TVSquad

(S03E12) "My favorite act in the competition." - Piers to Nuttin But Stringz

"The biggest talent search in the history," as Jerry puts it, got a tad better with episode 312 thanks to performances such as the one offered by Nuttin But Stringz. The violinist brothers definitely raised up the ante and they totally deserved being the last Top 40 act to perform. Even if the duo helped put the show back on track, a good number of the acts performed in this episode were just not good enough. Yes, I know, I'm repeating myself. But until the judges make sane decisions (are they capable of such a thing?) and put in the Top 40 only acts that really deserve being there, I think the words "not good enough" and "what were they thinking" will be the norm when reviewing America's Got Talent.

Good thing that most of the power is now in America's hands. Otherwise, we would probably have Shequida and Derrick in the Top 20 along with the ZOOperstars! since the judges and the producers want acts that generate watercooler talks by shocking the viewers over acts that really have a shot at making it in the business. This time around, voters chose to have Jonathan Burkin, Sarah Lenore, Joseph Hall and The Taubl Family go through to the next round. The judges had to decide who between Sickstep and Micheal Strelo-Smith would get the last spot. Unsurprisingly, SickStep gets to perform in the Top 20. Michael gave a karaoke performance in the last episode while SickStep offered an entertaining routine.

Dallas Desperados Dancers - Every time I see a boring and too simple act like the one DDD offered this week, I wonder if the contestants watched the show before entering. Don't they know they have to raise up their game starting with the Top 40? Didn't they hear the judges say in previous seasons words like "not entertaining, too basic, not Top 40 material, you lost your touch," etc.? DDD deserved the two Xs they received from Piers and Sharon because their routine was not entertaining at all. Sharon said they could be background dancers for Justin Timberlake but I don't think he would hire them based on this performance because they didn't show the type of energy and moves that are featured in his videos.

Bryan Cheatham - Bryan made a bad song choice as it requires a powerful voice that he just doesn't have. Even if he was too cheesy for Sharon's taste, Bryan at least showed during his act that he can work a crowd and the camera. It shows that he's been on stage for 7 years, even if it was with the Chippendales. After hearing Piers' comment, I must agree with him that Bryan's style and tone are best suited for shows like those featured on cruises. Bryan doesn't have the star quality and voice needed to be a headliner in Vegas. Those of you who want to see pictures of Bryan as a Chippendale (and I know there are some, admit it), check out his fan page.

Flambeaux - Flambeaux's act was definitely not flamboyant enough this week. When seeing the stage set up and his coat catch fire, I thought that we would be in for a fun ride. But no. The act got boring and weird. This performance was so uninteresting that it wouldn't even be featured in a circus show. Flambeaux was Xed five times this week: Piers, Sharon, The Hoff, the booing crowd and myself.

Kaithlyn Maher - What a cute and polite kid. A few of the other performers could learn a lesson or two from 4-year-old Kaithlyn. She is respectful, learned her song well, and was in tune (except for the final note). However, as Sharon told her, Katihlyn will need to had moves to her performance if she is vote through. It is a lot for a 4-year-old to learn the lyrics of a song and how to perform it, but if Kaithlyn wants to win, she'll need to interact a bit with the crowd and move around the stage. Since she has the cute factor playing for her, I see her being part of the Top 20.

Dorae Saunders - Dorae was energetic on stage but not a big ball of fire as she wanted to be. She didn't offer us more to chew on than her previous acts. The fact that she doesn't sing doesn't help her case and it is the main reason why I wouldn't vote her through.

Donald Braswell - Two words: soap opera. Donald's acting during his performance was so exaggerated that it reminded me of how a lot of actors act on soap operas. His facial expressions were so overemphasized that I couldn't focus enough on his singing. He isn't a bad singer but because of his "acting" and his style, I don't think he should go beyond the Top 20.

Indiggo - I still can't believe the twins made it that far in the competition. I must admit that they are slightly better at singing than what they offered in their audition, but it's still not good enough. The twins clearly had fun on stage but I didn't enjoy watching them. Their act is too old and it's doubtful they could headline a full show.

The Tapping Dads - I don't know if there were problems with the sound during their performance but I couldn't hear much tapping coming from them. What is cool about tapping performances is that you clearly hear all the moves made by the dancer. The routine was too basic and not energetic enough. Could it be that my standards are too high after watching fantastic tap dancers perform on So You Think You Can Dance?

Eli Matson - Let's face it, the guy will move on. He is a great singer, he has a cool style and people love to root for at least one shy contestant. So since it's a given that Eli will move on, let's tell him what he must improve, okay? Dear Eli, please open your eyes a bit more when singing and practice new head moves and facials expressions that are sweeter and attractive. Love. Isabelle.

Nuttin But Stringz - Wow! I can't say it better than how Piers said it: Emotion. Intensity. Electricity. My favorite act in the competition. The brothers make playing the violin cool. They have loads of fun on stage and we have fun watching them. It wouldn't be surprising if they end up in the final.

I clearly didn't enjoy all the acts in this episode. However, it was a step up when compared to the two previous episodes. My Top 5 of the episode: Bryan Cheatham, Kaithlyn Maher, Donald Braswell, Eli Matson, Nuttin but Stringz. That's four singers... too bad that the other type of acts weren't good enough because AGT will once again feature way too many singers for my taste. We will learn if I'm right or not next week just before the first performers of the Top 20 show us what they have in store next.