The X Factor Final 12 revealed

X Factor recap: After tricking their audience by airing their first live show on Halloween, The X Factor returned on Thursday to reveal their top 12 contestants.

On Thursday, which was originally scheduled to be the first live show, The X Factor surprised its most devoted blogger by revealing that it had actually aired its first show on Halloween. Depression, tempered with a bit of fury that Fox had once again got their facts wrong, set in. But they say every cloud has a silver lining and as the second live show began, with Mario Lopez and Khloe Kardashian Odom at the helm, it was evident that having missed two hours with these new hosts was actually a platinum lining.

Mario is to hosting what William Hung was to singing. Somehow they both managed to find some success by being horrible at something. Unfortunately for William, he didn't have sparkly eyes and a pair of dimples to help extend his 15 minutes of fame. Khloe who in fairness, is new to hosting, may still be able to develop her skills and find a way to tap into her natural charisma as long as she doesn't take her cues from her co-host Guy Smiley.

Young Adult Results:

The first mentor who was forced to banish another member of their flock was Demi Lovato. Demi chose to save Jennel Garcia and Paige Thomas, which left Cece Frey and Willie Jones to "sing for their survival." (Am I the only one who finds this term a bit melodramatic?) Cece Frey performed, "Out Here on my Own" from Fame while Willie Jones chose Kenny Rogers's, "You Give Your Hand to Me." Demi hesitated briefly, but in the end she sent Wille Jones home, claiming that she just wasn't sure where he fit in, which you can be sure Willie has heard once or twice since choosing country as his genre.

Over 25 Results:

Tate Stevens and Vino Alan earned an instant reprieve by mentor L.A. Reid who also took a moment to apologize to Jason Brock for not helping him to choose a better song the previous night. An apology that probably would have meant a great deal more to Jason had L.A. not forgotten his name when addressing him. 

In his attempt to earn a place in the top three, David Correy chose to sing Kelly Clarkson's, "Since You Been Gone," which Demi and Simon panned for being forced and melodramatic. Then, Jason Brock tried his hardest to make sure that L.A. Reid would not only save him but remember his name next time, by performing "One Moment in Time," by Whitney Houston. Perhaps in an effort to earn Jason's forgiveness, L.A. opted to send David Correy home.

Teen Results:

Britney Spears, who somehow looks 10 years younger than she did in auditions, chose to save Beatrice Miller and Carly Rose Sonenclar off the bat, leaving Diamond White and Arin Ray to try and earn the right to stay in her Top 3. Seriously, who did Britney think she was kidding? Obviously there was no way she would ever send Diamond White home . . . right?

Arin Ray performed, "I Look to You," by Whitney Houston. His awkward performance and weak vocals should have further sealed his fate, even though the other judges seemed to think he should remain in the competition. But when Diamond White took to the stage and performed Elton John's "Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word," the judges' were less sure about who should go home. Britney then proved that she's still capable of making really poor decisions by saving Arin Ray. Really? Arin should have never beaten out Reed Deming, let alone Diamond White! Oh Britney. 

Group Performances:

Last but not least (in members, anyway) were the groups. Simon showed Emblem3 and Lyric 145 some love by sending them to safety. Sister C, looking depressed and perhaps a bit worried since they are the only group without numbers in their name, gave an underwhelming performance of Miley Cyrus's, "When I Look at You." But the other judges seemed to like it for some reason.

Next up was 1432 (which was revealed Wednesday night as the group's new name). 1432 made a questionable choice by performing Demi's, "Skyscraper" after she told them on Wednesday that they didn't impress her very much. But Thursday night Demi was impressed, saying that they performed the song better than the original artist. This left Simon to make what seemed to be an agonizing decision for one who is usually so perfunctory. Mario and Simon then challenge each other in a game of "Simon Says" by arguing over whether Simon could change the format by saying who he was going to save rather than the group he was ending home. Mario prevailed in his valiant attempt to uphold the integrity of X Factor's law, and Simon announced he was sending home Sister C. 

But just to prove that he's still a renegade who is in control of all mere mortals, Simon tells 1432 that they can no longer keep their horrendous name and that America will have to choose their new name by submitting suggestions on the website. Might I suggest, "Next 2 Go"? It would be an appropriate choice, you know, since it keeps a number in their name and all.

What did you think of the mentor's decisions? More importantly, do you disagree with my opinion of the new hosts? Sound off in the comments below!