S14.E22: Live Finals

[Lonesome Rhodes]

The competition continues.

[ams1001]

Here we go! Let's get this sh*tshow on the road!

• Recap the season...nothing to say there.
• V. Unbeatable: Um, they already told us what the V stands for. But I give them credit for waiting this long to give us the full sob story. I don't think there's anyone in the world I would trust as much as these flying kids have to trust the rest of the group.
• You're sitting right in front of a microphone, Gabrielle. You don't need to scream.
• Is it bad that I want V. Ubeatable, Detroit Youth Choir, and Ndlovu to be the final three just to watch them cram them all on the stage?
• Detroit Youth Choir: Are they singing the same song in their package that they sang in the last performance? Maybe it's my extreme whiteness (I'm roughly the color of their shirt sleeves) but I didn't understand a word of their rap segments. I dunno, all their performances sounded pretty much the same to me.
• Jesus, Gabrielle is annoying. Calm down.
• Thank you, Howie, for reminding us that only one can win. (America's Got Highlander?)
• Happy birthday, Emanne.
• "We've said it a thousand times..." Yeah, you really need to get some new material.
• "You span the entire gambit"? Um...
• Aww, Ryan's family seems nice.
• I just noticed that Gabrielle appears to be being attacked by a large albino squid.
• Every time she opens her mouth I want to scream "SHUT UP!"
• Stop saying "star." Not everybody's a star. We're probably never going to hear from most of these people ever again.
• Voices of Service reading letters from soldiers. Sorry, I can't snark on that.
• The judges getting all worked up and teary makes me irrationally angry-annoyed. Why is that?
• Light Balance Kids were...lit. Okay, I wasn't totally paying attention. I got distracted by a Maru & Hana video on facebook. I saw some hamburgers or something.
• We missed Dennis? We knew nothing of Dennis until tonight. How did we miss him?
• Julianne looks like someone threw a ball of glitter glue at her head.
• Happy birthday, Benicio. (Baby Benicio still adorable.)
• Kid has some...interesting sweaters.
• Tyler Butler Figueroa: Um...I was busy slicing a peach. Sorry.
• Kodi Lee: That was really nice.
• (Until Gabrielle started talking.)
• Ndlovu Youth Choir: Apparently Converse sneakers are the thing to wear for Youth Choirs everywhere. Their background almost gave me a seizure. Now I'm gonna have Toto stuck in my head all night.
• Do the judges really think watching this show "changes people's lives"?
• If I had to vote (which I don't)...hmmm...V. Unbeatable but if it's gotta be a singer Kodi Lee.

Edited September 18, 2019 by ams1001
stray formatting snuck in

[Lonesome Rhodes]

V.Unbeatables would have been a worthy champion in several years.  They, to me, are the best of this craptacular season.  I still can not believe the stunt early on tonight when the small boy was moving across the stage, 20 feet up in the air, by skipping on airborne tumblers.  Insanely massive.

The Detroit group got an utterly unfair advantage by performing TWO songs, one of which was on tape and subject to enhancement by the editing wizards (genuine compliment) at AGT.  Their package was far superior to what Ndlovu got.  And sorry, a Toto song for the win?  Not in this universe.

Kodi's subdued performance was also a very strange choice for an ep of this magnitude.  

The others all did what they do well.  All, imo. lacked what it ought to take to be in a Final.  

My Grinch self wonders if the placement of the Unbeatables was purposeful so as to blunt their chance of winning and giving Ndlovu the best shot with the pimp slot.  

I would vote Unbeatables to win, but I believe Kodi will take it.  

[CrystalBlue]

Well, after all that, I think it's Kodi who should win and will win.

[Eric G]

I'm all about V.Un, Ryan and Ndlovu but Kodi will probably win.

So glad V and the Ndlovu choir killed it, it gives them a fighting chance.  

[silverspoons]

I think Kodi will win,

Disappointed in the finale overall. No magic acts and I did not like the comedian much (the female comedian I felt was better who was cut int the semi finals.

I think V unbeatable are good but not the best of the best of the best the judges keep saying. I watched the college cheerleading finals and they have similar elements in routines and a limited pool of talent to draw from.

I wish they would leave all these winners or people from other countries got talents and voice shows for the AGT champions and have good old fashion auditions in US cities like the used to. 

[InternetToughGuy]

The sadness is in the air for the contestants, as this is the last night they get to perform (at least not beside a urinal in a casino's bathroom). The same cannot be said for the average viewer, as this show which was supposed to provide entertainment and enjoyment has yielded the effect more akin to having to shovel manure in the backyard - of course it's not a fair comparison, as the amount of poisonous chemtrails in the air makes going out nigh impossible for the average tin foil hat wearer, but I digress.

The show begins with a recap of all the best moments of the season so far, to which I was surprised it wasn't a highlight reel of multiple credits rolling and the sound of the TV being turned off. For real, I do have to say that this season has been boring as hell with nothing that memorable coming out of it.

