“America’s Got Talent: All-Stars” aired its fifth episode Monday night with 10 more acts performing for a coveted spot in The Finals, which is a mere two weeks away. The new spin-off series features former “Got Talent” contestants from America and beyond, competing in a seven-week showdown to determine which ultimate all-star will claim the title of “Got Talent World Champion.” Longtime series judges Howie Mandel, Simon Cowell and Heidi Klum return to the judges’ panel with Terry Crews on stage for hosting duties.
In each of these first rounds, only two acts from each episode will advance to The Finals. One will be hand-selected by one of the judges via the Golden Buzzer and the other is voted through by a collection of superfans from across the country. Last night Tom Ball earned the last Golden Buzzer and Ana-Maria Mărgean was voted through to the next round. These acts join Aidan McCann, Mike E. Winfield, Avery Dixon, Detroit Youth Choir, Aidan Bryant, Power Duo, the Bello Sisters and Light Balance Kids in the Finals. Did the fans and judges get it right? Below are my Top 10 rankings for Monday’s fifth episode of “AGT: All-Stars.”
SEE ‘America’s Got Talent’ superfans voting explained for ‘AGT: All-Stars’
Season 1 Episode 5 rankings:
10. Yumbo Dump: I felt a bit bad for Yumbo Drop since they had to follow Mandy Harvey, but then I remembered why I never liked this act from Season 13 of “America’s Got Talent.” This performance was more of the same from the comedy duo and quite honestly the whole duck bit was pretty weird. Incorporating Heidi into the act was a smart idea as she essentially had no option but to say something nice about them.
9. World Taekwondo: This act has been a finalist on three versions of the series across the globe, most notably the 16th season of “America’s Got Talent,” where they received the Golden Buzzer from Terry. I respect the skill set of these participants and I know that there is a market for acts like this, but I am not in it. Extreme acts like this tend to make me more nervous than excited. Saying that, their return to the AGT stage packed quite a punch and the audience and judges were wowed. Terry lives for this act.
8. Peter Rosalita: Kicking off the night was the semi-finalist from the 16th season of “America’s Got Talent,” He set the bar pretty high for the rest of the night and redeemed himself from his less-than-successful last performance on the AGT stage. More confidence definitely looks good on him as he came back with swagger. He sounded great and wowed the judges and the crowd. He earned extra credit for showing off his puppy to the judges (Simon loves dogs). By the end of the night, though, there were a few acts that I liked better than this. Peter might have a better shot on “American Idol or “The Voice” when he is old enough to audition.
7. Mervant Vera: Fresh off of the 17th season of “America’s Got Talent,” the rapping magician made his triumphant return to the AGT stage. His last performance was not his best so this one was equally parts redemption and excitement. Throwing Frisbees at the audience was probably the most fun of the judge’s night. Mervant was destined to shine with this performance and it was the best of his AGT career. For the second time of the night, I truly believed that the judges had another amazing option for the coveted Golden Buzzer.
6. Jasper Cherry: The finalist from the 14th season of “Britain’s Got Talent” was one of my favorites on his season and came back better than before. Also choosing Heidi as part of his act, he performed a card trick that blew my mind. The phone going back in time was a really cool touch and doing that for everyone there was just amazing. If that Golden Buzzer was not given out already, I think he would have gotten that confetti rain.
5. Axel Blake: The winner of the 15th season of “Britain’s Got Talent” hit the AGT stage with the same joy and excitement that he brought to the season that made him a superstar. He definitely was overthinking the whole British comedy versus American comedy conundrum as Americans have historically embraced British comedy. For example, two of my favorite shows of all time is “Keeping Up Appearances” and “Monty Python” and I am not afraid to say that it was a highlight of my childhood. Anyway, this set had me in stitches. Axel not only wowed the crowd and judges but the viewers who praised him on social media as one of the funniest comedians in the history of AGT.
4. Ana-Maria Mărgean: The winner of “Romania’s Got Talent’s” 11th season hit the stage with a bit of nerves. Citing Terry Fator as an inspiration, Ana-Maria is well on her way to superstardom. I would kill to see her perform with Terry and Darci Lynne Farmer. This performance was a home run in terms of certain checkboxes that many AGT viewers have: talent, funny, can sing, and an adorable puppet. She was voted through to the finale, where she definitely stands a good chance of winning. Is it too much to ask for that dog puppet to sing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”? It’s a dead ringer for Toto.
3. Archie Williams: Closing out the performance part of the show was this AGT legend from season 15, who has quite the backstory. From imprisonment for a crime that he did not commit, to freedom, to singing stardom, Archie has not let his star be wasted as he is assisting the Innocence Project. The song choice was just perfection and I would even go as far as to say that he sang it better than Bill Withers. I could not help but think “This is the definition of All-Star!”
2. Tom Ball: The third-place finisher of the 15th season of “Britain’s Got Talent” was once more head-to-head with the man that won that season. There is an immense likability factor to Tom. The song may have been “The Sound of Silence,” but the crowd’s reaction to his performance was anything but silent. This was the best vocal of the season and all he needed was a Golden Buzzer. Cue Terry and the confetti! He is the only solo singer to receive it this season (so far). We have a major contender for the win here!
1. Mandy Harvey: In the 12th season of “America’s Got Talent,” Mandy not only received the Golden Buzzer from Simon, but made it all the way to the finale. While Mandy did not win that season, she quickly became the contestant that many would associate the season with years after. With performances all over the world and two albums under her belt, she made her triumphant return to the stage that made her a star. When she said the two words that I dread, “original song,” I was worried, but this song is radio ready now. She would do amazing on “American Song Contest.” I was honestly shocked that the judges did not give her the group Golden Buzzer.
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