"X Factor" guest performer Bruno Mars

Credit: FOX

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We're eliminating one "X Factor" contestant tonight, but all of the news on the Interwebs is surrounding the loss of one of the "X Factor" judges.

Per media reports, L.A. Reid won't be back next season. 

All together now: So what?!?

Will the other judges be wearing black tonight?

Will Tate Stevens be wracked with guilt wondering if he caused L.A. Reid to give up on "X Factor"? 

Will Mario and Khloe follow him out the door? 

Will this all set up another "X Factor" overhaul in an attempt to lower ratings for next season?

And who's going home tonight? 

Click through for the full recap...

8:02 p.m. ET. Mario and Khloe take the stage. Will they address the elephant in the room?

8:03 p.m. The "X Factor" judges emerge. I'm reading into things, but L.A. Reid is definitely hanging his head. Khloe introduces L.A. Reid without calling him a lame duck. He points at the audience, but doesn't hold up a sign saying, "I Quit."

8:04 p.m. All decisions have been made by America. So the judges are all as useless as Demi Lovato.

8:04 p.m. "X Factor" Group Sing! With Emblem 3 rapping! They're all coming home. You know, Fifth Harmony would probably make a fine back-up group for Carly Rose Sonenclar. I think that's what we were supposed to get out of that performance.

8:12 p.m. Acknowledge L.A. Reid's departure, darnit! 

8:12 p.m. Yeah, yeah. Pepsi.

8:12 p.m. Recap of last night's show. I don't know why Mario's still saying that the second song last night was chose by "the acts and their mentors," when we saw very clearly that the mentors chose the songs.

8:17 p.m. If Carly Rose Sonenclar goes home tonight, I don't have to recap next week, right? I can just quit this, can't I?

8:19 p.m. "I think is going to be difficult for my girls because the other three are so strong," Simon Cowell admits, but he swears he believes in miracles. "I feel really confident about her performance," Britney Spears says of Carly Rose.

8:24 p.m. Clip package of what the contestants think about winning. Tate Stevens needs to win. This is do or die for him. This is his dream. Emblem 3 needs to get to the finals. They're ready. They want this. Fifth Harmony has been dreaming of this forever. Carly Rose wants this and grew up wanting this. This means the world to her.

8:26 p.m. "These finals really mean everything to these contestants," Khloe says, proving that she's been paying attention.

8:28 p.m. The first act in the finals -- in no particular order -- is... FIFTH HARMONY. They're very happy. This means something very bad is happening. Simon is incredulous in a happy way. Britney is incredulous in a hilarious way. "We're just really excited to show what we can do next week," Dinah says. "Like I said, I believe in miracles," Simon says. I wonder how happy he's going to be if Emblem 3 goes home.

8:33 p.m. So Fifth Harmony is through. I won't cry if we lose Emblem 3. I probably also won't cry if Tate goes home, though I'll be disappointed. "I'm very shocked," admits L.A. Reid. 

8:34 p.m. "Britney, you looked very surprised," Khloe says in the understatement of the night. I need a moving gif of this, Internet.

8:34 p.m. It's Bridgit Mendler time. I have no idea who Bridgit Mendler is.

8:36 p.m. Sepinwall tells me that Bridgit Mendler has something to do with "Good Luck, Charlie." OK.

8:40 p.m. The second act in the finals is... TATE STEVENS. 

8:40 p.m. Carly claps, but makes a worried face. Britney makes a worried face. Simon looks less smug and happy. "This is amazing," Tate says, thanking country music fans everywhere. Tate's voice breaks when he tells his wife that they're in the Finals. 

8:44 p.m. Britney's Shocked Face. 

8:46 p.m. "I'm so nervous and I'm not even any of these groups right now," Khloe says, standing backstage with Carly Rose and Emblem 3. One member of Emblem 3 says that the knowledge he's gained from the competition surpasses $5 million. There's no chance on Earth that this is true.

8:48 p.m. Bruno Mars should win "X Factor." Or "Laser X Factor." Why isn't "Laser X Factor" a show?

8:55 p.m. Moment of Truth Time... "This is turning into an amazing night," Khloe says.

8:56 p.m. This is it... The last act in the finals is... CARLY ROSE SONENCLAR. On one hand, I'm relieved. On the other hand, I was kinda looking forward to not recapping next week. 

8:56 p.m. So EMBLEM 3 is going home. Carly Rose reassures the guys that she'll buy their albums.

8:58 p.m. Farewell, Emblem 3. Remember that One Direction also didn't win "X Factor" so... Who knows?

8:59 p.m. "I'm gutted, really, for them," Simon says, before promising the guys they're going to have a huge career.

You OK with Thursday's results?

Daniel Fienberg
Executive Editor

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A long-time member of the TCA Board and a longer-time blogger of "American Idol," Dan Fienberg writes about TV, except for when he writes about movies or sometimes writes about the Red Sox. But never music. He would sound stupid talking about music.