V. Unbeatable - Them repeating the origin of their name once again proves that the producers must expect the average viewer to watch one episode and vow to never torture themselves again; either that or mind programming requires multiple listens - I am currently listening to this segment backwards to detect if anything evil was added. Not really much to say about them, since it's a pretty good act, though it feels like there are the parts with backflips, etc. and then unimpressive dancing used to pad out the rest of it until another high point. To sum up the amount of shots fired their performance gave off, I would say "bang galore", which might be funny to them if they were from there, but they're not, so for that joke, I worked for nothing (now that's India!)

Detroit Youth Choir - I suppose the producers decided to have their video package feature a repeat performance after trying and failing to find a single Detroit landmark to film that hadn't been stripped down for scrap metal. I don't know who could have so much city pride over a place that is such a dump, it can be given the slang name of "Det", referring to the economic ruin as well as the failing of public schools to teach basic spelling and grammar. I was on board with the song for about 5 seconds before they sang "we put our hands up" - how much of this police state stuff do they gotta sneak in there?! You'd think the audience was trying to throw them into a rage by waving red flags like they're trying to influence a bull's movement, which is odd, since the anger lays with the viewer who is wondering why they are still here. Gabrielle is screaming "Detroit vs Everybody!", which is inaccurate, since they are the only ones setting their own neighborhoods on fire and still somehow wonder why they didn't make this year's Lonely Planet's best destinations list. You do have to wonder why Gabrielle is so impassioned about them "representing", since she's from Omaha - is Detroit such a lawless land that the nonphysical borders of the town have also been destroyed?

Emanne Beasha - The fact that someone much younger than me is enjoying any sort of success while I'm 48 and still beg my Dad for 25 cents for lemonade made me put my foot through the TV in a toddler-like huff. It was a smart decision to sing another song nobody could decipher, as English is becoming an outdated mode of communication in America. Her video segment (I never know what to call those things) was pretty inspiring until she said the "sky" is the limit, which made me want to "time out" like Zack Morris, since I am against the spreading of false ideas. I'd consider writing a book on my time/space conspiracies if I didn't think doing so would result in black suits coming to wipe my mind 🤐

Ryan Niemiller - I guess we can add muscular dystrophy to his list of ailments, since I thought his routine was much weaker than the other ones, aside from what he said at the beginning and very end. He still has a decent chance at winning, I think, though in the future, an act like him won't get that far with sympathy votes, as the typical calcium-deficient American's arms will contort like that after a single jumping jack.

Voices of Service - With the public concept of the military being rugged and tough being deconstructed every week, I guess it won't be long til I can add a red and puffy faced G.I. Joe figure to my collection. Perhaps their video package was filmed outside to possibly connect the sniffling to pollen in the air, which may have worked if the tears hadn't become what they're known for more than the singing. I'm no expert on conflict trauma, since even a stranger asking me to move my car so they can get into the adjacent parking space causes me to shut down emotionally to the point of soiling myself, but I highly doubt a 90 second performance of a cover is going to make layers of torment lift.

Light Balance Kids - With the performance being dancing hamburgers and pizza, I'm surprised their costumes didn't have giant teeth marks in them, though the average American would take probably ten minutes to walk the 30 feet from their seat to the stage, so it all works out perfectly I guess. Contrary to politics, seeing a bad thing multiple times doesn't make me want to vote again in the hopes that that will somehow change.

Benicio Bryant - These video segments are so embarrassing: "Hey Dad", "Hey son - now I have to read my lines about you being on that TV show". From the Facetime call, I actually thought his Dad was an NFL player, though that would make being only 100 pounds overweight qualify as an athletic build, which is a classification we are still 2 years away from. I didn't know if he wrote this song himself until the end; I thought it was pretty good, though it sounded he wasn't hitting some notes near the chorus, though since my voice sounds like the hum of a truck's diesel engine (minus all masculine implications), I can't say anything. He also has a good chance of winning.

Tyler Butler-Figueroa - Since he has a low chance of winning, I am hoping his birthname is not prophetic, in terms of suggesting he'll be installing bathroom flooring as "Tiler". I guess anything is better than Forte, whom you can assume are homeless at the moment. I liked his performance, though you have to wonder what's in the tap water if he can get cancer several times and also have such a girly voice blaring out of the speakers without even opening his mouth.

Kodi Lee - As for how much of a knockout his Mom is, I'd consider his name as being short for "K.O. Di-lee-cious", which involved me making several low-IQ grunts of sounding out any hidden words I had never seen. Probably for nothing. Everyone seems to think he has the best chance of winning, which might be true, but it's probably all for the story, which is just annoying. Performance was alright, which for singers is pretty high praise coming from me. With all of the attention Kodi gets from his Mom, I can only hope my complete inability to talk without stuttering and making eye contact in the presence of beautiful women would yield similar results, should I ever interact with her. I'm likely going to have to marry my brother in a wig, so I should just give up on that dream too.

