Episode 'The Voice' Season 1, Episode 3 - 'The Battles, Part 1' Recap

Adam Blackstone, Monica, Sia, and Reba McEntire are all here to help each coach mentor their singers through the battle round: Blackstone is paired with Adam, Monica is with Cee Lo, Sia is with Christina, and Reba is with Blake. I'm less concerned about which contestants are going home and more with if this show will still be interesting past the blind auditions.

Taralyn and Frenchie are the first pair from Christina, and the two are assigned "Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)." The mentorship begins! Frenchie is told that she tends to sing a little sharp, so she has something to work on. The two of them are strong personalities, so when they get in the ring to rehearse, there's tension. At least, that's what Christina and the editors say. Seems kind forced.

Taralyn vs. Frenchie: FIGHT!

Taralyn takes the first verse, and she's showing off already with some extra runs. Frenchie's performance is strong too, but she does slip a little sharp and she's a little weaker than Taralyn (in my opinion, anyway). At the very end, Taralyn shows off even more by extending the last note...as Blake says, "It's like Rocky came in and uppercut her."

The coaches weigh in, but nobody really chooses sides. Blake seems to think that Frenchie was stronger up until the end. Adam and his magical growing beard says that they both had fun with it. Ultimately, Christina goes with Frenchie.

Winner: Frenchie

Patrick and Tyler are chosen by Blake, and they're assigned "Burnin' Love" by Elvis. Patrick is a pure country boy, but Tyler is more of a pop singer, so Blake sees Elvis as a good middle ground for them. During the rehearsals, Blake tells Tyler to reel it in a bit vocally and not do too many runs. Patrick, on the other hand, is told that he could show off a little more.

Patrick vs. Tyler: FIGHT!

Patrick takes the first verse and sings it well, but definitely doesn't show off much. When Tyler comes in, there's a noticeable reaction from the crowd. He definitely took the note and pulled it back a bit, but still shows off his range and ability to make some runs. Patrick still has a richer vocal tone, though, and cuts through.

Christina doesn't choose sides, but Cee Lo and Adam both say they'd go with Tyler. Reba doesn't weigh in and leaves it all to Blake...who goes with Patrick. Wow. Dude can't get away from the country folks. Tyler really kicked Patrick's ass.

Winner: Patrick

Casey and Tim are up for Adam, and they're doing "Leather and Lace," which Adam says could fit Tim's higher register well. Tim has been singing for a long time, but Casey is very new at it. Will that discrepancy show in the performance? Casey has to work on her harmony (she doesn't have any experience with it) and Tim has to work on smoothing things out.

Casey vs. Tim: FIGHT!