AGT The Champions: All Episode Discussion

[helenamonster]

On 2/7/2020 at 12:51 PM, SG11 said:

So reflecting back today, and thinking about Simons constant shameless plugging of decidedly mediocre acts, the kid with the fiddle being the latest -not to mention stealing Howies Golden Buzzer to send through that horrible Star Wars dance group, I think Simon’s rep  as an industry genius and starmaker and ability to recognize talent is a bit of fake news, frankly.

On one of the episodes this most recent regular season, two acts used two different Billie Eilish songs. Both times Simon said he didn't like the songs they used. Fastforward to 2020 and Billie Eilish is sweeping the Grammy's and remains immensely popular, especially among the most sought-after demographic in the music industry: teen girls. He absolutely does not have his finger on the pulse of the pop culture zeitgeist anymore.

[Commando Cody]

It took a while, but I finally got through the second half of this episode.  I couldn't remember what went on in the first half.

I usually watch this show passively.  Acts don't give me any reactions other than - this is boring, that was kind of entertaining or that was really bad.

In an unusual twist, the dog act made me happy.  I thought they were fun to watch and I thought it was cool to see all those dogs behaving themselves.  I was glad they went through.

I don't really know how Ryan got this far.  It's the same jokes every time.  We know. You're disabled.  You tell us every week. He has never been funny.  I'm not sure why AGT keeps bringing back these terrible acts.  We had to put up with Vicky and Vicky 2.0 in the years after they lost as well.  I imagine we'll be seeing Ryan in some way or another next year in the regular season, because they are probably under contract to AGT and for that we have to endure these terrible "comics".  

The smug looking violin kid made it.  The song he performed started out sounding like a rudimentary recital of Baa Baa Black Sheep.  The insult kid was more interesting.  

I can't keep the duos straight, but I was hoping it would be the other duo to advance.  I never liked the roller skating hair spinning act.  It got old the first year they were on.  I want them to go away.  

I fast forwarded through the contortionist.  It just can't watch.  

I don't think the guy who sings both parts will win this because America doesn't tend to vote that way.  He is going to have to pick a song that appeals to everyone and knock it out of the park at the same time.  I don't think he will. Right now, he's just a novelty act.

The blonde woman who got eliminated - I don't remember watching her act.  I don't know what she did.  She didn't even look familiar.  She was in the first half of the episode - which I watched several days ago.  Absolutely no idea. 

I almost fast forwarded through the Russian Bar act.  The fire did make the act more interesting.  She is a great gymnast.  There is something about her personality that's off putting.  I'm not sure what it is, but it's kind of un-likeable.  

Who are these "superfans"  who get to vote?  How do you get to be a "superfan"? 

 

 

[ams1001]

On 2/9/2020 at 12:18 PM, Commando Cody said:

The blonde woman who got eliminated - I don't remember watching her act.  I don't know what she did.  She didn't even look familiar.  She was in the first half of the episode - which I watched several days ago.  Absolutely no idea. 

Just reading this as tonight's show is getting going (as Duo Transcend is blathering on in their intro), and I cannot for the life of me think of who you are even referring to.

-----

• Alexa und Hunde - I like it better when you can't hear all her yelling of commands. It's a bit of furry chaos to begin with and the yelling doesn't make it better. It stresses me out.
• Duo Transcend - They're doing something they've never done before! Don't they say that every week? (Thank you Heidi for telling us three times that they're wearing blindfolds; I never would have known otherwise. ...Maybe I should mention that I'm a bit cranky tonight.) Cliffhanger! FFS, Heidi, stop screaming!
• Angelina Jordan - totally forgot about her...She reminds me of Winnie Cooper. (For the record: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road was released October, 5 1973. When Simon said it was 40-50 years old I thought, no way, cuz I remember it from when I was a kid and I'm not that old....the song is almost exactly two years older than me. 😲)
• Boogie Storm - Second act this season to use Old Town Road. I'd buzz them just for that. Really, Heidi? Was this really that different from their last performance? Either I wasn't paying attention then, or I wasn't paying attention now. Or maybe both. Probably both.
• Silhouettes - Just once I'd like to see an act that is telling a story without hearing the judges' "narration." Well, at least they didn't go off to war..?
• OMG, only one act can win? I didn't know that!!!
• Hans - "No more shenanigans"? But your whole act is shenanigans! (Points for his comeback to Simon's "without being rude....")
• Tyler Butler Figueroa - bored.
• V. Unbeatable - They are insane and I hope they win.
• Marcelito Pomoy - Now let's hear him do both voices at once. Then I'd really be impressed.
• Russian Bar - This week we're flipping over nails. That are on fire. Blindfolded. (Heidi: "Let's focus, guys." Um, you just have to sit there and watch. Hell, you don't even have to shut the hell up. What do you need to "focus" for?)

[CrystalBlue]

It took a while, but I finally watched Episode 5 which aired on Feb 3, before I watch Ep 6 and would have to endure four hours to get caught up after tonight.

I really enjoyed Hans' preview with him in the bathtub, and then his act was just wunderbar!  He stepped it up and even pleased Simon.  I know he won't be the final winner, but I really enjoy Hans and am happy he's gotten this far.

Another act I already loved who stepped it up was Alexa Lauenburger and her dogs!  

Weird that they pit the Duos together.  It was a toss up, but I preferred the first duo, Duo Destiny, because I liked the cover version of the INXS song and the background purple set, and thought it was sexy in a polished, classy way.

I agree with Commando Cody's comments and observations about Ryan, Tyler, Duet Singer, and Russian Bar.

[lb60]

V. Unbeatable for the win. They were robbed the first time.

That said, I will laugh and laugh if Hans wins.

