'The Masked Singer' Live Updates: Wild Card Unmasked
The Masked Singer's Group B is back for this week's new episode, and for one of them, it will be [...]
The Masked Singer's Group B is back for this week's new episode, and for one of them, it will be their last performance. The competition show is heating up with more clues, more performances and probably more surprises. Stay tuned here for live updates on Black Swan, Chameleon, Crab and Piglet.
9:00 - Bulldog Unmasked
In the final segment, Nash declared that the Bulldog needed to unmask and go home. The panel was still shocked by Nash's unilateral decision until the Bulldog unmasked to reveal he was the series' regular host Nick Cannon. He said: "I dedicated my whole performance to you and you're gonna kick me off?! ...I was trying to go all the way, Niecy!"
With that, Group B moves on to the "Super 8" along with the survivors of Group A. The Masked Singer returns next Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET on Fox.
8:53 p.m. - The Bulldog
The next segment finally introduced the new wild card performer — "The Bulldog." Bulldog was clad all in gold and black, including his golden mask. His clue package started with a close-up of a clapperboard on a director's chair, which listed the production name as "Barkin'," the director's name as "Bulldog" and the take number as "80."
"My whole life I had to fend for myself, stepping up to any challenge that comes my way," he said. "I made moves on every green field with panthers and Pitbulls, running fast like a human torch. Yup, I'm one hot dog — technically, the sexiest dog alive, people. But don't be fooled by all of the beast, I'm a big softie inside. I'll sit, stay, give you my paw — whatever it takes to make you love me, so beware of dog kisses. Now, this pup's about to blow the last two wild cards out of the water and become the most popular pet on stage. And I'm dedicating my performance to someone very special."
Who let the dogs out?
What vibes are you getting from #BulldogMask? #TheMaskedSinger pic.twitter.com/XysjRYleSF
— The Masked Singer (@MaskedSingerFOX) April 8, 2021
The clip was set in a graffiti-covered alley, with plenty of references to both rap music and dogs. The camera zoomed in on a dog bowl with the word "SUPER" printed on it, and on a collar reading "B99." Meanwhile, while the Bulldog caught a football, passed it, then began dancing alongside a white skeletal figure. It ended with Bulldog's face inside of a heart shape, side-by-side with Nash's face.
Bulldog sang "Candy Girl" by New Edition, to the obvious surprise of the judges. He was not shy with the dance moves, though he did not match the choreography of the dancers behind him. He finished his performance by shouting: "I love you, Niecy Nash!"
The panelists did not seem confident about their first impression guesses, which went into a tiny dog house. Nash then revealed the Bulldog's "meaningful item," which was a massive cue card reading: "And... Live from New York, It's Saturday night!" He said: "My dog house is in N.Y., you know? I'm just a lover of comedy that loves to get live."
Jeong guessed Andy Samberg and Chris Tucker one after the other, while McCarthy and Scherzinger guessed Eddie Murphy. McCarthy added Chris Rock as another possibility.
Before cutting to commercial, Nash made an alarming announcement, claiming the audience's vote would not count this time around. Instead, she would personally decide who to send home. With that, the final commercial break began.
8:42 p.m. - The Chameleon
The drama with Crab picked up right after the commercials, with the singer saying: "It's hot in that thing, I can't sit in it long." Finally, the panelists were able to speak to him on stage, praising his performance before examining his new "meaningful object" clue. It was a bowler hat, which Crab said he owns because of his admiration for Sammy Davis Jr. He said that he wears it "as much as he possibly" can in his career as well to honor Davis Jr.
This led McCarthy to guess either Martin Lawrence or Bobby Brown, noting that Brown cooks just like the Crab in his clue package. Jeong guessed maybe it was a member of Boyz II Men, but couldn't decide which one. The other judges cut their guessing short out of mercy for Crab, who still wanted to get out of his costume.
After that, the Chameleon's clue package began. The lizard gave his new clues from a set like a martial arts dojo, saying: "There's one person I want to impress more than anyone: my little Chameleon."
"When I was a kid, I fell in love with some other cool reptiles — the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Now, I've dedicated myself to being a superhero ninja for the little one. I decided to party less and practice martial arts. Eventually, I reprogrammed my mind, body and soul. Martial arts taught me how to process my emotions, and now, I teach little Cham its cool to express feelings. I'm here to surprise my little lizard as the superhero Chameleon, and one day, I know he'll be a superhero too."
Throughout the clue package, Chameleon and his smaller counterpart punched and kicked together in unison but played together as well. The camera zoomed in on a street sign warning of skids, and a table with five analog clocks on it. Each one was set to 3:46. The "little Chameleon" also played with a toy rocket ship.
Chameleon performed "Hip Hop" by Dead Prez this week — another chance to rely on rapping over singing. The dancers wore rainbow patterned, star-shaped masks. The performance had the whole panel dancing, and Robin Thicke proclaimed: "I know who it is. I recognize that voice."
Chameleon's "meaningful item" clue was a plate of buffalo wings with carrot sticks and a side of dressing. He said: "If anybody knows me, they know I'm always cooking something in the kitchen." The "buffalo wings" cause Scherzinger to guess rapper Waka Flocka Flame, who is from Buffalo, New York. Thicke then guessed confidently that it was Wiz Khalifa, though Jeong thought that he was ignoring the important "346" clue, which he thought was a hint about the Houston, Texas area code. Based on that, McCarthy guessed Machine Gun Kelly.
