It takes two to make a thing go right (or wrong): ‘The Voice’ Season 28 features some strange Battle-fellows

Leyton Robinson & Manny Costello pull off one of this week’s more successful, genuinely chemistry-filled performances on an uneven episode. (photo: Griffin Nage/NBC)

The Voice Season 28 Battle Rounds continued apace Monday, with the contestants still making Voice history as they chose their own duet partners. As I griped last week, when this latest game-changing twist was introduced, I’ve been disappointed that there has been no drama during this opponent-self-selection process. Each team’s dozen members just keep agreeably and tidily pairing off like Noah’s Ark livestock. Basically, we’ve witnessed none of the cutthroat competitiveness and shady shenanigans that famously have sleep-deprived American Idol contestants bawling, bitching, and backstabbing in the Dolby or Orpheum Theatres every year during that rival show’s Hollywood Week.