Season 12 Premiere

After four months from the finale of Season 11, it was time for Season 12 to premiere! The leadup to this season, however, was different from all the other seasons, as for the first time in the show’s history, I had encountered leaks. While I am sure that there have been leaks before among people who have been to the tapings, they were not this prevalent in the past, and it seemed like they were everywhere. Things got even crazier when identities started being implied, and I saw leaks that contradicted other leaks that I had already seen. I was trying to make sense of everything that I had seen, but I couldn’t. Every time I thought I had figured out who somebody was, I would remember something that made my guess incorrect. I also got worried when I found out that the season would be following a similar format to Season 7, and had a new showrunner like Season 7, since I remembered how bad that season was. But I remembered that there were still some great performances that season, and I told myself that this season would probably also be good or even great. 

The episode started in an interesting way, as it opened with past contestant William Shatner on the stage introducing the show. I have no idea what he was doing there, and he never appeared again after this moment, but it was great to see him. From there, we jumped into an amazing performance of “Who Can It Be Now” by Men at Work from returning panelist Rita Ora, where showed how much power she has in her voice.

After that, it was time for the first performer of the season, which was The Buffalo. I had already known something about this contestant that the show was keeping secret, so I wasn’t surprised by what happened during their performance. Before the clue package started, Nick explained that for the first time ever, each contestant was going to be endorsed by a past contestant that they had a strong connection with, which they called a Masked Ambassador, and would also serve as a major clue for them. The ambassador for Buffalo was Nick Lachey, and he said that raised in the grasslands, The Buffalo had it tough, sleeping in roach-filled beds at night and practicing at bus stops by day. Buffalo then said that thanks to a big cattle call, it was game on, and from there, he was traveling the world, the Walk of Fame, and starring in two of the biggest sitcoms of all time. Nick then called him a national treasure and said that he is always the center of attention at his Super Bowl parties. Visual clues included a poster of a football player on one knee, pictures of Betty White and Vanna White, and a film reel. He then went on to give an amazing performance of “(I Just) Died in Your Arms” by Cutting Crew, during which the big reveal was made. There were two more Buffaloes that joined in one after the other, and their harmonizing abilities were great. After that, there was an additional clue for them, which was a crown. I agree with the popular guess on the internet, which is that The Buffaloes are Boyz II Men. Nick Lachey being their ambassador is because they have toured with 98 Degrees, and Nick was also the host of the show “The Sing Off,” which Shawn Stockman was a judge on, the kneeling football player is for their song “On Bended Knee,” the pictures of Betty White and Vanna White are because they often perform in white suits, they have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the film reel could be because they appeared in the movie “Long Shot,” the sitcoms they appeared in were “How I Met Your Mother” and “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” which also explains the crown, and their costumes are also adorned with eagles, as they are from Philadelphia. It’s also cool for me because a while back, I wrote about how Wanya Morris would be perfect for the show, and I have Shawn Stockman as somebody else that I was planning to write about on my list as being perfect for the show.

The second contestant of the night was The Woodpecker. Her ambassador was Jenifer Lewis, and she said that she has known her from her start, saying that she has been called a mogul, a CEO, and even became friends with Beyonce. Woodpecker then said that she was taught that the only doors that will open are the ones you knock on, so she has knocked on all of them, and she is now trying to be the youngest billionaire, and she wants to prove that she can do anything. Visual clues included red sports tape with the word “Next” printed on it, a framed sign that says “Family,” and an S.A.T. score card. She then went on to give a very good performance of “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus, during which she sounded exactly like Miley Cyrus. After the performance an additional clue was brought out, and it said, “World Record.” I agree with the popular guess on the internet, which is that Woodpecker is actress Marsai Martin. She starred on the show “Blackish,” which is why her ambassador is Jenifer Lewis, she is a mogul because she served as a producer on the movie “Little,” she is a CEO because she has launched her own successful nail brand, her connection with Beyonce she would sing covers of her songs on the internet, and then Beyonce surprised her with flowers and a message on her birthday, the sport tape is because she is dating a NASCAR driver, the sign saying “Family” is also referring to “Blackish,” the S.A.T. score card is because her character on the show was smart, she has said that she is striving to be the youngest billionaire, and she has a Guinness World Record for being the youngest person to serve as an executive producer on a major Hollywood film.

