Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Masked Singer season 12, episode 12, “Finale: Champion Is Crowned.”
The Masked Singer season 12 all came down to some very tinsel-covered tidings in the holiday-themed finale Wednesday night.
It was all kicked off by season 5 winner, Piglet (a.k.a. Nick Lachey), who chose to ring in the season with a joyful rendition of Andy Williams’ “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” Though he was singing against a beautifully festive backdrop of decorations, it wouldn’t be The Masked Singer without some truly disturbing backup dancers dressed as faceless peppermint candies or nightmare-inducing yetis to complete the set, and to that end, the show did not disappoint.
The episode also featured the return of panelist Rita Ora, who had to miss the semifinals due to illness. While Lachey performed on stage, Ora and fellow panelists Ken Jeong, Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg, and Robin Thicke, plus perennially shirtless host Nick Cannon, gathered around a Masked Singer-themed Christmas tree to exchange gifts and merry wishes (and make Jeong put the star on its top, naturally).
Buffalo performs on stage in the season 12 finale of ‘The Masked Singer’. Michael Becker / FOX
It wasn’t just the panel that received gifts, though. The audience was treated to two performances apiece from each of the finalists, Buffalo and Wasp. Both contestants had the chance to do one slower song and one more high-energy hit, ensuring that each got to play to their strengths.
To that end, Wasp performed “When I Was Your Man” by Bruno Mars and “I’m Your Baby Tonight” by Whitney Houston, and Buffalo sang “Somebody That I Used to Know” by Gotye and gave the season’s final performance with “Too Good at Goodbyes” by Sam Smith.
Throughout all of the performances, we were reminded of the immortal words spoken by Elizabeth Banks’ character in Pitch Perfect: “Nothing makes a woman feel more like a girl than a man who sings like a boy.” Or, in this case, three of them.
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Thicke seemed to pick up on this, at one point telling Buffalo, “Man, all the ladies in here right now are like buff-hello, you know,” which got a gleeful cackle out of Jeong.
Jokes aside, it was also a surprisingly emotional night for everyone. Both contestants got weepy throughout the episode, sharing in their clues packages and on stage what doing the show meant to them, and how surprised they were by the experience. The panelists also had a touching moment, when Thicke pointed out his mother, Gloria Loring, was in the crowd. Ora then called out her husband, Oscar winner Taika Waititi, who was also seated in the audience. This prompted McCarthy-Wahlberg to direct attention to her son, Evan, who worked on the crew this season. This group of the cast’s family members even got together for a cute photo opp by the time it was all said and done.
In the end, someone had to win the Golden Mask Trophy, and according to Cannon, the final vote tally was unsurprisingly “very, very, very close,” but ultimately Buffalo was deemed the winner of season 12. With the win, the trio officially made Masked Singer history, because a group or duo has never won the show before.
Wasp on ‘The Masked Singer’ (left) and Mario. Michael Becker / FOX; Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
After the kudos were shared for Buffalo, it was time for the final unmaskings. As is tradition, as the runner-up, Wasp went first. This year, the panelists won’t be on Santa’s Naughty List for their bad guesses. Although McCarthy-Wahlberg and Jeong both got it wrong, guessing Jason Derulo and Usher, respectively, Ora and Thicke both correctly guessed that Wasp was two-time Grammy-nominated R&B singer and actor, Mario.
But it was the final guesses of the evening that surely earned the panel more than coal in their stockings. For once, the group was unanimous in their pick for Buffalo, with everyone ultimately agreeing it was none other than four-time Grammy winners and R&B legends Boyz II Men (comprised of Shawn Stockman, Wanya Morris, and Nathan Morris) under the the Wild West-themed masks.
Boyz II Men. Kevin Mazur/Getty Images
And so concludes another year and another zany season of The Masked Singer. The show returns in the new year with season 13 starting on Feb. 12.
