The Apprentice: Los Angeles, Episode 12 – Trumped Up Charges

Welcome to another episode of The Apprentice. In the last Boardroom, Frank and Tim clashed about Tim’s relationship with Nicole. Meanwhile in the mansion, Nicole reads a letter from Tim. She says he poured out all of his feelings. She then shows a complete and utter lack of respect for those feelings by reading the letter out loud to Kristine. She clutches the letter to her chest and talks about how sweet it is. You guys, I think he’s totally going to ask her to the prom! Trump, as you’ll recall, fires Tim for “being distracted” by Nicole. Heidi returns from the Boardroom, and Nicole can immediately see on her face that Tim is gone. Heidi tells her everything that happened, in particular what Frank had to say about Tim. Nicole is good and mad about that. Outside, Arrow’s talking is interrupted by a mouse running through the camp. Stefani freaks out and stands on a cooler, and I can’t make fun of her, because that’s exactly what I could have done. She says in an interview that she really, really wants to get out of camp.

The Trump phone rings, and Andi tells the candidates that Arrow will be moving into the house – no more sleeping in tents for anybody. Stefani is very happy to hear that, and I know I am too, since I really didn’t like that particular twist. The teams are to divide into three teams of two. There will be no more project managers. Finally, Trump wants them to meet in the Boardroom the next morning.

Heidi tells the rest of the team what’s going on. Kristine and Nicole aren’t happy to hear about the three teams of two, nor is James. Frank says he’s had a lot of good times back in the camp, and that really, it wasn’t so bad. Apparently sentimentality has already erased the memory of a mouse scurrying by him not minutes before. The three Arrow members leave camp like any kids leaving camp, promising to be friends for life. Hopefully the Apprentice extras on Yahoo will show them exchanging friendship bracelets or becoming blood brothers.

Kinetic is not feeling so lovey-dovey, and they decide not to stand up when the other team arrives, which is totally petty. James suggests they all be straight up and say who they want to partner with. He wants to work with Stefani. Kristine wants either Heidi or Nicole. Frank wants to work with Nicole. Nicole says she’s still thinking about what she wants. She’s not happy with what Frank said in the Boardroom. It’s not that Tim’s gone, she says, though Frank asks her if she’s emotionally affected by it. Nicole says that Boardrooms are always hard, adding that Kristine cried when Angela got fired. Frank says she’s beating around the bush. Nicole says she’s shocked that he’d think that and tells Frank he’s retarded. She is a classy, classy girl! Kristine says in an interview that this is the opportunity to beat Heidi, Trump’s “super shining star.” To that end, she tells the group that she wants to work with Nicole. That leaves Frank and Heidi, the original two project managers, teaming up.

The next morning, the teams arrive in the Boardroom. Trump enters with Don and welcomes the candidates. He reminds them that this is week 12 of their 14 week job interview, a fact that has me very happy because that means that there are only two more episodes of this tedium left! Trump says that they’ll be working at his new building in Las Vegas. The teams will fly to Las Vegas in his personal airplane (Nicole is gobsmacked by this fact and gawks like a big dork), where they’ll create a promotional campaign for the hotel. Trump and Don will choose the best campaign. The team that produces the worst campaign? Both candidates will be fired.

The teams fawn over Trump’s very shiny airplane. It features white damask seats and a whole lot of gold trim, and, like his apartment, isn’t exactly subtle. Nicole says it’s “a total reminder for why I’m here” and wants to live a life like Trump’s. She and Kristine are inspired by the setting and decide to go with a theme of height and gold, since Trump loves gold so very much. He’s like a magpie, pecking away at shiny objects.

Elsewhere on the plane, Heidi tells Frank they need to look at Trump as a consumer. Stefani wants a killer sales brochure. James says Frank has a huge advantage, since he’s a developer. “No pressure, buddy,” James says with a grin. Frank starts to go over to talk to James, presumably because old habits die hard. Heidi tells Frank not to be distracted by him. In an interview, Heidi sighs that the two of them are “polar opposites.” He gets distracted easily, so she’s been trying to rein him in. Her frustration is evident.

Trump tells us that the candidates will be in Las Vegas to see the sales office and two model rooms. We begin with James and Stefani. Stefani suggests “the height of luxury” as their tagline, and James thinks that’s great. Trump is all about luxury. At the sales office, they learn about the concept and vision behind the hotels. Trump wanted it to be the best building in Las Vegas and had a hand in all of the details. Kristine and Nicole go to the building site and learn about everything. But Kristine notes that Nicole wasn’t asking a lot of questions, “just resting on the fact that she sells these for a living.” Kristine says this is their last chance and she doesn’t want to go home.

James and Stefani hire a videographer and photographer, figuring they don’t have the skills a professional does. Frank is there too, and tells his videographer very quietly what to shoot. Frank says he’s not bothered by their presence, because he’s sure they’ll win. He says they’re too cocky, and when he and Heidi win, he’s just going to turn to them and smile.

The candidates return to Los Angeles. Kristine and Nicole talk about the next steps to take. Nicole says she has the whole presentation in her head, and she thinks that’s very important. Nicole thinks it doesn’t matter how strong their DVD is unless they present well. She says that she and Kristine have different thought processes. Nicole thinks she really needs to just show her passion and it will sell itself. She seems to think the whole thing is really simple.

James and Stefani work with a designer. James says that Trump is their client, and he’s not looking for a gimmick, but for something solid. Stefani says they’re of the same mindset and get along great, so they don’t waste any time. The two of them exchange a high five. They are clearly having the lowest amount of tension of any of them, probably in no small part because they’ve worked together the most.

Kristine puts together their first shot, which shows the two towers in gold.. Nicole is asleep on the couch, and Kristine is frustrated. She tells us that Nicole wanted to take a 20 minute nap, but after that time, Kristine didn’t wake her. She’s not happy with how Nicole’s been doing, so it’s better to just do all of the work herself “and own it all.” Kristine tells the artist that she’s as happy as she’s going to get, which is “not real happy.”