Celebrity Apprentice, Episode 10: A Good Day For Reality TV

Hydra goes to the gallery and is disappointed they have been assigned the back gallery. The owner tells them it’s been predetermined because of the artist chosen (oh, sure). When Empresario comes, Omarosa immediately recognizes the need to keep customers up front in their part of the gallery. Yes, that’s quite an advantage they’ve been given. This is Celebrity Apprentice for charity, let’s keep the playing field level!

Baldwin is seen at least three or four times attempting to listen in on Piers’ conversations. He pretends to be shocked at repeatedly being asked to step away. One time when he pretends to be going to the washroom, Piers threatens to hit him, because he can see through Baldwin’s attempts to spy and interrupt Hydra’s operations. Baldwin, in love with his wisdom, chortles. This is when he looks most like Barney Rubble, when he has impressed himself.

Piers notes that Baldwin is often at the center of the “unethical behavior” he claims to abhor. I ask, has the Vinny Pastore lesson been forgotten already? “Listening in” is a valid strategy, but when you’ve been caught, quit it or you’ll be swimming with the fishes! And why is it okay for Baldwin to spy, but not Vinny? That’s another example of Baldwin’s inconsistent outlook.

The start of the sale is imminent and both teams are still mounting their work and fiddling with the lighting. Trace says Omarosa claims to know art, but he’s not so sure she does. She doesn’t want to take time to display prices, because they have lists of the prices themselves. Uh-uh, they are told it doesn’t work like that! They quickly mount some price labels.

The sale begins and Omarosa does a great job diverting most of the initial potential customers into their gallery. To counteract that, Piers sends Lennox out to steer people to Hydra. It’s a good idea, but Lennox goes mute and is ineffective. Predictably, Empresario’s gallery is busy and Hydra’s room is empty. Piers is beginning to worry about his contacts showing up in time.

The next clips are interwoven sequences of Piers and Omarosa trying to close sales to (different) prospective buyers who are clearly on the fence. Eventually, Omarosa’s guy fades out because of the price, while Piers reels his lady in. Meanwhile, Baldwin reports to us that his contact people are showing up, but not buying.

To make matters worse for Baldwin, Lennox poaches one of his clients when Steven is too busy talking to someone else. Carol tries to make a sale to him, and Baldwin comes around the corner to find his contact and warn him off. However, he does it in such a quasi-serious and vague manner that Carol is able to close the deal!

Baldwin says it’s disheartening to see them stoop to that level. Grow up, man; it happens on Main Street every day. Piers says that for letting that happen, Baldwin’s “a complete dunderhead.”

Some of Piers’ heavyweights now show up and he closes several sales. One is a representative of Ioan Gruffudd, who plays Reed Richards in the Fantastic Four movies. Piers is pleased to tell us that all aspects of their strategy seem to be working.

Trump’s kids turn up to see how things are going. Piers shows them that many of their pieces are sold out. Meanwhile, Baldwin is giving restaurant advice instead of selling art.

In the next scene, the teams have been assembled in the Boardroom. Hydra tells The Donald they are confident of victory. However, Omarosa confesses they only sold four paintings, two by her and two by Trace.

That propels us right to the results. Ivanka reports that Hydra sold 14 of 20 pieces, for $164,000. Meanwhile, Empresario only sold three (not four) paintings out of 16, for only $7,000. Alt-F12! I mean, Hydra wins!

Omarosa comments that she doesn’t have the kind of contacts that can spend $15,000 on a painting. Don Junior raises the point that she had said it was all about price point this time, and wants to know what happened. Without a real defense, she simply says, “It’s disappointing, Don.”

Trump announces, “This is the biggest slaughter in the history of The Apprentice!”

Piers admits this was personal, and that he made a mistake in losing his cool before. He continues by saying that a genuine celebrity has the power to call on important friends, and Omarosa doesn’t belong. Ever the Teflon lady, Omarosa says that what Piers just said is questioning Trump’s judgment. Piers responds by calling on Trump to fire two members of Empresario. You know, I don’t think he’s targeting Trace.

Seriously, every time Omarosa attacks Piers, he gets in the better digs and the better points.

Omarosa admits to Trump that the men have done well. Trump says that Carol doesn’t look like a man to him, and Carol points out that she sold $37,000 worth of art herself, plus helped close a couple of Piers’ sales. Don Junior notes that this is four times the business of Empresario. It’s actually more than five times…

Discussions continue with an incredibly low energy level, because this was indeed a slaughter and no one of Empresario is defending too effectively. Trump asks Empresario who should be fired. Baldwin says Omarosa.

Ivanka queries Omarosa about her sales volume, and Omarosa attempts to put the blame on her sales team. Ivanka isn’t buying it and Omarosa concedes that they all must take the blame for the loss.