The Apprentice, Episode 10: Rickshaw Cowboy

Previously on The Apprentice, Omarosa got fired. Remember that? It was great, wasn’t it?

But the candidates don’t know that yet. They are in the suite, waiting for the results. Troy says that Omarosa plays good defense, so she has a good shot at surviving. He says that it would be hard to see Kwame go, since they’ve been together from the beginning. Katrina says that if it were up to her, she would fire Omarosa because she doesn’t like the way she conducts business. Kwame and Heidi return to the suite, and there is much rejoicing. Katrina hugs Heidi, and Troy shakes Kwame’s hand. In an interview, Heidi does a happy dance to celebrate Omarosa’s departure, a much nicer happy dance to watch than the one Big Tom did when Sue left on Survivor last week. Amy comments, “Look how much stronger your team is.” Troy agrees. Kwame is less sure. He says that Omarosa had her good points – she was very detail-oriented, for example. But she did bring conflict and friction.

The next day, while the other candidates sleep, Heidi goes to visit her mom in the hospital. She says that it was a relief to see her mom and to know that she’s okay. Visiting her mom puts the game in perspective: Family is the most important thing.

Kwame answers the Trump phone. The candidates are to meet across the street from the Plaza Hotel at a rickshaw stand. Trump arrives and tells the candidates about the challenges of transportation in New York. They’re about to enter into a small part of it – each team will manage a fleet of pedicabs (or rickshaws) for an eight-hour shift. The team that makes the most money at the end will win.

Remember the episode of Seinfeld where Kramer and Newman get the idea to hire homeless people to drive rickshaws? Luckily, no one proposes that idea.

Protégé – now consisting of just Troy, Heidi, and Kwame – meets to make a plan. Troy is project manager this week because they take turns and he’s up. They brainstorm ideas and decide to sell a pre-paid punch card for multiple trips. They can get a volume discount from the rickshaw company and sell the punch cards at all of the hotels surrounding Central Park. I think it’s a great idea. They only have one day, and they only have so many rickshaws, so this way they can sell rides for more than just one day. And targeting hotels is also a good idea, as I suspect rickshaw rides are more of a draw to tourists than to native New Yorkers.

Versacorp researches the rickshaw company online. Somewhere, Ereka, who wanted Nick to do online research for the water challenge, is fuming. Bill says that he won a coin toss, so he is project manager. He suggests that they pull the rickshaws in costumes, like Disney characters, maybe. Katrina says that they have their costumes already: Ben Affleck and Sharon Stone, indicating Nick and Amy. Does she mean that Nick and Amy look like those two celebrities, because I’m not seeing it. No one else seems impressed either, so her idea is dismissed. Bill thinks that they should have Katrina and Amy drive rickshaws because people will want to get a ride from an attractive woman. I would object to that, but since Bill saw the women use their good looks to their advantage so many times, I can’t blame him for thinking it. Katrina suggests that they sell tickets at the tourist ticket center outside of Planet Hollywood. No one responds.

Then Amy chimes in with a great idea: They can sell advertising space on the rickshaws. Bill loves the idea, and thinks they can cover every inch of the rickshaw and of the drives with logos, just like in NASCAR. Bill is confident that they will win. It is a brilliant way to add some extra money. There’s only so much they can do to get people to ride the rickshaws. This way, even if they don’t sell a single ride, they’ll still make money.

Meanwhile, Protégé prints out their punch cards. Troy is pleased and thinks they look very professional. They then start thinking about how to sell them. Heidi doesn’t think phone calls will work; people will just hang up on them. In-person meetings will be more successful. In an interview, Kwame says that he really feels for Heidi and can understand many of the emotions she’s going through. His own mother died of cancer when he was 15, so he knows that it’s always on your mind.

Versacorp heads out that night to sell advertising. They go to three restaurants that they already have relationships with from previous tasks, and two of them agree to buy advertising. Amy calls her contact at Marquis Jet, and he agrees to buy ads provided she and Katrina wear Marquis Jet hats and t-shirts all day. She agrees.

Back in the suite, Bill gets a phone call from the owner of the rickshaw company asking if they’re selling big ticket items. I have no idea what they’re talking about, and it is never explained. He goes into the kitchen to talk to Katrina. She tells Bill that Heidi and Troy are not riding rickshaws, and in fact, will not be anywhere near them all day. She knows because Heidi told her, and says that she knows a lot more, if they’d just ask her.

Bill asks her what she means. She says that no one asked her opinion, and every time she made a suggestion, they blew her off. She thinks that they just use her for her looks when it is convenient. Bill is aghast, and says, “Are you saying that you don’t use it yourself? Are you kidding me?” He says that they are a team and will win or lose as a team. Katrina tells him that she’s successful for a reason, and it’s not just for her looks. Since he isn’t going to listen to her opinions, she’s done offering them up. In an interview, she says, “What about my ideas? I’m not a pin-up doll.” She tells Bill that she is offended that he doesn’t seem to think she has any value beyond her appearance. In an interview, Bill says that if Katrina doesn’t like the way he leads, she should step aside.