America's Got Talent Forums

I am going to open up this topic where everyone is free to discuss what they think of this season's acts and make predictions on who's going to win. (Let's keep the harsh comments to a minimum.) I'll also make lists ranking the acts that perform each night.

For now, here is who I can picture in the Top 4:

Lys Agnes: I would like to start by saying that this girl has two of the Three Handicaps: Attractiveness and Sympathy, therefore making her quite a dangerous act right from the get-go. But aside from that, she IS a very good singer, as her audition showed. I can see her making it to the Finals, especially since opera singers always make it far in this game. And I would say that if a singer HAS to win YET AGAIN, I think she should be the one. You may notice that with the fine exception of our Season One winner, Bianca Ryan, all of the winners were male singers who were over 30 (and yes, that includes Terry Fator). I think if this years winner was at least a FEMALE singer in her 20s, that would be a step forward. But other than that, she may be the best singer in the game (from what I've seen).

Landau Eugene Murphy Jr.: While Lys Agnes would at least be a mild subversion from the last three winners, Landau Eugene Murphy Jr. would, for the most part, continue the trend. He's charming, he's male, he's in his 30s, and he overall has a very unique singing voice. I considered Ryan Andreas in such a position, but since he was axed, Landau is who I think may very well win this season. I do like this guy, and I'm rooting for him to go far, but 3rd or 4th can't hurt, can they?

Silhouettes: These kids have a very unique act, and as long as they bring their A-game to each round, they can definitely go far. First of all, they have the Cuteness Handicap on their side. I don't think there's ever been an act with ANY of the Handicaps (excluding the singers) that held so much potential. As long as they know what they're doing, they could already be well on their way to the Top 4. Hell, I might even root for them to win. After all, it will be a HUGE subversion from the other winners: A group of youths, mostly female, who DON'T sing. However, it does seem that since Bianca Ryan, America's not willing to vote for child acts as the winners...But at the same time, this isn't completely a child act. Who knows, maybe America will see that the kids in this act are in good hands and will actually vote for them to win.

Matt Wilhelm: You probably don't know who this guy is. While I didn't quite see the final results last night, I do believe that this is the winner of the Youtube Auditions (although acrobatic ballerina Beth Ann Robinson was pretty close behind him last I checked). For the most part, he's a stunt biker, as you can plainly see in his other videos. But in his audition video, he added blacklighting into the act, making it even cooler. While a common complaint is that he's copying the style of Fighting Gravity last season (which I must admit appears to be the case), it's still a very cool act, and as long as he knows how to utilize it for the AGT stage, he could definitely go far. While he does have rivals in the Visual Arts category, primarily Team iLuminate, I see him as the one with the most potential. Whether or not he wins is a completely different matter...

Other potential front-runners:

Anna Graceman: Child singers are usually bound to go far, at least the ones that stand out over the other child singers.

Team iLuminate: I do find it predictable that these guys might wind up in third this season with Lys in second and Landau in first.

Comparing the last two seasons:

Winner: Country guy with guitar.

Runner-Up: Female opera singer.

Third Place: Cool performing arts group.

Fourth Place: Opera cabaret act.

(Not as likely this season, though.)

Not passing Leonid but then passing Sam B.... that was a dick move.

Real pity; I was sure they would put him through this time...

Anyway, here is my review of tonight's show, ranking the twelve acts:

12: Those Funny Little People. I found them mildly entertaining in the audition rounds, mainly because I found the costumes to be quite innovative, and their dancing wasn't too bad either. This time, all I saw was them felt-lip-syncing to rain-related songs. Hardly any talent displayed here.

11: J. Chris Newburg. Hardly funny at all, but I felt that the concept of his "Bad Idea" song was charming, especially with the kid choir. (But I think I could have done without the glued-on beards; that was just disturbing.)

10: Squonk Opera. This was...strange. The effects were KIND of entertaining, and the lady's voice was okay, I guess. I think it was when cherub-man flew in that I just shook my head.

9: Duo Aero. Considering that there were three danger acts tonight, and two of them rocked, one was bound to not approach the others. I liked some of the moves, but like Piers said, it was overall kind of boring.

8: The Fiddleheads. I like these guys, I really do. But like the judges said, it was the wrong song choice. They otherwise did a good job with both instruments and vocals, but with a pop song's instrumental playing on speakers in the background, they weren't completely audible, and it just didn't have the charm that a different song could have provided.

7: Echo of Animal Gardens. I'm surprised, because Echo did quite a bit better than I was expecting. After the Vegas round, I didn't know how this was going to work out. But thankfully, the little bird pulled through and gave us the most entertaining performance yet. BUT...Like Howie said, it's not really a Vegas act so much as it's an act for a pricey birthday party. Plus, the female parrot didn't do much...So overall, not great, but I still enjoyed it.

6: Dezmond Meeks. This guy has a lot of potential! He has a great voice and great stage presence. If he goes through (in which it seems like a bit of a toss-up), he could very well build up into this year's Prince Poppycock.