[BuckeyeLou]

9 minutes ago, lb60 said:

V. Unbeatable for the win. They were robbed the first time.

That said, I will laugh and laugh if Hans wins.

I agree: V. Unbeatable for the win....they would get my vote, but I am Not a "SuperFan", just a "Regular" fan 🙂

[DietCokeJunkie]

V. Unbeatable was amazing. I was gasping in amazement through the whole act. When that kid flipped through the air and landed on the bike seat,  I cringed. That had to hurt his little coconuts, right?  I love their act, but I’m always afraid someone is going to get seriously injured. 

[InternetToughGuy]

I barely remember what happened this episode, as I spent more time concentrating on fast forwarding as much as possible. Any less time spent listening to Heidi shriek like a horror movie sound effect can only be beneficial for the crinkle lines on my annoyed forehead.

Alexa Lauenburger - The video before the performance was so damn embarrassing. Talking dogs has gotta be the most unfunny thing there is, which may be why I was reminded of Vicki Barbolak. The set design of being on the moon made me laugh and then check inbetween the couch cushions for any hidden recording equipment, as the fear of being committed never goes away. Act was OK, though the song added nothing.

Duo Transcend - These two perform essentially the same act as they did every other time they've been on here. It was so boring that even though I may be so unathletic that I can't bench press my own birth weight, I may need to see a sports doctor to make sure the several lapses of consciousness I had aren't something worse. The routine looked more like elaborate spousal abuse, at least for what being in such a cramped and elevated space would allow. Can't wait til the show is over.

Angelina Jordan - I didn't catch how old she was for the obvious reason that I passed out from holding my breath the previous commercial. Anyways, she sounds like a 50 year old unenthusiastically groaning at a cafe's open mic, so picture the career of pretty much 90% of American Idol alumni. I don't get how she would think this would contend with what other people are doing, so perhaps she can give her saddened reaction to being eliminated via Facetime while already on the flight home.

Boogie Storm - An act like this makes me brew with hatred....the kind of hatred that is intolerant of anyone who likes what I don't like. I thought it was shit and it would be treated like such if they weren't wearing unreasonably expensive merchandise that men my age shouldn't have any interest in buying (I don't, I use that money to pay webcam models to tell me I'm not that ugly). The dancing to random songs just looked like a musical scene at an old 50s diner where a guy shaping his hair with his hands and his "doll" jive to a jukebox. The crowd was screaming as if Heidi showed her morning face.

The Silhouettes - When the silhouette effect made it look like the character was a black man getting evicted, you know I was in a shouting match with someone from the NAACP hotline. I'm not even black, but I think getting evicted on the premise of me refusing to pay any rent has to have some prejudices in it somewhere. I'm sure even if they won, their future stories would be depressing somehow, though with the impending hyperinflation societal collapse that I've already gone bald from stress over, a million dollars will be the amount you find between your couch cushions. I see no reason to cry, as this fictional man's homelessness lasted 2 minutes. I thought this story was specifically about San Francisco, but quickly realized there wouldn't be the budget to have 500,000 extras and sprinklers spraying a mist of urine into the audience for full realism.

Hans - I thought it was a little funny that in defining "making it" as a success, Hans would be the star, and the women "making it" would mean being his ever-smiling eye candy. I would think that was funny if I didn't cry myself to sleep every night over how much I want to be a girl 😭 If I have to give him any credit, he has more command of the stage than anyone else, but his act is also the only one to guarantee absolutely zero enjoyment, unless he inspires another way of phrasing how small and pathetic I am.

Tyler Butler-Figueroa - You'd think the cancer has spread to his vocal cords the way he won't stop talking about it. The way how Tyler himself never says anything in his video segments, compared to most of it being his Mother hyping him up, I always think of her as a female (well not really) Don King - especially with how I'm wildly flailing lefts and rights at the TV trying to turn it off. Perhaps all the background musicians from last week regained the mindset of an elementary school kid and thought Tyler's cancer was contagious, since they were absent. It was boring. I would say the applause which is dependent on him being young is destined to fade away, since you can't stay 4'5 forever, but I am living proof that how you look in seventh grade may be the final model.

V.Unbeatable - Trying to comment on acts that were actually entertaining feels like I'm awkwardly standing in the corner alone at a house party, though I drink pretty frequently thanks to this show being on, albeit alone and depressed. It was good. The extinct specimen (the bicycle) being held up to the American crowd made it so cheers had to be added in post production.

Marcelito Pomoy - With how many cutesy wootsy pies in the audience were in awe of his performance, you've got to wonder if he wants to upgrade his wife (I'm sure me talking like an infant is proof that I don't get any tail). His performances get a lot of views on YouTube, which I don't understand, since I do a similar baritone/dog whistle combo when the puffed chest in my Facebook feuds suddenly have real life consequences. I don't get the appeal.

Sandou Trio Russian Bar - It's a good thing Terry told us not to try this at home, since I got a board filled with nails for Christmas from the one relative who supported my decision to drop out of university to become a backyard wrestler (he is also a loser). Act was decent.

I don't get what the deal is with this finale due to skipping as much fluff on this episode as possible - is there another episode tomorrow? I hope not, because then I will start to consider this abuse as normal and won't seek help. Speaking of painful shows that I reminisce about when they're over, American Idol premieres on Sunday, which I'll post about (maybe not on the day it airs), if anyone else here also watches it.

