Blake Shelton uses his final The Voice steal on a Team Kelly member to close out the Knockouts

Tonight, in the second and final episode of the The Voice Knockouts, in which our four coaches Blake Shelton, Kelly Clarkson, Chance the Rapper, and Niall Horan whittle their teams down to just five contestants for the Playoffs, Blake Shelton held on to his final steal until the very last minute. We're not just talking the final steal of the season, we're talking the final steal of his Voice career (unless he decides to come back at some point in the future, which honestly, maybe!). How dramatic, right?

It's not like it was some big surprise or anything: The evening started with just Kelly Clarkson and Blake still holding on to their steals. Kelly uses hers earlier in the episode to snatch Neil Salsich from Team Blake after he loses his Knockout to Grace West. That means going into the final Knockout of the night (and the round) — a Team Kelly Knockout pitting Kelly's powerhouse country artist Holly Brand against pop powerhouse Rachel Christine — Blake Shelton still had the only remaining steal left; you knew neither of these artists were going home.

the voice Blake Shelton uses final steal on 'The Voice'

Thankfully, both Holly and Rachel deserve to stick around. It felt like a foregone conclusion that Holly Brand would take the win. She performed Patsy Cline's "Blue Moon of Kentucky" in an effort to show she can also do some classic country (up until this point Holly's stuck to more contemporary country artists), and she pulls out all of her tricks. There's a capella, she yodels, she belts, she hits a freaking whistle note. In rehearsals, Kelly's so excited, she jumps out of her seat and literally gets in Holly's face to show her disbelief. Season 23 mega mentor Reba McEntire stays frozen in her seat, explaining she was so "mesmerized," she "couldn't move." It's a big flex of a performance, which come show time, Niall rightly declares that he thought it was the first time we "got to see what Holly Brand is about."

Everyone admits it is an unenviable task to follow such a flashy performance. Still, Rachel Christine holds her own with Fleetwood Mac's "Rhiannon." She starts off shaky, but has some power and once her nerves calm, definitely gets into that storyteller role.

nbc Rachel Christine on 'The Voice'

After, Kelly tells her that she thinks even the four people sitting in these big red chairs would have trouble following what Holly did and commends her for pulling it together. "I need y'all to know this is my toughest one," she says, noting the angst she's having over choosing between her artists. Kelly would be a fool not to keep a versatile country artist around though and she knows it — she moves Holly Brand forward to the Playoffs. Before host Carson Daly can barely get out his schtick about Rachel Christine thanking her coach, Blake Shelton pushes his button to steal her for his team. He was impressed by her ability to follow a tough act (and also ran out of other people to steal). "You're my last steal ever," Blake tells his new artist. Rachel seems honored. It's so notable, in fact, she says she's "putting that on a résumé." But Blake insists the honor is all his, saying that Rachel Christine "sang flawlessly" and that he needs a "diverse vocalist" like her on his team. Whatever the reason, that's one more "last" for Blake Shelton as he continues his final run on The Voice.

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