The most brutal round of the most brutal season of “America’s Got Talent” continued this week, and we’re already frustrated with the results and they haven’t even happened yet.
That’s because, like last week, only two of tonight’s eleven acts will advance straight to the finale. Yes, there’s a single Wild Card act that will be picked out of the nine acts across five weeks that get eliminated. But even that isn’t enough to make us feel better.
That’s because there were four absolutely incredible acts tonight and it’s a tragedy to imagine losing any one of them, much less the reality that we’re going to have to lose two.
Tonight’s lineup included comedians Mr. Pants and Aiko Tanaka, magician Yu Hojin, aerialists Duo Rings, The Pack Drumline, and dancers Fusion Japan. The Brown Brothers continued their hybrid of music and impressions while singers Maddie, Wyn Starks, Freckled Zelda and Chapel Hart rounded out the night.
We definitely got some finale-worthy performances, as almost every act stepped up their game in an incredible way. And, as Howie Mandel put it, one act took it beyond that and gave a headliner-worthy performance as if they were a special guest coming to the show as a professional rather than a contestant. Yes, this night was that good.
Fair warning, since I’m safe at home, I’m probably going to be a little harsher than my colleagues Howie Mandel, Heidi Klum, Sofia Vergara, and Simon Cowell. But I might be nicer, too. Maybe.
And just for fun, I’m gonna rank them from worst to first to see how my favorites do and then we can see how you did — i.e., if you agreed with me.
(singer) From her early singing to her playing of the ocarina, Freckled Zelda seemed more consumed by nerves than when she was getting a sour response during her first audition. It was as if that need to prove herself the first time out fueled her, but now that she’s been accepted, she was in her head too much. “The Neverending Story” was a great song choice, but she did not deliver the magic this time around that we got from her the first time she took the “AGT” stage.
(comedian) With a lot of very pregnant pauses and awkward line deliveries, Aiko did not have a great set tonight. She was clearly in her head way more than her first time out. The material was pretty hit-and-miss for us, as well. She is very endearing and charming in general and has a very unassuming stage presence that makes you want to root for her. But we needed some consistency and some sense of what this was supposed to be about. It just never came together.
(comedian) With nary a repeat in any of his material, this audience had no idea what to do with Mr. Pants, but we found him completely charming. His delivery was very much in that Steven Wright deadpan style (with a bit more energy) and the same kind of non-sequiturs save for a few linked bits. It was all pants-related puns and we know people love to groan at puns. But considering what a daunting undertaking this was, we think he put on a very entertaining show. Not enough to advance, but fun nonetheless. Simon, of course, X’d him.
(singer) Maddie made an unexpected song choice after “Amazing Grace” with “Higher Love,” and while it was a fun performance, it didn’t stand out nearly as much as her initial audition. This is a one-shot chance to fight for the finale with only two acts advancing. She needed to pull out all the stops and try to outdo that performance vocally and emotionally. She did neither. We know she’s got the goods to blow us away, but it didn’t happen here — she even went off key a few too many times. We thought she’d be a front-runner to advance, but we’re not seeing it after this.
(dancers) This was at parts brilliant and at parts a garbled mess. Every time the guys were lifting the girls, it seemed like the skirts were just ruining whatever aesthetic they were going for, making the moves look awkward and sloppy. Alone, the women were sensational with great intensity and powerful moves. Alone, the guys were powerful and impressive with some of their classic b-boy moves. The fusion was a little more jarring this time around, for some reason, and the two disparate styles didn’t always gel smoothly or well. But when they did, it was mesmerizing.
(singer) Wyn still has an effortlessly incredible voice, but this song didn’t do him any favors on a night of incredibly strong competition. We already know he has a stellar voice with shocking range and impeccable control, so what needed to happen to stand out on this night was for him to impact us emotionally more than just impress us technically. A stronger song choice might have done that. As it stands, we’re just impressed with his talent, but we weren’t touched.
(impressionists/musicians) The guys definitely found a way to showcase more of what they can do and teased different ways that this could be expanded into a bigger experience. With the reveal that the instrumentalist half of them can basically play any instrument, we loved that he got to showcase that while the impressionist brother featured a lot of fictional characters this time around. There’s a lot of creativity in how they presented their talent this time, at one point with four version of each of them performing at the same time. The whole routine had us imagining other ways they could get even more creative, which shows the potential of the act.