Edited February 11, 2020 by InternetToughGuy

[Neet]

Alexa Lauenburger - The video package featuring dogs talking with one having the obligatory diva voice was a thoroughly embarrassing way to start the show off. While not even being a fan of the act to begin with, this had to be the worst of her three (?) performances so far. Most of the routine consisted of the dogs jumping over things, which isn't especially rare to see, so the only trick I noticed was that all eight of them withheld taking a shit on any furniture. The rocket ship on the background graphic was a nice touch, it looked just like every other fake one from the news and my handful of beta blockers prevented a freakout this time. Anyway, the conga line was about the only impressive part of this for me. Perhaps the real money to be made is in quirky greeting card photos instead of performing.

Duo Transcend - My heart raced when they were throwing caution to the wind tonight, although most of it was going into shock from seeing anybody doing aerobic exercise. A few of the acts are getting obsessed with blindfolds. Maybe the crew could take note and pass them out to the live crowd for when shitty acts like Hans are about to come on stage. While it was a bit stale because there's only so many moves they can do on a swing, that woman flung her partner around with the finesse Amber Heard can only dream of.

Angelina Jordan - Not much of a takeaway besides remarking how much she looks like Amy Winehouse pre-drugs. Being 14 years old, she's almost aged out of that role. I don't know why musicians on this show don't resonate, while American Idol usually has at least a few bright spots every year, but this didn't have much going for it.

Boogie Storm - First off, what the HELL is with Heidi and Alesha's proclivity to bursting from their chairs in dance moves at a moment's notice? I never understand why anybody dancing causes the audience to instantly pantomime along with them, though I get why producers aren't holding casting calls for audience members to sit frozen with a scowl (like S. Cowell) on their face. The sole resonance I have with Boogie Storm is that their costumes would obscure my punchable face and wimpy yet simultaneously obese body, but none of the dancing is all that impressive and it seemed to lean on the medley of recognizable songs rather than having the choreography itself be memorable. The backbone of this act is them impersonating Star Wars characters, that's it.

The Silhouettes - As I commonly assume that no housewife is one on their own volition, this routine beginning with the woman in the kitchen preparing breakfast instead of working made me screech and suplex the television. Being 5'1 made me try becoming an ally of feminism to get pity sex, but it didn't work as I soon after faced the final death blow of balding at age 18. Moving on, it was hilarious to hear the judges narrate the plot that couldn't be anymore straight forward, just in case anybody is too slow to follow along despite words being displayed throughout. I'd like to think there's a 70 year old behind the scenes who wrote this story, since the homeless man literally got a job with a handshake, just like in the old days. This was supposed to be a sad story, but the depressing scenes juxtaposed with a fleet of dancers spreading their wings as the guy's getting thrown on the street led to some tonal confusion. The closing message was "help the homeless", which prompted tears from millionaire judge Alesha, who will conveniently forget about all of this by tomorrow.

Hans - How odd of him to say he was going for the popular vote in a country who didn't legalize gay marriage until less than five years ago. He gets more of a pass for stereotypes than Ryan Niemiller, both of their material is the exact same. At least Ryan has punchlines (I know the formats are different, of course), but Hans just insinuates his gayness and says "bay-bee!" while sashaying. Let's stop pretending the word Champions means anything. I'd have a word or two for him if my angry voice didn't sound like a harmonica, which might explain why the only backlash he gets is online and not in person. He has a lot of charisma despite barely doing anything at all. (insert comparison to Trump here, for those who fall to their knees over politics)

Tyler Butler-Figueroa - He's made it so far in this show because the "you're doing that and you're only ___ years old!" card has a limited shelf life, but the "I had cancer" card can be whipped out indefinitely. I was surprised that he said he was proud of himself and didn't mention that his self-esteem was solely derived from social media approval. I'd have to take a few selfies and filter my pores out of them just to show everybody how self-sufficient I am for praise. This was like a grade school talent show performance, though at least he was playing solo and wasn't relying on any secondary entertainment to keep people's attention. If Brian King Joseph were there, the frenetic stage moves along with ample pyro and sticking his tongue out would make "Hallelujah" sound more from the church of Satan than anything pure.

V.Unbeatable - These guys are gonna be pissed when they realize how impossible it is to travel in Los Angeles via bicycle, much less 20 of them to one bike. The flipping will come in handy if they lose and immigration ever tries to send them back home. Stupidity aside, it was the best performance of the night and one of the few that requires rewatching because there's so much going on.

Marcelito Pomoy - Wouldn't he come in handy when your mother calls to nag about why you're still single. "Actually, she's right here and wants to talk". While the gimmick itself has very limited potential, this song sounded a lot better than his previous performances because it sounded more like alternating into a falsetto and not solely trying to talk his way into Ladies Night at the bar. I was also impressed that his wife has supported him for so long, you'd think he could passive aggressively weaponize imitating her voice in an argument.

Sandou Trio Russian Bar - Terry prefaces this with "don't try this at home". Well damn, I hope Target will let me return the board of spikes I bought. Simon won't let certain danger acts use pointed objects, yet he was unsurprisingly mum tonight when spikes and fire were brought out in front of him. Entertaining act in spite of the woman doing the same jumps/corkscrew move every single time. Nobody was more scared than her two musclebound assistants, who would have no act to salvage if she impaled herself. Her risking getting nailed in every orifice is the first sign of a passionless marriage, poor husband. At least if she has postpartum depression, this is a pretty hardcore way to show it.

What a terrible show tonight, back to the status quo. It's so hard to think of anything to say when the show has nothing going for it, which is probably why more real commentary can be written for American Idol. (aside from the auditions, which feel like penance for past-life sins) I think the announcement that tonight was the finals of Champions elicited my biggest cheer of the evening. Thank God it's almost over.

Edited February 11, 2020 by Neet

[ams1001]

5 hours ago, Neet said:

I think the announcement that tonight was the finals of Champions elicited my biggest cheer of the evening. Thank God it's almost over.

