The Apprentice: Martha Stewart, Episode 2: MVPs and LVPs, Corner Office and Mailroom Assignments

The first thing I had to ask myself during this episode was, "Where is the creativity with the Matchstick Team?" The task was that the two teams had to open flower shops and sell flowers. Pretty easy. Granted time is an issue but as much as I hate to say it, it isn't that hard to throw some flowers in a vase or stick 'em in some foam.

Now before I get floral designers in an uproar, I am not saying everyone can do a beautiful job with it, but these people are supposed to be professionals in a creative field. I hate to brag about it, but even I have been known to partake in the world of fine flowers! I agreed with Matchstick for pursuing high volume sales, but sheeze, they should have picked up some baby's breath and greens, then high-tailed it to the dollar store to pick up some vases. It ain't rocket science either!

The Primarius Team's decision to outsource to a celebrity floral designer made me question their logic only because they had one day to sell, with no time for advertising or marketing. It would have made more sense to me if they had borrowed some off-shift designers from the flower department of the local grocery store, then sold their creations for lower cost. That they won by a huge margin tells you readers just how much I really know.

Matchstick Team, Mailroom:

Whose absolutely revolting idea was it for the three gals – Dawn, Marcela, and Bethenny – to walk up and down dark streets, hitting on men who were parked nearby to buy flowers come morning? If I knew the answer to that question, I might nominate that person for the mailroom. Even worse, why did the ladies agree to it? If Dawn felt like she was "hustling like a whore," she should have found better uses for her time.

Give me a break, Martha thought the Dutch girl outfits were offensive, but found no problem with the street-walking marketing approach? (In Shawn's defense, I'm hoping she envisioned "old fashioned" Dutch girl outfits, rather than strippable version that the team actually seemed to like.)

I have to admit, Jim, once again, is screaming out to paper cut his tongue, on lightly glued envelopes. Not only is he hoarse from screaming, he has a solid group of his teammates chanting his name. His message of warning is concise and clear: "Do not come after me in the conference room! "

Sarah calls Jim unpredictable and unstable, and I bet you anything she is doing cartwheels because she's not on his team. She says he's about ruthlessness and cares for no one. "He's here to slit the throats of everyone else." His not so veiled threat to Dawn, "If I had told the truth, maybe someone else would have gone home, instead of Jeff," may not have bothered her, but be sure the others are more than relieved that she is the one he has set in his scopes. Shawn had it right when she said, "If you cross him in any way, he'll come after you with full vengeance." Marcela has also added her two cents. She knows what Jim is all about and what he's capable of doing. She also knows how Jim feels about "gratuitous cruelty... he likes it."

Dawn, too, continues to play a huge part in her own demise by engaging Jim in arguments. Why fight about brass cleaner? Hey Dawn, you got your banana last week, give the guy his Brasso! I'd really love to stick them both in the mailroom and let 'em duke it out. Why does she insist on continuing to push his buttons?

Yes, Jim is loud, over the top, and obnoxious, but what's worse is that's what he wants to portray, and he's proud of it. I can see why the others feel the need to sit back and thank the Lord it's not them that he's after, but there is power in numbers that they choose not to use. Bethenny seems to be the only teammate closely aligning herself with him, and even she doesn't seem to like him. (Did anyone notice during the conference room segment with Martha, Jim chuckled in his throat, and did face twitching just like Chevy Chase in the movie Vacation?)

After Matchstick found they had lost the challenge, Jim sat the group down to convince them to go against Dawn. He made what I thought to be a telling statement that should have made the others sit up and take notice. He said, "The strong people I need to beat have to go!" Why are his teammates not hearing him?