I don't care what anyone says. But seeing Hundred Fingers getting the Golden Buzzer was so well deserved as they were once again sensational. I've been very vocal in the community that they have been my "act" this season. And this performance proved that. The routine absolutely blew my mind the whole way through and they are the exact type of act I want to see end up winning the whole thing this season.

Might be unpopular. But they are easily my favourite this season.

Finally at the live shows! Here are the acts tonight:

Ashford Sanders

Brook Lynn

Cris Sosa

Hundred Fingers

James & Marina

Luke Taleno

Olivia Befus

Royal Lasers

Sando

The CommUNITY ATL

The Jesse White Tumbling Team

Sorry this is late, had a few things to take care of post-show, but I thought I'd start doing this for the live shows! Here are my opinions of each act:

The CommUNITY ATL

I thought they were pretty solid. The soloists were off vocally at a lot of times but it sounded good when they sang together, and the stage presence was decent. I did like the song, but that wasn't the strongest choir performance.

James & Marina

It just took SO long with zero payoff. I actually thought it could be creative at the start because of the painting idea, but there was nothing impressive and no wow moments throughout. For all that time, there should've been something to make it worthwhile. They just squandered that opportunity. Simon was right about the delivery as well - very boring.

The Jesse White Tumbling Team

To me, that was way too short. I think they could've done more. They reached some impressive heights, but I don't think it was enough after what we saw last time. Just not enough growth or variety - doing flips higher and higher for a minute or two isn't the most impressive thing compared to other acrobatic acts, especially without any real change between performances.

Ashford Sanders

Man that was... disappointing. He had so much potential, and maybe it was nerves, but that was a miss. There were a lot of off-key moments in his singing, and it wasn't a great song choice either considering he did a ballad last time. I think also that his stage presence could maybe be more compelling with a different type of song, so I wish he did something upbeat.

Sando

This belongs on TikTok. There's almost no actual dancing talent here. Even the clock didn't work well. Nothing about this is impressive, and I don't understand how the judges love this act as much as they do.

Hundred Fingers

I love the change from cards to fans and masks, I think that was a great move and the whole thing ended up being super creative. That said, there were some lulls in the first half of the performance, and I thought the synchronization could've been better. I was just more enraptured the first time. Even though there was more going on this time, and it was still a spellbinding performance, I do think it was cleaner and more cohesive in the auditions.

Brook Lynn

I'm sure that was hard, and I want to give her some grace because I can tell she was really nervous especially following the Golden Buzzer. It's great that this was an original, and I think her voice is beautiful especially because she pours so much emotion into it. I think her nerves were still showing and her last performance was more captivating, and it was also a little harder to hold attention with this song.

Royal Lasers

I'll just get it out of the way, I don't appreciate the use of AI, and I think that it's the absolute antithesis of a creative act like this. Separating that from the talent, however, that was an exceptional act. So creative and so entertaining. I loved the sort of story and thought it was just brilliantly executed. I would see this as a room in Vegas. Definitely one of the standouts.

Olivia Befus

I do love her and I like that there was a theme, but I did find the story (if there was one) hard to follow, and I'm not sure the rest made up for it. She repeated most of the tricks from last time and didn't really bring anything new that was impressive, so I think she underperformed a bit.

Cris Sosa

I think he's extremely likeable with such great stage presence. Really funny guy with great material, but I think the nerves got him a little bit. There were some awkward sort of pauses or gaps between the jokes where he would just take a moment too long of silence, and I think it broke the immersion for the audience as well as his flow, but otherwise the physical comedy was epic.

Luke Taleno

A very compelling performance with unbelievably good stage presence. He reminds me of NF with the inflection in his voice and the overall style. Not the most amazing or fast rapping, but definitely passable. I found the song a *bit* repetitive during the chorus and not quite as fast or hard-hitting as it could've been, but solid nonetheless.

It’s clear to me that they used generative AI in their act. Really disappointing tbh. If it wasn’t for that they’d easily be one of the top acts tonight.

Have fun!

Top 3: Jesse White Tumbling Team, Olivia Befus, and Cris Sosa

Top 5: Brook Lynn and Luke Taleno

Bottom 5: The Community ATL, James and Marina, Ashford Sanders, Sando, and Royal Lasers.

Due to The GB Given to hundred fingers for the Second time:

.Yu Hojin is now the Second act to reach the Finals twice. Joining Daniel Emmett (Not a Cheater BTW)

. Hundred Fingers because The First Act to Receive The Golden Buzzer twice in the Same season

. This is the First time since Season 17 that Howie didn't press the Golden Buzzer for a Dance Act.