Heh, I was looking at TV Guide listings for the next couple weeks (I keep a list of what I want to watch to minimize channel surfing out of boredom; if there's nothing on a particular night I just don't turn on the TV) and clicked on next week's AGT listing just to see where we're at. It said "Finale." I said, "WOOHOO!"

[Swenson]

Yeah it's almost over.  But probably the reason I won't shift to American idol is because it still needs Simon back.

 

He came out and said he'd get a tattoo if Boogie Storm wins Champions.....since we don't want to spoil this thing ....has anyone seen Simon shirtless since taping ended?   

V Unbeatable.....everybody thinks they're gonna win....and perhaps they should given that these alledged superfans didn't put through any acts that would be any more worthy.  But to me.....even as dynamic and dangerous as it is......it always looks the same and we saw that bike trick last summer too.

Alexa's dogs barked a lot and ran around and jumped over a rope ..... that's stepping it up?   Oh wait.....didn't she have them do the locomotion again?   Ok let's shower her with praise.  Moving on.

Tyler's violin playing this time sounded as though it belonged on the stage at Family Frolics night on the Brady Bunch.....complete with Peter and Bobby up in the rafters dropping feathers on him.   The backstory is why he's there.....it's sad and he's courageous.....I agree.

Marcelito certainly does have a unique talent.  I still wouldn't call it a "female" voice as much as I would just say he's got a great falsetto and a fantastic ability to shift back and forth like that.  But is it enough?   If he brought a puppet these judges would flip out.

Hans.....he's got no talent......that's all I got.

And i yawned and fought to keep awake through silhouettes.   

Sandau Trio Russian Bar was the same act over burning nails this time......But since I saw a small hop on the landing,. I have to deduct a few tenths.

Is Duo Transcend a Vegas show act?.....or a Ringling Bros. act?  I think they'd be better on the latter.  But they did win the battle of Duo acrobatic acts.

 

 

 

 

[saber5055]

On 2/9/2020 at 11:18 AM, Commando Cody said:

Who are these "superfans"  who get to vote?  How do you get to be a "superfan"? 

If you go back a page in this thread, you will find your answers to both questions in one of my posts.

[saber5055]

18 hours ago, ams1001 said:

Alexa und Hunde - I like it better when you can't hear all her yelling of commands. It's a bit of furry chaos to begin with and the yelling doesn't make it better.

I think this act is getting more votes than it's suppose to, so it goes first, so voters will forget about it, and Alexa's mic is left on so her yelling WILL be distracting.

I typically find good things to say about this show, but this episode left me devoid of any feelings other than how the heck did THESE dreck acts make it to the finals.

I have to say I enjoyed the dogs, total chaos that always came together in the end. I never liked Olathe Dogs, its tricks were so common, but Alexa's group of crazy dogs is so whack yet so talented, this act gets a vote from me.

It went downhill from there.

I hate Duo Transcend since they beat the better duo last week, and their imitation of the brother/sister/incest roller skating duo was the end of that act for me. I don't even care about looking at the shirtless man, it's that bad IMO.

I don't remember Golden Buzzer Angelina Jordan, which means being a GB isn't all that. Is her speaking voice all creepy like her singing voice? Does everyone want to be Billie Eilish now? I would have voted her off at her audition.

Boogie Storm takes the prize as the biggest dumbass act of the night, Simon be damned. A bunch of people in stupid costumes doing somersaults and round offs and a couple parkour back flips that are easily done by every competitor, including the women, on ANW. And someone get them some Velcro for those flopping cod pieces. I HATE this act so much. Agree with Howie's X for the first time ever.

The Silhouettes made me uncomfortable with the AA family getting evicted, then moving into a house that was clearly under the crotch of one of the dancers.

Violin Boy. Eh. Russian bar trio. They did this same thing last week with the fake fire that isn't anywhere close to the woman's feet. A bed of rubber nails. Eh. Marcelito. Okay I guess. If you can get past Simon's dead-fish eyes staring at him. So creepy!

Hans. I have to say, this act brought a smile to my face, which none of the other acts accomplished. I get a huge kick out of Hans and hope he does well.

V.Unbeatable ... best act of the night. I actually shouted out a blasphemous word when that kid got tossed over the judges' desk.

V.Unbeatable for the win, with second to Alexa's dogs and third to Hans.

My question: What does the Champion win? Parsing what Simon said at the beginning about what the winner will get, I came away with the winner gets bragging rights and that's it. Not even a glitter-ball trophy or train fare back to their home country. Wow.

[Neet]

5 minutes ago, saber5055 said:

My question: What does the Champion win? Parsing what Simon said at the beginning about what the winner will get, I came away with the winner gets bragging rights and that's it. Not even a glitter-ball trophy or train fare back to their home country. Wow.

I wondered that, as well. It was an overly generous assumption to think the winner got a million (pre-75% tax) dollars just like the regular show, but I never bothered to look. For most of these acts, travel fare home would be more of a spiteful punishment than a prize.
 

1 hour ago, Swenson said:

Yeah it's almost over.  But probably the reason I won't shift to American idol is because it still needs Simon back.

The old Simon who could dish out criticism would be welcomed back, not Uncle Simon who would probably ensure a top 3 hometown visit for William Hung at this point, with how much he's slacked off lately. At the very least, his presence would prevent having to hear stupidity from the entire panel, ex. all three hollering country soundbites ("yee, doggy!") every time someone with a cowboy hat walks in the room.

[HookedOnAFeeling]

For entertainment value, V.Unbeatable for the win, followed Marcelito Pomoy and Hans.  Champions 2020 was a  thoroughly forgettable season.  Too many AGT retreads and a lot of foreign winners with less than stellar talent.
 