5: Anna Graceman. I will tell you now: This girl WILL be going through to the next round! And why wouldn't she? Aside from being only eleven, she truly does have a voice that rivals and even tops so many American Idol contestants. I think we can guarantee that this girl will go far...Although, after several other girl singers her age, the game may be a little more challenging for her. Mainly for my cynicism for singers, and also because it wasn't super-entertaining, I'm keeping her at #5...But she will still be going through.

4: Snap Boogie. I really do like this guy. He has excellent moves, great stage presence...and a cool hat! He's very likeable, but he might be the member of my top four picks that will be sent home in favor of Anna.

3: Miami All Stars. These People started the live shows with a bang! Their moves were great, their choreography was great, their style was great...Overall, it was just great!

2: Fearless Flores Family. Let's give it up for the most daring family in America! It was just cool and pure fun to watch. Here's hoping America votes them through, because I would really like to see what kind of act comes next!

1: Sandou Trio Russian Bar. Quite possibly the most daring performance ever on this show! The flips were amazing, especially over the flaming spikes. This night belongs to STRB!

So overall, very entertaining start to the quarter-finals! Some acts fell flat, some were pretty middling, but the majority of acts were very enjoyable to watch.

My Votes: 2 for Snap Boogie, 2 for Miami All Stars, 3 for Fearless Flores Family, 3 for Sandou Trio Russian Bar.

My prediction on America's votes: Probably the same order as I listed, but with Anna moved into first or second.

Well, America has voted, and unfortunately, my second favorite act last night did not make the cut. Real pity...I felt like the Flores family could have gone far...But I guess America didn't want to put those two kids' lives in danger.

Meanwhile, some of America's votes have proven that they are not as predictable as I first imagined (though the top 4 were pretty predictable, especially Anna obviously coming in first and STRB coming in second). We saw TFLP, who were arguably the worst act last night, make it into what I am pretty sure is sixth place. And the Fiddleheads, who were criticised by all three judges, make what I am pretty sure was fifth. Nonetheless, the acts that made it into the next round all deserved it. Here is what I think of each of them and my foreshadowing of their future performances:

Snap Boogie: This guy is just fantastic! He is like Haspop from last season only even better! He knows how to make a simple solo dance act into a show, and as long as his future acts have the same quality, he could go far. I personally would have picked the Flores family over him, but he is a good choice nonetheless, and best of luck to him.

Sandou Trio Russian Bar: Very entertainingly suspenseful act. They said that the next performance will be completely different but equally exciting. Well, as long as it is not THAT different...You know, to the point that it barely resembles the act they established themselves as. The judges, or Piers to say the least, do not take kindly to changed acts. If these people are to go far, they must keep the act they started as, but always up the ante!

Anna Graceman: What more is there to say about this girl. To have such a voice at such a young age is nothing short of astounding. I still hold some irrational cynicism toward her due to the fact that I know of at least two other girl singers around her age who got the same rep, but I shall be fair and say quite frankly that this girl deserves to make it to the end...Whether or not she wins, however, is another matter entirely.

Miami All-Stars: I was worried for these guys...There have been several occasions before where we were down to the judges' pick, and the act out of the three that is sent home first is the one that I wanted to go through, and this looked like it could have been another one of those occasions. Thankfully, TFLP was sent home, Piers celebrated, and these guys were the unanimous choice. All I have to say is this: Keep it up! Just bring in a new level each time, and this could very well be the ultimate dance group of the season.

Very unfortunate night. After last week's mostly-excellent showcase, we are treated to a night where barely any acts did a good enough job to advance...And even the ones who DID do a good job weren't perfect. I think Piers said it best: Some great acts were sent home last week and probably should have been brought in tonight...if it weren't for similar types of acts also being tonight (motorcycles, feminine cabaret singers, etc.)

So without further ado, here's my ranking of tonight's performances...Though it won't be easy to dig through the crap deciding which was better than which:

12: The Rhinestone Ropers. Unfortunately, after a very high-adrenaline audition, this cattle-rangling couple made the most fatal mistake an act could possibly make on this show: CHANGING THE CONTEXT OF THE ACT! This is especially unfortunate when danger acts do this, because you have such high expectations for them (I'm still barely over Mario and Jenny from two years ago). When you see someone make such a stupid decision, you can't help but wonder...Who put them up to this? I mean, do they really come up with these ideas themselves? To try and sum up this atrocity, I had my hopes up for this act, especially after the other subpar performances. When I heard that the act involved a horse, however, I became quite uncertain how things will work...But who knows? Maybe the horse will add to the thrill of the danger. And then my story became pretty much the same as Howie's: I expected something cool, they put a hat on the floor. I expected them to whip out some deadly weapons, they put a blanket on the horse. Overall, I think I would have buzzed these guys at about the same moment Piers did. And now these two will go down as two of the dumbest people ever to play this game. The lesson for all people who ever enter this contest is this: STICK WITH WHAT MADE YOUR ACT GOOD TO BEGIN WITH! STOP DOING THINGS THAT ARE OUT OF CONTEXT JUST TO IMPRESS THE IMPRESSIONABLE!