Ndlovu Youth Choir - They cover Toto, which for real is a brand of toilets in Canada, which helped me make the immediate association with this act being shit. Do people really take pride in a choir doing cover songs? I also have to wonder how many people are swayed by this "Africa is beautiful" stuff, since I don't believe the millions of starving people you see are all aspiring runway models. For all the excitement of the million dollars, I'm still willing to bet possessing a handful of change scooped from between the average westerner's couch cushions would be enough to put you on the cover of the African Forbes magazine. It's obvious that my whole post has comprised of me being stupid and not speaking about the acts at all, but there just ain't be nothing to yak about. It seems the group acts consisting of blacks try and be sold as a "social message" by the judges, which despite me rightfully being labeled a dog for my remarks on women, it is even more true in the sense that I don't see color, so these preachings are unnecessary.

I thought the show was real boring; I could say it was the worst finale in years if my brain didn't regularly filter traumatic experiences out to avoid permanent fear mechanisms from developing, though that one time I was told to get a part time job before turning 45 is starting to resurface. I can't wait for the excitement of tomorrow's results show where it'll take 50+ minutes to see Detroit Youth Choir clapping with tears in their eyes at the announcement of last place. Also expect to see Ansley Burns mysteriously appear in the Top 3 with no explanation.

Edited September 18, 2019 by InternetToughGuy

[Neet]

They're not exaggerating - this has been the most storied season of AGT of all time, for damn near every act in the finals is only there for prior tragedies that have nothing at all to do with their talent. (or lack thereof, for that reason) When everyone's pre-performance video package repeated the same tired sob stories, I took my silver spoon out of my mouth and threw it to the ground in outrage.

V. Unbeatable - Perhaps the most inspirational act out of the bunch, as watching them really gets me motivated to resume the backyard wrestling federation that almost crippled me in boyhood. I'm not sure how sensible it is for them to pay tribute to their founder who died during a dangerous move by flipping off of buildings, but more power to them. There's like 25 members in the group - surely they'd realize how risky their current act is and hold choir practice to try to find one of their own who can sing to build a safer act around. There's not a lot of real feedback to give, since they're probably the best on the show and I won't know anything about jumping from high places unless the debt collectors call.

Detroit Youth Choir - Why are Americans more territorial than Falco when it comes to their hometowns? Detroit is by all accounts a total dump to live in, so DYC keep complaining about the struggle but simultaneously feel pride in "repping" the place where they do monotonous daily activities (and try not to be killed). I remember someone on here said they liked Lionel Richie on American Idol because both of them are from Alabama, which sounds hilarious to find solidarity in shopping at the same regional grocery stores or whatever else. The US is more culturally diverse/globally relevant than Canada, and parts of the country are quite different from others, but I still don't get it.
Regardless, the performance was alright but they really need to do away with the breathless rapping segment that sounds like the audience trying to eek out their entire drive-thru order in one gasp.

Emanne Beasha - "Tenor" eleven, her age doesn't matter because my interest in opera music is lower than the bottom note of the vocal scale, of which I just looked up the name and immediately forgot because as I said, I just can't give a damn. Every song she picks sounds like a toothless senior citizen oddly content with communicating in soft vowels. As others with actual knowledge of opera have pointed out, her voice probably needs to develop some more before competing at such a high level, but by the time she's matured, this show will probably be comprised of sob stories from 10-appendage amputees who were born dead, so competition will be tough.

Ryan Niemiller - Sadly, a weak routine from him with the exception of that "hate crime" joke at the end. I wasn't trying to make a lame entendre/allusion to his yard sale jokes, as I just noticed it, but he's built up enough good will with previously entertaining material that I still want him to win. It's nice that not everything he says is about his arms, but some of the punchlines or reveals are sort of predictable. A longer set would probably help him a lot, though that could be said of any comedian except for Jackie Fabulous, who I'd prefer to see perform for the length of a haiku and then disappear. Ironically, since "Fabulous" left, the average quality of any other comedian has gone up; and on that note, another example of reverting to the mean is renouncing vows of kindness to reiterate that she's still fucking terrible.

Voices of Service - This quartet is like someone who sees a therapist for so long, there's no longer a need for bullshit introductions and they can continue the next week's session right where they left off before, adding to the same stream of tears about woes from 20 years ago. Which artists they're inspired by, or anything regarding their actual music is anybody's guess, since it's all about the D-Day story, or is it Groundhog Day, since their background is repeated verbatim every time. It doesn't even seem like they enjoy music, for how little they mention it. Getting eliminated tomorrow won't be good for their mental health, but as we all know, they're brave.

Light Balance Kids - Despite being from Ukraine, they clearly know their American audience to be doing a routine centered around fast food, right down to the scary portion sizes that inhibit movement. What else is there to say besides congratulating their parents on the heavy lifting they did to put this routine together. Maybe they hope the kids are too young and dumb to do math and they won't notice a sizeable chunk of that million "goes missing" if they win. Also, that video package was embarrassing, talking about how they lead each other in the dark like dancing around in french fry costumes is as serious as a lighthouse keeper guiding a ship.

