The Apprentice, Recap Episode: Business as Usual

In the next challenge, Troy’s salesmanship leads Protégé to a big win in the Trump Ice challenge. Nick and Bill suspect that Ereka will take the two of them to the boardroom, so the two of them have dinner together and discuss how they’ll handle her. Nick says, “I’m ready for it. I’ll back you up in there.” Bill says that he doesn’t want a full-on character assassination, but Nick is up for whatever it takes to “get rid of whatshername.” In the boardroom, Nick and Bill present a unified front, and Ereka makes lame excuses for not taking Katrina. Ereka is fired. In her interview, she says that “the boys” are deceptive with each other. She calls Nick a dud and says that Bill was a chicken in the boardroom, shaking in fear.

Trump has Versacorp select a new member to even out the numbers, and they once again choose Amy. In the art challenge, Versacorp chooses a more conventional artist, and Protégé goes out on a limb with the unusual Meghan. Heidi and Omarosa get into a huge argument about whether or not to stop for lunch, and Kwame and Troy seem relieved not to be a part of it. Versacorp decimates Protégé in sales. In an interview, Heidi says, “I was offended by some of the artwork.” Heidi doesn’t strike me as a woman who is easily offended, so that’s probably saying a lot. She adds, “As a team, we chose the wrong artist. We can’t blame anyone but ourselves.” In the boardroom, the Heidi-Omarosa conflict comes up again, and Omarosa is fired. What? Did you want to hear that again?

Omarosa is fired.

In her post-firing interview, Omarosa says that she can hold her head high, because she knows that she is an incredibly accomplished woman. She can do anything she puts her mind to. Except, apparently, winning this game. I’m just saying.

The final seven players go out for drinks. Bill asks everyone to give a toast in his honor if he gets fired… and then to never mention his name again. Katrina says that the game is no longer about friendship; it’s about getting the job.

In the most recent challenge, the teams are charged with running a fleet of rickshaws. Protégé offers incentives to the drivers and creates a punch card system. But for Versacorp, Amy comes up with the really impressive idea of selling advertising on the rickshaws. During the challenge, Heidi says that she’s exhausted, and that because of her mother’s illness, her head isn’t fully in the game. Protégé loses the challenge. In the boardroom, Carolyn says that Heidi has never shown her anything impressive. Heidi is fired. In her post-booting interview, she says that the worst moment was finding out about her mother’s illness. She’s happy to report now that her mother is doing much better. I must say, Heidi seriously grew on me over the past few weeks. At first, I found her crude, crass, and one of the worst offenders in women’s team’s constant use of their sexuality to win tasks. But she proved herself to be an amazing seller, and I really admire the dignity with which she handled the incredible stress she must have felt at juggling the show and her mother’s illness. I also respect the fact that unlike Amy, Ereka, Kristi, and Katrina, Heidi chose not to pose for sexy pictures in FHM. Heidi may be a little rough around the edges, but that was a smart decision..

Now, only six candidates remain: Amy, Bill, Katrina, Kwame, Nick, and Troy. They have some tough challenges ahead. They’ll have to work in a casino, tackle high-end real estate, oversee golf tournaments, and manage rock concerts. In the end, there will be only one winner.

Next week, on an all-new Apprentice, the candidates head to Atlantic City to work in Trump’s Taj Mahal casino. Amy is at war with Katrina. We see Amy telling her, “Turn off the sexual (bleep) and let’s talk business.” Go, Amy! Amy and Nick continue to flirt, and Trump finds out about it. And in the end, someone makes a huge mistake that gets them fired. I am so there.

Betsy is the Assistant Editor of RealityNewsOnline and can be reached with any comments at betsyw42@hotmail.com.

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