It's finally here -- the America's Got Talent finals. It's a refreshingly eclectic collection of acts heading into the last round of competition. Sharon Osbourne called it the best finals ever. I'm inclined to agree if only for the selection. I'm still not entirely sure how the sand dude got this far.
David Garibaldi and his CMYKs
A bigger and flashier act didn't do much to sway my boredom with this painting and dancing group. Their homage to Einstein was solid and Howard Stern pointed out that the picture of Einstein turned out much better than the portrait of Lady Liberty from a few weeks ago, but as I've said in past weeks, it's ultimately the same act. I don't know that I could sit and watch a bunch of guys paint for an hour.
Tom Cotter
The first-ever comedian to make it to the finals on AGT, Stern was adamant that Cotter stands a very good chance of taking it all. I'd be totally okay with that. Cotter has proven to be versatile every time we've seen him and Wednesday's finals were no exception. Prompting Nick Cannon to roll the handy-dandy comedy die, Cotter treated us to a spot-on rant about the true terribleness of the nursery rhymes and fairy tales we tell our children.
The Untouchables
Falling victim to what I suspect is the inevitable problem for most of the dance groups, The Untouchables delivered a technically perfect performance, but failed do impress the judges much more than they had in the past. Howie Mandel even went as far as to say that he didn't like Wednesday's routine as much as the last two he saw, which got him a solid "boo" from the NJPAC audience because honesty is the best policy unless we're talking to children on America's Got Talent.
Joe Castillo
I always thought that the kumbaya narratives to Joe Castillo's sand paintings were a little cheesy (because I'm an awful human being) but when the alternative is aimless doodling of portraits of our judges, I think I'm with Sharon and wanting the bald eagles and the hand holding back. However, I laughed harder than was probably appropriate when Castillo stuck a beret on his picture of the adamantly anti-beret Stern.
William Close
Probably the obvious leader for the grand prize, Close delivered yet another engaging and polished Earth harp performance. Sharon called him a "visionary." With his wildly talented acrobats, singers, and fellow musicians, and the fact that the Earth harp is a spectacle in itself, I wouldn't be surprised at all if he won it all. I might be a little disappointed though, just because he is the obvious choice.
Olate Dogs
Over the course of this season, I've gone from lukewarm to enamored with this dog act. They're energetic and adorable and OMG ONE OF THEM TOTALLY DROVE A TINY JEEP ACROSS THE STAGE ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT. Now, is the driving doggy enough to take the entire cake? Probably not, but it was still awesome.
So, who won your vote?
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