11: Thomas John. Let me just say this: It would have gone much better for him had he not kept dropping the pins. It was a goofy act to begin with, some of the staging was a bit distracting, especially the judges' bobbleheads in the background, but overall, it was entertaining to watch, and he was doing some neat juggling tricks with the pins when he wasn't dropping them. The problem is: He dropped them...twice! And for that fatal goof, this was not his night. But I'll at least give him some credit: AT LEAST HE TRIED! He stuck with his act and attempted to show off the humorous display of talent he had. Sure, he failed to stay with it, but at least he didn't TRADE IN HIS ACT FOR A CHEAP BIRTHDAY PARTY TRICK WITH A DAMN HORSE! (I know I'm being hard on the Ropers, and I'm kinda contradicting my own rules on keeping harsh comments to a minimum, but seriously, they screwed up in a way that pushes my button, and I cannot excuse them for that.)

10: Dylan Andre. Definitely the most boring and least talented singer tonight. At some moments his voice sounded good enough, but most of the time he was just out of it. And THANK GOD the judges owned up to their positions and told him that he wasn't good enough to go through! If there's one thing I despise on this show, it's when the judges are super-easy on singers and tell them that they're good enough even when they were undeniably off-key. So with the exception of Sharon, the judges were not afraid to give this pretty-boy the stone-cold facts. HOWEVER, the fact remains: He holds the Handicap of Attractiveness, quite possibly the most deadly Handicap in the hands of male singers. Therefore, especially on a night where there's not enough good acts to choose from, he MIGHT still get voted through purely based on his good looks (in which case I'll puke). Quite honestly, I don't think he's a bad singer, but seriously, he's just the type of act that can ruin it for many superior acts; he wasn't good enough tonight, therefore, he doesn't deserve to go through.

9: Dani Shay. This girl kinda suffered the same thing as Dylan, good at some parts, flat at others. But at least the setting was more likeable and her voice wasn't AS flat. The problem I have with this girl (aside from the controversial decision to send her through after two chances in Vegas) is that when she first entered the competition, she seemed to be establishing herself as a comedic singer. Her singing is okay, but not good enough to trade in parodies of Bieber hits to be taken more seriously. Overall, just not good enough.

8: Attack Dance Crew. They just didn't amount to the sheer awesomeness that was Miami All Stars last week. The staging was enjoyable to watch and some of the moves were quite neat, but the choreography just seemed sloppy. Granted, it takes a lot for a dance group to impress me, but the thing is, these guys just weren't impressive enough.

7: Geechy Guy. This is one of those acts that's definitely not great, but I still find fairly likeable. I'm just going to say this: Piers' reaction to this performance was just predictable. You can't help but wonder if he's preparing to hit that buzzer before certain acts even begin and says to himself, "Just push it! No matter what, before this act is over, push it!" I'll agree that Geechy is not all that funny, but I think he can come up with a clever one-liner now and then. He's definitely no Rodney Dangerfield, but he's still likeable. Nonetheless, not likeable enough to win my vote.

6: Steven Retchless. Once again, it's like Piers was ready to hit the buzzer before the act began and came up with his best excuse before it was over. I really do think this guy is good at what he does! And I think it's unfair of Piers to be so hard on him merely over his personal double-standards. The thing is: It's not for you! Female pole-dancers are primarily for appealing to men, while the few male pole-dancers out there appeal to women! Okay? If it was a woman doing the exact same moves, he probably would have liked it a lot. While Steven wasn't enjoyable enough to win my vote, I still think he is very talented, and who knows? Maybe America will see that too, look past Piers' gender-specific comments, agree with Sharon and Howie and vote for him! Overall, Piers deserved that squirt-gun to the face.

5: Daniel Joseph Baker. I must admit, this one was a LITTLE disappointing. Mainly because his voice was pretty flat throughout the song. But for once, I somewhat agree with the judges' comments on how despite the lack of vocal-power, it was still energetic and entertaining. I still have a few more complaints though. One: I'm not sure how far he will go if he keeps singing Lady Gaga songs. Two: While he WAS energetic and entertaining, the thing is, so was Dezmond Meeks, and I thought Dezmond was even more entertaining while also singing much better. Nonetheless, I won't mind too much if this guy goes through, because I know how well he can sing at other times, and he can probably build his act up to a very entertaining degree. (Maybe HE will be the new Prince Poppycock!)

4: Mona Lisa. I don't know what the judges were going on about this being safe. I honestly think that these girls were by far the best singers tonight. Sure, they weren't as energetic as Daniel, but I don't think that the song they were going with really called for that. I mean, think about Ali and Christina last year: They were HARDLY that good, and yet they still made it much farther than they deserved. These girls have the same type of act, and they are much better! Unlike the other singers tonight, this act was pleasant to my ears, and that's why these two have my vote!

3: Landon Swank. Simply put, this guy had a neat trick, and I can't quite figure out how he did it. That is the beauty of the best magic tricks. While it still wasn't as cool as his Vegas audition, he proved to be a pretty good showman, and I feel that the overall trick was satisfying enough.

