The Apprentice 5, Episode 14: Love and Loyalty

Previously, on The Apprentice, Roxanne and Allie hugged it out before the Boardroom, but then attacked each other once they got there. Of course, to be fair, what else are you supposed to do in the Boardroom? Regardless of that logic, Trump fires both of them. That means that we’ve got a final two- Sean and Lee. The two of them don’t know it yet, though. They’re in the suite, waiting and wondering. Sean decides to go ahead and have dinner without waiting for the women. Of course, Lee didn’t mind waiting, and seems to be eating some pie. Sean says he really doesn’t care which of them comes back at this point. Boy is he going to be in for a pleasant surprise!

As Sean is attacking his salad, the phone rings. It’s Robin, and he wants the two men to head to the Boardroom immediately. The two hastily put on suits.. Lee thinks that they’ll be asked who should be fired. Sean is in a panic- why do they need to go? Maybe it’s to say who should be fired, is their best guess. Trump says that usually the Boardroom isn’t the place to be, but tonight, he has good news for them- they are in the final two. He says that Allie and Roxanne were disloyal to each other, and he didn’t like it. Trump directs them to go back to the suite to choose three candidates each to form teams. The next morning, they’ll learn their tasks, which he says will be their hardest yet. Lee says, “I’m up for the competition,” as he leaves. Trump tells him to just get out of there, and calls after him, “Frickin’ politician, Lee!”

The two shake hands in the lobby, then hug as the elevator doors close. Sean says these will be the most important days in his life, and he feels ready. If everything goes according to plan, he’ll win. They return to the suite, and all of the former candidates are there, cheering for them. Sean says he felt elated and surprised. He was especially pleased, of course, to see his girl Tammy. Lenny gives Lee some love. Lee says in an interview that a lot of people doubted him because of his age, but he’s proven himself. He tells everyone how much he appreciates them. He’s determined to choose a good team. Sean toasts Lee and says he’s a worthy opponent. In an interview, he says he likes and respects Lee, but is ready to fight to win. I love that they brought out all of the other candidates- it’s cool to see everybody. Except Brent. And Andrea.

Sean says he’d like Tammy and Andrea on his team. He clarifies that he doesn’t want Tammy just because he lurves her, but because she’s smart. Tammy says he chose well. Sean says he’s determined to surround himself with the best people. Brent says that he will give 110. Tarek says he’s Sean’s biggest fan. Dan, who is looking hotter than I remember, says he’d be a kingmaker. Allie says she’d like to work with him. Sean says he wants to pick strong people who will get along well. Andrea says she really wants Sean to win. Tarek says he worked at McDonald’s, then at a sewage treatment plant. He has no problem at all with getting his hands dirty. Andrea says she likes Tarek and thinks that the two of them are the most intelligent people there. I love that she worked in a compliment for herself in there. Tarek says Sean’s never worked with him, so it’s a risk for him. Andrea says that her opinion will help him decide. Sean says he admires Tarek’s “cheeky charm” and invites him on board.

Allie compliments Lee’s tie in an impressively blatant bit of sucking up. Michael says that he should probably start interviewing. Not surprisingly, he wants to talk to Lenny first. He, of course, asks Lenny to join him, and Lenny is on board. Lenny says they need people who are willing to work for them. Lenny thinks Pepi would be good and is ready to work. Lenny says he loves Lee like a son. Brent skulks in the background. They ask Pepi to join them. Lenny says loyalty is paramount to him. Roxanne says she genuinely cares about him. Theresa says she has his back. Lenny, Lee says, is fine with him. Turns out she’s wrong - Lenny thinks Theresa would be hard to work with. What about Allie or Roxanne? Lenny thinks Allie is fake and weak. Roxanne is week. No Charmaine, no Leslie, no Dan. Lee says Lenny cares about him, and no one cares about Sean the way Lenny feels about him. Lenny talks to Theresa and Brent tries to interrupt. Lenny completely ignores him- it’s impressive. Brent tells Dan he’s made his pleas and is hoping for the best. Sean says that his team will be Andrea, Tammy, and Tarek. Lee says he wants to choose everyone, but of course that’s not possible. He picks Lenny, Pepi, and Roxanne. Lee thinks that the three of them want to see him win. Tammy and Sean can’t believe it- it’s a weak choice. Sean thinks he has the dream team and has no idea why Lee chose the people he did. “Pepi! Great, okay… I don’t know what that’s about. Pepi lost in the second week. I’m surprised that Lee even knows Pepi’s name,” Sean says. Hee! I’m with you, Sean. I actually had to look up whether he spelled his name Pepe, like the Muppet, or Pepi, like Homer Simpson’s charity kid.

