixK]

Please,, please let the kid magicians go home.  They strike me as pageant-kids -- just don't like their 'I'm so cute and clever' persona.  And yeah...that trick bombed.

The Rubik's cube stuff is still pretty awesome -- But I'm a child of the 80's so I am biased.

Is it wrong that I just want no more singers going through? 

[Frankenstein123]

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

[rr2911]

Jayna - I thought she was the best singer of the night. Great voice and control. Unfortunately, Grace is in the final and Calysta is Simon's favorite.

Kaden - I actually liked and enjoyed the trick. I thought the sloppiness with the house almost coming down was part of the "kids are not perfect thing". I do agree they're not the best of the magic acts and should go home.

Kadie - I thought she was eliminated. I was pleasantly surprised that Kadie was in the semis. I've liked her singing in the past performances but yesterday her singing wasn't very good.

Viktor - Even though he dropped a ball he made up for it with the rest of his performance. Best act of the night!

Linkin Bridge - They are very good and have a decent chance of going through. I just don't like the constant reminder of their struggles and their tough man gangster image. I can do without that!

The Passing Zone - There were some laughs but a waste of time in my opinion. Just a ploy to get Simon on stage.

Calysta - Oh Lord...I'm shaking my head already! Just like Grace, I don't get all the hoopla about Calysta. She has an average voice and probably would be eliminated early in American Idol. We're happy that her cancer is in remission. I wish she would pick a song that makes her snap her fingers or makes her want to dance, move her feet...something else other than the inspirational songs she's been singing. What's going for her are her looks and her sob story. We might have a top three final of Grace, Brian and Calysta! Oh geesh!!!

Steven - I love magic so naturally I'm hoping her moves on. Very good performance but I do agree with the others on the image. It didn't look anyone familiar.

Sofie - Great decision on not using the bow and arrow. Great performance.

The Clairvoyants - I enjoyed this trick. It was creepy and well done. Hope they make it through!

Brian Justin Crum - He has a very good voice..........BUT,....I JUST DON'T SEE OR HEAR THE BIG DEAL ABOUT HIM! He could've sang, "ta daaa", and the judges would've given him and standing O and say that he deserves to be in next weeks finale. Is it because he was bullied, gay or what? I'm shaking my head again.

 

Oh gee, this is who I think is going through:

Calysta, Brian, Viktor, Jayna, The Clairvoyants

[UncleChuck]

Quote

Passing Zone: Waste of the judges wild card. There was barely an act there. It was mostly talking and setting up. I don't expect these guys to move on.

My suspicion is that this "wild card" act was added--including Simon's loud protests and Mel, Howie, Heidi loudly INSISTING that they come back--was for entertainment purposes ONLY.  Simon owns this show and if he did not want to participate he would find many ways to insure that he did not.  The whole wild card thing was just shenanigans to insert some filler humor into the show.  And by spending 4 minutes in banter/set-up and 45 seconds of juggling, they tried very hard to be sure that this act was not going to get to the finals.  Passing Zone was brought on to make a joke at Simon's expense, and now their job is over.  But they don't have to worry about winning--they have been performing professionally for years, and the exposure from AGT will guarantee them many more years of successful bookings.

 

I am mixed about the kid magicians.  Certainly, as magicians, they need many more years of practice and experience, but I liked the way that each week they switched it up a bit.  First appearance, little sis was just the girl getting sawed--second week she was the assistant helping her brother with his disappearing act, and third time the two kids were co-performers.  The two kids have a lot of charisma--but for now it is mostly just cute kid charisma...but I can see that if they keep practicing and performing together with their dad's help, in about 15 years when both young adults, they will likely evolve into very competent and entertaining stage magicians.  Time will tell...but they aren't ready for the big time yet.

 

Too many singers.  Simon should invent a show that is ONLY about singers and finding the next great talent.  Oh, wait, he already did that and America got tired of it.  Nevermind.

[rr2911]

I know this show is a production with producers, writers, directors, and editors, and more than likely the outcome has been settled already by the shows (Simon) producers. I only wish that they would not show so much pimping for Grace, Brian, and Calysta. Let us be surprised for once! 

[Commando Cody]

I don't believe they can legally determine the outcome of a game show. I think they would be in pretty deep trouble if they did. The best they can do is manipulate the audience into voting for the preferred acts. 

