'The Voice' recap: Knockout battle has Snoop Dogg 'hurt' as he bids farewell to 2 contestants

The third and final night of Knockouts had everything you’d want to see on The Voice: compelling battles, stirring performances, emotional eliminations, a wave of “steals” and “saves” — and, on the heels of a contestant’s unexpected early exit, another sudden departure.

Monday’s two-hour episode capped off a roller-coaster Knockout round by highlighting the five remaining face-offs, and The Voice arguably saved the best and most competitive contests for last. Find out which singers moved on to the Playoffs, who got a second chance and why coach Snoop Dogg was moved to tears — again.

Knockout battle of the episode

In an episode that featured Season 26’s strongest performances, Team Gwen’s Knockout battle between Jan Dan and Sydney Sterlace is our pick. Why was their sing-off only a duel? Coach Gwen Stefani revealed during rehearsals that Mor Ilderton, whom she stole from Team Bublé, “had to go home” early — forfeiting his spot in the competition.

Still Stefani, with the help of her mega mentor Sting, moved forward with the duel. Dan put an R&B spin on Miley Cyrus’s pop tune “Angels Like You,” while Sterlace sang a cover of Lewis Capaldi’s “Bruises.” Both of their performances brought the coaches and the audience to their feet, with Sterlace showcasing her vocal prowess in her version of the emotional ballad and Dan flaunting his “smooth” voice, as coach Reba McEntire described it.

Snoop went so far as to make the early declaration that Sterlace “could win the show.” Coaches Michael Bublé and McEntire also commended the 15-year-old for having a voice with a level of “maturity” that is rare at her young age.

It all came down to Stefani’s decision. After some deliberation, she chose Sterlace as the winner of the Knockout battle because “age just goes out the window [when she performs].” Stefani agreed with Snoop’s observation that Sterlace had a real shot at going “to the finale.” “She’s super in touch with how to build a song and be emotional,” the No Doubt frontwoman said.

An emotional elimination

If you’ve been watching The Voice this season, you’ll know that the coach most likely to cry or get emotional is Snoop. The rapper was hit with his feelings once more when ChrisDeo, Mikaela Ayira and Torre Blake took the stage, whom he described as being like his daughters. The trio’s battle was one of the most intense, as his tears began flowing soon after the first performance started.

“I’m torn because I can’t take all y’all with me and I’m hurt, and I’m supposed to be strong right now,” Snoop explained as tears continued to stream down his face during the critique. “I’m supposed to make y’all strong, but this is how y’all affected me.”

Ultimately, Snoop selected Ayira — who performed “Scars to Your Beautiful” by Alessia Cara — to advance to the Playoffs, leaving ChrisDeo and Blake to give The Voice’s most touching goodbye speeches of the season. A tearful ChrisDeo thanked Snoop for giving her confidence. Blake promised the elimination was “not the end for me, this is just the beginning.”

The final ‘saves’ and ‘steals’

It was the last opportunity for the coaches to use their last “saves” and “steals” ahead of the Playoffs. McEntire and Stefani saved two of their favorites, while Snoop used his “steal” on an unexpected contender.

After McEntire crowned Lauren-Michael Sellers the winner of her Knockout battle following a spine-tingling rendition of “Hold On to Me” by Lauren Daigle, the country star wasted no time pressing her “save” button to keep Danny Joseph in the competition. His impressive high notes and lively cover of “It Hurt So Bad” by Susan Tedeschi wowed the coaches. McEntire’s swift decision stunned Snoop, who was planning to steal Joseph. “You still got time, but I don’t think you got a chance, Snoop!” she said.

Stefani pressed her “save” button to keep R&B crooner Jan Dan on her team after he lost his Knockout duel to Sterlace. “I couldn’t see him going home, and I know there’s so much I can do with him,” Stefani said.” “He has such a great way of being tasteful and using his superpower at the right moment.”

The final battle of the Knockout round saw Bublé tapping Filipino singer Sofronio Vasquez as the winner of his three-way showdown, which meant Jeremy Beloate and Kiara Vega could be stolen. Snoop swooped in to “steal” Beloate following his operatic performance of JVKE’s “Golden Hour.”

“I’m looking forward to finding the best record that can highlight his vocals — the way he can have a big moment, a subtle moment, something tender, stuff that can really get him over the top,” Snoop said.

A look ahead to the next episode

With the Knockouts in the rearview, the Playoffs officially begin! Each team enters Playoffs with five singers, which the coaches will have to whittle down to two by the end of the round.

Here are the team breakdowns heading into the next round:

Team Reba: Edward Preble, Adam Bohanan, Lauren-Michael Sellers, Danny Joseph, Katie O

Team Gwen: Jake Tankersley, Jose Luis, Gabrielle Zabosky, Sydney Sterlace, Jan Dan

Team Snoop: Aliyah Khaylyn, Mikaela Ayira, Austyns Stancil, Christina Eagle, Jeremy Beloate

Team Bublé: Cameron Wright, Jaukeem Fortson, Sloane Simon, Shye, Sofronio Vasquez

Who will be the lucky singers representing Team Reba, Team Gwen, Team Snoop and Team Bublé in the semifinals? Join us on the journey as The Voice gets closer to crowning a new winner!

The Voice returns on Nov. 19 at 9 p.m. ET on NBC.