The third performer of the night was The Leaf Sheep. The journey that I had with trying to figure out who was under the costume was insane, as I guessed the most bizarre assortment of names for one costume. At first, I thought it could have been another Muppet, then I guessed Abby Lee Miller, as she is in a wheelchair, and the costume itself was on wheels, then when I found out additional information, I changed my guess to names like a voice actor, rock singer Peter Frampton, Sig Hansen from “Deadliest Catch,” and radio personality Bobby Bones, none of which were even close. His ambassador was former NFL player DeMarcus Ware, who said that keeping his identity a secret was tough to handle, but he knew someone who could manage it all, the GOAT. Leaf Sheep then said that these days, he’s a little sluggish, but we should have seen him in his prime, as he made a total splash, scored headlines, topped the country’s charts, and even revived a franchise. DeMarcus Ware then said to Leaf Sheep that based off running the same circles, he thinks his glory days are still ahead. Visual clues included a quarter, a guitar pick that said #1, and a seahorse with a cowboy hat. He then went on to perform “I Like It, I Love It” by Tim McGraw, and as soon as he started singing, I knew that he was not a good singer, but he was entertaining and picked the perfect song for his performance. An additional clue was brought out afterwards, which was a trophy that said, “Hall of Fame.” All the clues for Leaf Sheep confirmed that it was a former football player, and from some leaks I had seen on the internet, I knew that Ken was right with his guess of John Elway. 

The fourth performer of the night was The Showbird. Her ambassador was regular guest panelist on the show Joel McHale, who called her a good friend. Showbird then said that she never imagined this for herself, as she was a tomboy growing up, and a nerd who liked Legos and Comic-Con. She then said that she was in some of the biggest blockbuster movies ever. Visual clues included a book called Advanced Singing 401, a rack of shimmering clothes, bedazzled boots, and a gavel. She then gave a great performance of “Just Fine” by Mary J. Blige, where she showed off how much power she has in her voice. After her performance, an additional clue was brought out, which was a movie theater bag of popcorn. In one of the few times that this has happened, I was able to come up with a correct guess without help from the internet, which was actress Yvette Nicole Brown. Joel McHale was her ambassador because they both starred in the show “Community,” she has been in blockbuster movies like “Avengers Endgame” and “Inside Out 2,” the mention of Lego is because she has voiced characters in Lego video games and movies, the textbook saying, “Advanced Singing 401” is referring to her role in “Community,” the gavel is referring to her role in “A Black Lady Sketch Show,” and the movie theater popcorn bag is referring to her role in “Drake & Josh.”

The final performer of the night was The Ship. Her ambassador was Jewel, who said that she was surprised at how much depth there was to the competition beneath the surface, which she felt was something that would serve The Ship well, who she described as always having a great relationship with. The Ship then went on to say that she knows how quickly the tides can change from angry to serene on a dime, and her life has been the same. Her career set sail at a rapid clip, she had massive hits, made history, but lost control. She became lost at sea and at times felt totally forgotten, and while it’s taken her years to find her way back to shore, she finally has the career she always wanted. She then said that being on the show is scary because she is once again in uncharted waters. Jewel then told her to steer towards her fears head-on, just like they both did all those years ago together. Visual clues included a small plane with a clock on it, a “Wanted” sign with a $15,000 reward, and television antennas. She then went on to give a beautiful performance of “Pompeii” by Bastille, where she showed how much power her voice really has and performed it in a slower style which made it sound even more impressive. After the performance, an additional clue was brought out, which was a cowboy hat. I agree with the popular guess on the internet, which is that The Ship is singer Paula Cole. Her ambassador was Jewel because they both headlined Lilith Fair, she has been open about struggling with her new-found fame in the 90s, the plane could be referring to her song “Flying Home,” and the “Wanted” sign and the TV antennas are referring to her song “I Don’t Want to Wait,” which was the theme song for “Dawson’s Creek,” and the cowboy hat is referring to her song “Where Have All the Cowboys Gone.”

After that, it was time for the first unmasking of the season. Even before Showbird and Ship performed, I knew that Leaf Sheep was going to be unmasked. Before he was unmasked, I was thinking what the panelists were also thinking, which was that there didn’t seem to be any way to unmask the costume. When they finally unmasked him, they pulled the face off the front, to reveal that the celebrity was sitting in a wheelchair at the bottom, stayed crouched as he got up, and stood up properly when he was out of the costume. Ken also turned out to be right, as Leaf Sheep was revealed to be John Elway. His encore was entertaining, as all the panelists joined him on the stage. 

Overall, this was an excellent start to the season, and I’ll see you all next week with Footloose Night!