Trump pumps up coif, ego, tension in 2d 'Apprentice'

Donald Trump's hair appears to have been amped up for season two of "The Apprentice." It's slightly blonder, slightly further combed over, slightly more threatening to the air-starved pores of his forehead. It's slightly more alien-like all-round, as its owner conveys it unmussed from shiny black limousine to wood-paneled boardroom to gold-plated dining room.

Why start a review of "The Apprentice," which returns tonight at 8:30 on Channel 7, with a fashion commentary? Because as Donald Trump's hair goes, so goes the second season of NBC's biggest reality hit. The entire series, in which young entrepreneurs compete for a high-paying job with Trump, has been amped up this time around. It's all gotten a little more Hollywood, even if it's as ensconced as ever in the plush offices and dramatic skyscrapers of New York.

This season, the number of players has risen from 16 to 18, and they're a far prettier lot than last time. Indeed, they look like they're there to compete more for "The Bachelor" or "The Bachelorette" than for Trump. They're also a more highly strung group of Type A personalities (including Boston's own Ivana), with tempers that seem ever-ready to rumble. They've seen season one, and they arrive wound up and second-guessing. It doesn't take long for us to meet this season's likely Omarosa, a sandwich-shop owner named Stacie who undergoes a paranoid meltdown during a task. And if the premiere's final boardroom argument is any indication, this season's firing sessions will rival July Fourth in the fireworks department.

Perhaps most obvious of all, the product placement is overwhelming this season; tonight, for instance, when the players rendezvous at Toys "R" Us to learn they'll be designing a toy for Mattel. And later in the season, they'll be taking on projects for Crest and Levi's -- projects that might even end up on the market. Most TV shows -- and especially reality makeover shows -- are becoming aggressive about circumventing TiVo-like machines by synergizing advertising and content. But the new "Apprentice" may be taking the lead, with its bold and prolonged logo shots.

Of course, all the amping up matches Trump's ego, which has only grown since "The Apprentice" became a TV phenomenon and helped NBC find a new Thursday night hit. "In this town," he declares tonight, "the sky's the limit. Believe me, I know." And it's that campy immodesty that helps make "The Apprentice" one of the most entertaining and distinctive reality contests on TV. It's a kick to watch Trump glibly pressuring his wannabes to be pushy, and a bigger kick to watch them tripping over themselves to out-Trump one another. And unless the premiere is misleading, this season promises to be an even more unapologetic and amusing greed-athon than last.

Neither of the forthcoming "Apprentice" clones -- ABC's "The Benefactor" and Fox's "The Billionaire" -- is likely to pose much of a threat to "The Apprentice." How could they possibly improve on the Trump formula, which includes an amber wave of hair and an awfully big head to carry it?

Matthew Gilbert can be reached at gilbert@globe.com.