Things to Do Newsday New York > Entertainment

'America's Got Talent' finale live-blog: Will Rockland's Tom Cotter win?

Thursday September 13, 2012 9:58 PM By Chris Serico

Photo credit: Virginia Sherwood/NBC | Tom Cotter performs stand-up comedy on the seventh season of "America's Got Talent."

10 p.m. EST — Thanks for reading, and congrats to Olate Dogs, winners of "America's Got Talent." Good night, and good luck.

9:59 p.m. EST — I hated being right about this one, because I was rooting for Tom Cotter so hard. To be honest, however, I think the guys in Olate Dogs needed it more. I think we'll be seeing and hearing a lot from Cotter for years to come.

9:57 p.m. EST — The winner of "America's Got Talent" is ... Olate Dogs! Tom Cotter is runner-up.

9:54 p.m. EST — Here we go! And the winner is ... ?

9:50 p.m. EST — We're down to Rockland County resident Tom Cotter and Olate Dogs vying for the grand prize, $1 million and a run in Vegas. Exciting! Who ya got?

9:49 p.m. EST — Told you! Some in the crowd boo his elimination, but Close's act really should be seen live. TV apparently doesn't do it much justice.

9:48 p.m. EST — Finishing in third place is William Close.

9:42 p.m. EST — Billy Joe Armstrong looks like he's 12 years old. TWELVE. He's Benjamin Button.

9:42 p.m. EST — One more VMAs thought: Will someone please tell me if 2 Chainz is still a thing? Thanks. #old

9:40 p.m. EST — Green Day was the only act I really enjoyed during an otherwise-unwatchable VMAs.

9:38 p.m. EST — Green Day takes the stage. They were not eliminated. Nor should they be.

9:35 p.m. EST — A little Nick Cannon love before the fourth finalist is eliminated. He's done a solid job this year, and deserves an Emmy nomination for the reality-TV host category.

9:34 p.m. EST — Is it safe to say we've all warmed to the Kia hip-hop hamsters? I have, reluctantly, but I have.

9:33 p.m. EST — That last update was inspired by Tom Cotter and Joan Rivers' roast from earlier this evening.

9:32 p.m. EST — The best thing that I can say about that Justin Bieber song is that it is over.

9:27 p.m. EST — #Bieber. The squeeeeeeee's are out of control. I am officially old.

9:23 p.m. EST — Loving all the ads for TV shows featuring contributions from Hudson Valley celebrities, including "Go On," "SNL" and "Revolution." The great Kirthana Ramisetti penned a great piece about all the locals who are on them. You should read that immediately after the show ends.

9:22 p.m. EST — Another commercial break. But let me offer my predictions for the last eliminations now so that they're on the record: I'm guessing third place will be William Close (in what will be a stunner to the judges but no one at home), second place will be Rockland County resident Tom Cotter, first place will be Olate Dogs. I'm rooting for Cotter the hardest, but all three acts would be worthy of a high-profile Vegas run.

9:21 p.m. EST — That was my prediction. You'll have to trust me on that one. (Or not.)

9:21 p.m. EST — Third act to go, in fourth place, is David Garibaldi and his CMYK's.

9:18 p.m. EST — That new Macy's commercial with Harold the store manager might be the Hudson Valley-est of all time. Diddy (grew up in Mount Vernon), Donald Trump (owns half of Westchester County), Martha Stewart (Bedford resident) and Taylor Swift (whose boyfriend, Conor Kennedy, lives in Bedford).

9:17 p.m. EST — Another act eliminated after this commercial break. Nick Cannon teases: "Still to come: Justin Bieber and Green Day!" If they perform together, the world will implode.

9:16 p.m. EST — Howie Mandel commends Castillo. "I think you truly opened up our minds, and led us down an original path we had never seen before," Mandel says.

9:15 p.m. EST — Told ya.

9:15 p.m. EST — Second act to go, in fifth place, is Joe Castillo.

9:13 p.m. EST — Super-talented kids, good sports, but this was the right cut. "This is just the beginning for you guys," says Sharon Osbourne, who also is leaving after tonight's show.

9:12 p.m. EST — First act to go, in sixth place, is The Untouchables.

9:11 p.m. EST — First two eliminations coming up after this montage of last night's performances. I'm guessing The Untouchables and Joe Castillo are first to be cut.

9:09 p.m. EST — Cute. It was like a public-service announcement for sand and teamwork.

9:07 p.m. EST — Here's sand artist Joe Castillo teams up with alums from the always-adorable PS22 Chorus, singing Lady Gaga's "Edge of Glory."

9:04 p.m. EST — "Tom Cotter, if I had a heart, it would be overflowing," says Rivers, a national treasure.

9:03 p.m. EST — A great moment: Sharon Osbourne correctly calls the end of Cotter's punch line: "She speaks two languages fluently: English and Ozzy," with Osbourne saying "and Ozzy" at the same time.