Realistically, I'm not sure if it matters to them who wins. They just need a show that viewers will tune into watch. If Grace fails to win, Simon can still promote her as the next Taylor Swift if he thinks it will make him money. 

[callmebetty]

43 minutes ago, Commando Cody said:

I don't believe they can legally determine the outcome of a game show. I think they would be in pretty deep trouble if they did. The best they can do is manipulate the audience into voting for the preferred acts. 

Realistically, I'm not sure if it matters to them who wins. They just need a show that viewers will tune into watch. If Grace fails to win, Simon can still promote her as the next Taylor Swift if he thinks it will make him money. 

And then she can start her dating whirlwind saga and write her songs and sing them unintelligibly. Ha.

I found Victor Kee and Sofie to be my two top picks of the night. With Clairvoyant and Steven my next two.

[Panopticon]

3 hours ago, UncleChuck said:

My suspicion is that this "wild card" act was added--including Simon's loud protests and Mel, Howie, Heidi loudly INSISTING that they come back--was for entertainment purposes ONLY.  Simon owns this show and if he did not want to participate he would find many ways to insure that he did not.  The whole wild card thing was just shenanigans to insert some filler humor into the show.  And by spending 4 minutes in banter/set-up and 45 seconds of juggling, they tried very hard to be sure that this act was not going to get to the finals.  Passing Zone was brought on to make a joke at Simon's expense, and now their job is over. 

::votes for Passing Zone just to throw a wrench into the plan::

(Actually, voted for them because they made me laugh... although, yes, it was clearly scripted filler.)

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I am mixed about the kid magicians.  Certainly, as magicians, they need many more years of practice and experience, but I liked the way that each week they switched it up a bit.  First appearance, little sis was just the girl getting sawed--second week she was the assistant helping her brother with his disappearing act, and third time the two kids were co-performers.  The two kids have a lot of charisma--but for now it is mostly just cute kid charisma...but I can see that if they keep practicing and performing together with their dad's help, in about 15 years when both young adults, they will likely evolve into very competent and entertaining stage magicians.  Time will tell...but they aren't ready for the big time yet.

I did appreciate that narrative that you mentioned, with the sister's evolution from victim/rival to partner. And I do give them both credit for holding it together (literally at one point!) on stage when their props collapsed and their illusion went wrong. They kept going without freaking out, and that's something we've seen the grown-ups on this show fail to do on occasion.

[SnarkyTart]

2 hours ago, Commando Cody said:

I don't believe they can legally determine the outcome of a game show. I think they would be in pretty deep trouble if they did. The best they can do is manipulate the audience into voting for the preferred acts. 

Realistically, I'm not sure if it matters to them who wins. They just need a show that viewers will tune into watch. If Grace fails to win, Simon can still promote her as the next Taylor Swift if he thinks it will make him money. 

Game shows, such as Jeopardy, are registered with the FCC as such.  They have very strict enforcement of their rules and ethics.  They would be in HUGE legal trouble if they cheated on the results.

Talent shows, such as AGT, American Idol, The Voice, et al, are registered as "entertainment" shows, not game shows.  They are legally allowed to do whatever the heck they want to do, including lying about vote totals, messing with sound editing (as I believe they did with Malevo, and sometimes do with singers as well).   Of course, they do risk their credibility (such as it is) with their audience if they're caught doing these things.  But I think the networks/producers still do it from time to time. 

I hope Viktor, Sofie and BJC all make it through.  If the kiddie magicians, Calysta and Kadie make it through, I will pout cuz they were all horrible last night.  Other than that, it's a big ol' whatever for me.

[bluepiano]

8 hours ago, rr2911 said:

Jayna - I thought she was the best singer of the night. Great voice and control. Unfortunately, Grace is in the final and Calysta is Simon's favorite.

Kaden - I actually liked and enjoyed the trick. I thought the sloppiness with the house almost coming down was part of the "kids are not perfect thing". I do agree they're not the best of the magic acts and should go home.

I'm not a fan of Jayna's, but at least she is a legitimate singer, and the difference in maturity between her and Grace seems way more than two years. I probably enjoyed her more than Brian Justin Crum, whose whole performance (song, arrangement, costume, lighting) seemed so be going for an Adam Lambert vibe. He can obviously sing (he wouldn't have all those professional theater credits if he couldn't) but for me he's yet to establish an individual identity that makes him interesting. (I mean a musical identity, not just the "gay guy who was bullied" thing).

