The Apprentice 3, Episode 15: With Friends Like These

Kendra and Craig are in the suite waiting to see if Tana or Alex will survive the boardroom, like candidates always do. The one thing they’re not doing, though, is speculating with each other as to who it will be, since that would involve talking to each other, something the two of them are not about to do. Craig says in an interview that this is the toughest boardroom yet to predict. He thinks he and Tana are the best candidates, but Alex is a smart guy. Kendra tells Craig (hey, they’re speaking!) that she thinks Alex will be mad that he lost again. Just then, Tana bursts in the door with a “Honey, I’m home!” Craig gives her a big hug. In an interview, Tana says that at this point, it’s destiny. She and Craig say a prayer together. Kendra notices and says that their closeness makes her nervous. She feels like it’s two against one, but notes that tomorrow, there are no teams.

The next morning, the candidates meet at the penthouse of Trump World Tower. It’s gorgeous, with hardwood floors and an incredible view of the city. Trump congratulates the three of them on getting as far as they have. For their next task, they’ll interview with four top executives. They are David Brandon, the Chairman and CEO of Domino’s Pizza, Darlene Daggett, the President of QVC, Howard Lorber, the Chairman of Douglas Ellman Real Estate, and Greg Brenneman, the Chairman and CEO of Burger King. After the interviews, Trump will talk to the execs, find out who the two strongest candidates will be, and then Craig will be fired. Well, I’m just assuming that last part.

Tana is excited as she heads to Darlene’s office. In an interview, she says that at this point, it’s all about who you are and what you’ve done. She knows she has to sell herself. Darlene begins with what will probably be a frequently asked question about Tana: How would a small-town girl from Iowa fit into the Trump Organization? Tana picks the hayseeds out of her teeth and says that wherever she is, she will fit in and will make the best of her situation. She talks about her mom, and how she influenced her to be an entrepreneur.

David asks Craig about the most challenging business problem he’s experienced. Craig says it’s hard hiring the right people. David asks him for specifics, and Craig stammers about delegating, but doesn’t really seem to get anywhere. That doesn’t look good.

Howard asks Kendra what her ideal job would be. Kendra says she’d love to sell real estate or work on the construction of one of Trump’s buildings. Although she sounds great, we see a shot of her wringing her hands. Howard reminds her that she has no experience in construction. Kendra says that you have to start somewhere, and Trump can either hire her or face her as competition in the future. This answer makes Howard grin.

Greg points out that Craig has had an array of different jobs – what does this say about Craig? Craig stammers once again. Darlene asks Kendra when it’s okay to bend the rules, and Kendra talks about loopholes in real estate law that she uses on a regular basis. Howard discovers that Craig would like Trump to build low-cost housing. But then where would you put the gold sinks? Kendra says she’d choose Tana as a business partner. Tana would choose Craig, and Craig would pick Tana. Kendra calls Craig’s leadership approach “narrow minded.” Craig thinks Kendra is unfocused. Meanwhile, Tana says that she has never had a negative confrontation with anyone on her team. Craig tells his interview that although he values education, he chose a different path. Tana says that she opted to have children instead of going to college. Finally, we see a montage of interviews and worried looking candidates.

With that, it’s boardroom time. Trump thanks the executives for their time. David tells him that while all three of the candidates were good, he found Craig “hard to pin down.” He gave vague answers and had little substance. Kendra, he felt, was a little too assertive. He’d hire Tana, who he found solid and capable. Darlene says she would hire Tana. She admires her entrepreneurial spirit and notes that she is very much aware of the struggles of balancing marriage, a family, and a professional life. Craig was interesting, but Darlene agrees that he lacked substance. However, Darlene had the most questions about Kendra. She found Kendra’s answers to be a little too scripted.

Howard, on the other hand, is a big Kendra fan. He admits that she’s young, but figures Trump could mold her into whatever he wants. He wasn’t impressed with Craig, in particular because he’d want to change the Trump Organization. As for Tana, he thinks she’s nice, but would have trouble adjusting to the big city life. Greg says that he wants to like Craig, but that he too found him lacking in substance. He did like Kendra a lot and thinks she is smart and talented despite her age. Tana, he thinks, is a balance between Kendra and Craig, but he wonders if she could be a leader.

Well, that seems pretty cut and dried, doesn’t it? With no discussion with George and Carolyn, Trump sends Kendra, Craig, and Tana back to the boardroom. He asks Craig what he thought of the executives. Craig says they impressed him and that he had a lot of respect for what they had to say. Trump doesn’t beat around the bush and tells him that they didn’t think Craig was deep enough, that he lacked substance. To the surprise of no one, Craig is fired.

In his final cab ride, Craig thanks Trump for the opportunity. He says his wife and children will find him to be new and improved.

Back inside, Trump congratulates Kendra and Tana. They’ll face their final task the next day. The two women look absolutely thrilled. They return to the suite, exclaim over how exciting it is, and hug. They find a bottle of champagne waiting for them, along with a photo album. In the grand tradition of Survivor’s Fallen Heroes, the two flip through the album and remember the other candidates.

Todd was handsome. Brian had a worthless green book that he carried with him. They admire Verna and her suitcase, then Kendra notes that Danny was a disaster as a leader, but fun. Kristen is a pretty girl, but never smiled. Michael had “big ideas.” Tara was cute in her spray painting outfit, and Audrey was beautiful. They pause at a picture of my ex-boyfriend John and call him a rock star in his cowboy shirt. They laugh at Erin “workin’ it” at Home Depot and admire a really good picture of Stephenie. They both miss Angie. Chris, they agree, was cute. The two women also coo over a picture of Bren, then talk about how handsome Alex was, and a great friend as well. Finally, they talk about what a great smile Craig has in his picture. Kendra says, “I hate that we fought.” Kendra says that all of the other candidates made an impression on her. Tana clinks glasses with Kendra and asks, “Which one of us beautiful broads gets the job?”