With the success of the Madonna-themed episode last season, the producers of ‘Glee’ decided to jump right in this year with a much-hyped Britney Spears episode. The potential here is enormous. Does it live up?

For the most part, yes. This is due largely to the show’s other Brittany, who’s finally been given a front-and-center role. In fact, the episode title is ‘Britney/Brittany’.

Brittany has long been my favorite character on the show. Even though she rarely has many lines or much to do (and doesn’t sing much either), every single time the camera cuts to her, she’s always doing something funny in the background, or delivers a hilariously deadpan line. She’s the unsung (no pun intended) hero of ‘Glee’. And it’s about time that she’s been given a chance to shine. Of course, the danger here is that she might only work as a background supporting character, and stumble in the lead. Fortunately, actress Heather Morris pulls this one off in grand fashion.

The episode starts with Will trying to assign the kids to do Christopher Cross songs. They groan and are having none of it. Kurt petitions hard for Britney Spears. Will resists, because he thinks she’s a bad role model. Also, he’s kind of a pill.

At first, Brittany sides with Mr. Schuester. Why, you ask? Well, it turns out that her full name is in fact Brittany S. Pierce, and she just wants to escape the tyranny of Britney Spears. The way she explains this is terrifically funny.

Later, Emma’s new boyfriend Carl (John Stamos) visits the school. Will agrees to let him give a presentation to the Glee Club about oral hygiene. He inspects the kids’ teeth and finds that Brittany’s are in the worst condition he’s ever seen. She doesn’t brush, you see. She just rises with soda once a day.

So Carl gets Brittany to his office and puts her under. Thus prompts Brittany to have her first Britney Spears fantasy, in which she re-enacts the entire “I’m a Slave 4 U” video. And… Wow… That’s all I have to say… Wow.

She looks amazing. The video is super hot. (For the record, the actress is 23. I looked it up.) Even if the lip synching is kind of obvious (as it is for a great many numbers on ‘Glee’), she’s extraordinary with all of the dance moves. This is her breakout moment.

Brittany needs more dental work and has to return the next day for another session. Santana tags along, not because she has any dental problems – just that she really wants the anesthesia. This time, they share a fantasy in which they alternate performing “Me Against the Music.” This is also pretty great, and Santana ain’t half bad either, but it’s still Brittany that shines the most brightly.

After this, Brittany is on board with Britney Spears. She’s also empowered and decides that she deserves every solo that Glee Club does from now on. “I’m more talented than all of you combined. I see that now.” Lord, her delivery cracks me up!

The other kids aren’t left out. Rachel, of course, does “…Baby One More Time.” I suppose she’s the most suited for this. She looks good in the schoolgirl outfit (so good that she starts really wearing it to school, prompting boys to finally start noticing her) and sings it well, as usual. But there’s just a spark missing here that was present in the earlier numbers, and I’m left feeling that Brittany should have been given this whole episode to herself.

In the most bizarre sequence, Artie is still on his kick about trying out for the football team. (This is perhaps the dumbest storyline of the season so far.) He fantasizes about performing “Stronger” in full football gear, in his wheelchair, on the football field. The scene is just weird and silly and uncomfortable.

Throughout the episode, Will tries to win Emma back by proving that he’s not such an uptight stick-in-the-mud. He starts by buying a Corvette he can’t afford (the same car Carl has). Then he decides that he’s going to prove how cool he is by letting the kids do a Britney number for Homecoming… and he’ll even sing with them. This is not a good idea.

Sue is furious about the whole situation. “This school is a powder keg of sexual deviance,” she explains. Nonetheless, New Directions performs “Toxic” at the pep rally, which drives the whole school into a sexual frenzy. The scene is kind of funny, but also kind of dumb. Frankly, their performance is extremely chaste. Still, the kids go nuts. Furious, Sue pulls the fire alarm, which inadvertently causes her to get trampled. The next day, she shows up to work in a neck brace and tells Will that she’s going to sue him.

In other plot points, Beiste puts Finn back on the football team and agrees to let Artie try out (dumb). Rachel is worried that Finn will dump her when he regains his popularity. She asks him to quit the team. “The only way this relationship works is if we’re both losers.” He insists that he won’t let football come between them. So Rachel puts Quinn up to trying to seduce him, to see if he’ll fall back into her arms. Ever the good guy, Finn turns her down. He’s a one woman man.

Also, the real Britney Spears makes several brief cameo appearances in the episode, but wisely refrains from hogging the spotlight away from the kids. She’s there just to let it be known that she’s having fun with it. This is perhaps the wisest career move Britney has made in years.