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I had such a different feeling watching Criss Angel Mind-freak tonight. He was set to pull off his greatest stunt ever, escaping from a building that was set to implode. This time it was different for me, as I had a chance to interview Criss Angel about this stunt last week. This made me somehow feel personally connected, which is of course his plan.

When talking about what type of magic he didn’t like, Criss had mentioned in the interview that he didn’t like the magic that was only done for the the trick or the puzzle. He likes his magic to connect to people and be done for a reason. Perhaps that’s what’s behind the people that think he’s fake. Maybe they’re uncomfortable with the way he connects so emotionally to the challenges. He’s always bringing fans and passersby into his illusions, and after studying him, I think he does that to bring that human element into his Mindfreaks. I think he borrows their energy to help him out, as he enjoys making that personal connection.

Tonight, Criss was set to be manacled to the 6th floor balcony of a hotel that was set to implode. He’d need to escape those handcuffs, pick through the lock on the door into a room, pick through another door, run down a hall, pick through another door, run up three flights of stairs, pick through one last door with two sets of locks on it, reach the rooftop on the ninth floor, and grab the ladder of a waiting helicopter that would airlift him to safety.

The problem was that it would be very time sensitive. 456 sticks of dynamite would be used to explode the building, and once he gave word to have a four minute timer started, it couldn’t be stopped. The helicopter would take thirty seconds to make its ascent, so Criss would need to get up there in three minutes and thirty seconds.

Criss was manacled to the balcony, and while he waited for it to start, we could see the nervousness and terror on his face. It reminded me of watching the cliff divers down in Acapulco. They would sometimes sit there for several minutes, just staring, then would finally give the sign and dive off the rocks. We zoomed in with binoculars and could see their terror. I saw this on Criss tonight, especially after he noted that while waiting, it had begun to rain, which would make the floors slippery, as well as his picks.

After screaming out for the clock to start, Criss started picking his handcuffs loose. He didn’t seem to do that as quickly as we would have thought and seemed to have some trouble with it. Finally getting them off and turning towards the door, this is where the real trouble started. He could not get the lock picked, and kept putting the picks in his mouth for some reason, possibly to attempt to dry them off somewhat. We watched the clock tick away, and he was losing valuable time. We could see his panic.

Not able to get the door open, Criss kicked out one of the large windows and crawled through it to the next door. He made it through there quickly, then struggled with the next door once again. It was clear that he was now in a panic, as the host kept giving him time updates, telling him how behind schedule he was. He finally made it through that door, and took several stairs at a time, making it up to the roof.

There, his lock-picking talents were failing him again. He fought and fought to get the first lock open and couldn’t. The clock ticked down to thirty seconds and the helicopter left. Criss was now on his own regardless. With a few seconds left, he got the first lock off and threw it to the side, focusing on the last lock between him and freedom. The clock ticked down to zero, he continued to work on it, and and as the building started to fall, all the interior cameras went dead, and we lost Criss.

The camera searched for him on the outside, as well as several people. Criss emerged miraculously from the rubble, far away from the hotel. He walked away, seeming to be in shock, hugged his mother and brothers, then kept walking. It was all just very incredulous.

The show ended with no time to explain what happened, leaving all of us to wonder. Criss certainly has his detractors out there right now. Many are saying it was fake and cheesy, and that the interior shots were probably filmed a few days ago, and once he broke the window and stepped inside, he escaped out the back door and dirtied himself up to look like he’d been in the explosion. Their basis for all this is that no one could possibly escape a jump or fall from this imploding building.

After thinking about it for quite a bit tonight, I think it’s simply the easier response. It’s much easier to not think about the possibilities and declare it must all be fake. It’s simpler to think this way and not put your mind out there to think of alternate possibilities. I’ve relayed it in my own mind, and I think it has to be true. Criss would have nothing to lose by faking it. And as far as possibly surviving after falling from the roof that was imploding, I think if there were survivors after the twin towers fell on 9/11, an illusionist could survive a fall or jump from nine stories.

Criss will continue to have his detractors and believers. This stunt won’t change anyone’s mind one way or another. No one can deny it wasn’t exciting, though. For those that choose to emotionally connect, they definitely did. He had said in the interview that “if he was successful” this would be his last death-defying stunt, because of a promise to his mother. He wasn’t necessarily successful, so what will happen now