'The Masked Singer': Week 5 Ends In Shocking Twist After Epic Performances -- See the Highlights!

Nick Cannon! The OG host is back!

"First and foremost, let me say I dedicated my performance to you because you truly are a queen, and you stepping in for me when, you know, during my sickness, during a hard time for me, and being able to watch you do your thing amazingly and shine here, I truly do thank you," Cannon shares with Niecy. "Thank you so much."

He also admits that he was super nervous "to perform in front of my people," -- i.e. the panelists.

Niecy also announces that this is the end of her run as guest host, and Cannon will be taking over next week. She will definitely be missed!

... The Bulldog! As declared by Niecy, arbitrarily!

There's no final guesses, there's no First Impression Guesses revealed. Instead, The Bulldog is obligated to "unmask immediately."

In a move that actually, really was surprising - and a tad confusing -- Niecy declared that, this week, the vote will not count!

"Instead, I decide who gets unmasked," she reveals, as the panel acts shocked. It's legitimately hard to tell when they are actually surprised or play-surprised.

"I would send Ken home," Robin suggests with a laugh.

But, things don't change that much because we still have a freakin' commercial break cliffhanger to suffer through!

My money is on The Bulldog!

The high falsetto coming out of Bulldog's mask is truely unexpected, for both myself and, it seems, every one of the judges.

The canine crooner opts to belt out a cover of "Candy Girl" by New Edition, and it's truly baffling as to who this could be. He's got what seems like a youthful voice and some solid dance moves. However, the costume is strangely underwhelming, it feels like a placeholder.

I'm just going to randomly predict this might be a misdirect/gimmick. I don't want to say who I think it is, but... I have my suspicions.

"You came out, you gave us all the moves, all the two-steps, and being a wild card, you just shook the group up right now," Robin says.

Bonus Clues:

The revealing clue for The Bulldog is a whiteboard that reads, "And... Live From New York It's Saturday Night!"

"My dog house is in NY, and I'm just a lover of comedy that loves to get live, know what I'm sayin'?" The Bulldog says.

Panelists' Guesses:

Ken thinks it could be Andy Samberg (...really Ken?), but then guesses Chris Tucker.

Jenny suggests Eddie Murphy, and Nicole agrees. Jenny also suggests it could be Chris Rock.

The Bulldog:

- We see a film clapper board with the "Director: Bulldog" written, and the production title is "Barkin'" and the clapper says they are on Take 80.

- Says, "My whole life I had to fend for myself, stepping up to any challenge that comes my way.

- We see a man in a red track suit answering a gold, bejeweled cellphone.

- Says, "I make moves on every green field with panthers and pit bulls, running fast like a human torch."

- The Bulldog catches a football as he walks.

- We see his dog bowl, with has the word "Super" written across it.

- Says, "Yeah, I'm one hot dog. Technically, the sexiest dog alive, people."

- There's tons of breakdance imagery.

- For some reason, Season 3's Skeleton is in the package too?

- Says, "But don't be fooled by all of the beasts. I'm a big softy inside."

- Says, "I'll sit, stay, and even give you my ball. Whatever it takes to make you love me."

- Says, "This pup's about to blow the last two wildcards out of the water, and become the most popular pet on stage. And I'm dedicated my performance to someone very special," and then we see a picture of Niecy Nash.

- We see a dog collar that reads "B99" on it.

As expected, the new wildcard character is a dog, but I have to admit even I was expecting this bizarre golden French Bulldog costume!

So, The Bulldog is here. I wonder if this wildcard will also oust a Groub B finalist?!

The rooster with all the answers is back to give us new clues!

Apparently, he "caught" Nicole "snooping backstage for more than just clues."

There's a video of Nicole walking around the lot, saying, "I heard Chameleon is having a crazy afterparty and I'm sure he wouldn't want me to miss this, so I'm just trying to find him.'

"Silly Scherzinger! You won't find Chameleon here. This isn't the only studio he frequents," Cluedle-Doo hints, before laughing like a creepy lunatic.
 

The Chameleon might be sticking to one lane, but there's no denying he's good at it. 

This reptile knows how to own a stage and he shows off his ability to enthrall with a low-key but fun performance of "Hip Hop" by Dead Prez and shows off his effortless flow.

There's just no way he's not a professional performer, because his ability to deliver these verses feels totally natural and he knows how to make the whole thing come together expertly.

"Oh my god! He's so good!" Jenny yells.

"I know who it is," Robin adds, with total confidence. "I recognize that voice."

Bonus Clue:

The meaningful item for The Chameleon is  a plate of hot wings.

