The Apprentice 2 Finale: Three Trumptastic Hours

Why should Trump hire Kelly? Kelly says, “Because I’ve stepped up and delivered every single time.” He says that he seeks leadership, not only when he’s project manager, but also on other tasks.

Jennifer says that she is strong and motivated. Kelly says he wants to be a leader. Jen counters that she is able to see both the details and the big picture. Trump congratulates both of them on making it so far and asks them to leave so he can talk to George and Carolyn.

George says that Kelly is rather wooden, and that Jennifer has more fire. That sounds like an accident waiting to happen, then, seating them next to each other. George admits that he didn’t see Kelly on this final task, but thinks he’s not as driven as Jennifer. Jennifer is, George says twice, abrasive, but he thinks she could be excellent. Carolyn disagrees. She admits that Kelly has made mistakes, but looking at the history, he has stood up as a leader far more times.

Having heard what George and Carolyn think, Trump asks what the audience thinks. One of the walls of the boardroom falls away, revealing that we are live in Lincoln Center for the results. He asks the audience who thinks Jennifer should win and is greeted with mild applause. Then, he asks who favors Kelly and gets a much bigger response. Trump says that last season, he knew he wanted to hire Bill, but this time, he’s undecided. He says that he wasn’t planning on asking for his help until later, but that he’d really like his friend Regis Philbin to come out now to survey the audience. If you believe that this was spontaneous and unplanned, then I applaud your innocent and trusting spirit.

Regis asks Bill, last season’s winner, for his pick. Bill says that Kelly is the best choice. He stepped up, took accountability, and got results. Bill adds that he’s enjoyed working for Donald Trump. Next, Trump’s CFO Allen says that one of the two candidates has displayed leadership and clear objectives, and that’s Kelly. Alan from Unilever is also a Kelly fan – Kelly has shown consistent leadership, has a varied background, and is a good person. COO Matthew doesn’t have much to say except that he prefers Kelly. I think he was nervous. Michael Fraizer of Genworth votes for Kelly too, because of his sense of direction, leadership, and execution.

As all of this is happening, Kelly and Jennifer sit nearby. Jennifer looks very awkward and uncomfortable, not able to look straight ahead. I don’t blame her – the lack of support for her is pretty overwhelming.

Apprentice fans are happy to see season 1’s Troy (who would probably be a better choice than Kelly or Jennifer) in the audience. Troy says that Kelly has the guts and instinct that make for a good businessperson. Also from season 1, Amy says that while she’d like for a woman to win, she thinks Jen is confrontational and afraid of leadership. Kelly is a better choice. Amy is sitting next to season 1 runner-up Kwame, but unfortunately we don’t get to hear what he thinks.

Next, Regis goes for references from past employers. He introduces Lt. Colonel Andrew Hergenrother, Kelly’s former commanding officer. He tells Regis that Kelly has strong values, from his family, the military, and his work experience. He was proud to have led Kelly and would be equally proud to be led by him. Regis then cuts to a bar where Kelly’s fellow West Point alumni are cheering him on.

Just as things are starting to feel disturbingly one-sided, Regis turns to John Carroll, Jen’s boss at her law firm. John says that Kelly is the best. Kidding! He says that Jennifer is tough, smart, and savvy, and that Trump would be smart to hire her. He says that the firm misses having her. In New York, a group of people from Jen’s law firm cheer her on at a party.

Next, Regis surveys some audience members. Josh says that Kelly was a great leader, innovative and inspirational. Lisa also chooses Kelly, saying that he is both educated and motivated. Karen feels like Jen’s lone crusader and says that Jennifer had a quiet power and motivated even people who didn’t like her.

Trump says they weren’t planning on bringing them out until later, but why not bring out the fired candidates now to talk about their choices. Again, if you believe this was spontaneous, I admire your innocence. The candidates file out. Most of the guys are wearing Trumptastic pink ties, but it’s hard to notice anything other than Sandy’s outfit. It’s a black pantsuit with so much white embroidery that my husband wonders if she’s going to a bullfight later.

Trump starts with Ivana, who says Kelly deserves the job. Trump points out that Ivana hates Jen. Ivana demurs that hate is a strong word. Wes says he’d hire Jennifer to work with him, but that he’d hire Kelly to run a company. Although he doesn’t like him personally, he respects him. Andy would hire Raj, but since he’s not an option, he’d choose Jen for her intelligence and passion. Chris thinks Kelly has better experience. John chimes in that they should acknowledge how well Jen did to get to the final two in the first place.

Trump asks the rest of the final four – namely Kevin and Sandy – what they think. Sandy says that Kelly won all three tasks for which he was project manager and that excluding the final task, Jen only led once. Kevin agrees and points out that Kelly’s overall record was 10 wins and four losses, compared to Jen’s six wins and eight losses. Pamela, on the other hand, thinks Jen has outstanding business ethics and “sophistication of thought.”

Regis next introduces a Jennifer clip package. Jennifer reminds us that she went to Princeton and Harvard, then worked for a top law firm. We watch her wash dogs. She says she’ll hold people responsible when they don’t perform. Ivana calls her a fembot. She excels at the QVC task. The Levi executive says she was the best on her team. Ah, memories. Jen joins Trump at the conference table.

Next, it’s time for Kelly memories. Kelly went to West Point, served in the Army, then attended law school and business school at UCLA. We see several clips of Kelly as project manager. Kelly sets the price in the QVC task, then takes a leadership role in the fashion task. Welcome to the conference room, Kelly.