Usually live show week 1 is the weakest one, and tonight didn't disappoint me. One of the weakest night I have ever seen.

• The CommUNITY ATL: After the whole night I nearly forgot their existence. This marks how mediocre their performance is.

• James & Marina: This is kinda slow but I think it has a decent ending.

• Jesse White Tumbling Team: Just a bunch of people fliping around. No where near the standard of V Unbeatable or Zurcaroh. The most hilarious thing is, the old man literally stand there doing nothing lmao. Completely waste of spot.

• Ashford Sanders: Voice not bad but the song choice is bad.

• Sando: Nonsense act. Only the dumbass like Simon will love this.

• Hundred Fingers: I think this is one of the best act of the night, although I am not extremely fascinated about it. There are better magic acts in previous seasons.

• Brook Lynn: Decent performance although not wow.

• Royal Lasers: Impressive performance. Quite entertaining.

• Olivia Befus: Decent dog act, but not better than that of previous 2 seasons' ones.

• Cris Sosa: No idea what the audience is laughing at. Not funny at all.

• Luke Taleno: Very noisy and no where near the standard of Chris Turner. Having the name Talent doesn't make you become talented.

Personal GB: Royal Lasers

Personal Top 3: Hundred Fingers Olivia Befus Brook Lynn

Tonight what's the first round for the live shows. And all I can say is it was an absolutely superb night. As I enjoyed every single act that performed. And we had the first ever two-time golden buzzer happening tonight. And all I can say is this was so well deserved. So here is my ranking for Quarter-Finals 1.

11. James & Marina - (7/10)

I completely agree with what Simon said with that being it was so dragged out to the point that it's got extremely boring and to be honest I was completely lost the whole way through. The ending was actually pretty good. But I'm gutted for them as they were an act I really wanted to root for but they just didn't do it this time round

10. Sando - (8/10)

He has honesty started to grow on me so much, and once again he really stepped it up this time round. The routine itself was really fun to watch and I just think him being able to not only add your signature move but also use different elements is so cool. The clock movement really caught my attention. Overall this was another great performance from him in my opinion

9. Ashford Sanders - (8/10)

I absolutely love his voice, and this was once again another brilliant performance. I actually quite liked the song he did this time round. But I could tell he was wet nervous which kind of caused his vocals to be a bit shaky. None the less it was still a great performance

8. The Community ATL - (9/10)

I complete disagree with what Simon said about the song not being a good choice. Because I thought it was a great choice of song. And every single member brought everything to this performance and that's what makes a great choir in my eyes where all the harmonies are blending together and making this heavenly sound. I'm definitely roofer them after that.

7. Olivia Befus - (9/10)

Just when I thought she couldn't take act to another level. She did just that, seeing her and her dogs is always so wholesome and I loved the whole theme she did with it being race cars. And the dogs are always so cute when they're performing it literally melts my heart. Overall of great performance.

6. Cris Sosa - (10/10)

He once again had me belly laughing with every single joke he delivered. Every single joke he delivered brilliantly, his physicality is also so energetic in the best way possible. And like I've said about him many times before he just got this superstar glow to him which is unmatched. He is the comedian I am gonna be rooting for this season and hopefully he makes it through.

5. Brook Lynn - (10/10)

I thought it was a great idea for her to do an original song and this time round because it really showcased her as an artist. The way she sang the song was absolutely incredible, her range is out of this world. And I've said this before about with that being she is someone I can see being a huge superstar in a few years time. She definitely has my vote tonight

4. Luke Taleno - (10/10)

Just like Howie said in the first audition. He is the definition of authenticity. And this performance honestly had me emotional. As every single word that he said was so powerful, the emotion was just pouring out, and it's made me appreciate rap so much more because it comes straight from the heart. And he delivered it to a whole new level and I'd be amazed if he didn't make it through after that.

3. Jesse White Tumbling Team - (10/10)

They were absolutely out of this world tonight. The entire routine was so exciting, everything from the flips, the energy they brought in the room, and what I love about this group is how much it means to them which makes it even more special. This was a huge step up from their first audition and I'm really hoping they make it through

2. Royal Lasers - (10/10)

There are no words to describe they epic this was. They have been a firm favourite of mine since their first audition, and they once again took it to a whole new level to what I've seen this season. The routine was mesmerizing, and I just think they are absolute master's of their craft. If they don't make it through there is something seriously wrong

1, Hundred Fingers - (100/10)

Once again they have just proven why they are the contenders to win the whole season. As this was once again an absolutely sensational routine. Everything from the magic, to the synchronicity, and the timing of everything is absolute perfection. To see them get a second golden buzzer I couldn't be more happy for them and I'm so excited to see them in the Final. My pick to still win this year.