"If anybody knows me, they know I'm always cooking something in the kitchen," The Chameleon shares.

Panelists' Guesses:

Nicole guesses it could be Waka Flocka Flame.

Robin says it might could be Wiz Khalifa.

Jenny thinks it might be Machine Gun Kelly.

The Chameleon:

- Says, "It felt so good impressing the panel with my smooth flow last time."

- We see him in a dojo, squaring off against a green belt martial artists.

- Says, "There's one person I wanted to impress more than anyone: my little chameleon."

- We see a driving sign, an Slippery When Wet sign.

- Says, "When I was a kid, I feel in love with some other cool reptiles -- the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. And now, I've dedicated myself to being a super hero ninja for the little one."

- We see a table full of clocks, all set to 3:46 (or 3:47?)

- Says, "I decided to practice a martial art, and eventually I reprogrammed my mind, body and soul."

- Says, "Martial arts taught me how to process my emotions, and now I teach little Cham that it's cool to express feelings."

- Says, "I'm here to surprise my little one as a superhero chameleon, and one day I know he'll be a superhero too."
 

After the commercial break, and after likely taking a long rest, The Crab returns to the stage and explains that he just got a little hot under his mask.

To get the show back on the road, the judges share their thoughts on his performance, with Robin marveling, "It was a great song choice that brought out the fire and the flavor!"

"My favorite thing about you is your tone," Nicole adds. "You've got this tone that I feel like I've heard before, and it's just so yummy."
 

Bonus Clue:

The household item for The Crab is a black bowler hat.

"The greatest entertainer ever, Sammy Davis Jr., use to wear it when he do Bojangles, and I admire him so much that I wore it as much as I possibly could," The Crab shares.

Panelists' Guesses:

Jenny suggests it's Bobby Brown.

Ken says its Shawn Stockman.

Taking a strong left turn from last week's emotional performance, The Crab brings the funk this time around with a fun performance of Rick James' "Give It To Me Baby."

Set in an underwater laundromat -- complete with mermaids laying on top of red, overflowing washing machines, this number fully embraces the surreal weirdness that makes Masked Singer so great, and is a great showcase for The Crab's gravelly, emotive voice.

The number has the panel on their feet cheering for him as confetti falls from the ceiling.

As the panel are giving their feedback, however, The Crab surprises everyone when he says, "I've got to take a break."

Stagehands come up to see if he's okay, and with panic in his voice The Crab exclaims, "I've gotta take this off! Take it off!" Evidently, he can't breathe in the mask, and he seems to be freaking out. He says "It's hot" and "I can't breathe."

The show cuts to commercial as the stagehands and producers get The Crab into a private room back stage.

The Crab:

- Says, "Being on stage for the first time was tough -- both physically, because it was hard to breathe, and emotionally."

- Says, "There's a purity to performing on this show that reminds me of being a child."

- We see him slapping around two of the Men in Black, dressed as Jellyfish.

- Says, "I used to get in all sorts of trouble. My mom used to try to keep me on the straight and narrow path, and she made me sit in the kitchen while she prepared food every night."

- We see him eating a bowl of mac and cheese.

- Says, "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."

- There's a framed photo of Big Ben in London.

- Says, "What started out as a punishment turned into a passion, and now my kitchen is the heart and soul of my family."

Once again showing off his more romantic, ballad-y side - - a wheelhouse The Piglet is clearly comfortable in -- the porcine powerhouse certainly seems like he knows what he's doing on a stage and behind a mic.

Without too much to distract from his vocals, Piglet belts out a beautiful rendition of "7 Years" by Lukas Graham, and even the surreal back-up dancers (dressed up like plaid houses?) can't distract from the power of his vocal skills.

It's a good, emotional song to start with, and Piglet clearly hits a nerve with Jenny, who is brought to tears, as the performance made her think about her own son.

"The mom in me got me," Jenny says, wiping tears from her eyes. "Oh my god, Piglet. I have to just tell you that I haven't heard that song before, and it brought up so much emotion in me, the way you sang it you can tell you're a family man. It meant so much to me, just hearing it."

"Whoever you are, you just touched my heart and I just really hope you win this competition," Jenny adds.

Bonus Clue:

The item "stolen" from his "play pen" are a pair of crystal-embellished military-style dog tags.

"These dog tags represent the most important thing in my life. I always have the with me," he shares, pointing out that there are two dog tags and a third item, a charm in the shape of the letter 'P.'

Panelists' Guesses:

Nicole suggests it could be Kevin Richardson.

