Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-5598112-20180913010636/@comment-25150955-20180919022441

Man oh man, this may be my favorite finale in AGT history. Pretty much EVERY act hit a high tonight, and the one act who didn’t is the act I prayed wouldn’t. Let’s see my final rankings for the year.

10th Place: Courtney Hadwin

I really thought I would begin to “get” this act by this point, but Courtney has been on so many different declines throughout the season: in quality, in control, and in online support, because, uh...you guys may wanna check her like/dislike ratio on YouTube. This performance just didn’t do it for me, and neither has anything else she has done. She should not win, and, at this point, I actually think she won’t.

9th Place: Vicki Barbolak

Pretty much every other act did a splendid job, so picking a 9th place act is tough, but, in the end, I think Vicki’s awkward moments may outweigh the good jokes she had tonight, which is a shame considering the fact that I actually really liked what she did this time. Her best performance by far imo, but it wasn’t at the same caliber as the other performances tonight.

8th Place: Daniel Emmet

I made a mental note at the start of tonight to rank Daniel high in rankings after his performance, but then the rest of the night happened and I forgot he performed. I dunno, I guess my expectations were low. He did a very good job, and I think his take on the song was very well organized, but, similarly to Vicki, it just didn’t have that “OOMPH” that a Finals performance should have. Still, he did a great job overall, and I’m so happy he made it as far as he did.

7th Place: Duo Transcend

First off, mad props to these two for making it so far, them placing this high in the first place is legitimately unheard of. I think what they did was sexy and skillful and legitimately terrifying, but, at the end of the day, I have to ask myself, “was that very different from last time”? And, in all honesty, I don’t think adding a blindfold for the entire thing and an extra drop was enough to call it “different” enough. But I suppose that doesn’t matter when the routine was otherwise very entertaining.

6th Place: Michael Ketterer

This was a performance that I wanted to place higher, I really wanted to. I thought it was a well-earned pimp spot and he chose a great song to do for his voice, but, like with Daniel and Vicki, it didn’t feel like a “winning” performance. I promise I won’t say it again. If he won I would be perfectly happy, but I personally would not choose him. Still, marvelous way to end off the show, and kudos to him for making it this far. Also that kid from VOH showed up in the intro. Small world, huh?

5th Place: Samuel J. Comroe

This is where things begin to get difficult, because I absolutely adored every act in my personal Top 5, but I had to order it eventually. And Samuel, Samuel, Samuel, you have redeemed yourself in quite a big way. While I do think he told his best, funniest jokes in the Semifinals, I won’t lie and say I got a much bigger kick out of this than Vicki. His personality is great, his material is great, and the fact that he isn’t just, “the Tourette’s comedian”, really makes me admire his presentation. To me, major dark horse to place in the Top 5.

4th Place: Glennis Grace

Okay, before I say anything, I will say this: her last performance is honestly still my favorite. However, Glennis has just been so consistently fantastic all season that that really doesn’t matter. Ok, with that out of the way, KSKSSKKSLS SHE KILLED IT!! I think her chances of placing in the Top 5 are...slim, to say the least, but she really knocked it out of the park tonight. My ONLY criticism is how the background drowned her out at times, but that doesn’t really count because that’s not really her fault. Loved it, and I’m glad she’s made it this far.

3rd Place: Brian King Joseph

These last 3 are basically my lineup of acts that I think should take the whole thing. And first up, everyone’s favorite violionist! Seriously, this guy never fails to just wow me. His exuberant stage presence, flawless string playing, humble but excitable personality, and his brilliant song choices all make for an act that’s worth a million dollars and more. He’s been in that sweet dark horse spot for the entire season, and he’s rightfully earned his spot in tonight’s finale.

2nd Place: Zurcaroh

Probably one of my favorite acts this year, period, Zurcaroh never fails to make me feel awe. Every performance they’ve offered has just felt like an 8th wonder of the world. And this performance really wrapped everything up for themselves, didn’t it? It had EVERYTHING: a story to tell, brilliant choreography, ribbons to add to the visual spectacle, and, of course, CHILDREN BEING CHUCKED IN THE AIR LIKE 60-INCH FRISBEES. I said on chat this was my favorite performance not only of the night, but perhaps the year, for just how mind-blowingly amazing everything fell together. And I think they would make for one of America’s Got Talent’s finest winners.

What could possibly top it?

1st Place: Shin Lim

If there’s a moment this season where I would think, “Hm, y’know, Xboy kinda had a point there!”, it was here. Shin Lim’s Finals performance is, without a doubt, flawless. FL. AW. LE. SS. Everything, from the inclusion of the piano for aesthetic, to the flourishes with a randomly selected card, to the levitating cards, to the transforming card which may honestly be the most baffling trick I’ve seen on any of these shows. THIS was a genuine winning performance from start to finish.

So tl;dr, Courtney sucked ass compared to everyone and Shin or Zurcaroh should win, thank you for coming to my TED talk