Wednesday night is right for the Royal Hen’s reveal on Masked Singer

It was Elton John night on The Masked Singer, and because it wasn’t Saturday, we didn’t have to worry about fighting. Of course, that didn’t stop the Hawk from escaping its post-apocalyptic wasteland to perform “Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting)” alongside a pair of dancing sunglasses. The Masked Singer is so weird.

But it wasn’t the Hawk’s night for dismissal. We’ll see its proud wings soar into next week’s “Harry Potter Night,” a grim threat from Nick Cannon if there ever was one. Rather it was the Royal Hen, who should’ve been called “Napole-hen” and turned out to be Billie Jean King, and, wow, we can hardly believe it. But Ken Jeong sure can. However, Robin Thicke did give it the old college try by guessing Gloria Steinman, even if it was only so he could regale the audience with the time Steinman went on a date with Thicke’s dad, Alan.

King performed a quiet, near-whispered version of John’s “Philadelphia Freedom.” At first glance, it was an interesting choice and the deepest cut of the evening; however, John and Bernie Taupin wrote the song “Philadelphia Freedom” for the tennis champion, so, in hindsight, it may have actually been the most on-the-nose choice of the night. The judges can be heard commenting on what a “legend” the Royal Hen must be, and Ken Jeong did call it a “fun” performance, which means they didn’t like it.

Actually, they didn’t like it, because King lost. Ultimately, the whole night came down to two birds. The other: the poor Royal Hen, singing a crowd-pleasing “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart.” Unfortunately, they couldn’t match the searing, hard rock energy of the Hawk, who left the Hen in a pile of feathers.

That’s the last we’ll be seeing of King on Masked Singer. Their memory will shine brightly upon Masked Singer’s future.