[toodywoody]

48 minutes ago, saber5055 said:

 

The Silhouettes made me uncomfortable with the AA family getting evicted, then moving into a house that was clearly under the crotch of one of the dancers.

 

That is all I could see was someone's ass backing up to do the house everytime and it pissed me off. Like holy shit who thought that was a good look? 

The flapping cock pieces were another damn distraction that I could not get passed.

[Commando Cody]

I liked the dog act, but it was kind of all over the place this week.  I enjoyed last week's performance more.

I liked the arrangement for 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road'.  I did not enjoy the singing of it.  The girl has a warblely voice that I don't like listening to.  

I don't like Hans.  I never have.

V.Unbeatable got robbed the first time they were on.  I am hoping they get redemption this time around, but I wouldn't hold my breath. 

Silhouettes sucked this time around.  I'll say it.  I almost think they threw the competition so they could give America a message.  I have enjoyed their performances in the past, but it was almost like they were trying too hard this time around to inform America about homeless people. I don't even think it was performed that well. 

Whether you like Boogie Storm or not, I thought Howie was being a dick about it.  Just for the sake of being a dick. 

I lost interest in the guy who sings both parts. The song he chose needs the harmony of both voices and I felt that it was lacking because he, obviously, can't sing both parts together.  Too bad he couldn't record one of the voices so he could sing the song with the other voice. 

I fast forwarded through Tyler.  I also fast forwarded through the Russian Bar.  It's the same flipping act over nails with fire. 

[helenamonster]

I'm pulling for V.Unbeatable. They absolutely kill it every single time. I also think they want it the most out of anybody left. Not that that should matter but you can see it in every performance.

When the Russian bar trio was up I looked at the clock and thought oh wow I guess they're really cutting it close with revealing the winner...not realizing we have an entire additional episode to get the results. This whole season has been exhausting.

[saber5055]

2 hours ago, Commando Cody said:

Whether you like Boogie Storm or not, I thought Howie was being a dick about it.  Just for the sake of being a dick. 

He wasn't nearly as dickish as Simon was when Simon gave the Boogie Storm act Howie's Golden Buzzer on Howie's week to award the GB and thereby screwing Howie out the GB he was going to award. Howie giving this dreck act the red X was totally warranted IMO.

Sure, it's probably all scripted, but still ...

[Commando Cody]

17 minutes ago, saber5055 said:

He wasn't nearly as dickish as Simon was when Simon gave the Boogie Storm act Howie's Golden Buzzer on Howie's week to award the GB and thereby screwing Howie out the GB he was going to award. Howie giving this dreck act the red X was totally warranted IMO.

Sure, it's probably all scripted, but still ...

I don't think taking it out on the act was the right response.  He was mad at Simon. Boogie Storm didn't have any control over what Simon does. 

[CrystalBlue]

I thought we were going to find out who won tonight.  I guess my reading comprehension is on the fritz.  What is it about Finals do I not understand?

Alexa and The Dogs Show was entertaining, but the previous performance was better.  I still enjoy the act and love the doggies.  I wonder why they left Alexa's mic on so the commands came through to the audience.

Hans is hilarious and he makes me laugh and that's good enough for me.

Boogie Storm is the worst act in this finals.  Their costumes where the same, complete with flapping cups.  I thought the purpose of a codpiece was to hold it all still and protected, not wiggle around in an obscene way.  The act was the same, just different music and background.  Howie's Red X had me clapping and vowing my undying love for him.  I am highly suspect of Simon's affinity for this act and wonder if there's an inside joke or story behind it.

Miss Norway's rendition of "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" was interesting and rather enjoyable.  Like one of the judges said (Alesha?), she nailed the melancholy of the song.  I love it when young people sing classic rock songs, and prove the timelessness of them while making them sound new and fresh.

I enjoyed Duo Transcend even though I preferred Duo Destiny last week.  They're kind of interchangeable, which prompts my wicked mind to contemplate a Duos Wife Swapping Competition.

Russian Bar Babe and her Two Guys were impressive, even though I'm willing to bet a week's worth of beer money that those 160 spikes are made of flexible rubber and far enough away from the FIRE! to not melt.  I liked her costume.

[Vermicious Knid]

This was listed as the finale so I thought it would be the last episode and...what there's more? Next week is billed as the 'results finale'. So two hours of mostly the eliminated acts I guess.

I find Hans amusing. What you see is what you get, he's not trying for high brow entertainment. Admittedly, best in small doses.

I pay extra for the digital scan of my eyes so I don't spend 4-6 hours blind. And you get to see pretty cool closeups of your eyes.

 

[bluepiano]

On 2/9/2020 at 9:18 AM, Commando Cody said:

I almost fast forwarded through the Russian Bar act.  The fire did make the act more interesting.  She is a great gymnast.  There is something about her personality that's off putting.  I'm not sure what it is, but it's kind of un-likeable.  

Funny, I feel the same way. A certain smugness? In addition to adding fire and nails, they upped the sex quotient, with her very tight little shorts. They also played the cuteness card, with the phone call from the daughter. Well, at least they didn't tell us to help the homeless. Silhouettes owned the socially redeeming message card.

I fast forwarded through all of cancer kid and much of Duo Transcend, because it's the same act every time. So is Hans. And it wasn't entertaining the first time.

V Unbeatable made the Star Wars dancers look pathetic. What a stupid act. Not being able to see their faces creates zero connection to the audience. Also hated that one guy (I assume) acting like he wanted to fight Howie.

Did not like the 14 year old girl, with her all her meaningless runs. Don't get all the praise. Not even the best young girl singer they've had. 

I guess all you need to do to get a rave review from the female judges is play some dance music that gets them out of their seats. That's not exactly a talent.

