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Masked Singer Recap: Heavy Metal Icon Shocked Panel Didn't Guess Them

The unmasked legend can't believe no one on the panel guessed who they are — despite guessing them many, many times in the past!

Warner Bros.’ 100th anniversary celebration invaded “The Masked Singer” with tributes ranging from “Willy Wonka” to “Elvis.” It also featured two newcomers taking on the grim and gritty Doll.

Last week, Doll eked out a victory against some pretty questionable competition (referring strictly to their singing ability) in “Cheers” star George Wendt and “Selling Sunset” star Christine Quinn. He had better pitch than they did, but not the kind of voice that traditionally soars on shows like this.

That meant it was really going to depend on what Dandelion and Mantis brought to the stage. We will say that one of them brought one of the coolest costume designs we’ve seen yet across nine seasons of creativity, while the other left us with our jaws on the ground by the end of the night.

Who emerged triumphant? And who got unmasked before the night is over? Next week is the final night of this round, with the final two masks of the season revealed. Who will they have to face off against as the “Masked Singer” goes to space — whatever that means?

Let’s jump right in with this week’s masks. And don’t worry, before we get to the shocking unmasking(s), we’re going to make you power through the terrible (and occasionally good) guesses made by our illustrious panel of Robin Thicke, Jenny McCarthy, Ken Jeong and Nicole Scherzinger first. We do this because we love … to torture you.

Along with the panel’s guesses, we’ll be sharing some internet speculation, too, so if you don’t want to be potentially spoiled (because they are very good at this), you may want to skip past the guesses sections.

DOLL

(“Jailhouse Rock,” Elvis Presley [from “Elvis”]) Doll definitely has an older sounding voice, with a ton of gravel in it. It’s also a voice that knows the pitch and can hold onto it, suggesting that despite it’s unexpected sound, he’s got some talent in singing. Perhaps his voice has evolved over the years? His stage presence also suggested a classic rocker, too, encouraging the crowd to take over lines and really getting into the physicality of it.

Guesses: The panel was all over glam rock guesses last week throwing out names from Motley Crue to Skid Row and even Kiss. This week, his additional clue didn’t offer all that much to get us excited. Ken wondered if the heart-shaped sucker could mean heartthrob — which a lot of those ’80s hair band rockers certainly were.

But we found ourselves leaning more toward the internet’s favorite guess last week, and even the genderbent costuming choice fits. Glam rockers were often criticized for wearing makeup and “feminizing” their looks, so we have a feeling this costume choice is playing off of that hateful stereotype Doll had to deal with during the height of his career.

This week’s on-stage clue came out in a guitar case labeled “King Status.” “Besides making movies, the King and I share making platinum records.” Of course, there are many, many hair band rockers that have gone platinum.

Robin was still on Gene Simmons, thinking the lollipop was a reference to “Lick It Up.” Gene is a towering figure of a man, like Doll. Ken, clearly, isn’t making any real efforts on this show anymore, throwing out the laziest answer outside of thinking Elvis was making his comeback from the dead on “The Masked Singer”: Austin Butler.

Nicole thinks the guitar and hairspray are definitely taking it to hair bands, but she took the lollipop to “Sweet Child O Mine” and landed on Slash, who does have some grit in his voice. But that much? She was still leaning more toward her Sebastian Bach guess from last week, which means they clearly didn’t do much more digging.

The internet had a few theories last week, but by this week, they were circling tighter and tighter around Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider. He was famous for his bright red lips and needed a lot of hairspray to manage his ‘do.

He was definitely a misfit, as he never bothered with the “pretty boy” approach to rock like your Sebastian Bach and Vince Neil types. That said, they’re definitely not locked in yet, though all signs are pointing in that direction.

GENE Simmons is the DOLL!! #TheMaskedSinger #DollMask pic.twitter.com/LeXt7S9awN

— Kristin (@ColinSearchlig1) April 6, 2023@ColinSearchlig1

The Doll could possibly be Dee Snider? ??‍♀️ #TheMaskedSinger I thought Gene Simmons too so idk pic.twitter.com/DSmJ1HPIOx

— ??????? ??? ? | Galaxy Con (@bewitchingtabz) April 6, 2023@bewitchingtabz

#TheMaskedSingerOh, dear! Is this my idol David Jo? From the New York Dolls? pic.twitter.com/yOPOFxRqBF

— Jeanne (@epjeanne) April 6, 2023@epjeanne

#DollMask #TheMaskedSinger I still say the Doll mask is David Johanssen aka Buster Poindexter pic.twitter.com/7ezBOm8GQT

— Les Lefebvre (@lefebvre_l13104) April 6, 2023@lefebvre_l13104

My guess for doll, Dee Snider. Twisted sister is a hair band hence hairspray, they covered jailhouse rock and had an album called love is for suckers #TheMaskedSinger @MaskedSingerFOX

— Mae (@maeday626) April 6, 2023@maeday626

I think the Doll is Dee Snider I just have the vibe and it could be the wrong vibe ! But that's the vibe !#TheMaskedSinger #MaskedSinger

— NAT Bauer (@MooseMaries) April 6, 2023@MooseMaries

Why is everyone still guessing Dee Snider for The Doll? He should sing better than this since he is a singer & he isn’t/wasn’t a heart throb like the clue says! #TheMaskedSinger PS I am probably wrong because I have only guessed like 10 right for all of the seasons!??