(percussionists) That was a palpable performance with an incredible sense or urgency. You could feel through the screen how much this opportunity meant for the whole group, and they brought an incredible improvement over their first appearance. There were times when they were incredibly tight with their drumming and moves, and others where this frantic, kinetic energy took over. But the whole thing just felt like an adrenaline rush from start to finish, leaving us exhilarated and wanting more. That’s how you fight for only two spots! “For this moment, we were free tonight,” they said.
(singers) The song didn’t have quite the pop as “You Can Have Him Jolene,” but the girls were definitely back in town and in fine form. There’s a hunger in this group where you can see how hard they’ve fought to break into country music and they’re really hoping this will help them inject themselves sideways into the format. Their passion is palpable and their harmonies really are spectacular. Even though we don’t love the song as much, it’s still a solid country banger, and we appreciated the rap bridge in there. It’s definitely a trio with a lot of firepower and potential.
(magician) We weren’t so sure that Yu could step up on this stage after a solid-but-not-stellar initial audition, but he really blew us away with his rapid sleight of hand sequence creating a series of various objects out of nothing and back again followed by a very impressive picture and message transformation. On top of that, we liked his speaking and opening up his story a bit in the routine a bit, as well. On a night of great performances, he’s definitely made a huge statement about why he deserves a shot — we’re just not sure there are enough slots.
(aerialists) Even better than their first performance, the timing and musicality of this entire performance was so sensational. Pulling off rings stunts in time with the music and hitting certain marks flawlessly is magical. And the creativity of the stunts they did, their trust, strength and connection. This was by far the best rings routine we’ve ever seen on a stage like this, and that’s by a very wide margin. It was like aerial dance with heart and narrative and stunning choreography. That was a magical experience.
Unlike last week’s first round of semi-finals, there were definitely way more than two acts that deserve a spot in the finale. In fact, we’d happily put our entire Top 4 into it because they had more heart and passion, we think, than all but one act from the first week.
We thought we had it figured out when Duo Rings blew us away with the best aerial act we’d ever seen, with them and The Pack Drumline advancing. Then Yu Hojin brought his act to a level we’d never have anticipated and Chapel Hart blew the roof off the place again.
For us, these are the four acts who really showed how much this opportunity meant to them. And while it’s early to predict such a thing, we wouldn’t be at all surprised if the Wild Card act that fills the 11th slot in the Finale came from one of these two acts that don’t advance Wednesday night.
As for who will advance, we’re going to put our money on Chapel Hart and Yu Hojin. While Duo Rings was our favorite act of the night, aerial rings acts are a tough sell when you’ve got more traditionally understood (and widely appreciated) fare like singing and magic.
But we could easily see the judges putting either The Pack Drumline or Duo Rings into the finale as that Wild Card, or America if they wind up getting the vote. This is where the new format for this season gets frustrating because it’s a crap shoot which acts will compete against each other every week.
If next week features a subpar lineup, then it’ll suck to imagine two of those acts advancing when we’re losing two of the best acts of the season this week. Of course, only one can win in the end, so disappointment is baked right into the format.
“America’s Got Talent” airs Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.
Things are going to look a little different in Smallville when Season 3 of The CW’s “Superman & Lois” kicks off in the midseason. Will it be explained on-screen?
There is an off-screen explanation, though, as it turns out one of the show’s four main stars is stepping away from the show “due to personal reasons.” According to Deadline, Jordan Elsass did not report for work by the cast deadline.
Jordan Elsass has notified the studio that he will not be returning to Superman & Lois for Season 3 due to personal reasons,” Warner Bros. Television said in a statement. Variety reported that his departure is not the result of a work-related issue.
Elsass has portrayed eldest son Jonathan on the series since its inception. “Superman & Lois” is a reimagining of the Superman mythos with Clark Kent and Lois Lane returning to his hometown of Smallville with their two teenage sons, Jonathan and Jordan.
