The Apprentice: Los Angeles, Episode 3 Extras – Hollywood or Bussed

Other than the webisode, the extras are somewhat lacking – no Boardroom means no Boardroom extras, unless you count the scene of Michelle throwing herself under the bus (pun intended). We do see a few replayed scenes in addition to the aforementioned Nicole/Michelle argument. We see Michelle waffling with Tim about what to include in their tour, Tim making his passengers more than a little uncomfortable with the introduction of the term “speedball” into their vernacular, James the Ritalin poster child screeching at his passengers, and finally the folks at Kinetic enjoying the luxuries of the spa. I don’t know why that scene needed replaying other than Derek’s very funny Shamu impression.

There is a deleted scene that highlights how dull Aaron is as a tour guide (though after seeing manic James, I think I’d take Aaron!) and an uncut version of the scene in which Stefani takes over for their team. What a great job she does – very poised. I’m sure her poise the reason my husband is so interested in her. Yeah, that’s right.

The best deleted scene is one I can’t believe they didn’t include on the show – it’s of Team Michelle’s bus making its one and only scheduled stop. Tim interviews that the stop features the Kodak Theatre, (where the Academy Awards are held), which is across the street from the famed Chinese Theatre. He also notes you can see the Hollywood sign from there. He remarks, “if they see nothing else of value, they’ll see this.”

One might think that the eagerness with which the passengers disembark is attributed to the landmarks which they are about to see – but alas, no, they’re just happy to be away from the tour from hell. Lest you think I’m joking, we are treated to Michelle’s voiceover saying, “You can’t give up until the end – ever” (paging the Irony Fairy!) while we watch the mass exodus. Tim confirms that most of the passengers bailed, saying they lost about one-third of the group, and he thinks those who stayed only did so out of sympathy. Ha!

Finally, we come to Michelle’s exit interview. It is interspersed with bits from the Boardroom scene and the disastrous bus tour, but mainly it is Michelle defending her decision to walk away. She says at the beginning she thinks she could have been the Apprentice based on her sheer straightforwardness, integrity, and intelligence, but as she went through the process, she realized she would be jeopardizing that integrity.

She cites some of the reasons she believes her team lost the task – microphone problems, a double-decker bus with only one person giving information – and says it was devastating. She goes on to say that all the factors she faced led her to her decision, and that she doesn’t regret it at all. Conversely, she feels it was empowering, she feels liberated by her decision, knowing it was her choice to make. Is it quitting? It’s a matter of semantics, so she says.

And with that, we come to the end of the recaps for week 3. I hope you didn’t feel trapped like the passengers on Michelle’s bus, but rather were enraptured, like the tourists listening to Stefani’s narrative. This is my first submission for RealityNewsOnline, and with any luck, it won’t be my last. I’d sure hate to hear “You’re FIRED!”

See you next week!

If you haven’t already, be sure to check out these other recent Apprentice articles:

Kathy Lonergan is a teacher of high school students with emotional and behavioral disabilities, which might account for her affinity for the dysfunction of reality television contestants. Feel free to e-mail her with comments and questions at kathy.lonergan@yahoo.com.

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