2: Smage Bros. Riding Shows. Granted, they seemed to mess up a little at some parts, and I can't quite tell if that trick with the hat at the end was intentional or not, but by God, this is a cool act! This is one of the few acts that brought their A-game, and showed just how dangerous they can be. Being that they are one of only two acts that passed well with all three judges, all I have to say is that they better make it through! I feel like SOMEONE needs to avenge the Flores family from last week, and I don't think the Yellow Designs Stunt Team has that great a chance compared to this...Though Matt Wilhelm might still have a shot...

1: Silhouettes. After a very weak night of performances, things finally ended on a positive note, when this excellent interpreted-dance group showed us just how they do things in their school. While I DO think that there was a little sucking-up with the whole American Patriotism theme, the thing is, this is just a beautiful act! I love these kids, and I'm rooting for them to go all the way! While I still need to see the other acts in this round, I think this might possibly be my very favorite act!

So overall, weak night, but had some shining exceptions.

My votes: 5 for each of my top 4 favorites. How did I do it? I used both my home phone AND my cell phone! There's a trick for all you voters out there if you're desperate enough for you favorite acts to go through.

How America will probably vote:

12.Thomas John

11.The Rhinestone Ropers

10.Geechy Guy

9.Attack Dance Crew

8.Mona Lisa

7.Dani Shay

6.Steven Retchless

5.Dylan Andre

4.Landon Swank

3.Smage Bros. Riding Shows

2.Daniel Joseph Baker

1.Silhouettes

America has voted!

We got quite a few surprises tonight, including three of my favorite acts from last night being in the three middle votes. Unfortunately, that meant that two of the acts I voted for were not going through. Thankfully, the one that did the best of the three made it. So here's what I have to say about what comes next for the four acts moving on:

Silhouettes: Let's see...The best act of the night against the two worst...I wonder how it will result! But anyway, there's not much to say about this group that hasn't already been said; They're creative, they're different, and they're just a joy to watch. I'm rooting for these kids; I truly hope they make it to the end...

Steven Retchless: Well, well, well...It looks like America is not a complete sucker for everything Piers says after all! While I wasn't quite rooting for Steven, I'm happy for him. I felt it would have been downright insulting if he got voted in, like, the bottom three JUST because Piers didn't like him. The point is, the other two judges praised him, and thankfully, America looked past Piers' ignorant opinion and gave this man the votes he deserved. Here's the thing, though: His chances are still slim. Even if he does somehow manage to impress Piers in the next round, how will he stand up against these other acts that have made it through so far? But until then I'm glad he made it through despite Piers' objections...And Piers also saw an act tonight that involved several male pole-dancers.

Daniel Joseph Baker: Well, he's not Mona Lisa, but that's okay; Those two probably would have gone down the Ali and Christie route anyway. He's a very likeable guy, and while he WAS a little off-key last night, he made up for it with his showmanship. And I think he can possibly do better in the next round. But we'll just see how he stands to the likes of some of our other singers...(PS, it's a good sign that we have only two singing acts in the semi-finals so far, and the lone pretty-boy singer did not make it.)

Smage Bros. Riding Shows: I think it's somewhat insulting that these two did not make the top three last night...But hell, I'm glad they at least made it. All I have to say is this: The next round must be even more exciting! If they want to have a chance in this game, they NEED to step it up! So here's to a kick-ass semi-final performance from these guys...Until then, glad they made the cut.

So overall, a pretty satisfying night. Not very many singers going through so far. (Lys and Landau are still likely additions.) We actually have some variety for our semi-finals, the judges aren't going easy on the singers anymore, and there may be hope that the spread will finally come to an end this year.

Hate to say I told you so, but anways.

Cowboy should never have used a horse. Thomas John was God awful, there have been better jugglers on the show. What a wasted slot. The magician was ok, but took too long with the illusion and was sent home. Dani was average. Geechy Guy was worse than his audition. He seemed to have less jokes ready and that hurt him. However, I heard he already has an act on Vegas, so he is one of the few contestants who already has gigs around, and he's already being doing standup on TV for a long time. Daniel was the best performer of the night. Audiences can pick up if a performers does their best, so he naturally got a good size of votes. The other acts simply didn't put a good or great effot and were at the whim of the audience.

Tough competition tonight. While it still wasn't quite as great as the first show, we definitely saw some potential stars.

But enough talk! Let's rank:

12: Mauricio Herrera. Pretty much what I expected; The man makes a fool of himself, he gets buzzed, Piers hates him, Bobsyouruncle. Let me try to soften the blow; He seems like a cool guy with a nice sense of humor. Perhaps that's why Howie thinks his lack of talent is intentional. Thing is, personality alone does not win a talent competition. I think we can guarantee that Mauricio is not going through.

11: Captain and Maybelle. Pretty much all it was was two people swinging a frying pan off of their faces. This is an act that is all shock-value and no entertainment-value. And...that's about it.