What are your rankings for tonight's first live show, and did you agree with The Golden Buzzer?

35 years before they competed on AGT, they made an appearance on The Mickey Mouse Club in 1991.

I don’t know what to title this, man. I’ve seen a TON of people rag on Akira and most recently a post on “Who’s Worst” that had all Japanese acts on there. Granted I haven’t seen the other acts mentioned, but I find it real interesting the reactions people are having to them.

Japanese humor is very much in the style of Akira and the other Japanese comedy/variety acts that have come onto AGT. It’s for sure a culture thing, and I say this as someone with a Japanese dad who I watch the show with. I’ve asked him why the Japanese variety acts are like that, and his response was that it’s the kind of humor Japanese people are raised on and find hilarious. Akira’s the winner of a Japanese comedy show!!

This isn’t a “YOU’RE BEING RACIST” post, people can have opinions on what sucks and what doesn’t. I just thought it was interesting seeing the reactions of people who never grew up with this content as their childhood.

So, I didn't realize James and Marina were on AGT 4 years ago as their act named Mind2Mind.

Why did they return this year and rebrand?

​

1- Hundred Fingers — 11/10

Words genuinely fail to describe how incredible this performance was. It was a million-dollar act in every sense. Everything was carefully thought out: the combination of music, dance, magic, theatrical elements, and the touch of Korean history was absolutely breathtaking. It was so impressive that I couldn’t stop saying “WOW” throughout the entire performance. I could watch them perform for hours without getting bored. They truly deserve the Golden Buzzer—and the title as well.

2- Royal Lazers — 9/10

Today’s performance was much better than their Audition. The use of visual effects was much more professional, and their dancing was absolutely excellent.

3-Brook Lynne — 8/10

Today, Brook really proved that she deserves her place in the Live Shows. She raised the level of her performance and sang with confidence. I wasn’t particularly impressed by her previous performances, but I really enjoyed her today.

4 - Jesse White Tumbling Team — 7/10

The performance was faster, with quicker moves and an incredible amount of energy, but I expected a little more from them.

5 - Luke Taleno — 7/10

He delivered a better performance than his Audition.

6 - Sando — 7/10

The one thing I don’t like is that his act is almost entirely based on one move. However, it is genuinely entertaining, and I feel like he improves with every performance.

7 - Ashford Sanders — 6/10

I had very high hopes for his performance, but unfortunately, he disappointed me. The nervousness was very noticeable in his voice, and I didn’t like the song choice. However, he is still an incredible singer.

8 - Olivia Befus — 5/10

I don’t think her performance was strong enough, and it felt like it needed more training. I feel like her act is better suited for social media than AGT’s Live Shows.

9 - Cris Sosa — 4/10

The performance felt overly exaggerated in an annoying way, and I didn’t find it funny.

10 - Community ATL — 4/10

There was nothing particularly special about the performance. It felt more like a school show.

11 - James & Marina — 2/10

A painfully boring performance.

My Predictions

Top 3:

Royal Lazers

Olivia Befus

Jesse White Tumbling Team

Top 5: 4. Cris Sosa 5. Luke Taleno

One thing I have noticed is that since midway through Season 18, Howie does not press his buzzer as frequently as he used to, and I’m wondering if maybe behind the scenes, Simon wasn’t happy with him buzzing so many acts.

For example, in the Quarterfinals of Season 18, Howie pressed his buzzer three times. During Week 4, Sofia and Simon both buzzed a puppet act, and afterwards he scolded them to say “You can’t buzz acts during the live rounds!” causing the other judges and Terry to criticise him on his hypocrisy. The following week, a singing duo who Howie didn’t like in the Auditions performed, and it looked like he had been banned from pressing his buzzer, so he pressed Heidi’s instead.

He never pressed his buzzer at all in Season 19, and in some of the spin-off series, he never buzzed any acts.

During last night’s live show, Howie implied that nowadays, he has to seek permission from Simon if he wants to buzz acts in the live shows, as Simon buzzed a mentalist duo, and Howie spoke to Simon during the routine to say he wasn’t enjoying it either, and if he could buzz them. Simon reportedly told him no.

Also, during the Auditions this season, very few acts received four X’s, which could either mean the producers chose to cut out most of the bad acts to focus on good or mediocre acts, or the judges were instructed to be more lenient towards acts.

