‘The Voice’ Recap: A Gracious Goodbye to Would-Be Stars

Last night on the Voice was a formality for Vicci, Javier, Dia and Bev, the chosen who won, as we predicted they would. But it was also a real goodbye to the other four, a reverse arc where the medley at the start of the show was the culmination of a moving season so far.

Things unfolded like a shopping spree at a Hallmark store. Blake continued to love his little girls, carting them backstage to his concert and making sure his littlest, quietest one got the attention she deserved. When Dia couldn’t comment on her win because she was crying too much, Blake forwarded the theory that Dia was definitely thinking about Xenia: “That little girl who just walked off is a special girl. As happy as Dia and I are for Dia, that’s a superstar right there.”

Cee Lo, savvy on stage debuting his new single “Bright Lights, Bigger City,” was soft at the judges’ table, reciting a poem he wrote to his singers calling them “the two brightest stars in the sky.” Bev gripped Frenchie’s hand and croaked “I love her,” then proceeded to look pained when she won. One by one, the losers glided off the stage, excising all the schaudenfraude that’s Idol‘s bread and butter.

Adam was the only “tough” character in the unconditional love narrative – calling the proceedings “a game.” He screwed Casey Weston over with a 35/65 points split as a way to make sure Javier won, but even that was framed in sentimentally, part of the narrative of Javier’s long journey to the top. “You’re only 18,” Adam told Casey. “You’ve got a great career ahead of you. But Javier…”

To top it all off, it was Carson Daly’s birthday. There is nothing sweeter.

Last Episode: And Then There Were Eight
Related: ‘The Voice’ Power Ranking: America Picks a Fantastic Four
Video: Cee Lo Performs ‘Bright Lights Bigger City’ on ‘The Voice’