The Apprentice: Los Angeles, Episode 1: Working At the Car Wash

Frank’s team walks next door to the dreaded Boardroom. Ivanka and Heidi are already there, then Trump arrives. Trump asks Heidi what she’s heard about the other team, and she replies simply that they lost. Very smart of her to not mention the conversations that her team overheard, lest they wise up and stop! Trump asks Michelle what she thought of Frank. She says that Frank maintained a consistent energy. But, Ivanka asks, was there a strategy? Martin says “absolutely not.” He thinks that they made three “mission critical errors.” Planning was too scattered, the price point was wrong, and there were marketing problems. Ivanka asks how much time they spent on marketing. Frank says that they needed to get started right away. Heidi’s team, Ivanka argues, focused on volume. They moved as many cars as possible, rather than focusing on higher price points. Frank says he’d use the same strategy again.

Heidi asks if anyone other than Martin thinks they were lacking strategy. Tim would have liked more brainstorming, but thinks it was important to get started right away. He thinks they started low. Trump asks who set the price. Frank says it was a group decision, but Trump pushes him for a name. Frank says that Tim was in charge of the salesmen. Tim says that was right. Ivanka is surprised that Frank wasn’t in charge of sales. It was, after all, a sales task. She says if they’d had more people there, they could have moved more cars. Heidi’s team was sweating. “Martin, you had your tie on,” Ivanka says incredulously.

Martin recalls telling Ivanka that he was exhausted and that she said he shouldn’t be on the first day. I have no idea why he pointed that out, since it didn’t make him look good at all, especially considering that Ivanka’s visit appeared to come early in the day. Martin asks James and Tim if he worked hard. Tim basically says that although he worked hard, he wasn’t good at what he was doing. Ouch. Who did work hard? Tim says that sales is not Martin’s forte. Trump asks Aaron his opinion, and Aaron says that Martin was the weak link in sales.

Trump asks Frank what his strategy was. He says he wanted to get as many cars in as possible and to upsell them. Martin wonders, “How?” Ivanka puts it more neatly: where was he during the beginning of the task? Was he not at Kinko’s making photocopies? Frank replies that it was a tactic to get things going. Martin says that tactic failed. Heidi thinks someone else could have gone to Kinko’s.

Frank says they didn’t lose by a landslide, so he blames Martin. He likes Martin personally, but he didn’t hustle. Martin is stunned, saying that Ivanka saw him “rockin’ and rollin’.” Ivanka says she saw no such thing. Trump adds that Martin was the last chosen and that he asked to go to the bathroom during the introductions. Frank says that Martin should have tried to prove himself after that.

Martin says that Frank made some fatal errors that cost them the task. Frank points out that he was selected as a project manager, so he must have something good going. Trump says that sometimes “a favorite gets their ass kicked.” Nicole tells Trump hoarsely (she lost her voice yelling at the car wash) that maybe if she’d done something else, stood higher on the ladder, something, they would have won. Trump tells Heidi that she came very close to losing, to which she just smiles and nods.

Frank says that it was very close. Heidi asks who didn’t pull his weight. Trump tells him he’ll soon be able to choose two people, but first, he wants to survey the group. Michelle would fire Frank. Carey sits on the fence, but after Frank encourages him to name someone, says he’d fire both of them. Frank says he’d rather hear the truth, even if he doesn’t like the asnwer. Trump tells Frank he thinks he’s terrific… though he might fire him anyway. James would fire Frank. Stefani thinks she’d fire both Frank and Martin. Tim names Frank, though he likes him. The task was as much about marketing as sales.

Trump says that everyone likes Frank more than Martin, that Martin comes across as “a bit of a pompous ass.” Tim says that Martin makes a bad first impression, but that he’s actually a good guy. Ivanka suggests that Frank is at a disadvantage because he’s the first leader and doesn’t know everyone’s skills and talents. Frank appreciates that. Nicole would fire Martin because Frank was a great motivator and has great potential. Aaron likes Martin, but Frank has better energy and skills.

Trump tells Frank to choose two people. The rest of the team can return to the tents. Frank, predictably, picks Martin. The other is Tim – as sales project manager, he should have taken control of his men. As everyone leaves, Frank adds another note. He says he’s hungry, aggressive, and will fight. Trump tells him to save it – he’ll be back in five minutes. Ivanka says he doesn’t lack spirit. Frank leaves the room promising, “I’m here for you sir.” Calm down, dude.

Trump asks Heidi for her opinion. Heidi says they’re her competition and would like the weakest to stay. But, barring that, she’d fire Martin. Ivanka says Martin’s attitude wouldn’t fit the company or Trump. Trump sends everyone back in.

Frank says that Tim should have kept him abreast of how the sales team was doing. As team leader, “I gave my all.” Tim shakes his head. Martin should never have asked to go to sales, Frank says. Martin says that Frank didn’t actually assign anyone to anything. Frank responds that he didn’t know anyone and had to trust them. Trump confirms that Frank would not fire Tim over Martin. Trump tells Tim to leave. Good enough, and it looks like Tim is going to wisely keep his mouth shut.