10: SH'Boss Boys. I understand that these kids aren't bad for their age...But whatever...I'm in no mood for another Future Funk this year. Besides, most of the act was just them doing an un-melodic take on that Jackson Five hit. And if I heard correctly...the producers MADE them do it...?

9: Monet. She was off-key! What more needs to be said? And it's funny how the entire time, the judges were comparing her to Jackie Evancho, when there's another girl a tad younger than Monet who's in the semi-finals this season! Why not compare Monet to her? Anyway, her singing was not good enough, nor was I entertained. Boring and off-key is the worst combination for a singing act! I sympathize for her and all, but...I want to limit the singers to the very best this year.

8: Ian Johnson. This guy is a very talented yo-yo artist. From what I understand, he made some goofs...Well, I didn't notice. What I DID notice is that he failed to truly expand his act for the big stage. Back-up dancers do NOT always add to a performance. In the center of it all, it was still just a teenager doing tricks with a toy, and that just isn't a Vegas act. Although he might do well on the streets...

7: Purrfect Angelz. When Piers buzzes you DESPITE thinking you did a good job with your act, you KNOW this game's getting rough! Quite honestly, he could have done without buzzing them; I mean, simple criticism would have had the same effect on America's votes. Thing is, that buzzer is an automatic "You Fail!" noise in the harshest way, and it can really offset the enjoyability of the act in progress. As for the act itself, these girls WERE pretty good...Just not good enough to stand out tonight. Piers could have just told them this without the buzzer, and America probably wouldn't have voted any differently.

6: Lys Agnes. This one surprised me! I was almost certain Lys would be the star singer of tonight, but indeed, her performance was not up to Jackie Evancho/Barbara Padilla standards. Kind of a shame; She still has a very beautiful voice, and the picture-frame setting added a little style. Unfortunately, I don't think she'll be going through. However, with our lone female opera singer potentially out of the game (though let's not count her out completely yet; attractiveness and sympathy), it might be possible that the judges will bring back Cindy Chang for the Wildcard show. (Though I hear she's getting her own career now, so I dunno...)

5: Seth Grabel. I'll admit, I went ahead and voted for this guy, even though I wasn't totally impressed by his trick. There were some obvious parts of it all, like I'm pretty sure that was just a dummy they were loading into the cannon. Despite that, there's a fair bit of style put into it and it was still entertaining to watch. I voted for him because there's no guarantee that the magician next week (or the week after, possibly) will have a good enough trick to go through. To be fair, Scott Alexander looks like he knows what he's doing, but still...If the judges were to put a record three magicians into the quarter-finals only for none of them to make it through, it would be insulting to the talent of magic in general.

4: Poplyfe. For this case, I understand that the lead-vocalist had a sore throat, so her singing wasn't as good as usual. Nonetheless, I think these kids definitely brought it tonight. The instrumentalists proved that they could hold the act up just as well as their singer (especially the guitarist and the drummer). In fact, I think I give the most credit to them this time! So we'll probably be seeing Poplyfe in the next round...

3: Summerwind Skippers. A very good opening act. I'm with Piers; I didn't think these people were going to expand their act so well. While their going through is an uncertainty, I'll just finish off by saying that this was one of the best acts tonight...even if they might not have the potential of winning this.

2: Landau Eugene Murphy Jr. Landau is not like other singers; I mean, what other singer in this game can emulate freakin' Sinatra!? Now while his voice isn't ALWAYS there, when it is, IT IS THERE! I really do find this guy likeable! HOWEVER! He still has all the things that make the last few winners of AGT so similar: He's a male singer in his 30s who's also an endearing character. While I'm rooting on this guy to go far, I DO NOT want him to win. But for now, he most definitely deserves to go through!

1: Professor Splash. This guy is crazy! Pure and simple crazy! I most definitely look forward to seeing what he adds to this act in the next round...as long as he gets voted through! Why NOT vote for the Prof? He's the biggest daredevil AGT has ever seen, and as long as he knows what to put in his act, THIS is what I would pay to see in Vegas! Way to make a Splash!

So overall, pretty good night's entertainment with some potential stars.

My votes: This time, I added the online vote to my checklist, giving me a total of 30 votes! I split tonight's votes between two acts (giving each of them 15), Seth Grabel and Professor Splash. These are the only two acts that I'm hoping make it through that could probably use a boost to make sure...

How America will probably vote:

12.Mauricio Herrera

11.Captain and Maybelle

10.Ian Johnson

9.Purrfect Angelz

8.SH'Boss Boys

7.Monet

6.Lys Agnes

5.Seth Grabel

4.Summerwind Skippers

3.Poplyfe

2.Professor Splash

1.Landau Eugene Murphy Jr.

It all depends. He seems confident that he could expand his act into a show. A diving act is tough to make into a bigshot Vegas act, but not impossible...I think ol' Splashie is a cool act, and I'm rooting for him...But not as much as Silhouettes.