Benicio Bryant - I thought he was covering "Love Yourself" by Justin Bieber, but apparently it was his own song. He sounded like he was going to forget the words throughout the entire thing, it was a terrible performance. A lot of what he was singing had the same vowel sounds as Emanne, despite the words being in English. It makes me want to recant my prediction of Benicio eventually becoming a big name in music, but that would mean I can't point my obese fingers at him on the TV down the line and say "I knew that kid would go places". That's an idiotic concept, unless one of the judges knights an obviously talented act by pressing a golden button on the desk, then their names are forever intertwined.

Tyler Butler-Figueroa - I beat the crap out of my now-former friend for saying he's voting for a kid fiddler to win the show, I realized he was referring to Tyler when it was far too late. Anyway, his backstory isn't annoying to me like the others are, though his act is pretty limited. He's enjoyable enough to watch for a minute but not a real contender, and his dancing sometimes throws off his playing although it's more logical to do that than stand there expressionless. I bet a bunch of his fans have heard that rumor of cell phone radiation causing cancer and won't vote out of respect, unwittingly putting Tyler even further away from the crown tomorrow night.

Kodi Lee - I love that Kodi's showing a bit of attitude. In his video package, he was rolling his eyes at the interviewer like a teenager getting dragged to the mall for school supplies. Performance-wise, I don't think he's anything special. When Simon shut his eyes, you have to wonder if he was merely trying to separate Kodi's voice from the backstory or if he was envisioning what kind of Milli Vanilli act he'll put together with an attractive lip-syncer pantomiming along with the voice of a guy with autism - disregarding how stupid and unmarketable that sounds. This whole season, I never thought he'd be the winner, but when looking at everyone else, it's hard to imagine who else could win. Guarantee his devoted fans will disappear when it comes to supporting his post-show career, though.

Ndlovu Youth Choir - They've overcome poverty in Africa and now "world vision" (a relief company similar to Unicef) thankfully takes on new meaning with all eyes on them, but I still don't get the appeal. Since all four judges love the group and yet can't pronounce their name, can Emanne lend them some vowels (A, E, Y) to have the name spell an identifiable sequence of words? With that out of the way, they're at least more deserving to be there than DYC, which isn't saying much, but they are more cohesive/polished/other word from a thesaurus. Not a lot to say, really.

Terry listed several lame names in the list of who will be performing tomorrow, "plus other surprises I can't say", which should quell all excitement when you realize that anything less worthy of televised mention than 70+ year old Cher must mean that Gonzo bribed someone to be let back into the arena and NBC doesn't want to chase viewers away by announcing it.

Edited September 18, 2019 by Neet

[suebee12]

How bad was this show? So bad that I only watched V. Unbeatable and Ryan Niemiller all the way through, and I wish I had skipped Ryan also(except I did enjoy his family). I completely skipped the judges because they were a big part of why this show was so boring....do we really need all of those kid choirs? I don't think I am even going to watch tonight until the very end. I will record it and if I read here that an act was good, I can skip to it! All in all a bad night and a bad year and I am pretty sure this is the last year I watch.

[ams1001]

1 hour ago, suebee12 said:

How bad was this show? So bad that I only watched V. Unbeatable and Ryan Niemiller all the way through, and I wish I had skipped Ryan also(except I did enjoy his family). I completely skipped the judges because they were a big part of why this show was so boring....do we really need all of those kid choirs? I don't think I am even going to watch tonight until the very end. I will record it and if I read here that an act was good, I can skip to it! All in all a bad night and a bad year and I am pretty sure this is the last year I watch.

I have to go to my parents' tonight to feed the cat and let out the dog they are watching (yes, I'm dogsitting the dog they are dogsitting...). They said they'd be home around 9 and I don't have to stay but if the fuzzy things are in the mood to cuddle I just might stay and watch with them. Perhaps they will help keep my blood pressure from rising whenever the judges' start talking.

Edited September 18, 2019 by ams1001

[Mr. Sparkle]

1 hour ago, suebee12 said:

How bad was this show? So bad that I only watched V. Unbeatable and Ryan Niemiller all the way through, and I wish I had skipped Ryan also(except I did enjoy his family). I completely skipped the judges because they were a big part of why this show was so boring....do we really need all of those kid choirs? I don't think I am even going to watch tonight until the very end. I will record it and if I read here that an act was good, I can skip to it! All in all a bad night and a bad year and I am pretty sure this is the last year I watch.

Oddly enough, I usually skip to the judges comments, cause I find them the most interesting part of the show, especially towards the end when I'm tired of the acts. Last night, however, there was just about no deviation from the "that was amazing, just what we need, you're an angel on earth, etc." schtick. 

I can always skip the intro videos, especially at this stage. I skipped through most of the singers and that violin performance. I got through the 2 hours last night in about 50 minutes. 

[Keekski]

I really lose all interest in the reality shows I watch once the final rounds are upon us (The Voice, World of Dance, SYTYCD). I'm just done, even if I did have a dog in the race (I wanted Dom in the finals). I thought either Kodi and V were destined to be the winner from the get-go. It has to say something about production if I'm just out three weeks before the finale, right? The only reality show finale I'm holding onto right now is Ink Master. What? I'm sure me and my 6 and 8 year old kids will watch all the back episodes we have on AGT because they LOVE it, but ugh. 