Funny, Kaden and his sister annoy me to no end, but the cardboard house starting to fall down was the first thing I've liked in their act all year. Because they probably actually had a hand in creating this trick, unlike the week before, when they had a complex rig with pulleys and chain saws that you know was built by their magician father. Maybe he decided that if they're going to get to the final they needed to do it on their. So yes, it felt like a magic act that kids would do for a school production. And that's sweet. But they still don't belong on AGT.

I think what makes The Clairvoyants different is the slow pacing, combined with the European accents. That old-fashioned drawing room setting really worked for what they do. There's a theatrical element to them for sure. (Though I still preferred Oz).

I was watching a documentary today on Charlie Chaplin, and they had old archival footage of early 20th century British music hall acts. There was a clip of a contortionist, who did Sofie's thing of wrapping his legs around his shoulders and walking on his hands. So there's really nothing new under the sun. (It was actually more impressive to see this done by a full grown man, instead of a small teen girl who has to be naturally more flexible).

Edited September 8, 2016 by bluepiano

[Zuleikha]

(It was actually more impressive to see this done by a full grown man, instead of a small teen girl who has to be naturally more flexible).

No one is naturally that flexible. Sofie probably had a high degree of natural flexibility and she trained gymnastics before circus, but she's had to work very hard to have the flexiblity she's got. There are men who also have a high degree of natural flexibility, so there's no real way to know that the contortionist you saw had less natural flexibility than Sofie had. (Sofie also is demonstrating a ton of strength and control in her handbalancing and lyra (the aerial hoop). Her transitions were super smooth, and she's doing real, pro-level tricks.) 

And I do give them both credit for holding it together (literally at one point!) on stage when their props collapsed and their illusion went wrong. They kept going without freaking out, and that's something we've seen the grown-ups on this show fail to do on occasion.

That's part of why I think they're underrated. They are poised, pro performers. Their poise is impressive for their age, but it's also simply impressive. I have known adult pros who handle things going wrong with less calm than the kids did. I also don't care whether they build their props or not themselves. I know AGT put a bit in the package about it, but we all know AGT lies (*ahem* Brian Justin Crum. *ahem* Aerial Animation). Many magicians purchase or commission their props rather than building them. Fabrication is its own skill.

[Lady Iris]

11 hours ago, bluepiano said:

I probably enjoyed her more than Brian Justin Crum, whose whole performance (song, arrangement, costume, lighting) seemed so be going for an Adam Lambert vibe.

Lol I was thinking, Adam Lambert did "Mad World" better and you sir are no Adam Lambert.

I have to say I really love Jayna's voice. If they were offering the songs for sale on ITunes I would definitely purchase hers.

[helenamonster]

16 hours ago, SnarkyTart said:

Game shows, such as Jeopardy, are registered with the FCC as such.  They have very strict enforcement of their rules and ethics.  They would be in HUGE legal trouble if they cheated on the results.

Talent shows, such as AGT, American Idol, The Voice, et al, are registered as "entertainment" shows, not game shows.  They are legally allowed to do whatever the heck they want to do, including lying about vote totals, messing with sound editing (as I believe they did with Malevo, and sometimes do with singers as well).   Of course, they do risk their credibility (such as it is) with their audience if they're caught doing these things.  But I think the networks/producers still do it from time to time. 

Yes, like the quiz show scandals in the 1950s, which they made a movie about.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GHj0-w8lqI

I would totally watch a movie about a rigged TV talent competition in the vein of AI or AGT, btw.

[Apatee]

My rankings on the night:

• 11.  Calysta - Really underwhelming. I liked her in past weeks, but this one was pretty bad.
• 10. Kadie Lynn - Forgettable, voice didn't fit the song well.
• 9. Kadan - Routine trick without their charm.
• 8. Passing Zone - Funny guys, would probably be more fun to see live. Kinda eh on television though.
• 7. Brian Crum - I thought his past performances were better.  Ho-hum this time.
• 6. Clairvoyants - Get credit because I have no idea how they did it, but their gimmick reeks of cheese.
• 5. Linkin Bridge - Started eh, got better as it went on. Could've picked a better song.
• 4. Jayna Brown - Best singer of the night and it really wasn't close imo.
• 3. Brundage - I like the rubrics cube magic, fun differential from the other magic acts. That wasn't Brad Pitt though lol. 
• 2.  Viktor - His juggling tricks could be more impressive, but he has top notch showmanship and production. Fun to watch every time.
• 1. She stepped up her game this week and was my favorite of the night. Great set and performance.

