The Apprentice, Episode 11: Eye of the Tiger

Thanks to last week’s clip show, it feels like ages since we’ve had a new episode of The Apprentice. But before we get started, I’d like to invite all Apprentice fans to check out the most recent inductee to the Reality TV Hall of Shame. None other than Omarosa has won this dubious honor. With that, on with the show!

In the suite, the candidates are wondering who will be fired – Heidi or Troy. Everyone seems to think it will be Heidi, so they’re not at all surprised when Troy returns. Kwame congratulates him and asks him if it “got hot.” Troy said that it almost did, and then jokingly says that he told Trump, “everyone sucks and I’m the best.” The rest of the candidates laugh.

The next morning, Kwame answers the Trump Phone and learns that the candidates should meet Trump in the lobby of Trump Tower in one hour. There, Trump introduces the team to Mark Brown, who runs Trump’s hotels in Atlantic City. Mark will be filling in for George, who is away on business. Doesn’t Carolyn ever go away on business? The first thing on the agenda is to even out the teams again. Troy and Kwame choose Bill to join Protégé. Trump asks why they didn’t choose Amy, since every team so far has picked her. Troy says, “Amy’s got enough kudos as it is.”

Trump tells the candidates that when he built Trump Tower, he wanted it to be the best building in the world. He had a six-story high waterfall put in that he says people come from far and wide to see… and that they then stay and shop and eat at Trump Tower. Trump says that his Taj Mahal casino is the number one casino in Atlantic City, but that he always thought it could do better. To that end, the competition this week is for the candidates to bring in and register gamblers over a twelve hour period. The team that brings in gamblers that spend the most money wins. Trump says that he has a bus waiting for them outside. A bus? Surely he means limo, right?

Katrina says in an interview that Amy is their project manager, and that this will show if she deserves all of the hype she’s been getting. Katrina turns to Nick and says that it’s just him and the girls. Nick and Amy smile at that thought, and Katrina looks like she just sucked a lemon. In an interview, she says that since Nick and Amy have some kind of romance going on, she’s not going to try to be anyone’s buddy. She’s just there to do a job. That’s funny, because I remember her being Best Friends Forever with Ereka and several of the other women. I guess now that all of her friends are gone, she’s all business. How convenient.

Over in Protégé, Bill is surprised that he was the chosen one. He says that he and Troy have incompatible business styles, and to be honest, he doesn’t like the way Troy does business. I think this little rivalry harkens back to the Planet Hollywood challenge when Bill didn’t approve of Troy’s Kwame Jackson autograph scheme.

The candidates climb aboard the bus. Yep, it really is a bus and not a limo. Kwame suggests that the three of them brainstorm independently for 20 minutes and then talk. He says that his management technique is to hire good people, give them direction, and get out of the way. It’s not the flashiest style in the world, but it shows a heck of a lot more respect for your staff than micromanaging every detail, so I respect Kwame for it. He says that his style works well with Bill, which is why they picked him.

On the ride to Atlantic City, Protégé makes phone calls, works, and makes plans. Versacorp… takes a nap. Katrina, Nick, and Amy are all sacked out in the front of the bus. Troy can’t believe they’re squandering their opportunity. Me neither. Protégé now has a serious time advantage on them.

At the casino, the candidates meet up with Mark and Carolyn. Mark says that customers in the casino are looking for a fun, entertaining experience. In an interview, Bill says that he thinks the key to winning the challenge is not to sign up a huge volume of players, but to sign up people who are willing to spend a lot of money.

Versacorp finally starts making plans. Amy says they need to find something to generate hype. Katrina says they could have belly dancers. Or a tiger. Or a boat. Or a car – she says that a car always catches her interest. Nick and Amy don’t exactly jump all over Katrina’s ideas, and she doesn’t appreciate it. In an interview, she says that Amy blew her off. Sorry, Katrina, but if you just throw out half-formed ideas, nobody is going to get excited about them. Did you learn that last week? Just saying, “Maybe a boat,” isn’t exactly a killer idea that your team will be excited to get behind. If you have a great idea, you have to sell it. Amy says, “We can pay for a weekend car rental of a luxury vehicle.” The team agrees to her plan. In an interview, a bitter sounding Katrina says that if the plan fails, as project manager, Amy should be held responsible.