“The Wall” host Chris Hardwick returned to “AGT” for the last round of Season 13 Judge Cuts. (Screenshot property of NBC)
By: Jacob Elyachar, jakes-take.com
Television personality Chris Hardwick (Talking Dead and The Wall) returned to America’s Got Talent for the final night of Season 13 Judges Cuts. Which act received the Golden Buzzer?
After Chris Hardwick tested his Golden Buzzer, electric violinist Brian King Joseph was the first act to face the judges! His excellent cover of “Lean On” gave me chills at the Judges’ Auditions and I hoped that his nerve disease did not get the best of him during his audition. There is something magical about his arrangements, I get chills every time, and he did not disappoint! He received a standing ovation from all five judges, and Mel B called him a fighter and “a true inspiration.”
Yumbo Dump returned to the show. I have to agree with Scary Spice in her previous assessment of the duo, and I did not laugh at their antics. Although, I give Chris Hardwick bonus points for speaking Japanese to the pair. Their body sounds schtick bored me and also disgusted me to no end!
The final Judge Cuts round set up a dance crew war between the Academy of Villains and Da Republik! The Academy of Villains showcased precision with their superb choreography, Mel B gave them a standing ovation while Simon buzzed them and told them that he would not remember their routine in 10 minutes.” Meanwhile, the Dominican Republic based dance crew Da Republik, dealt with a massive blow as they revealed that they lost a founding member. They brought the fire and passion in their routine. I could see Da Republik conquer Vegas in the future!
Acrobatic duo Sergey and Sasha followed Simon’s request and making their act a bit more dangerous. The father-daughter team hoped to perform at the Dolby Theatre and wanted Simon to see the danger in the act. I have to say they improved from their first audition and my jaw dropped when Sergey walked across a twisted bridge with Sasha on his head! This was probably one of the craziest family acts that I have ever seen!
14-years-old rapper Flaujae had a breakout audition with her original rap regarding gun violence. She shared her life story in a brilliant rap called “I Can’t Lose.” There is something about this young emcee that spells out ‘star power.’ Her lyrics broke the audience’s hearts, and Flaujae does have a bright future in the music industry! She received a five-judge standing ovation and Chris Hardwick’s Golden Buzzer.
As Flaujae left the stage, acrobat Elijah Holt returned to the stage as he perfected a routine to Kevin Rudolf’s “Let It Rock” with his inflatable zebra, I was not that impressed! Meanwhile, quick change act Sixto and Lucia brought energy to their show-stopping fashion show, which received a “Muy Bueno” from Chris Hardwick.
There were three adult singers left that had to perform for the judges. Both Ronnie Lamarque and Brody Smith failed to impress the judges with their performances, leaving only Glennis Grace to perform for the audience. She admitted to Simon that it was her son that convinced her to come back and perform. Glennis Grace performed Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U.” It was one of the best vocal performances of the Season 13 Judges Cuts. I got chills all over my body, and I truly believe that the Purple One would have been impressed with Glennis!
Contortionist Troy James, who creepily spooked out both the judges and the Pasadena Civic Center audience during the initial round, returned with a vengeance. This time, he set out to spook Chris Hardwick. As Lorde’s cover of “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” was playing in the background, Troy stalked the Judges’ Desk and summoned the guest judge to the stage. Troy laid Chris Hardwick down on a couch, crawled onto the furniture and stalked the Talking Dead host, as Mel B screamed from the Judges desk.
Escape artist Lord Nil took Simon Cowell’s advice for the Judge Cuts audition and brought alligators into the mix. Lord Nil told Howie that he “never” worked with alligators before and wanted to complete Simon’s challenge. He also introduced his fiancée, Maya, to Chris Hardwick, the Judges, and the audience joined him on stage. She revealed to the judges that she was unhappy that Lord Nil was doing this act but believed that Lord Nil could pull it off. Before he started his performance, Mel B mentioned to Simon that if anything happened, he would be blamed because he suggested the idea in the first place!
Lord Nil went shirtless as Maya put on a straightjacket. Once Lord Nil was safely secured in a device, a production assistant lit the device’s ropes on fire. Maya anxiously looked on as Lord Nil rose from the stage, while Howie commented to Simon: “You should be ashamed of yourself.” Everyone was on the edge of their seats while Lord Nil fought to free himself from the straightjacket. Mel B buzzed her buzzer after one of the burned ropes broke apart from the device. Thankfully, Lord Nil was able to escape from both the set and the straightjacket before he became alligator food.
The last act to face Chris Hardwick and the judges was 30-year-old stand-up comedian Samuel J. Comroe. His routine moved me during the initial Judges Auditions. Samuel hoped that he could move on to the Dolby Theatre live shows to provide for his family. He talked about his wife and why he prefers a “crappy car” over a new car. Samuel’s set was impeccable, and Chris Hardwick wanted to see “a longer set.”
After the judges deliberated and said “Farewell” to Chris Hardwick, they announced that would DaRepublik, Brian King Joseph, Lord Nil, Glennis Grace, Samuel J. Comroe, and Yumbo Dump (over Sergey and Sasha?) will join Flaujee at the Dolby Theatre!
Next week, the Season 13 Live Shows start!