Before the break, Cluedle-doo chimed in to reveal that he "caught" Scherzinger "snooping backstage for something more than just clues." He then showed a clip of Scherzinger looking for Chameleon backstage, hoping to attend his after-party. However, the rooster said she wouldn't "find Chameleon here — this isn't the only studio he frequents."
8:29 - The Crab
The Crab's clue package was set in a dreary underwater close-up, where he said frankly that it's "hard to breathe" in his costume. Like the others, The Crab looked back on his past performances, before cutting back to a scene where he smacked around men in black wearing squid hats.
"There's a purity to performing on this show that reminds me of being a child," he said. "Oh, I got in all sorts of trouble. My mom tried to keep me on the straight and narrow path. She made me sit in the kitchen while she prepared food every night. At first, I hated it, then I realized she wasn't just trying to teach me how to cook — she was teaching me the value of family and hard work. What started out as a punishment turned into a passion, and now my kitchen is the heart and soul of my family."
Through this monologue, the clip showed Crab sitting on a porch in a beach setting before cutting to a kitchen where he and a motherly crab made macaroni and cheese together. At the end, he sat around the table with a group of happy men in black. Without further delay, Crab began singing "Give It To Me Baby" by Rick James.
The performance featured a mermaid lounging on what appeared to be an overflowing washing machine, with laundry carts on either side. The panelists were all on their feet at once and were chanting "Crab!" together by the end. However, Crab himself was too gassed to celebrate. He began wheezing, begging crew members to "take this off." He actually left the stage huffing, only to be unmasked behind a curtain.
8:21 p.m. - The Piglet
Piglet's new clue package picked up with him standing by some hay bales, watching his past performances through a barn door. He said: "This experience has been the most unexpected jolt of adrenaline after such a static year, and all it took was putting on a pig costume!" It then showed him being locked inside of a barn-themed jail cell, holding a massive lollipop.
"You know, years ago, I was really getting grilled," he went on. "It was a difficult time, but then, someone unexpected appeared and turned my life around. She rescued me from the heat and gave me a brand new start. And because of her, now I'm a family man, which has brought a whole new purpose to my life. I finally found someone I wanna grow old together with, which may be the best gift of them all."
During this monologue, the camera zoomed in on a Hawaiian Lei, then a magic lamp like the kind used in Alladin. Piglet rubbed the lamp, manifesting a spider in a puff of smoke. Presumably, this is the "she" he was referring to, drawing some comparisons to the story of Charlotte's Web. Piglet and the spider shared a cob of corn, and the camera zoomed in on some tiny palm trees by their side. Finally, the spider then subdued one of the "men in black" who was wearing a blue ribbon on his coat that read "1 DR."
Piglet sang "7 Years" by Lukas Graham" under somber blue lights, surrounded by glowing bulbs and dancing set pieces. His performance brought McCarthy to tears, and then Nash trotted out Piglet's new "meaningful object" clue. It turned out to be a set of diamond-encrusted dog tags, which Piglet said "represent the most important thing in my life — I always have them with me." He pointed out that there was one more thing on the chain with them, a bejeweled letter "P."
Even with all this help, none of the panelists were too confident. Scherzinger started off by guessing Kevin Richardson of The Backstreet Boys, while Jeong went with Zayn Malik. McCarthy guessed A.J. McLean, but Thicke did not even bother guessing this week.
8:10 p.m. - Black Swan
Host Niecy Nash wasted no time in getting to the action this week, after reminding the audience that this was the last night before Groups B and A unite for "the Super 8." She also warned that there would be one more wild card performer, before launching into Black Swan's new clue package.
The clip began with Black Swan on a verdant beach, then cut quickly to a city street. She said: "With every performance, I'm starting to shake off my nerves. It's like the mask is bringing out all this confidence that's been trapped inside." At the same time, Black Swan held up a hand mirror where she saw herself singing on stage last week.
"All this anonymity brings me back to my beginnings — literally," she went on. "Look, when I first started my career, I was worried about how my appearance would be perceived. So, I sent out my auditions with no face, to be judged only by my talents. But, when people finally saw me, I was right. I wasn't quite what they were expecting. That experience made me hesitant to put myself out there again, but recently, I had a major milestone, and realized it was time to take a leap of faith."
The clip focused on Black Swan putting her "audition" material into a mailbox, in an envelope marked with a cartoonish Cupid. It then showed her in an airplane, where someone tried to hand her a bag marked "Montana." She turned it down and jumped without a parachute.
Black Swan sang "How Will I Know" by Whitney Houston. She was accompanied by dancers dressed as white swans, and her voice reached new heights and registers. In the background, the light show took on several rainbow patterns. The judges said that with that voice, she might win the whole season.
After the song, Nash introduced this week's new clue — a meaningful object swiped from each contestant's home. In Black Swan's case, it was a a small ornamental unicorn. She said: "This is to commemorate one of my best friends, who is an incredible singer who passed away." This did not help the judges much, but panelist Jenny McCarthy still mustered a guess — Hannah Montana star Emily Osment. Robin Thicke guessed next, proposing a few possibilities before settling on Victoria Justice. Finally, Jeong guessed Brenda Song before cutting to commercial.
How to Watch The Masked Singer Season 5, Episode 5.
The Masked Singer airs on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on Fox. You can catch the show with a cable or satellite subscription, or with a digital antenna. It is also available for cord-cutters on skinny TV bundles like FuboTV, which is currently offering PopCulture.com readers a free trial here. If you miss the show on Wednesday night, you can also stream it the following morning on Hulu here. Stay tuned for live updates on The Masked Singer throughout the episode!