9:03 p.m. EST — After Rivers roasts all four (and kills), Cotter returns to the mic. "We all learned that [Stern] has a great face for radio; Howard looks like the bastard child of Joey Ramone and Big Bird, if Big Bird had Tourette syndrome and a slightly larger beak."

8:58 p.m. EST — "I've been watching you, Tom, you've been doing very well, but you're too nice," says surprise guest and Larchmont native Joan Rivers, who gives Cotter a kiss on the cheek and takes over the roasting. "Ugh, look at this panel. If I want to see three people who make tons of money, and have no talent, I will not watch you guys; I will watch the Kardashians." She crushes.

8:57 p.m. EST — Tom Cotter is roasting the judges, and host NIck Cannon catches some shrapnel. "Even without Mariah Carey, Nick would be a fine host ... at Applebee's."

8:55 p.m. EST — Judge montage. Congrats, "AGT," it's true that Howard Stern is the reason I initially tuned in, and part of the reason I've tuned in ever since.

8:51 p.m. EST — Speaking of Towelie, he'd love this Blue Man Group performance.

8:43 p.m. EST — If OIate Dogs lose, they are doomed to star in "Beverly Hills Chihuahua 4."

8:41 p.m. EST — Allow me to paraphrase "South Park's" Towelie when I say "I have no idea what's going on right now."

8:40 p.m. EST — WHATCHA GONNA DO? WHATCHA GONNA DO? WHATCHA GONNA DO?

8:39 p.m. EST — It wouldn't be a reality-TV competition finale without a montage of terrible contestants.

8:36 p.m. EST — Olate Dogs and The Untouchables join Latin recording artist Frankie J for a group number that has a dancing dogs, a million tiny children and lots of attitude.

8:35 p.m. EST — I think we can all agree that the "Orville Lounge" segment is the only thing that needs to be fast-forwarded every episode. There's got to be better product integration than that.

8:32 p.m. EST — We're told to expect the first elimination result after the break. I hope it's not a finalist who hasn't performed yet tonight. Seems a bit cruel to do that to a contestant. What is this, "American Idol"? (Don't answer that, "AGT" executive producer Simon Cowell.)

8:28 p.m. EST — This song is perfectly harmless, so let me focus instead on complaining about "AGT's" Twitter account, whose promoted tweet at the top of its feed is from July 27, which is... not recent.

8:25 p.m. EST — The official "AGT" Twitter account teases that William Close is performing with OneRepublic after this commercial break. DRAMA.

8:23 p.m. EST — The "AGT" judges' panel is right there for me with "Top Chef's" judges' panel as my favorites on TV. I'm also going to miss Sharon Osbourne if she leaves. I always smile when "AGT" shows that clip of her squealing, "Ahhhh! I want those dogs!" at Olate Dogs.

8:19 p.m. EST — Between Ne-Yo's dancers and Rihanna, September has been a big month for gesticulating toward your crotch while dancing.

8:18 p.m. EST — Dancing and merriment, merriment and dancing. That knee-knocking thing is only cool when Ne-Yo does it, and even then, I'm not so sure it is.

8:16 p.m. EST — Ne-Yo takes the stage with his brand new hit single, "Song Chris Serico Has Not Yet Heard Of."

8:12 p.m. EST — Pretty cool. Garibaldi's performance gets an A from me, especially because (unlike fellow artsy finalist Joe Castillo) you can always tell what his art is, unless your name is Howard Stern. Flo Rida's song gets a B- for being disposable, and I say that as someone who's bought two of his singles.

8:09 p.m. EST — Flo Rida is performing with splashy artists David Garibaldi and his CMYK's. Any flood lights that reflect in Flo's microphone grill may result in free LASIK surgery.

8:06 p.m. EST — Season montage time. I miss magician Eric Dittelman, dancer Lindsay Norton and Lightwire Theater. Any of them should be there ahead of The Untouchables. (Sorry, kiddos.)

8:03 p.m. EST — Bieber is in the building. Adjust your TV volume accordingly.

8:01 p.m. EST — Interesting that the finale opens with a quote from Rockland's Tom Cotter. Hmm. Could this be a sign that he won it all?

8 p.m. EST — "Portions pre-recorded." Really, "AGT"? Poor form for a "live" finale.

7:57 p.m. EST — And I'm back! Who's ready for some over-the-top finale shenanigans? I sure am.

7 p.m. EST — Hey, gang! Chris Serico here. Thanks for joining me as I offer my take on tonight's "America's Got Talent" finale, with Rockland County's own Tom Cotter vying for the title and $1 million prize that comes with it.

I'll return to this post right before the show starts at 8 p.m. EST, but in the meantime, please post your questions and musings in the comments section below, and if they're particularly fun, I may address them as the night goes along. And please vote in the poll, too! Curious to know who you think deserves to win this whole thing.

Tags: Stony Point , Tom Cotter , America's Got Talent , TV , live-blog , Rockland , reality TV , comedy