Tyler Hoechlin and Elizabeth Tulloch reprised their roles from other Arrowverse series for this latest spinoff, but they did not have children in their original series, firmly establishing that this series takes place on an alternate Earth from most of the other shows.
With alternate realities and parallel worlds, it’s certainly possible that the writers could come up with some sort of in-continuity reason that Jonathan suddenly looks and sounds completely different. Producers did confirm the role will be recast, rather than written off the show.
There has not been any reasons given for Elsass’ departure, nor has he commented on the reports. TooFab has reached out to reps for Elsass.
The actor made an announcement on Instagram back in June that he was stepping away from social media for “a good couple weeks.” He cited struggles with “a number of things all pretty much revolving around mental health and well-being,” and revealed that he was going to a “facility” to work on his mental health and “get the tools I need so I can help myself, because right now I can’t.”
“For so long I felt weak, I felt like my problems weren’t real and that everyone else’s were bigger than mine,” Elsass wrote. “I felt that I needed to ‘man up’ and deal with it internally. As you might imagine things got progressively worse over the past couple of years. I’m finally ready to get help and It’s a huge, huge sacrifice.”
Deadline also commented on Elsass’ unknown vaccination status, which became an issue during filming of Season 2. According to the outlet, the actor confirmed in a since-deleted post that he’d used an exception for filming. He also indicated skepticism about whether vaccines worked. Elsass has not posted since.
Canada — the show is filmed in Vancouver — does not allow unvaccinated people into the country. This was not specifically the issue here, though, as sources told Deadline that Elsass never attempted to return to Canada.
The conclusion of Season 2 saw the family enjoying a brand new Fortress of Solitude intended for all of them, even those without powers. In the narrative, Jordan has begun developing powers similar to his father, while Jonathan has not.
Back in June, showrunner Todd Helbing told TVLine that there were big plans for Jonathan in the upcoming season. “We definitely want to bring Jonathan into that superhero life more than he has been.” He even teased the possibility of him getting his own superhero suit. Now, apparently, that will also include a new face.
OnlyFans can add one more “Baywatch” alum to its ranks as Donna D’Errico has decided to follow Carmen Electra’s lead by setting up her own page — and she doesn’t care what anyone thinks.
The actress explained with a post on Instagram that appeared to have two motives. First, obviously, she wanted to promote the fact that she is setting up shop on the platform that’s become known for unfiltered — and sometimes NSFW — content from celebs and non-celebs alike.
Second, she decided to preemptively strike against all those who would criticize her, defending her decision to join the platform, which she described as similar to other platforms except there is “no censorship, and no bullying/haters.”
Before even teasing what kind of content she was going to feature, D’Errico called out what she sees as the hypocrisy of responses to what’s basically the same content, depending on where it’s shared.
“All these celebs posting nude and topless pics of themselves here on IG and Twitter all the time covering their important bits with their hands. Boom, thousands of likes & comments talking about body positivity and confidence and empowerment and you go girl! Hot!” she wrote.
“But take that same photo of that same celeb and put it on OF where she can control who sees it and now she’s gross and hard up. People kill me.”
She went on to say that there is a perception that the only thing happening on OnlyFans is “raunchy stuff,” thus, “if anyone from decent society dared to start an account there, they could pretty much kiss their reputation and maybe even their job goodbye.”
Her post was accompanied by a slideshow of the exact types of pictures she’s talking about. In one, she’s in a swimsuit and in the other she’s topless, covering herself with her hands. It’s also the kind of content the 54-year-old beauty has been known for almost since she joined Instagram. So what will change on OnlyFans?
Truthfully, it looks like nothing much. After defending the freedoms that the platform allows content creators, D’Errico then made it clear that while she could go fully nude, she has no intention of doing so.
“What you will see: Bikini and lingerie modeling pics, outtakes from magazine editorials, me doing funny things in bikinis because I have such an incredible sense of humor yet am also so humble, new and vintage bts photos & videos, and whatever else I decide I want to post,” she wrote.
“What you will not see: My hoo-ha,” she wrote, adding perhaps even more importantly, “What I don’t want to see: Your manhood.”