A win for V Unbeatable would the only thing that would somewhat redeem this terrible season. I can't imagine anyone else winning. But nothing surprises me on this show anymore. 

By the way, over the years viewers (at least the older ones) have remarked that AGT brings us the kind of variety acts we used to see on Ed Sullivan. I'm watching reruns of old Ed Sullivan shows now on cable, and darned if there wasn't a "Russian Bar" act. (Of course they didn't call it that). There was a guy who I actually remembered from when I was a kid, who laid on back and juggled things with his feet. Amazing. Have never seen that on AGT.

 

 

[foxfreakinmulder]

5 hours ago, bluepiano said:

A win for V Unbeatable would the only thing that would somewhat redeem this terrible season. I can't imagine anyone else winning. But nothing surprises me on this show anymore. 

I agree 100%.

I'm going to have an unpopular opinion here but if violin boy wins, and it seems like Simon is setting him up to, my 2 cents tells me it's because of all the crap that happened with Gabby. It would prove they're/he's not racist. I'm sorry but the kid is not a prodigy he's average for his age.

I did not like the girl that sang "Good Bye Yellow Brick Road" one of my all time favorite songs. Her voice was cracking like crazy and in my opinion she sang it too depressing.

I want the doggie act to finish in 2nd place. I'm so impressed with this little girl taking the time to train these dogs instead of sitting in front of an electronic screen for hours.

[Swenson]

17 hours ago, saber5055 said:

He wasn't nearly as dickish as Simon was when Simon gave the Boogie Storm act Howie's Golden Buzzer on Howie's week to award the GB and thereby screwing Howie out the GB he was going to award. Howie giving this dreck act the red X was totally warranted IMO.

Sure, it's probably all scripted, but still ...

But wasn't he going to give the gb to Ryan Niemiller later in that episode?  Y'see?.....Simon did us all a favor.   but anyway......I don't get Boogie Storm either.

[bluepiano]

3 hours ago, foxfreakinmulder said:

I'm going to have an unpopular opinion here but if violin boy wins, and it seems like Simon is setting him up to, my 2 cents tells me it's because of all the crap that happened with Gabby. It would prove they're/he's not racist. I'm sorry but the kid is not a prodigy he's average for his age.

I did not like the girl that sang "Good Bye Yellow Brick Road" one of my all time favorite songs. Her voice was cracking like crazy and in my opinion she sang it too depressing.

I want the doggie act to finish in 2nd place. I'm so impressed with this little girl taking the time to train these dogs instead of sitting in front of an electronic screen for hours.

A win for the violin kid would really be a travesty. Not only is he not a prodigy, he flat out can't really play. It's all about the back story. They just pretend it's a talent contest.

A lot of young singers make songs sad and depressing as a way to show that they're serious "artists."

The little girl dog trainer seems very sweet. Not a great act, but it doesn't annoy me like Ryan Neimiller or Cancer Violin Boy, so that's something. 

[Swenson]

We got hot news regarding guest performances for the grand finale show.....KISS!

Also, Lindsay Stirling, Kodi Lee, Shin Lim, Travis Barker, Colin Cloud, and Keseniya Siminova.

 

[atlantaloves]

I'm all about the Doggies.....This season totally sucks!

[marketdoctor]

On 2/11/2020 at 2:18 AM, InternetToughGuy said:

Sandou Trio Russian Bar - It's a good thing Terry told us not to try this at home, since I got a board filled with nails for Christmas from the one relative who supported my decision to drop out of university to become a backyard wrestler

I want to make a TV show based on this post. 

Wait, Johnny Knoxville already did.  Still, thank you.

I liked the showmanship of being blindfolded, even when, for some acts, the blindfold really just removes a distraction.  And I loved their act anyway. 

Overall, it's an entertaining show, but I hope they take a few years off from the "Champions" and let some more acts get some time.  Or just do an occasional hour of Lindsey Sterling, Terry Fator, and Piff the Magic Dragon.  Either way.

 

[DaphneCat]

Forgot to mention this earlier but whoever does the closed captioning for this show needs to be fired immediately.  When cancer boy started playing the song was described as "Jeff Buckley's Hallelujah."  AGT probably has nothing to do with this but that was a complete travesty - almost at bad as this season was.

[Lonesome Rhodes]

And the Oscar goes to...

Oops.  As boring as it was, this show ended on time.  Well, it never really should have started this season.

If they could figure out how to use dogs in the stunts, V_Unbeatable would retire all AGT trophies.

 

 

[foxfreakinmulder]

On ‎2‎/‎12‎/‎2020 at 1:12 PM, Swenson said:

We got hot news regarding guest performances for the grand finale show.....KISS!

Also, Lindsay Stirling, Kodi Lee, Shin Lim, Travis Barker, Colin Cloud, and Keseniya Siminova.

I would only care to watch Shin Lim but I'm not sitting through everyone else just to see him so I'll watch the last 3 minutes of the show to see who wins :-)

[Bliss]

2 minutes ago, foxfreakinmulder said:

I would only care to watch Shin Lim but I'm not sitting through everyone else just to see him so I'll watch the last 3 minutes of the show to see who wins 🙂

That's exactly why the pvr was invented!

[foxfreakinmulder]

2 hours ago, Bliss said:

That's exactly why the pvr was invented!

I don't have one or tv service. I watch the next day on HULU.

[UncleChuck]

I thought the highlight of the finale episode was the little toddler in the stroller on the street during Hans' intro package when he was pandering for votes from passersby.  When Hans, in full glitter getup rolled by the little baby nearly twisted himself out of his ride trying to look back and figure out "What in holy heck was THAT?!!!!"

