‘The Voice’ Season 26 Episode 5 Recap: The Coach Replay Twist Comes to an End

Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for ‘The Voice’ Episode 5.The teams are filling up as the Blind Auditions are racing toward the end. As the Season 26 coaches are eager to create their perfect team, the competition continues to heat up. Of course, being the fifth night of this charade, The Voice had to include some fluff in the episode. This includes Gwen Stefani and Reba McEntire doing a “fit check” video. Just as a reminder, it’s now been five episodes, and they’ve been decked out in the same outfits, so was it really necessary? Nevertheless, bits like this show the camaraderie the coaches have this season.

With the social media blitz bits filling the episode, the final Coach Replay Button is activated in Episode 5. While Michael Bublé utilizes it with possibly the least pizzazz of all the coaches, drawing the season’s new twist to an end! As proven, timing is everything. With only a few spots left per team, each singer had to push harder in order to earn a coach. Luckily, the song selections from this evening’s lot are unique and interesting. The typical music competition song standards are, thankfully, nowhere to be found tonight.

Michael Bublé Finds a Star and Uses the Coach Replay Button

To kick off the night, the coaches are given a gift in the form of Cameron Wright. In their video package, Wright reveals that they used to sing backup for their mother when she signed a major gospel deal. They recorded a demo that landed in the hands of Stevie Wonder, who invited Wright to perform with him on stage, making them a local legend. With an extensive history in the world of music, Wright’s story is about their coming out of the closet, stating they are non-binary. They use they/them pronouns and are proud to represent as a queer, femme Black person on The Voice. Singing Barbra Streisand‘s “The Way We Were,” the coaches are enamored. Wright doesn’t even finish the first line of the song before all four coaches are turned. They has a purity in their vocals, providing a tremendous ability to riff.

When Wright gets an opportunity to speak to the coaches, they immediately introduce themselves with their pronouns. Following an episode where the coaches made gender a joke, Wright’s ability to take this platform and allow themself to be properly addressed is important for other non-binary individuals watching. All four coaches were eager to have Cameron join their team, but in the end, they select Michael Bublé, and he says they can make it to the finale. Keep an eye on Cameron!

Bublé’s night was his most successful thus far. With inspirations ranging from Jack Johnson and Jason Mraz, independent folk artist Mark Shiiba takes on a Bob Dylan classic with guitar and harmonica. It was a sad moment for Shiiba as he initially earned no turns from the coaches. But then, Michael Bublé reminds us all that he has yet to activate his Coach Replay Button. So he does, and Shiiba is safe! Bublé notes he thinks Mark Shiiba can be a star and is eager to take a chance on him.

Snoop Dogg Continues To Be a Formidable Opponent

Snoop Dogg has been one of the best rookie coaches in the show’s recent history. If you look at his roster, it’s wonderfully balanced, and he continues to bring in a diversity of artists. Eliza Pryor is living every young, aspiring performer’s dream. Originally from Dallas, Pryor lives in Los Angeles, where she hopes to make the big time — all while attending high school. With a resume including television, film, and video games, Pryor now hopes to add singer to the list. The a cappella performer sings “Linger” by The Cranberries with her teal cowboy boots, an interesting choice for the young talent. As Pryor holds out her final note, Snoop Dogg turns at the last second. He could tell she was young and, without his Coach Replay Button in his possession, this was his last chance to have her. He thinks she will blossom and will introduce some Ella Fitzgerald into her life. Later in the episode, feeling as if The Voice is his last chance to make it, Brad Sample brings a guitar rock to the stage and earns a turn from Reba and Snoop, who both love his unique high voice. With a variety of sounds in his artistry, Sample joins Snoop Dogg’s team.

To finish off his night, in the darkness, we hear another deceiving country crossover artist. Upon Snoop Dogg and Michael Bublé’s turns, we meet Mary McAvoy. Despite the lack of a cowboy hat, McAvoy has a country-pop sound that entices the rookie coaches. It becomes a battle of the barter. Snoop offers her his Team Snoop towel while Bublé pitches his signature hockey jersey and a handmade macaroni necklace. McAvoy’s gut says Snoop, and thus Mac Daddy beats macaroni. Now, even though she didn’t turn, Reba tells the boys that she is happy McAvoy is in The Voice family as she is eager to steal her.

Gwen Stefani and Reba McEntire Stack Their Teams

So far, Reba McEntire and Gwen Stefani have allowed the new blood to take the spotlight. But they know when to take their moment. Tonight, Gwen adds some unique singers. From a family of five, Kay Sibal arrives with her brothers by her side to watch. Their parents are Filipino immigrants who wanted Kay to have a backup plan when she shared she wanted to pursue musical theater. She lost her father — who was her biggest cheerleader — to cancer and is performing on a day that overlaps with his “death anniversary.” She sees it as a sign, as she brings a heart into her performance of “From the Start” by Laufey. Her jazzy tune earns a turn from everyone, sans Reba. With her bubbly personality and vibe that matches Gwen Stefani, Michael Bublé tries to pitch his connection to jazz music. Snoop Dogg hypes up Gwen while Reba hypes up Michael. In the end, Kay Sibal selects the No Doubt star. Returning from no chair turns on Season 21, Camyrn Books finds luck with a whole new group of coaches by earning a four-chair turn as she’s added to Team Gwen Stefani. Additionally, Beya, the pride of the Aloha state, joins Team Gwen.

Time to turn to Reba. Hoping for a second chance at 35 years old, Lauren-Michael Sellers reveals that she had a difficult childhood. While her mother was dealing with severe mental health issues, she lost custody and was sent to live with her dad, whom she didn’t have a strong connection with. Despite not getting the hugs she desired as a child, she gives that opportunity to others as a music education teacher who works with children on the Autism spectrum. Her rendition of “Ocean (Where My Feet May Fail)” brings a smile to Gwen Stefani’s face. Her version causes all four coaches to turn as well. Despite her spiritual performance, she reveals that she likes to sing country, and thus, she selects Reba, who is moved to tears, as her coach. Reba’s fifth Blind Audition of the season is on the slower side, especially with her odd montage moment in the middle of the episode. While we don’t see more than a few seconds of their performances, singers Tsola and Deon Jones join the Queen of Country.

Of course, not every performer walks away with a coach. Drake Hyde‘s voice lacks the typical deep country twang, and he fails to earn a turn from the judges. Proud mother Dahlia Jones also walks out of the studio without a coach. The fifth installment of the Season 26 Blind Auditions was a celebration of new music if nothing else. Because the coaches are a bit less free to turn as their roster is almost at completion, this episode has lacked the stakes seen earlier. That being said, a more cautious game allows some coaches to earn artists the others are bound to steal in the next round. Keep an eye out for that!