That's what they were for most of the evening, and why not? The six remaining acts are all strong, their performances went smoothly and viewers at home will decide the result. So the judges offered a few quibbles as the performers worked their way through two routines each, but otherwise were supportive.
Sure, Stern told the acrobatic ensemble AcroArmy, "You really deserve to win this thing." But he also commented that "This is too close to call" and "I don't know how America's going to pick a winner."
The question is, did Tuesday night's performances change any minds? In a pre-show poll earlier this week, AL.com readers once again picked singer Emily West (27.5%), giving her a small but significant lead over magician Mat Franco (23.1%). Young singer Quintavious Johnson (13.7%) was a distant third, followed closely by Sons of Serendip (13.3%) and AcroArmy (12.8%). Singer Miguel Dakota ranked last (9.7%).
So how do you feel now? There can be only one winner, so this time around, you can only pick one favorite in the accompanying poll.
The show's finale is a two-hour live broadcast starting at 7 p.m. Central time on Wednesday, Sept. 17, on CBS. According to information provided by the network, Wednesday's show will include appearances by Jennifer Hudson, Ed Sheeran, Pitbull, Lenny Kravitz, Train and more.