Now for tonight's results. I did feel that one too many acts involving singing made it through in the top 3, and it unfortunately put Seth Grabel in a tough spot being paired up with Splashie for the judges' pick. Another magician is sent packing, and we are left with just one more...Hopefully, Scott Alexander will not only do well next week, but earn his way into the top 3. And even if it IS the top 5, hopefully his opponent will not be someone who was arguably one of the two best acts of the night. As for the singers, I'm glad to see that there will only be two singing acts next week. Hopefully, NEITHER of them make it through! I just want the singing to stop being so competitive and leave more room for some variety!

My thoughts on the four moving on:

Poplyfe: While these kids are proving more and more that they are good at what they do, I don't think they stand out enough to make it to the end like Sharon said. I almost get a bad feeling about them though...That they might be this year's Voices of Glory/Allie and Christie...

Landau Eugene Murphy Jr.: This guy continues to be my second-favorite singer in this game. He's going to be tough to beat...But I'm still going to complain if he wins, because I don't want this season's favorites to be too much like last season's favorites or the season before's, and we've seen enough thirty-something-year-old male singers win this show. Yes, he's talented...But so was Michael Grimm. We've seen a singer of maximum talent win this show now, let's go for something different this time!

Lys Agnes: Once I saw that it was between four acts, neither of them stood out aside from this one, and there was already a mass-elimination earlier in the show, I knew Lys was through and our magician was in trouble. I am still in full support of Lys; She's a very good singer. She just didn't make the best song choice last night. I do have the feeling that she can do much better in the next round and still possibly make the Top 4. Until then, I'm not happy that she went through, because she wasn't quite the best singer last night, and the thing about me is that I can be quick to dismissing singers. It would have been great if there were only four or five singing acts in the next round, but now I don't think that's quite how it's happening...But still, I'm rooting on Lys to reign supreme over the other singing acts; She still has the best voice.

Professor Splash: Once again, the best act that wasn't raking in Handicap votes failed to make the top 3. And I hate it that the two acts that I have been desperately trying to vote through the night before had to be the two the judges pick between. I didn't think Seth was going to be any higher than #4, but I sure as hell didn't expect him to be paired up with the one act who was going to win the judges' votes over him. Oh well...Once again, we still have Scott Alexander...and maybe the magician from Youtube...and the Wildcard Show. Anyway, all I have to say to ol' Splashie is...Make it a show! It could be a great act if he can just add the right elements to it!

So those are my thoughts...And the more I think, the less I want this to be another predictable season. I just hope that neither of the two singing acts from next week will go through, to prove that America does not always have to vote through at least one singer every single week. I hope that the last of our magicians wows the audience and makes it through to the next round. I hope the same for the last of our comedians, since they apply the same way as the magicians in having been put through as a trio, and Melissa Villasenor is one comedian who has potential, unlike Geechy or J. Chris. Finally, I'm rooting for Team iLuminate for NOW, but I honestly don't want them to be this year's Fighting Gravity/Recycled Percussion. They just seem too predictable, and I don't think they're going to win over the singers anyway. Silhouettes, however, has a chance, and they're much less predictable for such a position.

I don't like Professor Splash either . It's a one trick pony and a very limited act. He has been doing the same act for twenty years from what I read, so he doesn't seem to need the push of this show, so Piers made a bad call. It should have been Seth.

However, this show has consistently shown that they do not like or will push magicians despite the lengthy following that magic acts have in Vegas, so go figure.

There is possibly of a magician being chosen in a wildcard. Also one of the Youtube acts is a magician, but I doubt they would go far in this show.

This Forum is alive? NIIIIIICE

Dissapointing results for me last night, not completely dissappointing but dissappointing anyway. Here i go:

The skippers should have gone through, they did tehmselves justice with their act, they were pretty good and DIFFERENT. Emphasis in GODD and DIFFERENT. What's up with that. The yo-yo kid was very cool and original but i have to admit he messed up and failed to integrate the yo-yo moves with the dancing. I thought: "mmmm he will dance while doing yo-yo moves.... nice". But it did not happen. so i understand him going home but the skippers......

Also SETH GRABEL got robbed. Sure, it is not the most impressive magic act but dang it was great show. Also i am not sure between the PopLyfe and Purrffect Angels. Excuse me but the girls did a pretty good job with no mistakes, sure it isnt that impressive, but PERFECT should stand out over a performance with ENOUGH NOTICEABLE MISTAKES (Poplyfe ahem).

This show has too low singing standards. Singing is talent but is a common talent. It should be treated as such unless there is something SPECIAL in front of us. You know how difficult is to do magic, Juggling, BMXing or Biking, and yet singers that make MISTAKES keep getting the edge over Variety acts that with one or NO mistake will be sent home. It is just unfair.

And to end my bitter rant let me tell you that i have 6 years watching this show. Since the very beggining. And most of the acts we have now would not go any further than the audition.

Hey double posting... i know.....

For the ones like me that like magic acts a lot.... I

A lot of the magicians who have lost in this show have now a show in vegas, or have their own successful tour career so they are all doing GREAT. Examples of that are

Nathan Burton and Kevin James. Those two lost to a 12 year old singing girl. That now has less money than these two.

Also i recommend you to watch Penn and Teller Fool Us. It's an impressive magic show.