Ken suggests it could be "my friend Bradley Cooper" or possibly Zayn Malik.

Jenny thinks it's AJ McLean.

The Piglet:

- Says, "This experience has been such an unexpected jolt of adrenaline after such a static year. And all it took was putting on a pig costume!"

- We see Piglet getting put behind some bars.

- Says, "You know, years ago, I was really getting grilled. It was difficult time. But then, someone unexpected appeared, and turned my life around."

- We see Piglet rubbing a magic lamp, followed by a puff of smoke, and then a black spider with a pink bow appears out of nowhere.

- Says, "She rescued me from the heat, and gave me a band new start."

- The spider eats a miniature corn on the cob.

- Says, "because of her, now I'm a family man, which has brought a whole new purpose in my life."

- We see some toy palm trees on a table.

- Says, "I finally found someone I want to grow old together with. Which may be the best gift of them all."

- The spider ties up a Man in Black, who is wearing a blue ribbon on his chest that reads "1 DR."

This week, Niecy explains that, since the panel is struggling to guess the singers identities, she paid some of the Men in Black to break into each contestant's home and take a meaningful item to give us a clue.

Ken jokes, "There's a lot of home invasion, this season, I've noticed."

Bonus Clue:

The meaningful item appears to be a blown glass unicorn.

"This is to commemorate one of my best friends, an incredible singer, who passed away and is no longer with us," The Black Swan shares. "This friend really taught me how to be myself. She really was one of a kind and this is one of my most treasured possessions."

Panelists' Guesses:

Jenny suggests Emily Osment.

Robin thinks it could be Victoria Justice.

Ken guesses it's Brenda Song.

There are some iconic divas who make songs that can only really be covered by other vocal powerhouses -- and this week, The Black Swan has chosen to do her own rendition of  "How Will I Know" by Whitney Houston.

The bold choice surprises Nicole, who looks shocked that someone had chosen to pit their own voice against Whitney's classic song. If you're doing a Whitney Houston song, you better be able to really nail it! And Black Swan doesn't disappoint.

Once again, Black Swan shows off her range, and makes sure to close her cover with a massive high-note that really knocks the whole performance out of the park.

"You were so amazing! What a beautiful voice! And we got to see even more of your range," Jenny shares. "Without a doubt, she's a frontrunner."

"You are the full package," Nicole adds. "You come out here and you put on a full show. You're like, 'I'm singing! I'm dancing! I'm hitting those notes!' Good job!"
 

The Black Swan:

- Says, "With every performance, I'm starting to shake off my nerves. It's like every performance brings out this confidence that's been trapped inside."

- She looks at herself in a hand mirror.

- Says, "All this anonymity brings me back to my beginnings, literally."

- She's standing in front of two buildings, one with a white front and the other with red brick.

- We see a Man in Black walk by, nodding his head to music he's listening to on big headphones.

- Says, "When I first started my career, I was worried about how my appearance would be perceived. So I sent out auditions with no face, to be judged only by my talents."

- We see her send an anonymous letter, addressed to "Hollywood" in an old mailbox.

- The numbers "10 10 10" are drawn in chalk on she side of the mail box.

- Says, "But when people finally saw me, I was right. I was quite what they were expecting. That experience made me hesitant to put myself out there again."

- We see an old bi-plane with a propeller fly overhead.

- Inside the plane is a bunch of cargo, include a huge pile of autumn leaves.

- We see a scared, hissing black cat (toy?) strapped into the cargo hold.

- Says, "Recently, I hit a major milestone, and realized it was time to take a leap of faith.

- Black Swan is handed a parachute pack with a "Montana" patch sewn onto it. However, she pushes it away and leaps out of the plane.

- Says, "So, I dove head-first. And now that I'm anonymous again, as the Black Swan, I'm learning life isn't about how others perceive me, but always staying true to myself.

- Behind her, as she falls through the sky, four glowing hearts spears appear, each with a letter that spells out "S-P-O-T."

Tonight is the Group B finals, and a new wild card is coming in tonight, and it seems like it is definitely going to be a dog. Like, they basically just say it.

Although they are also teasing that The Crab is going to pull a Mickey Rourke and self-unmask!? It's totally possible, and that means we're in for a wild night.

After two weeks of Niecy slaying in white lace, the guest host (who, honestly, is fantastic and should get a chance to host more things) looks fantastic tonight in a two-tone black and blue ensemble -- split down the center, black on one side, blue on the other -- and covered in sequins.

Not to mention Nicole is rocking another quasi-anime girl look in a racy, red tartan ensemble. And, like always, Robin looks like a 1970s night club owner.