[Neet]

2 hours ago, ams1001 said:

They said they'd be home around 9 and I don't have to stay but if the fuzzy things are in the mood to cuddle I just might stay and watch with them. Perhaps they will help keep my blood pressure from rising whenever the judges' start talking.

America's Got Talent: the show so bad, even the fans can't watch it without therapy dogs.

[saber5055]

I liked V.Unbeatable, always have, so watched them all the way through. I didn't watch the sob story, we already know V died. I still like them. I'd watch cheerleading squads too if, as another poster said, they do the same things. I gave them 10 votes.

The choirs (both of them) gave me a chance to watch BIP on the other network.

Opera girl looked like she was being attacked by giant sea anemones from outer space. I stared at them for most of her performance, fascinated, before I flipped again to BIP. Who decides on these background things? Because of the anemones, I didn't hear any of her singing, thankfully.

Do opera singers always hold and move their hands like that? Palms up, arms outstretched, reaching to the sea anemones above them?

I tried to like Ryan but only could manage a weak smile maybe once during his routine, while I woke all the dogs with my loud guffaws watching Bring The Funny. That show had comedians who really were funny.

I wasn't watching Light Balance, then glanced over and saw they were dancing food items! That got my attention since nothing is more fun than some skipping and hopping burgers and fries. While I didn't know what the point was, I did like them for the first time I am always distracted by bright, shiny things. I do like me some neon food. I didn't vote for them though. It was too little, too late.

I missed Benecio's video package but am guessing it was the same thing: He's a kid who liked music. He's still my fav, so I gave him 10 votes.

While it's blasphemous to not like service members, I don't get how three military people singing on AGT is so inspiring it keeps other vets from PTSD or wanting to commit suicide.

Same with violin boy. He beat cancer so he is a role model for other cancer kids? Like if they beat cancer they can play the violin too? I did look at violin boy before I flipped back to BIP, just to see if he was wearing his overalls that only have one strap.

I have to say, Kodi's interview was cute and endearing. His song wasn't that great this week, but I don't think that matters as I see him winning this whole thing. So, good for him. I didn't vote for him, thereby letting everyone else get their votes in.

You're welcome.

[ams1001]

24 minutes ago, saber5055 said:

I tried to like Ryan but only could manage a weak smile maybe once during his routine, while I woke all the dogs with my loud guffaws watching Bring The Funny. That show had comedians who really were funny.

I enjoyed Bring the Funny, though of the final two I would have picked Tacarra to win (wasn't a fan of the sketch groups, really, and if I had to pick one it would have been Chris & Paul).

25 minutes ago, saber5055 said:

I do like me some neon food.

You should check out Sean Spicer's neon lettuce shirt on Dancing with the Stars!

25 minutes ago, saber5055 said:

I missed Benecio's video package but am guessing it was the same thing: He's a kid who liked music. He's still my fav, so I gave him 10 votes.

That was the gist of it, yes. Including a replay of the videos of him as a little kid. (And also a ploy to make me feel old since he pointed out the show started when he was one.)

[Commando Cody]

The only acts I watched all of was V.Unbeatable and the African youth choir.

Everyone else I couldn't sit through. 

I like the African Youth Choir. I didn't like the arrangement of this song. The singer seemed off or it wasn't a good song for her to sing. 

Based on this. V.Unbeatable for the win. Although, even though I didn't like the arrangement, I would be happy if the African choir won. 

I never need to see any of the other acts ever again. 

I thought 'The Voice' thing was going to be a bit. I'm disappointed that I wasted my time on a lousy promotion.

[ShellyD]

Mr SD and I watch based on whether or not we would buy a ticket to their show in Vegas.

Since we DVR the show, that means we fast forwarded thru all the singers, both choirs and the quartet plus zoomed through all their packages. I think it took about 40 minutes to get through a 2 hr show. 🙂

We liked Ryan N., V Unbeatable and Light Balance Kids. Doubt any of them will win though.

Really, really, really wish that AGT would ban singers or at the least,  refuse to allow the judges to pick singers for Golden Buzzers. 

[saber5055]

19 minutes ago, ShellyD said:

Really, really, really wish that AGT would ban singers or at the least,  refuse to allow the judges to pick singers for Golden Buzzers. 

Golden-Buzzer singers are good, it means we don't have to suffer through hearing them again and again, not until the bitter end. It's sort of a lose-win-lose thing.

[bluepiano]

13 hours ago, Neet said:

They're not exaggerating - this has been the most storied season of AGT of all time, for damn near every act in the finals is only there for prior tragedies that have nothing at all to do with their talent. (or lack thereof, for that reason) When everyone's pre-performance video package repeated the same tired sob stories, I took my silver spoon out of my mouth and threw it to the ground in outrage

That sums up the season. It wasn't a talent competition, it was about saving the world. Or inspiring us to better people. Or have more empathy for poor/downtrodden people.  There's certainly no other way to account for the Detroit Youth Choir being in the finals. Among others.