[LennieBriscoe]

I skipped the entire season, but I'm TIVOing the Finale to watch only Shin Lim!

InternetToughGuy, please also comment on "Married at First Sight" and "90 Day Fiance" if you don't already! 😄 😘

[Lonesome Rhodes]

A reputable gambling site has posted odds on the winner tonight:

 

[Mr. Sparkle]

I can't believe an act could come in below Boogie Storm.

[ams1001]

Why you gotta bring Queen into this mess, AGT?

[Jessa]

I was happy to see the sand lady back, but I’m annoyed that they didn’t just leave the camera shot close up on the art she was creating. I do not need to see the two musicians, though I can see why they would cut to them. I really don’t need to see the judges, or a wide shot of the theatre and I really, really don’t need to see randos in the audience! 

[ams1001]

Oh, the suspense. I can't stand it. 😐

[lb60]

Yay!!!!

Very happy with the winner, as well as the top 2.

Also, that sand artist is freaking amazing. I love me some Shin Lim, but I thought she got robbed on the first Champions show.

[Mr. Sparkle]

I'm pleasantly surprised with the results tonight. At least Tyler didn't win. 

[ams1001]

1 minute ago, Superclam said:

I'm pleasantly surprised with the results tonight. At least Tyler didn't win. 

I was surprised he wasn't second.

[Lonesome Rhodes]

Colin and Shin were tremendous.  I would so try to see them in LV.

It was nice to see even a fleeting shot of Nick (in the Heidi montage).  

Say what you will about KISS, but those gents know how to stage an entrance.  

I actually chuckled when Hans couldn't keep a straight face as he introduced the (his) "supporting acts."  

Props to the AGT producer who came up with the concept of the sung sand art presentation.  Ameriker (assuming announced results were legit) never got it more wrong than in its lack of support for Kseniya.  Ukraine got it right.

The editing tonight was not up to customary AGT standard.  My guess is the time crunch was too much to overcome.  

The last stunt (grabbing the drumstick) was fantastic end to a fantastic act by a genuine champion act.  Didja notice a near-total lack of verbiage as to how close the competition was or how several acts could win?  The Baskerville Hound (Simon) never barked.  

Was the Heidi tribute a hint that she will be back for the coming AGT 2020?  Fine by me if the jidges and Terry return.

[DietCokeJunkie]

So do they win anything besides the ugly trophy? 

[SG11]

I hate this show because of the pretend superfans and the rigged results.

And I knew it was rigged for V Unbeatable from the beginning.

But Angelina Jordan’s talent is so far and away on a different ZIP code than the other nine acts, its laughable she wasn’t at least second to the anointed ones.

But not even top 5 ? Screw this “show.”

 

[CrystalBlue]

Very predictable that V. Unbeatable won.  Hans went out with style.  I want to see him doing something somewhere.  I disagreed with the order in which the acts were eliminated, but it doesn't really matter.  Enjoyed KISS.

[Neet]

I have no desire to put effort into this post, the show is fucking trash. Not watching last year's Champions compared to sitting through it this year feels like a before and after meth timelapse. Didn't catch the premiere of American Idol yet, is that any better or just more staring into the abyss?

Kiss - I'm surprised they never went by French Kiss, with all the tongue action going on. Anyway, gotta wonder how many hundreds of thousands of dollars they were paid to do a two minute set. They said this current tour was their retirement tour - I thought these fakers wanted to rock and roll forever?

Marcelito Pomoy singing "We Are The Champions" showed how little faith he had in winning tonight. To his dismay, all 10 acts can't be joint winners this year. The group of performers didn't seem to include Tyler, and it's quite telling that Hans did nothing but introduce everyone else, since he has no discernible talent.

JJ Pantano - This segment had to be co-written by Jackie Fabulous, there wasn't a single punchline in here. Didn't even seem like an attempt at humor was made.

V. Unbeatable & Travis Barker - "Blink 182" sounds like my eyes rapidly trying to fight falling asleep during this show, but this performance was pretty good. All of their effort to steal a drumstick at the end shows a lot of dedication for common pickpockets, I think Travis should just let them keep it.

Heidi Klum video package - I guess her being 'funny' equates to yelling, making noises, and dancing at the drop of a hat. Makes it sound like Ryan Niemiller was trying hard in comparison.

Angelina Jordan, Tyler Butler-Figueroa and Kseniya Simonova -
Having so many things go on at once reminded me of why I justify listening to audio while playing a video game, then remember little of either. Everyone's attention span is going to be so burned out that going back to singular acts will feel like torture. Tyler was a non-factor as usual.

Lindsey Stirling & The Silhouettes - Is there no budget for military propaganda ads so they have to be done on talent shows now? At first glance, I assumed the "grandmother" in her rocking chair was actually a 20 year old American with arthritis, aka the last phase of puberty. Most of these supposed stories are just illustrating events with little subtext, it's pretty embarrassing. Regardless, the shadow violinist in the story was still more compelling to watch than Tyler.

Shin Lim & Colin Cloud - When downing anti-psychotics like farm fresh eggs every morning, seeing these two read Alesha's mind incited little more than a yawn from me. The cards are a bit more impressive, but the mind-reading can't be anything but backstage collusion.

Kodi Lee - My best compliment of him is that his Mom is hot, and I'd probably have a good shot considering my height is lackluster enough to be classified as special needs in several countries. He said he was glad to return to the show as an "artist", but I didn't know he'd been doing anything since winning the show. (upon checking around, he hasn't)

Results:
V. Unbeatable's celebratory jumping around probably ended quickly after realizing there was no monetary prize, thus why the producers probably cut to credits before Terry got punched.