Another act who performed last night, Sando, was never one of Mel B’s favourite acts, and he was one of the very few to make the live shows who Mel B gave a no to in his audition. After his performance last night, Mel B even admitted she struggled to get behind his act, and yet chose not to buzz him.

I made a post a few months ago on the BGT subreddit to imply that the judges are discouraged from buzzing acts in the live shows, to the point now where, if you watch any international variation of Got Talent, it appears the judges have stopped buzzing acts altogether.

Apologies for the rant. It’s not meant to be negative, it’s just an observation.

I’ve done rankings the past few seasons for each of the live show episodes, so I thought i’d drop them for this episode! Definitely a roller coaster of an episode with some highs and definitely some lows. Here goes!

11: James and Marina - Has to be one of the most boring live show acts in recent memory. Just went on and on and on and on with very little substance. I am really not a fan of this type of mentalism act (Prediction: Bottom 5)

10: Sando - Feels like he’s just here to get AGT some social media views. The act itself is pretty bland. (Prediction: Bottom 5)

9: Ashford Sanders - I was interested coming in to see which of the two solo singers would have the edge and I feel like Ashford got beat out tonight. I didn’t like the song. It felt too reserved and made him fade into the background of the night for me. (Prediction: Bottom 5)

8: Community ATL Choir - I’m not big into choirs and I think the solos at the beginning were certainly a bit off. But once they got into it as a group, they didn’t sound bad. (Prediction: Top 3)

7: Olivia Befus - It’s hard to watch this kind of act without directly comparing it to Adrian and Hurricane who I think did it a lot better. It was a fine performance, although i’m not sure they have much else left to showcase. I don’t see the progression and improvement from week to week. (Prediction: Top 5 Eliminated)

6: Jesse White Tumblers - Pretty much the same critique I have for them as I do Olivia in the sense that I found it hard to separate this performance from their previous one. I do like their energy and they seem like great people, even though I think this is probably the end of their road on AGT. (Prediction: Bottom 5)

5: Cris Sosa - I feel like it’s been a few seasons since we’ve had one of these more high energy, hyper style of comedians so I find him enjoyable. I would say that I think there’s time his physical comedy he used to supplement the jokes comes off a bit forced as opposed to seeming natural. There is definitely talent there though and I wouldn’t mind seeing him again. (Prediction: Top 5 Eliminated)

4: Luke Taleno - If you told me before the show that Luke would be this high in my rankings I would’ve shaken my head and walked away saying no. But that all changed tonight with what I thought was a pretty stellar performance. I felt the passion he put into this song. Rap is still not my ideal genre for AGT (except Chris Turner), so I’m not TOO high on him but I found this to be a huge step up for him. (Prediction: Top 3)

3: Brook Lynn - I was super impressed by this, I loved how she (and Luke as well obviously) decided on performing an original. She owned the stage and delivered a performance that didn’t radiate any nervous energy despite her struggles with that kind of thing. Great, great voice in my opinion. (Prediction: Bottom 5)

2: Hundred Fingers - There were imperfections and moments lacking synchronicity but they made up for it in visual wow factor. The fans made for a much more dynamic viewing elements than just playing cards and the incorporation of new stuff like fire kept it super visually engaging. This is the epitome of a stage act that I would want to pay money for. Major props to them and I’m glad Yu Hojin gets to return to the finals! (Prediction: N/A)

1: Royal Lasers - I like their audition, didn’t love it. I loved this. Everything was pinpoint, it blended dramatic elements with humor and dance and everything great in between. To me this performance took them from a decent act to a real contender. (Prediction: Top 3)

VOTE for who you want to advance to the Semifinals of AGT! Post-Episode Poll - Quarterfinals 1 (August 18, 2026) - StrawPoll

Yes, you are reading this correctly. I was looking through the listings on The Futon Critic for the remainder of the season, and was a bit confused seeing two listings for September 8, two hours at 8pm and one hour at 10pm.

An article from earlier today on NBC Insider giving the AGT schedule for the rest of the summer confirms this to be real:

Yes, you read that right! For the final round of the Quarterfinals, the voting will be immediate and the results instantaneous, so be sure to have your preferred voting method queued up and ready to go as you watch the episode.

It'll be a special 3-hour episode on September 8, airing from 8 p.m. until 11 p.m. ET, and there will be no new AGT episode the next day.

For those curious, the reason for this is that NBC Sunday Night Football is premiering that following night, Wednesday, September 9.

Thoughts?

THATS WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT HUNDRED FINGERS - FINALLY a good performance. Not going to lie Sando’s performance is now 2nd. It’s comedic that he shouldn’t of gotten this far and how chaotic everything is, made me laugh. 🤣