I definitely agree about the singing problem. It doesn't take an AGT veteran like yourself to see that singers are always so dominant in this game, even when on a scale of 1 to 10, they rank at about 6.

However, it DOES look like the judges are finally making the game a little more fair. They're no longer just saying "Yeah, you were off-key, but I still feel your emotion" or any of that bull. There were quite a few singers who I thought were a potential threat like Monet and Dylan Andre, but the judges were not afraid to tell them, "You're not a good enough singer to advance. This is the end of the road." They even dropped Ryan Andreas in Vegas, and that's good, because he was probably going to win if they didn't.

And granted, I'm still not happy that Lys Agnes went through even though she didn't choose the best song to do her justice. But there's still hope...The acts I'm rooting for next week are Team iLuminate, Melissa Villasenor, Scott Alexander and Charles Peachock. There are only two acts even remotely associated with singing, one is a trio of little girls and the other is a guy of average charm. While they're both still potential threats, as long as enough acts do a good job, it's possible that neither of them will go through.

And yes, I'm keeping serious track of this game! For each singer the game has, the threat rises! And I don't want another predictable result of Landau winning, Lys or Anna coming in second, iLuminate coming in third and some other singing-related act coming in fourth. I want this season to be different. Hell, even if a singer DOES win, can the result at least be different from the last three?

The quarter-finals have come to a close with what is probably the most hectic episode of AGT I've ever seen! Here's my ranking recap:

12: The Kinetic King. I feel so bad for this guy! He spent so many tireless hours to set up what looked like a really cool chain reaction...only for it to go wrong in the worst possible way! Unfortunately, I'm afraid this is the end of the road for the Kinetic King...Though I didn't think he was gonna go through anyway. While his contraptions are very neat (I'm a fan of dominoes and the like), it just doesn't seem like Vegas to me. Especially judging from how long it takes him to set up such a big reaction only for it to take up to 45 seconds to go off. I wish this guy the best of luck...

11: Sam B. To say the least, like Mauricio Herrera, I respect this guy for his energy. He's fun to watch, and I overall liked the setup. Does he have my vote? HELL NO!!! But I'll at least give props to him for trying.

10: Taylor Davis. It's a shame that the average-looking singer put on an average performance. I could barely hear him when he was low. When he was louder, he wasn't bad, but still, he didn't hit all of the notes. Although personally, I thought he at least did better than Monet or Dylan Andre.

9: Scott Alexander. I know I've been talking and talking about how badly I wanted this guy to put on a strong performance...And granted, the judges overall liked him...But it just didn't wow me enough. The gospel choir made the act incredibly cheesy, and the overall trick was simple and obvious. This guy just wasn't as good as the other two magicians, and with the confidence that the next two weeks will give us more magic acts, I decided not to bother with him. He seems likeable and all, but he gets no vote from me.

8: Frank Miles. I've never been completely sure of Frank, AKA Danger-Man. His audition, while impressive, wasn't too much different from other juggling acts aside from the raised stakes. His Vegas audition seemed more like an interactive guessing game than a performance, and I feel in the end he wasn't actually risking his life. I liked the chain reaction of the arrows, but I'm sure it wasn't THAT hard to set the whole thing up...Plus, he missed the donut. Hats off to Danger-Man for putting his neck on the line, but quite Frankly (get it?), I've never been much of a fan.

7: Avery and the Calico Hearts. These girls are so adorable, it's not even funny. And I truly do think they have talent...But like Piers said, they need time to polish it. They'll probably win some cheap votes for their Cuteness Handicap, but anyway, I don't think they'll be moving on like Sharon hoped.

6: Melissa Villasenor. I really do like this girl. Her impressions sound very dead-on...To the point that I was creeped out when she actually sounded like Michael Jackson. Seriously, did she get possessed by his ghost or something? But anyway, maybe she COULD use a little more of a premise to tie her impressions together. Overall, I liked her, but it seems that the last of our comedians has failed like the others...But who knows? Maybe she'll be given another chance for the Wildcard show.

5: Charles Peachock. What the hell were Sharon and Howie going on about!? The show is called, "America's Got Talent". Juggling balls onto the keys of a piano and making actual music? Talent! This guy could have been higher in the list, but thanks to the poor judgment of two of our judges, I have some doubt...Not in his act mind you, but just in whether or not America will vote for him...I actually didn't, also thanks to this same doubt. I'm just too conflicted...But granted, there were four other acts that did a good enough job...

4: Yellow Designs Stunt Team. I might actually like Charles over these guys, but anyway...I liked the Alice in Wonderland setup. It added a lot of charm to the performance. Though it might have also distracted from the tricks...I dunno...These guys deserve a shot, despite the little goof-up near the end there. I'm still conflicted due to the fact that we have the Smage Bros. in the Semi-Finals already and another BMX stuntman performing next week, but nonetheless, I thought it was an overall enjoyable act.

3: Zuma Zuma. I've always liked these guys. The pole definitely added something to the act without taking away from the talent they have. Not much else to say except...best of luck to these guys!