My favorite all year has been Kodi Lee, who I think is a huge talent, independent of his disabilities, but his best performance of the year was his first one, "A Song For You." It's almost like after that he "was playing not to lose," because the song choices were safe and boring. Early in the season someone posted that he does a killer version of "Bohemian Rhapsody" and would probably save that for the final. I personally don't ever need to hear that song covered again, but wish he'd done something fun and upbeat tonight. Maybe his advisors thought it would cost him votes if he sounded happy?  I just hope he didn't blow it last night. 

I was disappointed that Ryan went back to doing an entire routine about his arms, and it bugged me that he used part of his "act" time to beg for votes. To me that was not cool, even with the "hate crime" joke.

So Emanne is literally an angel? Sorry, I didn't hear that she died. Wow, that was some crazy commentary from the judges. Especially Gabrielle, who was screaming at me all night. I previously wrote that nothing could ever make me want Mel B. back. I may now be rethinking that. 

If Tyler B-F was busking on the street or in the subway I would be entertained for at least 30 seconds.. But please, he really does not play the violin that well. Even for a kid. 

Light Balance Kids do the  same act week after week, and I've never found them entertaining. I also believe they shouldn't be on the show, because it's really just a second chance for their parents, who  obviously do everything except the actual dancing. Which isn't that great anyway.

Benicio Bryant is so musically not my cup of tea that it's hard to for to comment. But I will say that he's as far from being a "Vegas Act" as any finalist I can remember. 

Edited September 18, 2019 by bluepiano

[Sounder]

Simon says it was the best ever.... He has to because he thinks you'll believe him.   It was lackluster because there were lackluster acts.

Ryan spoke about his disablements again..... BZZZZ.

Detroit Youth Choir did a rendition of "Africa"..... done better one year ago by Angel City Chorale......BZZZZ

Ndlovu youth choir did a repeat..... Really a repeat?  Like you ran out of new ideas for the finale?...... Wasn't inspired by the lazy choice...... Nor inspired period......BZZZZ

Kodi was kinda sleepy and boring..... he should jump up she do a "Crocodile Rock" just to show us he can..... or anything uptempo just to keep me awake.   But he's assured the win.

V Unbeatable..... Can they make an entire show with the same basic routines time after time only with different outfits on.   I think they could be a feature attraction in a touring show with multiple acts or something..... But Vegas?   I dunno.

Benicio had the performance of the evening but it isn't enough to win and he shouldn't really want it because he has the highest future star potential.   Not enough tragedy for agt though.

Emanne needed the judges save......enough said.  She already wasn't polling enough votes.

Voices of Service I feel like why are they even there?  Because it's military and were being taught to worship it?    I wish people would've been in that mode back when I served...... Because back then you didn't want your daughters to marry us because we're undereducated losers who couldn't get into college and had no choice.   I guess a few things have happened since then.

Maybe Light Balance Kids can get a guest spot opening for G-Force on their first tour.

That just about does it..... I'm sure we'll see a few of these acts on the upcoming Champions II season.

It's  1 Kodi.....2 Benicio.....3  V Unbeatable.

[Lady Iris]

Thanks to all you lovely people I can safely not watch last nights ep. DVR tonights, not watch it, come back tomorrow and find out all I need to know without the sob stories. My final two come down to Kodi and V.Unbeatable. Doesn't really matter who wins since I'm not going to Vegas anytime soon.

[Sounder]

Correction....I had the choirs mixed up.... Sorry but that's what happens when there's two.

[bluepiano]

5 minutes ago, Sounder said:

Correction....I had the choirs mixed up.... Sorry but that's what happens when there's two.

Ndvolu Youth Choir sang "Africa" because they're from Africa. Detroit Youth Choir rapped because they're from Detroit. If that helps you keep it straight. 

[kirklandia]

14 hours ago, InternetToughGuy said:

From the Facetime call, I actually thought his Dad was an NFL player,

[OfficialJiNi]

Not gonna lie... Kodi had me in tears last night. He's been the chosen one from the beginning, and I'm definitely more than okay with him winning. 

With that said, I'd give it to either V. Unbeatable or Light Balance Kids (aka the acts I would gladly pay monies to see for 1.5-2 hours). 

[OfficialJiNi]

Also... wtf happened with Julianne's glitter in her hair last night? It's like her stylist spilled a bottle of glitter, that was supposed to be a design. Lol. 

[rr2911]

I was really looking forward to this season of AGT. With 2 new judges and all, I thought we might finally get some real judging. Boy was I wrong! From the moment Julianne Hough opened her mouth, I knew this was going to be one of the worst seasons evvvverrrr! Well, there is Gabriella Union to provide some balance. Wrong again! Her over the top responses left me want MelB to return.

Tonight's finale is going to be anti-climatic, since we all know who is going to win regardless if the "guaranteed winner" had the most votes. TPTB will find a way to "tweak" the votes I'm sure.

Voices of Service starts us off with the first elimination of the night. I liked their singing, but I just don't see them as a Vegas act.