[Kromm]

On 9/8/2016 at 2:53 PM, Apatee said:

My rankings on the night:

• 11.  Calysta - Really underwhelming. I liked her in past weeks, but this one was pretty bad.
• 10. Kadie Lynn - Forgettable, voice didn't fit the song well.
• 9. Kadan - Routine trick without their charm.
• 8. Passing Zone - Funny guys, would probably be more fun to see live. Kinda eh on television though.
• 7. Brian Crum - I thought his past performances were better.  Ho-hum this time.
• 6. Clairvoyants - Get credit because I have no idea how they did it, but their gimmick reeks of cheese.
• 5. Linkin Bridge - Started eh, got better as it went on. Could've picked a better song.
• 4. Jayna Brown - Best singer of the night and it really wasn't close imo.
• 3. Brundage - I like the rubrics cube magic, fun differential from the other magic acts. That wasn't Brad Pitt though lol. 
• 2.  Viktor - His juggling tricks could be more impressive, but he has top notch showmanship and production. Fun to watch every time.
• 1. She stepped up her game this week and was my favorite of the night. Great set and performance.

I thought Sofi was the best of the night by FAR. What she did was truly spectacular. It was a very different big stunt than the bow and arrow, and VERY hard. Not that the spinning on those circle things is that rare, but she did it REALLY fast and balancing JUST on her neck. If people were concentrating on that detail that's where it got truly impressive. And it looked beautiful. 

Brundage is getting too one note for me (okay two note, but that's still too few). Half of what he does are quick solves and half slight of hand normally, but you could tell it was all sleight of hand this week.

More than a few good singers, but they in fact all blurred together by the end.

The group, Linkin' Bridge, was better than previous occasions, but they're still going for obvious songs which a fair amount of over-singing/forced emotion. 

Viktor Kee has gotten old for me. I compare what he did to Sofi, and I think hers was several times more interesting (and elegant). He's using smoke and lights and such to change things up, and I think that multiplies his ability to put on a show by two or three times what it otherwise would be, but he's hit the wall here. He is indeed one of the most interesting jugglers the show has had, because he's NOT a comedic juggler like most of them, but he should NOT win this. 

I really have gotten sick of the Clairvoyants too. Most of their performances are exactly the same if you dig under the surface, and I know enough about magic to know exactly how they're doing much of it. Not that it doesn't take tons of skill and that's impressive, but with different window dressing this AGAIN came down to the same thing.  Except for the folded piece of paper inside the locket. That was a slightly different solution than the rest. But the rest?  It was all

a signaling device the guy has (probably in his shoe, that he does a kind of morse code with after he reads the answers, and a vibrating receiver the woman is wearing--again it's VERY hard and takes tons of skill but knowing most of their tricks, except the locket, came down to this same solution, is what makes me a bit over it).

[Zuleikha]

Not that it doesn't take tons of skill and that's impressive, but with different window dressing this AGAIN came down to the same thing.

The window dressing matters. There are only so many techniques to magic, but IMHO it's not just window dressing when a trick it has a completely different setup, story, pace, costuming, and overall vibe. It's my constant kvetch about why does no one complain about a singer simply singing a different song or dancers simply dancing different choreographies. Singers are going to sing, and mentalists are going to do mentalist tricks. Also, 

Spoiler

I think the jellybean trick was a pre-planned verbal code, not a thumper. I've done a version of that trick that way. I also don't think a thumper would work for the jellybean count unless the male half is REALLY good at eyeballing items and counting them. Frankly, I'd count that as a trick in and of itself.

[backformore]

Quote

I don't believe they can legally determine the outcome of a game show. I think they would be in pretty deep trouble if they did. The best they can do is manipulate the audience into voting for the preferred acts. 

Televised talent shows can do whatever they want.  Their aim is always to put on a show that gets good ratings.  There are no laws about how they determine the winner.  Same as cooking , singing,  dancing, fashion design competitions.  They can pick whoever they want.   The game show laws say that they can't give a game show contestant the answers to questions ahead of time.  It doesn't say they can't manipulate audience votes.   Idol used to have a disclaimer at the end of the show which actually said that the producers could choose, at their own discretion, to disallow any votes for any reason.