Spoilers ahead for the Group B premiere of The Masked Dancer Season 1 on Fox.
The Masked Dancer made its time slot debut on January 6 with an episode that continued to demonstrate the show's significant similarities to and differences from The Masked Singer. The second group of secret celebs strutted their stuff for judges Ken Jeong, Paula Abdul, Ashley Tisdale, and Brian Austin Green along with host Craig Robinson, and it was Ice Cube (no, not that Ice Cube) who was ultimately unmasked as a particularly beloved science guy: Bill Nye. Ken Jeong rather uncharacteristically guessed correctly, and his overjoyed reaction left fans with reactions of their own.
Ken Jeong showed off a surprising knowledge of Bill Nye when he put together the Ice Cube clues and came to the conclusion that the Bill Nye the Science Guy and Bill Nye Saves the World star was underneath the mask. When Ice Cube was unmasked and proved Jeong -- whose almost constant failed guesses on The Masked Singer have become a running joke -- correct, Jeong seemed genuinely emotional as he celebrated, shouting:
Oh my God! This is the happiest time of my life! I never get anything right on that other show!
I'm not sure that any viewers would consider Ken Jeong's victory to be one of the happiest times in their own lives, but I for one got a kick out of how overjoyed Jeong was when Bill Nye turned out to be Ice Cube, as he'd guessed. It also made me feel a little guilty for being so entertained at how off-base some of even his most earnest Masked Singer guesses have been. I'm not the only one feeling some kind of way about Jeong's victory, as proved by social media.
"Wow!" is right, based as much on Ken Jeong's Masked Singer guessing history and his overwhelmed response to being correct about the Ice Cube. Whether or not this is the beginning of a trend remains to be seen; his victory this week is at least something to be treasured.
Ken Jeong was quite literally jumping for joy after identifying Bill Nye as the Ice Cube, and he evidently wasn't the only one who connected the dots between the icy clues and the beloved Science Guy.
Ken Jeong's wrong guesses on The Masked Singer probably mostly result in viewers laughing at him, but his celebration of getting it right on The Masked Dancer makes me think that these viewers were probably laughing with him. Gotta love a judge with some self-awareness and self-deprecation, right?
Not that I want Ken Jeong to leave The Masked Singer, but maybe The Masked Dancer is just ideal for his talents as a judge. Despite the format and stage similarities, guessing dancer identities is a whole different game from guessing singers when there is only body language to go by, and not necessarily body language from trained dancers.
Somebody on social media saw fit to go for a gif of the Science Guy himself to celebrate Ken Jeong's correct guess, and it's worth noting that Bill Nye looked like he enjoyed his Masked Dancer experience despite his early elimination. Maybe even he could be happy for Jeong!
Considering this was only the second episode of The Masked Dancer ever, Ken Jeong has a pretty great record of guesses. If he keeps it up, then maybe he'll become the MVP judge that he hasn't managed to become over on The Masked Singer. In his defense on the Masked Singer front, though, the rest of the judges panel is made up of professional singers, while Jeong comes from a comedy (and medical) background.
See how Ken Jeong continues to perform as a judge with new episodes of The Masked Dancer airing Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on Fox. For more of what's on the way in the new year, check out our 2021 winter and spring premiere schedule.
