The Apprentice, Episode 12: Mile-High Club

Protégé goes to a café to strategize. They have six and a half hours to go. Troy lays out the sales technique they’ll use, and it’s not one Bill is familiar with. The plan is that Bill will have the first contact with the potential customers and will warm them up. Then, Troy will close. They do just that with a man and a woman who are interested in the space. Troy tells them that they’re looking to rent the place in the $30,000 range. The woman says, “Oy, vey!” Troy repeats it and says that it’s his new favorite phrase. They teach him some more Yiddish phrases and joke about Troy’s sheltered Idaho upbringing. In the background, Bill looks embarrassed. In an interview, he says that he wonders how Troy can keep a straight face sometimes. Troy tells the customers that they already have two firm offers on the place. Bill notes in an interview that it’s just not true, and thinks that Troy is making too hard of a sell.

Meanwhile, Amy and Nick meet with more customers. She tells one man that they have entertained $40,000 offers. Unless by “we” she means “Trump World Tower,” that’s not true, either. The man tells her that no way is the place worth $40,000 for a night, but if she can get it, good for her. Nick looks worried. Apparently, he should be – Amy says that the most they’ve been offered is $10,000. But then, Kate, an event planner, and her client Ian come to look at the space. Ian loves it and is dying to have it for a New Year’s Eve party. But Kate reviews the contract and sees that the party would have to end at midnight, so a New Year’s party is out. So you’re telling me that you would be renting a place for one night and you’d have to kick all of your guests out at midnight like Cinderella? That doesn’t sound very appealing to me.

The people Troy was talking to make an offer of $32,500, but at the same time, Bill is meeting with customers who are also very interested. Bill takes Customer #2 to one end of the penthouse so Troy can talk to them while Kwame talks to Customers #1. With just one hour and twenty minutes left, the men of Protégé have a bidding war on their hands. Bill says that Troy, their closer, is “the guy who puts the heat on ‘em and sells them the undercoat.” Hee! Troy tells the man that an offer of $38,500 would make the place his. Bill says that Troy created a false urgency. The customer says that he feels like he’s being hustled and says that he’ll pass. Immediately the team shifts their attention to the first customers. They agree to sign for $35,001. Kwame says that the amount was “Price is Right style,” in case Versacorp rents it for $35,000.

As Protégé triumphantly strolls out of the building, Nick and Amy are still sitting in the lobby. Bill says that they looked panicked, but that he doesn’t underestimate either of them. Still, he’s confident, and says, “I think it’s time to gas up the jet.” Amy and Nick have fifteen minutes to go, and spend their remaining time on this “meaningful conversation” (as Nick would put it): Amy says that every redhead she’s ever known has only dated other redheads. Nick has never dated another redhead before in his life.

With just two minutes remaining, Kate and Ian return. Ian wants to make an offer. Amy and Nick quickly confer on price, and Nick gets Ian to sign what Amy describes as “an extravagant offer.” Nick says that their return at the 11th hour was like an act of God, though he likes to think his salesmanship has something to do with it. Personally, I think that the fact that these two swooped in at the last minute and kept Amy and Nick from having no offer at all felt like less an act of God and more an act of Mark Burnett. It just seems awfully convenient. We’ll see if, in the next few weeks, any news comes out suggesting a bit of tampering by the producers. Let’s just say I’m skeptical.

The teams head to the boardroom. Protégé tells Trump that they feel confident. Bill says that the product sells itself. Trump asks Nick and Amy if they’ll live together in a place like that someday. Amy says that she told Nick he’s going to have to sell a lot of copiers to make that happen. Carolyn and Bernie have the totals: Protégé rented the place for $35,001. Versacorp beats them with $40,800. Well, that is an extravagant offer!

Bill says it was a tough loss, especially because he was so confident. In an interview, he says, “I said to gas up the jet. I’d like to retract that statement.” Hee! Troy says that they were shocked, and he doesn’t know what else they could have done in order to win. Kwame says that he really thought the offer was enough to put them over the top.

Bill teases Nick that he had best put that luxury jet trip with Amy to good use, or people are going to start to wonder about him… not that there’s anything wrong with that. Then, Bill tells Amy that Nick is planning to “make a little magic” on the plan, otherwise people will think he’s gay. Amy says that Nick must be planning to meet an attractive flight attendant. Bill! What are you doing? You have just greatly reduced any chances Nick might have had… unless that’s what you meant to do.

Amy and Nick board Trump’s jet. In an interview, Trump wonders if they’re in love, and adds, “They better not use my bedroom.” It’s funny that the two people least interested in Amy and Nick joining the mile-high club are Amy and Nick. The two of them check out the jet, which is fabulous. There are wood paneled walls, damask seats, and there is indeed a bedroom. The pilot has them take a seat and says that the other guests will be joining them shortly. Amy tells Nick that the jet features a bidet. Awesome.