America’s Got Talent: Extreme Week 3 Recap, Live Blog

Sitting on the judges panel alongside creator Simon Cowell is motocross legend Travis Pastrana and WWE wrestler and reality star, Nikki Bella. Terry Crews hosts.

The show’s format is similar to regular flavor AGT: The acts audition, at least two yeses sends the act to the next round. However, at home superfans will vote whether an act goes through to the final. Additionally, the Golden Buzzer is in play. Recipients will go straight through to the finale. The winner takes home $500,000.

Dr. Danger & Mary – 52 & 50 – Love story with fire and explosions

Dr. Danger was ready to retire at age 60, until he met Miss Devine and set her on fire. The stunt is called “Firestorm: A Love Story.” Terry calls them “the most explosive couple on television.” Things are gonna blow up REAL GOOD. Danger’s lady friend is a midwife and raises goats. They have only been a couple for 6 weeks (!!!). Danger explains that they turned an old port-a-potty into an ancient castle. The villains will lock him up inside and Mary will be in a ring of fire. OK then. They will both be fully engulfed in flames.

The two are having a romantic dinner, but covered head to toe in protective gear, including helmets. It’s kinda kills the romance, and looks stupid. Some random dudes drag Dr. Danger away and shove him in the port-a-potty. Mary is in the ring of fire. The castle is on fire, and then it explodes. The flames are pretty big. But then he comes out of the structure to save Mary. They are both on fire and then run through fire. But they have so much protective stuff on, it’s not impressive. And the story they are attempting to tell is incoherent. Mary fakes like she’s hurt. Of course, she’s not.

Simon jokes that he has no idea what just happened. Neither do I. “That was quite a love story,” says Nikki. She’d like to see more. Travis liked the pyro and explosives. He didn’t understand the story either. Simon THINKS he got it. “You were in a toilet. It exploded. You met your girlfriend. It ended with a bang.” Simon likes goats. So he’s putting them through. Travis didn’t understand the showmanship, so he says no (CORRECT). Simon is on the fence, but says yes – 2 yeses, 1 N0

Chloe Chambers -17 – Autocross Kick Plate & Slalom

Chloe is a teen race car driver. And because she’s still a kiddo, her father comes along. Chloe has loved Formula 1 since she was a little kid. She just made the transition from carts to cars. Dad gets all misty talking about her dedication and determination. She recently broke a Guinness world record for Kick Plate & Slalom at 16. Today she’ll be doing a spin maneuver and a slalom. That’s weaving in and out of cones. She challenges Simon to a race. 

First, Simon gets in a car to spin around the track. And he sucks! Next, he tries the slalom and he does better. Chloe is next, and makes Simon look pretty bad. I don’t quite understand this sport. I assume the Kick Plate is about not wiping out. The Slalom is speed while traversing cones. 

Nikki loves Chloe’s confidence. “I’m here for it.” Travis thinks she has a bright future. But he can’t give her a yes, because he doesn’t have a thing to judge her against. Nikki says yes. Simon is in the middle. The stunts weren’t unforgettable. But the audience seemed to love her. So he says yes. – 1 no  2 yeses

Cyndel Flores – 23 – Sway Pole – Travis Golden Buzzer

Cyndel will perform aerial tricks on an “aerial sway pole,” a craft she learned from her mother. It’s rainy in Georgia, which will make the tricks harder. Because her parents were daredevils, they moved around a lot. At 17 she started the sway pole. She does it, despite being afraid of heights. She takes her glasses off so she doesn’t see how high she is. Uhm. But she can’t see?

The pole is 60 feet high, and she wears no tether or mats to catch her falls. Nevermind the height. Imagine the extreme motion sickness. Barf. She hooks her foot in a harness and performs a few tricks. Suddenly the pole drops to the ground, like an amusement park ride. Hm. I was expecting more? She hung upside down for a bit and then dismounted. Travis loved it though, remarking, “It took my breath away.” Nikki felt all the emotions. Before Simon could even speak, Travis hits his Golden Buzzer. Really? Simon is jealous he didn’t give her a golden buzzer. “Just extraordinary.” – Travis Golden Buzzer

Timothy “Nomnomsammieboy” Rice – 32 – Extreme Eating

He worked as a videographer in New York City. He got bored, so he set off across America filming himself extreme eating. Now he’s an influencer. This should be pretty gross. Travis is skeptical that professional eating is extreme enough. 

The act is basically shoving hot dogs, hamburgers and mustard into his throat and face. Yes. It’s gross. The buzzer goes off before he dives into a vat of coleslaw. Ick. Then, Terry fires up a machine that shoots strawberries, cherries and chocolate at him. I can’t watch. The judges note that there isn’t much eating involved. – 3 nos

Shemika Campbell – 29 – Double Vehicle and Fire Limbo

This woman appeared on America’s Got Talent a few years ago. She does the limbo, which is backbending low enough to clear a pole. She can go super low! In 2017, she limboed under a truck for judge cuts. Afterward, Simon dismissed it, saying the act was like something at a kids’ party. Shemika can’t get that critique out of her mind. Now, she will limbo under two vehicles, and she added fire to the act. She’s already broken a world record. 

First, she limbos under the judges desks. Then, she limbos under the cars. Cameras capture close up action. Next, she limbos under three lines of flames and doesn’t even singe herself. Nikki seems really into it. Simon says she came back with real strength and a glow about her. Nikki is psyched that she proved Simon wrong. Travis was impressed with the fire act, but he wonders if it’s entertaining enough. Travis consults the audience before he delivers a reluctant yes. He wants more extreme next time – 3 yeses 

Simon destroys stuff in backhoe races

The judges race again. This time in backhoes. The objective is to pick up a ball and deposit it in a garbage can. Apparently, it’s harder than it looks. Travis is first. Nikki is 2nd. Terry is third. Simon destroys his trash can, and other stuff. Monster trucks are probably next. 

Bruce Cook – 34 – Motocross Rider attempting Vertical Back Flip

Bruce has loved dirt bikes all his life. His thing was pushing limits. But in 2014, while attempting a double front flip, it didn’t go well. Now, he’s paralyzed from the waist down. He’s a guy who did dangerous stuff. He gambled and lost. He broke his back. The doctors told him he’d never walk again. But it didn’t take long for him to get out of bed and keep pushing. After a few years of rehab, he has returned to competition. He will attempt a black flip, strapped onto a dirt bike.  Bruce and Travis are friends, so he has to recuse himself. OH BOY HE HAD THE ACCIDENT AT ONE OF TRAVIS’ NITRO SHOWS. 

Because he can’t use his legs, Bruce will manage the stunt using the bike’s throttle. He attempts the stunt, and he lands it. The crowd gives him a standing ovation. Simon calls it “incredible,” “brilliant” and “inspiring.” Travis stresses the danger and risk. “You just truly are so incredible.” Simon and Nikki say yes. – 2 yeses 1 abstain

America’s Little Sisters – 29-45 – Jello Wrestling

A quartet of female wrestlers can’t wait to meet their hero, Nikki Bella. The group wants to expand their sisterhood and inspire others to wrestle. Weird, though. They don’t wrestle each other. Instead they wrestle…jello. Each has their own vat of the stuff in which they jump around and throw chairs. They add a Simon Cowell blow up doll and shove it in a can. He buzzes. Welp. Joke act. “You came on the wrong show,” says Travis. Despite Xing them, Nikki pulls off her earrings and shows them how to really wrestle in jello. Somehow, Travis and Terry  join the melee. Simon refuses, but he ends up covered in jello anyway – 3 nos

So that’s it for auditions. Next week…the finale.