I am surprised that DYC is still around, since there is nothing special about this choir. Sure, they dance and sing pretty good, but I could easily see this locally. Just one of many acts that are heavily dependent on sob stories. Growing up in a rough neighborhood and upbringing doesn't mean a great Vegas show.

I'm just going to say it here. Ryan the comedian is not funny at all. I think people laugh at his jokes because he waves his arms, knowing that people will notice. His jokes fell flat yesterday.

Emanne sings opera and everyone stands and applauds. Why? Because we can't understand what she's singing so it must be good? She was one of two singers that sounded pitchy. The other singer will come in at #2.

Tyler's violin playing while dancing is not new, but the judges apparently think so! He kicked cancer's butt which is great news, but he also kicked other contestants butts that were more talented than he was. Thanks to the sob stories!

Ndlovu, the other choir is more polished than DYC. They dance better. They sing better. They even dress better. I don't care for choirs, but this is the first choir I won't mind seeing winning.

LBK. These kids are awesome! Period!! They do everything that I would enjoy seeing in a Vegas act. Besides coming from a war torn country, their back stories don't hold up to the eventual winner or any of the others. My favorites, but America doesn't agree.

V. Unbeatable should probably win AGT. They performances are stunning with all the acrobatics and stunts. If LBK doesn't win, then I'll be cheering V.U on!

Benicio is not my favorite by any means. Nor is he the best singer on this show. The really good singers have been eliminated already. He was pitchy last night, but the judges weren't going to tell him that. In fact, they haven't told him anything of the sort. America seems to love him.

Now we get to the reason this finale won't have an exciting ending. It's been decided already! Kodi Lee has gotten the best treatment any contestant could get. Never has received critiques of any kind. unless you think "you make America better" or " you brighten up the room" are critiques, not one judge has bothered to say anything about his singing. He has received the most sympathy votes. It would be cruel if Kodi doesn't win after the judges and America basically declared him the winner weeks ago.

[rr2911]

45 minutes ago, OfficialJiNi said:

Not gonna lie... Kodi had me in tears last night. He's been the chosen one from the beginning, and I'm definitely more than okay with him winning. 

With that said, I'd give it to either V. Unbeatable or Light Balance Kids (aka the acts I would gladly pay monies to see for 1.5-2 hours). 

Unfortunately, many people think it's ok to give Kodi Lee the win because of his disabilities. If you read Facebook posts, the first thing people mention is how he inspires. How he brings love to the world. Nothing about his singing. 

[rr2911]

It's a shame that Kodi Lee is being judged differently than the other contestants. If Kodi did not have disabilities, he would be just another singer that would've been eliminated weeks ago. But the "shock factor" of an autistic blind guy singing are the coat tails people are following.   

[foxfreakinmulder]

19 minutes ago, rr2911 said:

I was really looking forward to this season of AGT. With 2 new judges and all, I thought we might finally get some real judging. Boy was I wrong! From the moment Julianne Hough opened her mouth, I knew this was going to be one of the worst seasons evvvverrrr! Well, there is Gabriella Union to provide some balance. Wrong again! Her over the top responses left me want MelB to return.

I can't stand them. And what's with them flailing their arms around like they do when they talk.

I love my fast forward button sooooo much. I would not have been able to watch this without it.

For me, a Vegas act is entertainment so I could see V.Unbeatable or Light Balance Kids performing a 1 or 2 hour show. They are high energy and fun to watch.

If I had to pick a singer or singing act it would be Voices of Service.

I do think the Choir from Africa could be entertaining if they incorporated some of the colorful African tribal wear along with some tribal dances and drums. But I'm not a big Choir fan.

And for God sake Julianne and Gabriella sit down you're blocking the stage from the poor saps sitting behind you.

It's so obvious Cody is going to win.

[helenamonster]

DYC not only sang last week's song in their video package, they did the same song from their audition for their final performance. All that tells me is that their mastered material is limited.

Serious question for anybody who knows anything about opera: is Emanne actually good? I mean, I suppose she knows how to technically sing opera, but she always sounds pitchy and like she's really straining to keep her voice up there. Not sure if it's because she's so young or because she just doesn't have the right voice for it, but it's never sounded legit to me. It sounds like she's imitating the style instead of incorporating actual learned techniques.

I enjoyed LBK, but I have to say...the ones that were standing around during the judges' comments dressed up like the food? I was cracking up. You just saw their little eyes peeking out through the holes. It was hilarious.

Also, they send in their package that Dennis had never danced with them on the show because he got sick before their audition. So the judges can shove their fake "We missed you Dennis" bs.

Tyler was really bad tonight. Sweet kid. Glad he beat cancer. Not a good violinist.