She also clarified that she will be running her account herself and that she’ll see if she has fun with it. “If it gets to be too much to handle on my own, I’ll just shut it down.”
She then ended her note with a cheeky, “Form an orderly queue, gents ❤️.” You can check out her full message, and the accompanying images, below.
According to TMZ, Swizz Beatz and Timbaland are suing Triller after allegedly failing to pay the music moguls for their show Verzuz. The lawsuit claims the mega producers sold Verzuz to Triller in January of 2021 under terms that Triller was to pay them $9 million each no later than March 17th (and earlier if […]
The post Swizz Beatz And Timbaland Are Suing Triller For $28 Million Over Verzuz appeared first on The Shade Room.
Brooklyn Beckham is receiving some backlash online after a TikTok saw him apparently claim his new career as a chef has afforded him a million-dollar sports car.The moment came about when Brooklyn was spotted on the street by TikToker Daniel Mac, who r…
Brooklyn Beckham is receiving some backlash online after a TikTok saw him apparently claim his new career as a chef has afforded him a million-dollar sports car.The moment came about when Brooklyn was spotted on the street by TikToker Daniel Mac, who r…
Apparently, there’s a lot of “B.D.E.” in Hollywood, and Pete Davidson does not have the monopoly on it. Rachel Bilson got candid — and more than a little NSFW — when talking about what she missed most about her ex-boyfriend Bill Hader.
She and the “Saturday Night Live” alum and critically-acclaimed star of “Barry” dated for less than a year before their July 2020 breakup. Hmm, maybe this “B.D.E.” is a “SNL” thing?
“The O.C.” alum let it all hang out with a very candid comment during the latest episode of her podcast, “Broad Ideas with Rachel Bilson.” When asked by co-host Olivia Allen what she missed most about Hader, she blurted out, “His big dick!”
With a laugh, perhaps realizing that she’d just said the thing you usually don’t say out loud, she added, “You can keep that. Oh, that’s funny. And cut!”
B.D.E. — or “big dick energy” — has become kind of a go-to phrase in the industry ever since Ariana Grande used it in reference to her then-boyfriend Pete Davidson. It’s more about confidence and attitude than anything anatomical, but what’s in the name is in the name, so…
Bilson has previously spoken about the breakup, which happened in the midst of the pandemic, during an episode of her podcast with “This Is Us” star Mandy Moore, though she did not name names that time.
“I could not leave my house, you know what I mean? I had nothing else to do but sit in it, and deal with it and feel it,” she said back in June, as noted by ET.
She went so far as to say it was the hardest thing she’d ever endured, even “harder than childbirth.” But, she noted, “If you actually face it, you can come out of it and be like, ‘OK, I did that and I’m ready for the next thing.”
Two months later, she’s cracking jokes about Hader’s alleged “B.D.E.,” which is a good sign that she maybe was able to come out of their breakup stronger and is in a better place now in her life.
Self-discovery! Danica McKellar recently opened up to son Draco about her life as a child actress — and why she had to hit the pause button on her career after her time on The Wonder Years. “I went to UCLA, but when I got to school, everywhere I went, people all over campus would shout across […]
No nepotism here! Idris Elba revealed that his daughter Isan Elba auditioned for a role in his upcoming film Beast — and she didn’t land the gig. “Interestingly enough my daughter auditioned for this role. She wants to be an actress and she auditioned,” Idris, 49, said on the Thursday, August 11 episode of “The […]
With Science and technology, anything is possible! Nearly 100 years after its extinction, the Tasmanian tiger may be making a comeback. According to CNN, scientists want to resurrect the striped carnivorous marsupial, officially known as a thylacine, which used to roam the Australian bush. Scientist will harness advances in genetics, ancient DNA retrieval, and artificial […]
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The 911 call starts with a jarring observation: “A car just went through my neighbour’s house.”Anne Heche had crashed her blue Mini Cooper into a home in Los Angeles on August 5, and the caller, as heard in a recording obtained and published by TMZ, wa…
Joe Jonas has been sharing his beauty secrets of late, and has now admitted he relies on regular “anti-wrinkle injections” – but not all his fans are happy about it.In a new interview with People, the singer and former Disney Channel star revealed why …