2: Fatally Unique. I really thought this was near-solid. The setting and the costumes were very good, and the choreography was fantastic! Any flaws? Well, they might not have always been perfectly in-sync. But I'll look past that because I thought that everything else about this act was great! Still not sure how they add up to Miami All Stars, though...

1: Team iLuminate. Like all the other nights, they saved the best act for last, and...well, I admit...It was the best act of the season so far! They really are like an upgraded version of Fighting Gravity, and keep in mind, I watched Fighting Gravity last week on this show, and I was reminded of why it's such a fantastic act. That being said, being the best act of the season really puts iLuminate in a tough position. The problem is, every season I root for an act like this and they keep winding up in third, while a female opera singer comes in second and some 30s male with a guitar wins the loot. What I'm trying to say is: I'm in full support of this act! BUT THEY HAVE TO WIN! Runner-up to a singer just isn't good enough this time! No more excuses! My problem is, if this season ends up just like the last two, and these guys are a close runner-up, then not only does it mean that yet another singer wins, but that the act getting the special consolation prize of still being in Vegas this year will be too much like the last one...and in a way, the one before that. We need to spread our boundaries from just singers and cool performing-arts groups! Either these guys win this whole season (or at least lose to another non-singing act)...or I will officially dub them a Fighting Gravity ripoff! And that's not fair, because Team iLuminate is, quite easily, even better than Fighting Gravity!

My votes: 9 for Yellow Designs Stunt Team, 9 for Zuma Zuma, 7 for Fatally Unique, 5 for Team iLuminate. (Strangely, I could not vote for iLuminate on my home phone after the first one...If they don't make it, then I will officially call one word: Sabotage!)

How America will probably vote:

12.Sam B.

11.The Kinetic King

10.Frank Miles

9.Taylor Davis

8.Melissa Villasenor

7.Scott Alexander

6.Avery and the Calico Hearts

5.Charles Peachock

4.Yellow Designs Stunt Team

3.Zuma Zuma

2.Fatally Unique

1.Team iLuminate

So those are my thoughts...I'll be back to review the results!

So here is my review of what happened last night.

1- Kinetic King: Wow he took it like a man, heck that guy have balls. ABSOLUTE TRAINWRECK, but the guy just stood there and took it, and he just kept talking and taking it easy, i mean, on balls alone, that guy won the show. I would have been crying at the very least or paralized, my goodness. Anyway bye bye dude, good luck to you.

2- Zuma Zuma: They were good, but i don't know, there is nothing else to say. Maybe the act was little slow paced? I have no idea why i did not feel that.

3- Avery and the Calico Hearts: Good but their voices are not mature enough. Sometimes they were just off, sometimes they were great. These girls have a future. But not on AGT.

4- Charles Peackock needs to go through, i agree 100% what the hell where Sharon and Howie going on about. They keep saying
"VEGAS SHOW", or "is not something you can do for an hour in VEGAS". He proved that he has range, he can do a variety of things with his juggling, heck most people can't juggle AT ALL. And he can juggle more than 5 balls and make music with a piano and he got buzzed? What disturb me the most wast the fact that Howie defended his argument attacking Piers. Seriously Howie, just out of pride you would base your argument against Piers to get the audience to back you up to SEND A VERY GOOD ACT home? Wow. And sharon is just afraid to go against the audience now, when did she turned into Brandy from first season? Don't get me wrong Piers can be mean and annoying most of the time but heck he is useful to the show. Ugggghh. Ok rant over.

5- Sam B: The guy has a likeable personality, but personality is not talent. YOU DID NOT BUZZ THIS ONE RIGHT HOWIE BUT CHARLES PEACKOCK...

6- Taylor Davis: He has a voice, but he made a million mistakes, the beginning was awful, then he was average and then he was good for a brief moment, then average again. Short Answer: No. Long Answer: Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.

7-Melissa Villasenor: Her material was not really for me, but she is a very talented impersonator. Good enough to make me root for her. Based on that alone.

8- Scott Alexander: The trick was not really that good, but great showmanship. Anyway not enough, bye brother.

9- Fataly Unique: They were good but i don't really know, nothing really stands out. Still great job.

10- Yellow Designs Stunt Team: Never seen good BMXing and Alice in wonderland together, so for me at least that was very interesting to watch. They made a mistake but i rather see this than more singing or dancing and they are actually very talented so.

11- Frank : His act failed, there was not really that much danger, the ILLUSION of danger was high. It was dangerous but not as much as he makes it. He is a good showman but he was not on his A-GAME last night so bye brother.

12- Team Illuminate: They are a bit too much like fighting gravity but with Software XD. I like them as a software engineer myself i can appreciate the talent of Developing Software and Controlling such software in interesting ways. Also the Choreography. Great. They deserve to move on.

My 4 Picks (not in any particular order)

1- Yellow Designs Stunt Team (But Zuma Zuma Deserves this spot because they did not make any mistakes)

2- Charles Peackock

3- Melissa Villasenor

4- Team Illuminate

Fingers crossed...