The Entertainer, Episode 5: Commercial Possibilities

Last time on The Entertainer, the Red and Black teams performed in dueling lounge acts, with the audience comment cards deciding who won the challenge. Some acts went well, but several of the singers forgot the words to their songs, and in the end the party was over for Jacquie. She had a bad night, forgetting the words of "Mack the Knife," then when she went on stage to play her guitar and sing original material, she found it was out of tune. It was enough for Wayne to decide she was not The Entertainer.

As a reward for winning, the Red Team (Theresa, Delisco, Jennifer, and Dave) was sent to the Palms where they'll be getting the high roller treatment. The episode starts out with their arrival at The Palms. A casino host greets them and gives them their money, then leads them to a $500 minimum blackjack table. Theresa doesn't like the high stakes table, she's never gambled in her life. She doesn't even know how to play blackjack. Dave explains the game, and they start playing. Theresa has the luck the others don't have, and after they are all out, she gives the others $500 each. In the end, they all lose, and the team is taken to the Ghost Bar at the top of the resort. Theresa is in a dancing mood, and Delisco likes the high roller life.

The next day brings all the contestants breakfast along with a casting card - they are to report to the high roller room at the Las Vegas Hilton. They are seated at a blackjack table, and Wayne joins them. He asks the Red Team if they had fun at The Palms, and said that's part of the lifestyle - if they become The Entertainer. However, first he has another challenge for them.

Today they'll be hitting the streets of Las Vegas and making a commercial. However, first they need to divide into teams again. Wayne deals out seven cards face down. Four cards have red suits, three have black suits. Each player has to pick a card. The colors determine the team; the aces determine team leaders. Dave, Theresa, and Nathan are the Black team, with Dave being the leader. Sarah, Delisco, Jennifer, and Joe form the Red team, with Sarah being the leader. She's excited to have the chance to shine.

Each team has to film a commercial promoting the glamour, heart, and soul of Las Vegas. Helping him to judge the efforts is none other than Mayor Oscar Goodman. They have three hours to shoot and deliver the commercial to the mayor's office. The losing team may have a member cut. As always, Frances and Scotty will be monitoring their action. Nathan is worried about having Theresa for a team member - he doesn't think she has a clue how to play the game.

Wayne tells us that being Mr. Las Vegas gives him a lot of pride, but also burdens him with responsibility. He notes that he and Las Vegas have grown up together. Las Vegas has changed a great deal since there were only eight or nine hotels on the strip. When he first arrived, the city had 80,000 people - now there are over are 1.3 million. However, entertainment has remained a constant throughout the growth of the city.

The Red Team gets into their car and receives their instructions, including shooting locations. Jennifer suggests they figure out what they want their commercial to say, in order for them to figure out where they want to go to shoot. They settle on the slogan "Las Vegas - It's Whatever You Want It To Be." Delisco notes that Jennifer is the real core of the team. Sarah isn't really being a team leader.

The Black Team is being run by Dave, who's first instruction is to go to the "Welcome To Fabulous Las Vegas" sign, where he wants Theresa to say "Welcome to Las Vegas." Dave tries to direct the script more like a tourism guide of what to do, but Nathan wants to do some acting. When they get to the sign, they find the camera isn't easy to operate. They shoot footage, and leave as the other team arrives. Theresa wants the footage reviewed, but Dave and Nathan aren't listening to her. She finally gets upset, and Dave reviews the footage. He tells the driver to go back - they didn't operate the camera properly.

The Red Team also decides to visit the famous "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign. They shoot Jennifer asking "What is Las Vegas? It's whatever you want it to be." and panning to the sign. They go to Caeasar's Palace next, with the goal of each place they visit be a backdrop for more adjectives about the city. They visit Caesar and Cleopatra, and ask them to be a part of their commercial, which they agree to. They roll footage of Caesar saying "Vegas. It is History. It is Class. It is Style. It is Elegance."

Meanwhile, the Black Team goes to the Aladdin and the stage of the X Girls. They shoot a scene with Theresa saying "Welcome to Vegas, baby" as the X Girls join her. The Red Team shows up in the middle of the shoot. Nathan suggests they get the X Girls to go with them in the limo, so they will be unavailable for the other team. Dave vetoes the idea, and Theresa thinks it was a weasel move.