NBC
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It’s pretty rare that a competition reality show surprises me, but last night’s ‘America’s Got Talent’ did just that. I’m not, however suggesting this to be a good thing. There’s a reason why these shows don’t surprise and that’s because they’re comfort food. Too much jaw dropping is a turn off and sometimes a big surprise may do just that – surprise – but it ultimately hurts the show as a whole. Long story short, Andrew De Leon, the weird contact-lensed opera singer, was sent home last night even though the show has been authoring his ascent since the moment he first showed up in line. He did not perform very well in his Vegas audition, but come on! Truthfully he shouldn’t have even been performing in Vegas. They let those dog guys go straight through! And the canon ball guy! How does Andrew not coast? HOW!!!

Well, I’ll tell you – I have a feeling that this may not be the end of his road. As a matter of fact, I’m guaranteeing it. Sending him home initially will make his rise to the throne sexier in a way. Come tonight, after the stand-bys perform, there will be ONE single spot left. Cue Andrew to arise in a puff of smoke to dismantle the competition on his way to victory.
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Last night’s hour was chock full of, well, stuff. Performances both great (Sebastian the mariachi) and miserable (Virtually ALL of the comics) as well as the crushing of dreams and the continuation of others. I’m not going to go through it all – it’s too much and you probably don’t really care – but I’m going to mention a few notable acts, but I will not predict a winner, since my earlier choice of Flo-Jos daughter has proven premature and incredibly wrong. It’s my own fault. I got cocky after Phil Phillips.
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-Eric and Olivia will probably not win, but Howard Stern is a fan and once ‘AGT’ moves to live shows, his influence will be front and center. His minions will vote the way he wants them to and you watch, Eric and Olivia will go further than you expected.
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-Sebastian the Mariachi is the best. There is absolutely NOTHING not to like about this kid. He’s so talented and wonderfully un-precocious, something you never, ever see. Ever. All of these kid acts might be cute, but they’re always just a bit too cute and Sebastian is just a good band leader and singer and I hope he wins.
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-I’m glad Jorge and Alexa were cut. I love them. They’re adorable, but there were better acts and as cute as Alexa is, it’ll be a few years before we know whether or not she’s a good singer.
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-Comedian Frank Roche’s crash and burn was the most uncomfortable thing to happen on the show so far this season. One quick thing about comedians on this show – STOP DOING IT! The last thing a comedian needs is to be told how to do comedy from Sharon Osbourne.
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-As of right now Ulysses, the guy who sings TV theme songs, is going through to New York and Andrew De Leon was sent home.
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-Too. Much. Motocross!
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-Sharon Osbourne wanted to cut all the female singers. Funny, I would have cut all the male ones.
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-Oh, hey that dog ventriloquist is going to New York, but not Andrew De Leon.
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And we conclude, I think, tonight with the stand bys (and, probably, Andrew De Leon being put back into the competition). It’s two hours. See you tomorrow!