__

Good riddance, what a terrible show. It makes the next real season of AGT even less anticipatory when only 3.5 months away, and it's pathetic to imply that I'm still going to watch it...because I will.

Edited February 18, 2020 by Neet

[InternetToughGuy]

Throughout my post, I keep referencing someone winning a million dollars; I have zero idea if that's even true, but now that the show's over and my body is starting to detox, I don't want to look it up.

All week I've been confused as to the format of the finale, since most finales air on consecutive days, so I was unsure of how much liquid sedative I should have on hand for tonight's episode. I'm sure I also felt like this for the past few seasons of regular-season AGT, but since this isn't the main show, this finale just felt incredibly weak and unimportant. Then again, being on the edge of my seat as to which man-who-isn't-me will win the million dollars is pathetic, so I didn't really care about the outcome.

KISS - It was so typically male how Terry just said "kiss" was coming without warning or my consent, it made me screech; after all, since Gene Simmons has probably buried his face in the nethers of 10,000+ groupies, his lips could easily be labelled a biological weapon. If anyone on this forum is 60+, I'd be interested to know how big of a deal KISS was in the 70s, because it seems they have been touted as a nostalgia act for at least 30 years, most of those years having been spent on the millipede (tour with a thousand legs). I can't recall a time in my whole life where they were seen as anything but old. Anyways, it seems like the song lasted 2 minutes and then stopped abruptly. Most of the members looked somewhat young, so either the Satanic rituals they do actually work or none of the original guys are in there. Don't really care either way.

I forgot that these finales always have stupid/annoying segments of the judges sitting down and being asked inane questions about their favorite desserts or what the other judges smell like or whatever. I skipped all of these segments, so other than a contorted grimace, I have nothing to say.

Hans, Marcelito, Duo Transcend, Storm Troopers and Russian Trio Bar perform We Are The Champions, which I was so idiotic, I didn't realize til it was almost over that they did that song because of the show's name. The performance being so good would be the most likely reason why someone would say they could feel Freddie's presence, but for me, that has to do with believing every conspiracy theory video with eerie organ music to be 100% fact.

Next video package was about Alesha Dixon, who I have no idea who she is or what she does other than cause the blue veins in my forehead to come to the surface in rage.

The next video features JJ Pantano, who despite watching all the way to the end of tonight's episode, I didn't figure out he was eliminated last week. This segment was so embarrassing and terrible, I'm willing to bet the poor naive boy accepted Jackie Fabulous' offer for private coaching. I'd tell him to knock off the judge material, but I can relate to having to make fun of the 95% of people much bigger than myself who would lose social standing by hitting me.

V. Unbeatable performs with Travis Barker - it was good, so I don't have anything to say except the cool, attractive, and talented man looked real awesome behind the drum kit.

Heidi Klum video package - I wish I could offer my own compilation of every time I've smashed my TV, because most times can be accredited to her. So damn annoying.

Angelina Jordan, Tyler Butler-Figueroa and Kseniya Simonova - Tyler was nearly inaudible for most of it, which made the performance passable. The artwork appearing to be drawing latte foam art may be a look into the future careers of most of these acts, as they are pretty uninteresting. The lyrics to "Mr. Sandman" echoed in my head, as I wish the artist would've sprinkled some of that sand in my eyes, since this performance as a whole was very sleep inducing.

Lindsay Sterling/Silhouettes - Having imagined Lindsay was lifting her legs just for me made me blow hot plumes of my putrid breath down my moustache area and mesmerized me in the act. Silhouettes have always been annoying, since none of their acts are ever positive. Between them having to act out depressing scenarios and meticulously practice them for hours on end, they're probably gobbling Big Pharma poisons antidepressants by the handful. I was about to nod off before I caught a glimpse of the shot of them standing as one being waving 10 hands around, which I took as an attack on my Christian faith and I hurled my glass of water across the room in a fit, destroying my expensive sound system.

Shin Lim/Colin Cloud - This would've been fine if it was just Shin doing his thing (as in being hot), but fusing this mentalist shit in, means the trick you know is coming is padded out with 10+ minutes of b.s. If he was truly a mentalist, he would've known my sleepy head was hitting the pillow and waved goodnight to the camera. Tonight's display of mentalism was the final clue for me waking up to the realization that the government knows what I'm thinking at all times, so I ran outside in a panic, only to see the sky looking extra fake. Nowhere is safe.

Kodi Lee - For someone like me who screams when women's beauty isn't comparable to flawless cartoon characters, his Mother is so hot 😭. If he says he's signed to a record label, what sense does it make to perform a cover? I felt a little down when I found out that me being socially retarded didn't make my voice do anything special when talking to people other than crack into a truly pitiful squeal that makes shopkeepers wince in pity. I hate this act, since it turns every audience member from a normal person into someone who would start speaking in a dog-like "who's a good boy?" voice if they got to talk to him, due to wanting to be seen as a good person.

Among the highlight packages of the contestants' auditions, seeing how different Hans looked in just 2 years is surprising. They say when men age, their testosterone production decreases, but when starting from a base of zero, who can say what old age holds for him.

I'm not going to go one by one for every act that got eliminated like I'm the local radio host announcing lottery numbers, since you all watched (though anyone with a cheerful demeanor obviously did not). V. Unbeatable won, which was pretty much what you'd expect. I'd hardly call this a victory for them, since after the government takes $300,000+ (money which will rightly be allotted to people who simply don't want to work), they get to divide $600,000 between like 30 people and it's not like the lump payment is that big anyways.

I prefer American Idol way more than AGT, since there's usually a few likeable people compared to this show that makes me progressively more irritated with every episode. If anyone else here is watching it, I'll probably write about it tomorrow.

Edited February 18, 2020 by InternetToughGuy