The Quarterfinals

After three amazing rounds each with Group A, Group B, and Group C, it was time for The Quarterfinals! As these were the top four contestants of the season and they had all been amazing in their respective groups, I knew we were in for a great episode.

At the start of the episode, Nick told the panelists that they were about to get some extra help and pointed out a blue button on the desk. He said that they could hit it when they were really stumped as to a contestant’s identity, and that when they hit it, it would trigger an immediate package delivery from Prime, which explained the commercials for Prime that aired during the show that featured contestants several times this season. Nick then said that inside the package would be an item that was an extra clue to the identity of the contestant that they chose to use it on, before saying that they had to use it wisely, saying that it could only be used once per show. From there we went to the first performer of the show, which was The Clock. In her clue package, she talked about how when she was younger, everyone loved to hear her sing, until she told them she wanted to do it for a living, and everyone thought she was crazy. She then said that she was a young mother and that her mother was most concerned, saying that she had no idea how she could take care of her kids and sing at nightclubs, but everything changed when she saw her perform, and her family has been a part of her career since. Her mom helped where she could, and her son works with her on tour. She then went on to give an amazing and upbeat performance of “Get on Your Feet” by Gloria Estefan, during which she showed off the power she has in her voice with a song that also got the audience dancing. As an additional clue on this episode, each contestant got a phone call from someone important to them. Her phone call was from her son, who said that she never ceases to amaze him, that he has seen her perform thousands of times, and that while she might have been nervous then, she had to remember that she has performed for the pope. I don’t think that she knew her son was going to be giving the clue, as she seemed genuinely surprised when she heard him talking, and she also got emotional over it. From the single clue that we got today, I am still confident that The Clock is disco singer Thelma Houston. She was once part of a gospel band with other legendary singers called Sisters of Glory that performed for the pope in Vatican City in December 1994. 

The second performer of the night was The Gumball. In his clue package, he said that he wasn’t kidding when he said that he had doubts that he belonged on the stage, which he thinks is what landed him in the Smackdown in the first round. He then said that it turned out to be the awakening that he needed to dig deep, and that with as much self-doubt as he has, he feels that he has just as much fight in him. As someone who was an athlete, he felt like he was back on the field, and that it was time to leave it all on the stage. He then went on to give an amazing performance of “I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz, during which he showed how much power he has in his voice with his vocalizing ability, and his voice lent itself perfectly to the laid-back tone and melody of the song, and he also did a great job at sounding like Jason Mraz. The performance also had a diner counter set on the stage, where he gave two milkshakes to two of the dancers, and wiped it down with a rag after that, which I thought was a cute touch. After the performance, he got a phone call from his wife who said that she was proud of him and that watching him on the stage reminded her of his time spent off-Broadway and finished by saying that he was back in his element. After Ken made his guess of Taran Killam, he said that he was so confident in his guess that he said that he could prove it with another clue and pressed the button that would send another clue in the form of a delivery from Prime. The package was delivered, and inside was a kid’s doctor kit with a doctor’s bag that had a heart on it. After the few clues we got this week, I am still confident that The Gumball is actor and singer Scott Porter. Not only did he play a football player in the show “Friday Night Lights,” he also played football in high school. He also starred in the off-Broadway musical “Altar Boyz.” The kid’s doctor kit and the doctor’s bag with a heart on it are referring to his starring role on the show “Hart of Dixie,” which had the main character Zoe Hart who was a doctor.

The third performer of the night was The Poodle Moth. In her clue package, she talked about how being saved from being unmasked reminded her of another time in her life when she was saved right when she needed it most. She then said that before her big break, she had no cash, a credit card gaining interest, and even had to borrow money for gas. She was also worried about answering her phone, just in case it was the debt collectors, until one time, when she was close to ignoring it, but answered it anyway, and it was the call that resulted in her big break. She then went on to give a great performance of “Price Tag” by Jessie J. Featuring B.o.B. This performance helped her show off her versatility even more, as it is a song that is different from the other songs she performed on the show, and she even sang part of the rap portion of the song. After the performance, she got a phone call from her sister, who said that there was nothing that she couldn’t do, as she has performed in that costume and earned a Golden Globe nomination. Much like with Clock, I don’t think Poodle Moth was expecting the call from her sister, as she admitted she was surprised they were even able to contact her. After that, the panelists made their guesses, and Jenny made the correct guess, which was that The Poodle Moth was Chrissy Metz.

The fourth and final performer of the night was The Goldfish. In her clue package, she said that the best part of being on the show was getting to do what she loves. She then said that she feels like she has been through a lot in her career, as when you are young and suddenly a role model, there’s a lot of pressure to live up to the expectations and grow up in front of the whole world. She then said that people wanted her to be perfect, which she said is impossible, but that she is resilient, and that in Hollywood, you have to keep reinventing yourself, and that we are not the same from our teenage years to our adult years. She then went on to give a beautiful performance of “Unforgettable” by Nat King Cole, during which she showed how much power her voice really has. After the performance, she got a phone call from her husband, who said that he was happy to see her thriving in the competition, but he knew that she would because she never backs down from a challenge and loves to perform live. The few clues that we got in this episode made me even more confident that The Goldfish is Vanessa Hudgens. She did get her start at a young age, was a role model to fans of “High School Musical,” has reinvented herself in her career, and has been in many stage shows and live productions on Fox.

After all four performances, it was time for the last Smackdown of the season, and I knew that no matter what happened, a great singer was going to be unmasked by the end of the episode. The two singers with the least amount of votes were The Poodle Moth and The Gumball, and while I thought they were both great, it didn’t surprise me. They both took turns performing their own renditions of “If I Could Turn Back Time” by Cher, and I thought both performances sounded great, as Poodle Moth did a great job sounding like the original song, while Gumball did a great job at showing off the power in his voice. In the end, Gumball won the Smackdown, and Poodle Moth was unmasked, proving the internet and Jenny right as she was revealed to be Chrissy Metz.

Overall, this was another amazing episode of Season 11 of The Masked Singer, and I’ll see you again with The Semi Finals!