The Apprentice: Los Angeles, Episode 6 Performance Reviews

I think the sixth episode of The Apprentice: Los Angeles set a record. Even including the recap of last week, the theme, and all those commercials, it was just 23 minutes after the show started that the actual task concluded. Further, the Yahoo webisode contained very little new material! To say that there are unanswerable questions is like saying that Sisyphus has a problem with a stone. Despite such a thin layer of data to mine, its time for “Performance Reviews” of the remaining applicants!

The Task:

Finally, after watching them sell bathing suits, fast food, and then jars of honey in three of the last four weeks, we get to see a project based on something other that gross sales. Yay!

This week, the task is simply to convince people to fill in computer ballots to win a free trip, and the team that had the most entries submitted was the winner. Although attracting the attention of the public is still a big part of it, there’s more emphasis on closing the deal and no concerns about price points or bulk sales.

However, this task was the first one to toss them a real hidden twist. That twist was in having the teams pitch to an audience containing a high percentage of non-English-speaking people.

However, from the few views of the crowd we had, it didn’t seem as though Team Arrow’s mall had as many Latinos, and everyone they contacted inside the mall seemed to understand them. If the malls did not both feature the same challenge, is that fair?

Team Arrow:

I’ve no idea how these guys won, and I guess we have the editors to thank for that. From what we saw, no one except Frank seemed able to bring in clients, Surya was a terrible leader, and if it was necessary, they didn’t appear to address the Spanish issue.

What we do know is that in Kinetic’s Boardroom, Trump described Arrow’s efforts as “passionate” and that “they didn’t want to lose.” I think it could be argued that of the twelve people that started this episode, the five most animated and passionate ones are on this team.

Looking at some details, I see Arrow did very good work advertising the Priceline sweepstakes. Almost the whole team distributed flyers to many a passerby. I did see the flyers were in English only. Utilizing the continuous-play in-mall ads was a good move as well, though I personally see them as noise pollution. Alas, we don’t know who put forth any of those ideas.

Frank: Frank was given the task of getting people to the kiosk. Well, we know he got it right at least 359 times! Additionally, I’m also going to assume he had at least some part of the ideas I lauded in the last paragraph.

Frank described himself as “a sales machine,” and we saw the machine in action. Now, that machine might be wound a little tightly, but the Priceline exec confirmed Frank was a standout performer to Trump, and that’s worth a lot.

What they didn’t see was Frank’s childish sketch of Surya that he felt necessary to share with Tim, Nicole, and possibly James. Idiot. Do I need to outline how that doesn’t help team morale or show even the minimum respect for a leader? The result is a rating that would have been GOOD or even EXCELLENT dissolves like a Mento in a Diet Coke, and I feel generous giving a SATISFACTORY rating to Frank this week.

James: I don’t have lots to say about James this week, except that his enthusiasm and effort levels continue to excel. It’s infectious for the rest of the team and to potential clients.

It’s a SATISFACTORY week for James.

Stefani: It seems Stefani was given the tasks of setting up the display and deciding how the team would look. I don’t know if these items could possibly win you the task, but done badly enough they could lead to a loss. It’s safe to say that Arrow’s setup and apparel was no impediment.

Right from Surya’s first arrival on Team Arrow, Stefani is the one who has least embraced him and his “new” methods. Then, while Surya was still in the last Boardroom, Stefani said in an offended tone that Surya needed to step up and be the next PM if he’s so great in sales. Well, he did. So, her “fake hug of encouragement,” though possibly having the appearance of being a good team-building move, was basically a dishonest sentiment.

Like Surya said, they all have jobs they need to go back to. Sincerity matters. So, a NEEDS IMPROVEMENT rating seems warranted here as well.

Nicole and Tim: Even Tim seems to recognize his poor timing in starting the “Showmance-lite,” and until they set it aside it will be a NEEDS IMPROVEMENT rating for both. However, a short look at their performance is indicated.

I’m not sure whose idea the “incremental sweepstakes” was. I thought it was Tim’s from the way he was explaining it, but in a cameo he gave credit to the group. Of course, we never actually SEE it in action, but it sounds like it could generate the required buzz… if it were bilingual.

On the lighter side… fess up, as we saw Nicole being carried off to the doctors, who among you didn’t think of Season 4’s Rebecca? As it turned out, all that happened was that she and Tim missed the best part of the reward. Alas, a golden opportunity to gain “Trump Bonus Plucky Points” fades silently away…

Still on the lighter side… do you remember how a jellyfish sting was dealt with in Survivor: Marqueseas? Kathy peed on John’s sting! Now, Tim could have stepped up and saved the Trump organization the cost of an emergency doctor’s appointment, had he just peed on Nicole’s foot. However, my personal recollections include no occurrences of me peeing on a girl’s foot and then dating her, so perhaps he did the right thing after all. But sometimes, the team has to come first.

Surya: Surya did not start this episode out in control of his emotions. There’s not too much he can do about the outburst Nicole heard right after the Boardroom, but by the time he returns to the tents he MUST have himself emotionally under control. I understand it is infuriating to think you have been lied to or lied about. However, if Surya is still that upset that he’s ranting, it’s too soon to return to the group.

It was intelligent of Surya to recognize that after the beating he took in the last Boardroom he needed to step up and take on the PM role. However, had he not volunteered he probably would have been forced into the role by the Stefani-led mob anyway.