— L?️u®️en Kaminski ❤️?????✨✨✨☘️? (@Laurenk83) April 6, 2023@Laurenk83

DANDELION

(“Over the Rainbow,” Judy Garland [from “The Wizard of Oz”) Dandelion delivered a very subtle but magical performance. She has a lovely tone to her voice and her pitch was spot-on throughout. She didn’t push for any mind-blowing high notes or even big notes. Instead, she kept things mellow and mesmerizing. If she’s not a professional singer, she’s got an incredible talent.

Guesses: Right off the bat, Dandelion was dropping names, saying she’d worked with the likes of Madonna, Flea and Elton John. She further said she’d worked with the living and the dead, which always makes us think of Natalie Cole, who famously recorded with her late father, Nat King Cole.

She said that her life was much like “The Wizard of Oz,” emphasizing that she, too, started her career at a young age. She said she was restless for a home, a place to play the keys. At this, one of the Men in Black was playing a piano with an angel’s halo and wings on. She said that her family did finally put down roots in “Music City,” per a sign, before a tornado hit her home.

Her on-stage clue came out tied to Dorothy’s slippers, a tag that simply read “Billboards.” “These heels were made for performing,” she told them. “TV, Movies, Concerts and even charting next to Olivia Rodrigo.”

It was enough to get Nicole fired up enough to think maybe this was Zoeey Deschanel, who plays piano. Zooey played Dorothy in the “Tin Man” Syfy series. Jenny, though, tied angel and billboard to Emmy Rossum, who famously portrayed billboard star Angelyne.

Ken tried to tie the Dandelion to Hello Sunshine, and the apple to Apple TV+ to land on Reese Witherspoon, his latest boo-worthy guess. The internet wasn’t doing too much better, though, with guesses still ranging pretty wide from Carrie Underwood and Vanessa Williams to Alicia Keys (which popped into our heads, too) and Anna Camp.

I think Dandelion on @MaskedSingerFOX some from pitch perfect actress like Anna Camp or Vanessa Williams #TheMaskedSinger #DandelionMask ? pic.twitter.com/6ASeIPkPbT

— ?Ardell Thompson? (@marcel15537) April 6, 2023@marcel15537

#TheMaskedSinger Dandelion is Alicia Keys. Change my mind.Shes worked with both Elton John and Madonna, charted next to Rodrigo, and her voice is so similar. I did my research 🙂

— Elsie Thompson (@CelsiusEveryDay) April 6, 2023@CelsiusEveryDay

Ok dandelion sounds like Vanessa Williams ? #TheMaskedSinger

— Jill (@sweettarts8) April 6, 2023@sweettarts8

#TheMaskedSinger ok so like- dandelion is 100% Vanessa williams

— Mantis Mask REAL??? (@Quilcario) April 6, 2023@Quilcario

Dandelion is NOT Vanessa Williams. #TheMaskedSinger

— Katina Ward (@katward73) April 6, 2023@katward73

l wonder if the Dandelion is Zooey Deschanel? The singing voice sounds similar. #TheMaskedSinger

— Paul Onufrey (@onufreyonboard) April 6, 2023@onufreyonboard

@MaskedSingerFOX #TheMaskedSinger Diana Ross is the dandelion because she played in the wiz the ruby slippers

— Lance Smith (@lancesmith2012) April 6, 2023@lancesmith2012

MANTIS

(“Old Time Rock and Roll,” Bob Seger [from “Risky Business”]) Mantis gave an okay delivery on a song that doesn’t ask for much vocally. He’s got a sense of fun showmanship about him, but he’s definitely not a singer.

Guesses: At least Mantis owned up to his lack of singing ability by saying he was looking to show another side of himself. He mentioned comedy as the other side he was showing, but we’re going to go ahead and say singing, too. His clue package further said that Mantis is best known for his brooding persona.

When he said he was ready to show how good he is at comedy, he suggested he almost won an Emmy for it. That makes us think of all those types of dramatic answers who used to guest star on ’90s NBC comedies like “Friends” and “Will & Grace” and get nominated for guest star Emmys.

Imagery through his clue package included cowboy boots and all kinds of action movie cliches, including a gasoline can and Mantis walking in slow motion away from an explosion. He also said he’s done Shakespeare, appeared on Broadway and is a published author. Dropping the line” dance with the wolves,” of course had the panel thinking it might be Kevin Costner.

“Representing a legend was instrumental to my success and it was an honor to do so,” Mantis said to explain his “True Story” pair of sunglasses. Robin wondered if maybe Dennis Quaid, who played Jerry Lee Lewis in “Great Balls of Fire” could be inside the costume.

