We’ll Be the Judge of That! – Celebrity Duets, September 28

It’s finale time! Lucy, Alfonso, and Hal have two last chances to sing for their supper – and the viewer votes. And our panel of judges, Sandy Lamparello and Ashley Lundy, have two last chances to tell us what they think. You’ve already read the recap, so now it’s time to see what our judges have to say.

Lucy Lawless & Bonnie Tyler, “Total Eclipse of the Heart”

Sandy: I. Love. This. Song. I used to play it over and over when I was a kid, until my mother threatened to take my stereo away. I thought Lucy sounded good this week. She was overpowered by Bonnie but that didn’t surprise me. A very solid first song for Lucy!

Ashley: Wow. It’s amazing that we are already at the finale. Was that fast to anyone else? Anyhoo. Lucy sounded the best I have ever heard her. She’s been working hard and her voice had a nice growl to it. (I swear I said that before David Foster. Swear.) In fact, I enjoyed Lucy’s singing so much that I sort of wished Bonnie Tyler wasn’t singing along. The years have not been kind to Bonnie’s voice. It was a good showing for Lucy though, even if I expected more for a finale performance. I miss Jai already.

Alfonso Ribeiro & Jon Secada, “Angel”

Sandy: I didn’t know this song at all but Alfonso sounded great. He and Jon blended really nicely together. There was so much feeling behind his singing too. Great first song for Alfonso too!

Ashley: Alfonso was right in tune from beginning to end on this smashing duet! I enjoyed all of his runs and Secada showed he is still the best person to be singing his songs. My only criticism was, on some notes, his voice sounded nasally to me. Perhaps it’s a common occurrence and I’ve just never noticed before. Maybe it was the song. Either way, I still enjoyed it.

Hal Sparks & Sebastian Bach, “18 & Life”

Sandy: Hal sounded less like he was screaming this week but he also sounded badly out of tune at the start of this song. He improved slightly when Sebastian joined him, but then the screaming returned. Maybe Hal just doesn’t sing my type of music, I don’t know, but I am not that impressed with him. Lucy and Alfonso really brought it so Hal has a lot of ground to make up with his second song.

Ashley: The opening was pitiful. Hal was just shouting. When Sebastian came out, Hal calmed down and started to sing instead of yell, but by then, I was already tragically disappointed. To think, there was a time when I thought Hal had a nice singing voice. Now I really miss Jai.

Lucy Lawless & Smokey Robinson, “Fly Me to the Moon”

Sandy: I was wondering if Lucy was actually going to sing for a minute there. But once she started, she sounded really good again! She and Smokey sounded and looked great together. Lucy put on a great show this week!

Ashley: I’m so glad she picked Smokey. He was great! I didn’t think Lucy was as good on this number. I blame poor song choice. Also, the growl in her voice turned a little raspy. Now, I agree that she has made the most growth, but that doesn’t necessarily mean she has the best voice. She does sound great, and look gorgeous, but I didn’t think it was a winning performance.

Alfonso Ribeiro & Gladys Knight

Sandy: Alfonso sounded even better on his second song this week, and WOW he and Gladys sounded like they’ve been singing together forever! Alfonso also put on a great show, this is going to be a tough decision.

Ashley: Did I see the “Carlton” dance?! Yeah! That was hilarious. Even Gladys had a laugh. What a fulfilling performance! Alfonso is consistently smooth, confident, and, most importantly, in tune. Like Lucy, he has also done a ton of growth in this competition and I’m proud to see him in the final three. I thought this was the best performance of the night.

Hal Sparks & Dennis DeYoung, “Lady”

Sandy: Hal sounded a LOT better on his second song this week. And awwww, going for the heartstrings by singing to his girlfriend. He still sounded a bit out of tune to me when he joined Dennis though. Hal made a great attempt this week but I think he was just outmatched by his competition.

Ashley: It was a nice touch going into the audience and singing to their ladies. I must admit that Hal is in his element in this genre. He doesn’t just sound like he is yelling when he’s next to Dennis. They did make a great duet. This was Hal’s personal best performance.

Final Thoughts:

Sandy: Boy, I really fell flat on my face with last week’s predictions, didn’t I? This week’s performances are going to make for a tough finale. Lucy and Alfonso were awesome on both of their songs, and Hal showed a great deal of improvement from last week’s near-elimination. I have to go with my favorite though, and say that Alfonso will be crowned champion of Celebrity Duets. And it will be well-deserved.

Ashley: It is an outrageous tragedy that Jai Rodriguez was not in the final three. Outrageous. Tragedy. Sigh. None of these finale performances absolutely wowed me. It’s possible I set my expectations too high. I, personally, don’t think Hal stands a chance in Hades to win this competition. That means it’s between Lucy and Alfonso in my eyes. I adore Lucy’s spirit and think she earned her spot in the final three. As far as who has the best raw talent, that can be none other than Alfonso Ribeiro. I predict he will take home the title.

Conclusions: So there we have it! Our panel of two both think Alfonso will win the big prize. Will the viewers see it the same way, or vote on something other than talent? We’ll find out Friday night!

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