The X Factor Season 2 Premiere: Embrace The Madness

So Simon Cowell's "The X Factor" returned to Fox for a second season Wednesday night. And the much-ballyhooed new judges (last year's models, Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger, have been very publicly replaced by the blonder, fresher faces of pop princesses Britney Spears and Demi Lovato) weren't the only drastic tweaks to the once-struggling show's format. Hated host Steve Jones was also gone--but NOT replaced--thus allowing the program to take on a voiceover-free, fly-on-the-wall, documentary-style feel, masterminded by the producers of MTV's "The Hills." The result was something that felt fresh, exciting, different from any other talent show on television (aside from maybe Oxygen's underrated "The Glee Project")...and it was about five gazillion times less garish and Vegas-y than Season 1. Simon might really be on to something this time.

[Related: Simon Cowell slams "The Voice"

photo: Fox

But naturally, most lookie-loos and rubberneckers didn't tune in for creative camera angles and cinéma vérité footage of backstage contestant shenanigans. They watched to see HOW BRITNEY DID, after months of serious doubts regarding whether the coddled and convservatorshipped star could handle the spontaneity of reality television. Oh, let's face it, most people really watched hoping to witness a TV trainwreck. But they didn't get one. Because Britney actually pulled this off, for the most part. Of course, this wasn't live television--Britney's best moments were heavy-handedly edited, and possibly even scripted. And in the hands of Fox's highly skilled editors, anyone can be manipulated to sound lucid. (Remember what a comic genius Steven Tyler first seemed like on "American Idol," before the live shows started and he ran out of critiques other than "beautiful"?) So of course, full judgment must be reserved until Britney is performing on "The X Factor" without a net. But I am giving her the benefit of the doubt, for now.

Don Philip (photo: Fox)

Britney's first true test as a judge--and the first sign that she might actually be able to handle this job--came when she had to face her ex-duet partner from her tour 10 years ago, a hard-luck 31-year-old named Don Philip. Don was a total emotional wreck the minute he reunited with his old friend Britney (who, to her credit, recognized Don right away--which is more than can be said for how Christina Aguilera reacted when her old colleague Tony Lucca auditioned on "The Voice" last season). But Britney kept it together, even when Don's audition of Beyonce's "Halo" went very, very awry.

Britney tells Don bad news

During Don's dreadful performance, a look of sadness clouded over Britney's face, then she nervously shifted her hand to her mouth, as she realized she'd soon have to tell Don some very bad news. When Don saw the pained, conflicted look in her eyes, he gasped in shock and cried out, "Britney! No!" But Britney did what she had to do, telling him flat-out, "Through the years, maybe you've gone through a lot of hardships and battles, but your voice really isn't up to the bar of the standards of 'The X Factor' and what we want."

Don left the show in tears, collapsing backstage. "Did you see Britney's eyes? I feel like I've hurt her. I never meant to hurt Britney! I'm so sorry, Britney." But Britney seemed to be faring much better after this emotionally charged incident.

Britney & Don 10 years ago

When Simon rushed to Britney's side to ask her how she was holding up, she simply  shrugged, "That was hard." And that was it. Really, if Britney can be this composed, and this honest, on the live shows, she could be an excellent judge.

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