Jenny, though, slid over to “Yellowstone” to find Cole Hauser or maybe the dance moves could tie over to Kevin Bacon? In other words, she didn’t have much on this one. Should we even continue to acknowledge Ken as a part of this panel when he’s going to guess people like Bruce Springsteen?

The Mantis had Twitter all over the place, as there just wasn’t really much to go on vocally in this performance that could help narrow who it was. But there were still some fun guesses like Neil Patrick Harris, Bob Odenkirk, and even Ethan Hawke. We can’t remember the last time Twitter was so stumped, though one name did start to emerge with a hair more consistency than others. Could it be Lou Diamond Phillips? They’ve certainly done their homework!

MANTIS is for sure Lou Diamond Phillips. I YouTube his singing voice and it matches. He's from Texas, started in 96 in Shakespeare's King and I, plays drama roles mostly but can do comedy. He's also an author and played Ritchie Valens in LA Bamba. #TheMaskedSinger

— Missy (@NitwitMisfit) April 6, 2023@NitwitMisfit

I think Mantis is Neil Patrick Harris! #TheMaskedSinger

— Carolyn (@Can1girl) April 6, 2023@Can1girl

#Mantis is ETHAN HAWKE #TheMaskedSinger

— Shannon Carriger (@AStrongLight) April 6, 2023@AStrongLight

Mantis might be Lou Diamond Phillips? #TheMaskedSinger

— Mel ??❤️??? (@Melkaz1283) April 6, 2023@Melkaz1283

The Mantis has to be Bob Odenkirk #TheMaskedSinger

— Scott Carasik (@CarasikS) April 6, 2023@CarasikS

i think mantis might be sean hayes #themaskedsinger

— rach ✨ (@superbatson) April 6, 2023@superbatson

Mantis is dressed like The Fonz! #TheMaskedSinger pic.twitter.com/0KxTHDTs8K

— Brooke Parker (@gramfurn) April 6, 2023@gramfurn

UNMASKING 13

There was one strong singer this week, and it was not the reigning champ. That said, we would make the argument that Doll was a little stronger than Mantis. He at least had some showmanship as a performer. We could, however, see Mantis pulling out a win because he was more playful with Nick and the panel in a less aggressive way.

Honestly, it doesn’t really matter one way or the other, because whichever one doesn’t go here should go after the Battle Royale, unless something incredible happens there. Our money was on Mantis getting knocked out first — and we lost our money! Doll’s reign came to an end as he was first to get unmasked this week.

• Robin Thicke: Gene Simmons
• Jenny McCarthy: Iggy Pop
• Ken Jeong: Austin Butler
• Nicole Scherzinger: David Lee Roth

We respected the panel mixing things up a bit with their guesses — and wish Ken had made a real effort as he was definitely around during this era of music — but we were pretty convinced Twitter landed on the right guess after two weeks. They sure did, too, as Dee Snider was revealed under the mask.

We did get a kick out of Dee leading the entire studio audience into the chorus of “We’re Not Gonna Take It.” We wonder how many of them finally figured out who he was when those iconic lyrics started to fill the room … and we wonder how many were still clueless as to who he was.

BATTLE ROYALE

(“(I’ve Got) A Golden Ticket,” Peter Ostrum & Jack Albertson [from “Will Wonka & the Chocolate Factory) Dandelion brought that same gravitas to her vocal performance, with a beautiful tone. It’s a bit of an odd choice for a showcase moment to find the strongest singer, but we really thought it didn’t matter. But then, Mantis did what we joked about earlier but never in a million years thought would happen. Something incredible happened, and suddenly he was singing and dancing like a Broadway performer. He suddenly had pitch and a quality of voice we’d not heard before (in fact he sounded like an entirely different artist). Just like that, we had a real battle on our hands!

UNMASKING 14

Who’d’ve thunk we’d have a real conundrum on our hands. We really thought Mantis and Doll were equally worthy of saying goodbye, but Mantis pulled a switcheroo and turned into a whole different kind of performer in the Battle Royale.

That said, this moment should be about the whole night, and we’d have to give it to Dandelion for bringing great vocals and performance to both of her spotlight moments. The panel agreed, sending Mantis to the land of the unmasked thanks to a last minute save from Thicke — who said, “It was your song choices. The first song, ‘Old Time Rock & Roll’ was literally my [late father Alan Thicke’s] favorite song.”

• Robin Thicke: Dennis Quaid
• Jenny McCarthy: Kevin Bacon
• Ken Jeong: Bruce Springsteen
• Nicole Scherzinger: Keanu Reeves

Perhaps because of the surprise of it all, we’re not even mad that the panel took a huge gamble on Mantis and used the “Ding Dong Keep It On” bell to keep him masked and move him into that special round. He’ll have to compete against Gargoyle and Medusa to stay in — but since we’ve no idea what kind of voice he might bring, it’s hard to say how he might fare.

“The Masked Singer” goes to space next Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET on Fox.

Warner Bros.