Photo by: Trae Patton/NBC Pictured: (l-r) Howie Mandel, Terry Crews, Gabrielle Union, Simon Cowell, Julianne Hough
The quarterfinals continue on episode 14 of America’s Got Talent. The episode will see popular acts from previous rounds return with the hopes of impressing the judges and and making it through to the live rounds. But which contestants will be eliminated during the Wednesday results show?
There are several acts who failed to impress during episode 14. Charlotte Summers drew ire for picking a “terrible” song to cover, while knife-throwing duo Nick & Lindsay failed to evoke the chemistry of their previous audition. Both could wind up eliminated during the results. We also predict that Chris Klafford and Marina Marzepa will be sent home within the next 24 hours. The former drew mixed reactions from the panel of judges, while the latter earned the dreaded Red X from Simon Cowell, who called her performance painfully “tame.”
Read on for spoilers and a live recap of the performers on season 14 episode 14 of America’s Got Talent.
8:05 – Charlotte Summers is the first performer to take the stage tonight. She gives a boisterous rendition of “Diamonds Are Forever” by Shirley Bassey, but the judges are uniformly unimpressed. They felt like her “dynamic personality” didn’t shine through tonight despite her vocal talents, and Simon Cowell criticized her for picking a “terrible, terrible, terrible” song to cover.
8:15 – Next up is knife-throwing duo Nick & Lindsay. They added lip syncing to the routine tonight, as well as a series of puns and jokes to keep the mood light as they perform their death-defying acts. Unfortunately, they botch their knife-throwing tonight, which causes Cowell and Howie Mandel to hit their red X buttons. Julianne Hough said that it was “so bad it was good,” but the other judges are not pleased.
8:25 – Chris Klafford is the third performer of the night. He gives a heartfelt performance with nothing but vocals and guitar, and the simplistic approach hit the right chords for Hough and Gabrielle Union. Both gave him a standing ovation. The goodwill did not extend to the male judges, however. Mandel didn’t feel like there was much of an emotional connection, and Cowell agreed, continuing tonight’s weak opening run.
8:35 – Marina Marzepa keeps the lukewarm performances going. She crawls around the stage in an acrobatic, spider-like way before bending her limbs is shockingly agile ways. Despite her efforts, Cowell hits the Red X again and complains that there wasn’t enough craziness to her performance, and that it got old quick. Mandel is more positive, but not by much.
8:45 – Next up is Robert Finley. He gives a strong bluesy performance that seemed to connect rather well with the audience. The panel of judges were similarly positive, with Hough, Union and Cowell all rising to their feet to give him a standing ovation. That said, not everyone was thrilled. Mandel says that the song choice could have been stronger, and that it may not connect with younger voters.
8:55 – The next act on stage is tonight’s wild card pick, the Sentimentalists. They performed a series of mind reading acts, but it was yet another case of an act that failed to click. Their banter was a bit stilted and awkward, and the judges seemed more enamored with the food they gave out than the mind-reading. Both Mandel and Cowell were disappointed, with the latter going as far as to call their act a “total mess.”
9:05 – Ryan Niemiller comes out and gives the first genuinely strong performance of the night. His energy was infectious, and he developed a good rhythm with the audience. He earns the night’s first unanimous standing ovation. Expect to see Niemiller make it through to the next round, especially given the underwhelming first half of tonight’s show.
9:15 – V.Unbeatable takes the stage with a sprawling routine that includes pyrotechnics and some genuinely impressive effects in addition to their dance moves. The judges are knocked out. Cowell stands up and bows to them after the performance ends, and said that they continue to push boundaries. Hough called it the best act of the night and Mandel said it was one of the best AGT performances he’s ever seen.
9:30 – We move on to Joseph Allen, who mixes singing and rapping in a song dedicated to his mother. The song struck a chord with Mandel and Union, who give standing ovations and praise him for his intimate lyrics, and for presenting a “vulnerable” persona that’s sure to connect with younger voters. Cowell is quieter, but he was generally positive towards Allen as well.
9:40 – Light Balance Kids are the next Golden Buzzer act to hit the stage. They perform a dance routine to the Billie Eilish tune “Bad Guy” and “Sucker” by the Jonas Brothers. Both Hough and Union were pleased with the performance, but Cowell once again laid down the hammer. He said that there was no “wow factor” to their routine, and that it was “tame” compared to the other notable dance act of the night, V.Unbelievable. Ouch.
9:50 – Tyler Butler-Figueroa is the last Golden Buzzer winner to perform tonight. He wasted little time taking control, as his sturdy presence and impressive violin chops spoke for themselves. The judges were enthusiastic for his performance, and he received some of the most positive feedback of the night.
9:55 – Ndlovu Youth Choir closes out the night with a strong performance of their traditional African singing. Union praised their energy, and Cowell said they “popped” onstage. They end the show on a much-needed high note.