During Season 1 of the US version of The X Factor, I was extremely excited to have Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul back on the air together as reality competition judges. I had missed them greatly on American Idol and couldn’t wait for the awesomeness in store for me. At the start, I really enjoyed the show. The format of the different groups assigned to the different judges was a nice change of pace, and I thought the judges initially shared really good chemistry. By the time the live shows started, however, Nicole Scherzinger had me coming out of my skin, and L.A. Reid’s nonsensical interpretations of “current” artists blew my mind. I was relieved when Melanie Amaro finally beat Young Homie and the Burrito Man and wondered if there would even be a Season 2. While I was thrilled that Nicole and What’s His Name (the host) were kicked to the curb, Paula’s departure was a shame. There's always Vegas? 
I was hesitant to give Season 2 a chance at all until Britney Spears was announced as a judge, and my brain almost exploded from the entertainment potential. As of today, we have not yet reached the live shows for Season 2, but the addition of Britney and Demi Lovato (whose music L.A. had minimal knowledge of last year) has been fantastic. Brit Brit’s facial expressions and pretend moments of enjoyment alone are worth tuning in for. The assignments of the different groups are coming to a close, and we are getting close to the part of the season where America participates. I will start commentary when the live shows begin. Looking forward to it!
