The Apprentice: Weekly Performance Review, Episode 12: Total Shock

This is the article I didn’t want to have to write.

But first, I want to talk about the challenge for a second. Like Betsy (whose recap you can read here), I don’t buy the whole “guy comes back and rents at the last second” bit. It seemed WAY too convenient, and besides, the same thing happened in the apartment challenge. It just smells fishy to me.

Also, I have to wonder why they only went after party planners. They should have taken a hint from Amy in the rickshaw challenge and tried to sell to previous contacts and other businesses. I’ve seen sales meetings that had to have cost thousands of dollars, so why not call up George Steinbrenner and make him an offer? I dare say that even the Yankees would have been impressed with that apartment. I’m not saying it would have worked, but I think it would have been worth a try.

Versacorp:

Nick: I don’t know, it seems as though ever since you “got involved” with Amy that the competition has been almost a second thought to trying to impress her. I hope I’m wrong, but you have just seemed to lose that fire you had back at the flea market challenge.

Amy: Once again, you pull out a win from blind luck. I still don’t understand why people tell me you are the best candidate remaining, as you aren’t even in the top two. Hell, you weren’t even in the top five this week.

Protégé:

Bill: I like you more and more each week (even though, sorry, you’ll never be more than my second favorite man on this show). This week, I noticed that you’re not afraid to say what is on your mind. One of my problems as a manager was having to give unpleasant news to people I considered friends. You can cut through the BS and give it to them straight. I also loved how you tried to undercut Nick by telling Amy he was going to make a move on the jet. It wasn’t exactly NICE, but it was funny.

Kwame: Although you have impressed me more in the last few weeks, Troy’s evaluation was accurate. You are a good team player, but not a leader. I’d have you on my team any day, but in a supporting role.

Troy: SHOCK. That about sums it up. Total shock. I was so confident you would make the final two I was thinking about what I would say about Kwame’s departure. I also have it on good authority that David Bloomberg was even preparing “Why Kwame Lost” until the last moment. Personally, in reference to the conversation in the boardroom, I probably wouldn’t hire you as CFO either. The only reason for that is that I would absolutely hire you as my CEO and/or COO. I would let you handle the operations and be the public face of the company. You’d speak to the reporters, handle the press releases, and be an inspiration to the employees. Any company in the world should be so lucky.

As I’ve said before, you’ll do just fine after this. I see in a promo that you’re coming back for this week’s episode! Maybe last week was a cruel April Fool’s Day joke, and Trump really fired Kwame. Yeah, that would work.

Or… maybe… Amy and Nick get fired for shenanigans involving that “last minute” deal. Did the check bounce? One thing’s for sure, I’ll be watching, and knowing that everyone else is STILL competing for second place in my mind.

Mike DeGeorge has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management from Christian Brothers University in Memphis, and has almost ten years of management experience. Email Mike at mikmaria@charter.net.

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