Predictions based on various elements (needing saves in other rounds, GB status, etc):

Bottom 5

• Emanne Beasha
• Ryan Niemiller
• Light Balance Kids
• Ndlovu Youth Choir
• Voices of Service

Top 5

1. Kodi Lee
2. V.Unbeatable
3. Detroit Youth Choir
4. Tyler Butler-Figueroa
5. Benicio Bryant

[silverspoons]

3 hours ago, Lady Iris said:

Thanks to all you lovely people I can safely not watch last nights ep. DVR tonights, not watch it, come back tomorrow and find out all I need to know without the sob stories. My final two come down to Kodi and V.Unbeatable. Doesn't really matter who wins since I'm not going to Vegas anytime soon.

I don't see why the hype up Vegas show as a prize and the end game. I have been to the Vegas show. I live near Vegas , would not go out of my way.  They take the top 5 acts , sometimes maybe someone Wow from 6-10 (non singer) and they each get 2 short spots to perform and the winner gets the finale with multiple songs or dances or whatever the talent is.  

Besides Terry Factor, I would say Grandma Lee has had the best Vegas run? I have seen plenty of the comedians , top 5 top 10 or not have their name on a billboard. have yet to see any singers with regular Vegas gigs from the show (one winner was in the lounge, for $5 of the red rock casino , no signage, my kids went to a bowling birthday party and I was inside and saw an arrow and his picture, a winner from maybe 8 years ago with a guitar). 

I wish they would give up the Vegas act idea and just have a tour like American Idol used to with the top ten acts going to nationwide cities. 

[bluepiano]

1 hour ago, helenamonster said:

Serious question for anybody who knows anything about opera: is Emanne actually good?

From what I know I would say she's certainly talented, but there are some technical deficiencies, not unexpected in someone so young. There are reasons that you don't see people singing in major opera companies until they are much older.

Which brings us back to the inescapable fact that as long as you have contestants so young they are always going to be graded on a curve. A 25 year old professional who sings at the Metropolitan Opera would get a big ho-hum if he/she went on this show. (Of all the kid performers on this show, I feel that Darci Lynn was the only one who was so talented that they didn't need to be graded on a curve. Her act was great for a performer at any age.)

57 minutes ago, silverspoons said:

Besides Terry Factor, I would say Grandma Lee has had the best Vegas run? I have seen plenty of the comedians , top 5 top 10 or not have their name on a billboard. have yet to see any singers with regular Vegas gigs from the show (one winner was in the lounge, for $5 of the red rock casino , no signage, my kids went to a bowling birthday party and I was inside and saw an arrow and his picture, a winner from maybe 8 years ago with a guitar). 

I wish they would give up the Vegas act idea and just have a tour like American Idol used to with the top ten acts going to nationwide cities. 

What you said verifies what I've always felt, that despite this show's obsession with singers it's given us a really weak crop over the years.

Regarding the tour idea,, I don't think this show has the kind of dedicated following that Idol has had, at least in the past. I can't imagine many people actually buying tickets if an AGT touring show came to their town. 

[CrystalBlue]

1 hour ago, silverspoons said:

I don't see why the hype up Vegas show as a prize and the end game.

I wish they would give up the Vegas act idea and just have a tour like American Idol used to with the top ten acts going to nationwide cities. 

This.

[InternetToughGuy]

19 hours ago, silverspoons said:

Besides Terry Factor, I would say Grandma Lee has had the best Vegas run? I have seen plenty of the comedians , top 5 top 10 or not have their name on a billboard. have yet to see any singers with regular Vegas gigs from the show (one winner was in the lounge, for $5 of the red rock casino , no signage, my kids went to a bowling birthday party and I was inside and saw an arrow and his picture, a winner from maybe 8 years ago with a guitar). 

I wish they would give up the Vegas act idea and just have a tour like American Idol used to with the top ten acts going to nationwide cities. 

For real, I got pretty confused, since I had to decipher Terry Fator and thought you were talking about Kodi's Mom. It's disgusting to hear that what seem like hyperbolic jokes about lack of fame show up in forms previously unimagined - why wouldn't you rather get a day job than feel all that shame? Despite AGT surpassing American Idol's viewership for the past few years, it seems like the appeal for a tour would be so much smaller, possibly because unless a magician embarks on the ridiculous concept of putting together magic tricks for an audio-only CD, there's not much in the way of keeping up a fandom of somebody.

[Booklady1017]

20 hours ago, silverspoons said:

I don't see why the hype up Vegas show as a prize and the end game. I have been to the Vegas show. I live near Vegas , would not go out of my way.  They take the top 5 acts , sometimes maybe someone Wow from 6-10 (non singer) and they each get 2 short spots to perform and the winner gets the finale with multiple songs or dances or whatever the talent is.  

Besides Terry Factor, I would say Grandma Lee has had the best Vegas run? I have seen plenty of the comedians , top 5 top 10 or not have their name on a billboard. have yet to see any singers with regular Vegas gigs from the show (one winner was in the lounge, for $5 of the red rock casino , no signage, my kids went to a bowling birthday party and I was inside and saw an arrow and his picture, a winner from maybe 8 years ago with a guitar). 

I wish they would give up the Vegas act idea and just have a tour like American Idol used to with the top ten acts going to nationwide cities. 

Some of the top acts who do well end up going on tour. I saw Terry Fator when he came on tour and he was great.