Grand Ole Opry Night

After two amazing episodes with Group B already, it was time for the Group B Finals with Grand Ole Opry Night! I was looking forward to this episode, as the show had already done a Country Night in Season 9, and that was a great episode with some great performances, so I felt the same would happen here. I was also looking forward to this episode when I found out who would be performing, as one of the contestants is a country singer and the other two performed country songs very well on the show “We Are Family,” so I felt we were in for three great performances. 

The episode opened the same way all the other Group Finals have opened, with a group performance from the remaining Group B contestants. They performed “Save A Horse (Ride A Cowboy)” by Big & Rich, which was perfect for all three of their voices, and also let them show off the power in their voices. For whatever reason, Rita was not on this episode, so in her place was actress and comedian Casey Wilson. 

After that, it was time for the first performer of the night, which was Pearl. In her clue package, she said that the biggest stars have performed at the Opry, and the one that shines brighter than the rest is Dolly Parton. She then said that just like everyone else, she was dazzled by her, so when she was invited to share the stage with her, her first thought was what would she wear, and she showed up to rehearsals with no clue. She then said that Dolly was wearing the perfect outfit, so when she asked her where she got it, she replied that she has two of everything, and that she could have one, and it ended up fitting her. Visual clues included a party invitation and a Christmas wreath. She then went on to give a great performance of “Here You Come Again” by Dolly Parton, which was perfect for her voice, and showed her range even more, as she has performed Whitney Houston, Blue Oyster Cult, and now Dolly Parton on the show. After each performance, an additional clue was brought out on a cowboy boot. For Pearl, the boot had a strong arm on it, and she then said that as a strong woman, there is nothing she likes more than making others feel strong too, and she has been quoted as saying that. I still agree with the popular guess on the internet, which is that Pearl is country singer Gretchen Wilson. She borrowed Dolly Parton’s pants at the 2019 CMA Awards, the party invitation is referring to her album “Here For the Party,” the Christmas wreath is referring to her album “Christmas in My Heart,” and the strong arm could be referring to her album “All Jacked Up.”
The second performer of the night was Griffin. In his clue package, he said that he is starting to have a big appreciation for country music, as after so many years in the spotlight, he moved his family to the country to a place where they can live quietly in nature. He then said that it was the kind of childhood he always dreamed of providing for his kids, and it’s been exactly what he and his family needed, until recently, when they got some news that changed everything. He then said that it has been a really tough year, but they have been able to face this challenge together in their home. Visual clues included a rowboat with oars and a first aid kit. He then went on to give a great performance of “Take Me Home, Country Roads” by John Denver, during which he showed off all the emotion in his voice. After the performance, a boot with the state of Texas on it was brought out, and he then said that the Lone Star State played a very big role in making him a star. I was glad to see somebody guess correctly, in this instance it was guest panelist Casey Wilson guessing that Griffin was James Van Der Beek, and I was hoping that other panelists would go along with that guess.

The final performer of the night was Boogie Woogie. In his clue package, he said that the halls of the Grand Ole Opry have been filled with some of the best voices of all time, but to him, there was no one with a better voice than his mom. He then said that she and his dad were musicians, and they filled the halls of their home with happy songs and uplifting lyrics, which he says is where he got his talent. He then said that a few years ago, he lost his mom, and suddenly the house was quiet and empty. He then said that on that day, he was changed, a darkness washed over him and he was out of hope, and he found it hard to keep going. He then said that the one thing he did have was her recordings, so he began playing her music, and suddenly, he felt the rooms fill with her warmth again. Visual clues included crossbones, a book that said English 101, and a rose. He then went on to give an amazing performance of “Something in the Water” by Carrie Underwood, during which he showed off all the power and emotion in his voice. After the performance, a boot with MLB on it was brought out, and Boogie Woogie then said that people say he hit a real home run at the World Series. I still agree with the popular guess on the internet, which is that Boogie Woogie is Andy Grammer. He lost his mom Kathy in 2009, the crossbones are referring to the song he cowrote called “Bones,” the English 101 book is referring to his last name, the rose is referring to him performing on an episode of “The Bachelorette,” and he performed the National Anthem at the first game of the World Series in 2015.

After that, it was time for the panel and the audience to vote on who was their favorite of the night, and the first singer advancing into the Lucky 6 in Group B was Pearl, which did not completely surprise me, as while she is a great singer, I was sure that Boogie Woogie would be the first to advance to the Lucky 6. This meant that Griffin and Boogie Woogie would be competing in the Battle Royale. They both took turns singing “I Had Some Help” by Post Malone and Morgan Wallen, and I felt that both were great, as Griffin did a great job at sounding like the original song, while Boogie Woogie did a great job showing off the power in his voice. 

After that, it was time for the panel to vote on their favorite, but before that, Detective Lucky Duck came out, and said that all three Group B finalists had a connection to Katharine McPhee from Season 6, which makes sense for Gretchen Wilson and Andy Grammer, and then he gave a clue to his own identity, as he told Casey that it was good to see her again, and they were in a historic TV series together. I agree with the popular guess on the internet, which is that Detective Lucky Duck is Rita’s husband Taika Waititi, as he and Casey were both in “History of the World Part II.” 
Nick then announced that the second Group B contestant advancing to the Lucky 6 was Boogie Woogie, which did not surprise me, and also meant that it was time for Griffin to unmask. Before the unmasking, the Crack The Case Clue Case was brought out, and inside was a football, which Griffin said was a big part of his career. I knew that Casey was going to stick with her guess, but I was shocked that none of the panelists agreed with her. Griffin was then unmasked, and for the third time in the show’s history, only the guest panelist was right, as he was revealed to be James Van Der Beek. I thought it was funny that Casey said that guessing him correctly was the greatest accomplishment in her life, and told the panelists that it wasn’t that hard. I also thought it was very sweet and wholesome that his wife and their six kids were also there backstage with him, and they brought them onstage, it really shows what kind of dad he is and how much his family means to him. 

Overall, this was another amazing episode of Season 13 of The Masked Singer, and I’ll see you all next week when we finally meet Group C in Carnival Night!