What’s better than a single hour of secret celebrity performances? Two hours of secret celebrity performances, natch. Or in the case of The Masked Singer finale, an hour to catch up on all of the jaw-dropping pieces of the season, and then one concluding hour to crown a winner. And what a last hour it was.

The Fox gets emotional

If we’ve learned anything in two seasons of this series, it’s that being in those costumes is strangely liberating for the celebrities in question. They’re always saying how free they feel to be themselves when no one can recognize them or have any preconceived notions, and Wednesday night was no exception.

#TheMaskedSinger helped #FoxMask ? find his joy again. ??? Love you, #FoxMask! ? pic.twitter.com/sAWEPHGPlE

— The Masked Singer (@MaskedSingerFOX) December 19, 2019

You could hear Fox breaking down and choking back tears while trying to explain just how much the opportunity to do this meant to him, to the point where Nicole Scherzinger was basically bawling as well. He wasn’t the only one though. Flamingo and Rottweiler expressed similar emotions after their performances and we were all emotionally spent by the time we got to the final vote.

I know exactly who this is…

Ken Jeong’s signature catchphrase became the night’s mantra, because the judges were all over the place with their guesses. Ken was in a particularly spicy mood (which we were totally feeling), as he stood, sat, wore glasses and made jabs at Robin Thicke and host Nick Cannon as per usual. Jenny McCarthy, who was wearing a decorative mask of her own, rolled her eyes more than once, and we couldn’t help but wonder (and not for the first time) how much Ken she can handle in her own life. Those two are like siblings to us—we have a feeling they know how to get under each other’s skin in a (mostly) loving way.

You can trust @KenJeong, he's a doctor. #TheMaskedSinger pic.twitter.com/euq5F0Ykyp

— The Masked Singer (@MaskedSingerFOX) December 19, 2019

Anyhow, as it turns out the judges did know exactly who it was at least twice. The third runner-up, Flamingo, was obviously former Cheetah Girl Adrienne Bailon, which everyone but Ken predicted. Of course we know that the Internet predicted she was Flamingo from the first episode, but it’s always nice when we’re actually right. Also, if that girl doesn’t pursue music on a more full-time basis it’s going to be a huge crime. She’s amazing and we hope she walks away with more confidence to perform now that she’s proved her salt on this show.And then there are the times this show completely shocks, which is also part of the fun. The reactions to the Rottweiler reveal were next-level awesome because none of the judges had a clue. Sure, we (and the Internet) had strong inklings that it was Chris Daughtry crooning under that mask, but the judges’ best guess was Darren Criss. That surprise factor alone gave Daughtry’s second-place reveal tons of bite. (Or is that bark?)

And then there was one

We might not have predicted Fox would take this thing at the beginning of the season, but when he broke out into a rap that incorporated the judges and his experience on the show, well, it was known. The real question was whether it was Wayne Brady, as Robin and Nicole said, or Jamie Foxx, as Jenny and Ken guessed.In the end it was none other than Wayne Brady, of Let’s Make a Deal and Whose Line Is It Anyway fame, who was blowing us away with those smooth vocals. We tend to think of the performer as a comedian, but he obviously has the singing chops too. His entire reason for doing the series was to prove to the world he’s more than just the “funny guy” who has worked with everyone from “Doogie to Doubtfire,” but keeping it a secret was pretty damned hard.

SPOILER ALERT! His #FoxMask is off but the Golden Mask is all his! #TheMaskedSinger pic.twitter.com/ryLufh8C6l

— The Masked Singer (@MaskedSingerFOX) December 19, 2019

“I wanted to tell you so bad,” Brady said to Nick after he was unmasked and the friends hugged it out.We’d say he did exactly what he set out to do, and if possible he’ll be fielding even more offers in the near future. As if gigs on The CW’s Black Lightning, a few upcoming movies, and Let’s Make a Deal weren’t enough. Mission accomplished Brady. We see you. We see you and we’d like to hear you sing again in the very near future, please and thank you. You’re a Fox.The Masked Singer returns with a new season on Feb. 2 to CTV.