‘The Masked Singer 12’ episode 5 recap: Which Emmy-winning star was eliminated on ‘Barbie Night’?
Get ready to dance the night away on “Barbie Night” as “The Masked Singer’s” resident “Ken,” Ken Jeong, and his fellow panelists Robin Thicke, Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg, and Rita Ora, celebrate Mattel’s Barbie for the 65th anniversary! Then, it’s time to head inside the Barbie Dream House to learn more about the Group B celebrities as they pay tribute to Barbie, celebrating over six decades of breaking down boundaries and inspiring girls to explore their limitless potential! Which Emmy-winning superstar was unmasked in the all-new “Barbie Night” episode of “The Masked Singer” airing Wednesday, Oct 23 (8:00-9:02 PM ET/PT) on FOX?
First up in tonight’s Barbie mayhem is Bluebell. She said in her clue package, “Barbie believes you can be anything, and as a young seedling, I believed I could be a star! I even wrote a list of all my goals and never questioned that they would manifest. So when I got my first break, I thought, ‘What could possibly go wrong?’ The answer? Everything! My career wilted, money dried up, and I found myself struggling to make stems meet. But, I never stopped believing in myself. So, I started watering and suddenly a new career bloomed. Now, I never miss an opportunity to dance the night away, because every moment in life is bloo-tiful!”
Tonight, Bluebell performed “Dance the Night” by Dua Lipa. The flowering diva had fun on stage with this uptempo hit. For an extra clue, the Men in Pink brought out an astronaut Barbie, to which Bluebell stated, “I’ve been ready to take you out of this world ever since my arrival.” The panelists guessed Bluebell could be Amy Adams (Jenny), Anne Hathaway (Ken), or Lindsay Lohan (Robin).
Next up was Goo, who said, “You know, Barbie is all about empowering young women, showing them you can achieve your dreams. There’s one go-getter gal in my life — my future Mrs. Goo. Let me tell you how we first gelled, at a theme park where, ironically, I was frustrated and grumpy. I had my guard up. I was stewing alone on a bench, when I looked up and saw her hand. She was asking me to dance and I instantly melted at her kindness, playfulness, and confidence. I realized in that one moment I had met my mushy match. I cannot wait to become her Mr. Goo next year. Now she’s encouraged me to be as playful as her by doing this! So tonight’s performance is her for her — the most ‘independentist’ of women. A big romantic gesture before we say, ‘I goo.'”
Goo sang “Miss Independent” by Ne-Yo, showing off his soulful chops and lower register. His extra clue was a Malibu Dream House, to which Goo said, “That’s right, here is a dream house, which is pretty fitting for Robin, because I know he’s a fan.” The panelists guessed Goo was Robert Downey Jr. (Robin), Gerard Butler (Robin), Al Green (Ken), Kirk Franklin (Rita), or Johnny Gill (Jenny and Robin).
The third member from Group B to sing was Chess Piece. She revealed in her clue package, “As a kid, I was a rich target for others to tease. It seemed like every piece of me was something others could poke at, and on top of that I loved Barbie. But the part that hurt, was that I wasn’t allowed to play with her. The criticism and scrutiny continued over the years, and made me question everything I love about myself. So, I had to take control of my own board, and the one thing that helped me heal was the one thing I was missing all along — Barbie! I started buying them for myself and realized it’s never to late to have a happy childhood, even decades later. And now, they even modeled one after me. Barbie can be anything, and she made me and every woman feel like we can be anything too! So tonight, I’m here to celebrate all of us. Every woman out there!”
Chess Piece performed “I’m Every Woman” by Chaka Khan. With her unique tone and vocal quality, Chess Piece commanded the audience and confounded the panelists. An extra clue of a Barbie vanity led Chess Piece to say, “I actually have this toy at home, but it’s a life-sized version.” The panelists guessed Chess Piece was Tyra Banks (Rita), Misty Copeland (Robin), or Issa Rae (Ken).
Last up tonight was the Wasp, who stated, “Barbie may have her own dream house and I did too, but it took me a while to realize it. I lived with over a dozen other family members, all of them hustlers. There was so much noise in the house, and love, but there was one thing missing — that was my dad. Without his guidance, I felt like I didn’t know my purpose. So, when I ventured out into the world as a young wasp with big dreams, I had to learn to stand on my own. When I finally made it big, I came back home and my whole family was there, including, much to my surprise, my dad. When I talked to him one-on-one he told me he was proud of me, and for the first time I felt like I had limitless potential. For every hard memory in that house there was a good one, and more than anything, it was about nurturing my dreams. So, I guess it was a dream house after all.”
Wasp gave the night’s best performance, singing “Skyscraper” by Demi Lovato. After nearly bringing the panel to tears, Wasp showed off his toy Barbies he stated, “Every minute I’m out there I take my live performances to new heights.” The panelists guessed Wasp was Miguel (Rita), Frank Ocean (Jenny), or Daveed Diggs (Ken).
Following the studio audience vote, Chess Piece was named the singer to unmask next. But before that happened, the panelists submitted their final guesses: Serena Williams (Jenny), Issa Rae (Ken), Tyra Banks (Rita), and Misty Copeland (Robin). Chess Piece finally unmasked and revealed herself as Daytime Emmy winner and four-time Primetime Emmy nominee, Laverne Cox!
Bluebell, Goo, and Wasp will compete next week in “60s Night.”