The next morning, Sean gets the phone. Rhona congratulates him and says for the teams to meet at 9:00 in the Boardroom. Everyone pretties up and Sean sets the table for breakfast. Sean brings Tammy coffee and says he’s determined not to let his lurve get in the way. He hopes in the end to get the job and the girl. Tammy wonders where her earrings are. Sean says they’re in his bed, and she laughs at him. I think they’re cute together.

Trump says good morning to everyone. He congratulates Lee and Sean once more and reminds them of how far they’ve gone. He says that there were no losers. Lee says he chose his team because they’re friends. Lenny says he wants Lee to win with all his heart and intends to “bury them so deeply that no one will find them for the next 20 years.” Sean chose his team because they cover sales, marketing, and operations. That makes sense. He thinks they’re very talented. Each will manage two huge charity events. One will head up the Pontiac Barenaked Ladies concert at the Trump Taj Mahal to benefit the World Wildlife fund. The other will manage the Pontiac celebrity hockey game to benefit America’s Bravest for the Denis Leary Firefighters Foundation. Who will run the event better? Lee chooses the concert, leaving Trump, of course, to says that “Barenaked Ladies sounds good to me.” Sean says he’d like that event as well. How will they solve the problem? Lee offers to take the hockey match. Trump flings their dossiers at them. Who will do better?

The door closes, and Carolyn, fighting back laughter, asks, “Who was the guy on the far right?” meaning Pepi. Trump has to look it up. They have no idea who he was. Trump didn’t even recognize him. “Pepi, you’re fired. Did I say that?” He wonders if Lee knows what he’s doing. Interestingly, the audience poll thinks that Lee has the better team. I think people really hate Andrea. I sure don’t love her, but I think Sean’s choosing her makes sense. She is very smart and organized. Her main flaw is that she doesn’t have a whole lot of respect for most people- and of course, that’s a big flaw. But she does seem to respect Sean, especially after he defended her in the boardroom the week she was fired. I think she’ll work for him.

Sean’s team arrives in Atlantic City. Part of the project will be a VIP pre-party. Andrea has a list of things that need to be done, and it’s a long one. Sean says there are a lot of moving parts, so all they can do is plan. He says they spent hours working it out. They meet with Sean from World Wildlife Fund. Wildlife Sean says that they want to be seen as worthwhile and credible. He’d love it if it raised six figures. Tarek jokes that the man for the large gifs will be Trump. Sean then has a huge tour for everyone. He spends time working out where all of the VIPs will sit at the concert. Sean says that the logistics and operations are huge. So far, things seem to be going well.

Roxanne says that Lee is going to be the next Apprentice. They meet with Liz, the executive director of the charity. She says that they bridge the gap between what the government provides and what firefighters need. They’ve bought equipment and built facilities that tax dollars don’t cover. Roxanne asks if there’s anything she doesn’t want to do. Liz asks what they have in mind. She wants to hear big ideas. Lee suggests a date auction with the firefighters. She says it’s going to be more of a family event. He suggests a silent auction, and Liz is unimpressed. He clarifies that he’s imagining big ticket items, like yacht rides with celebrities. She doesn’t like it. Roxanne says that they thought they were doing well, but Liz was underwhelmed. Liz says they have generous sponsors and is expecting a class-A event. Lee looks despondent. He says that the meeting isn’t as important as the final event will be. He seems to be convincing himself that it’s okay. Liz asks them to come back with new ideas.

Lee and Roxanne drive to Chelsea Piers thinking about ideas. Roxanne is impressed to see Michael J. Fox, Jason Priestly, and Jaime Pressley. She shares my childhood crush on Mr. Alex P. Keaton. They meet the sponsors from Pontiac and take a tour. Lee realizes how much work he has ahead of him. Roxanne notes the many moving parts they have, just like Sean did. The biggest thing, she adds, is impressing Trump. Pepi asks the executives if they’d consider matching gifts. Lee would like to see two cars auctioned off. Lee says he’s aiming high. They agree. Mary from Pontiac says that Lee is anxious and excited, but says she didn’t hear a lot of ideas from him other than auctioning the two cars. She thought they’d ask about matching funds, but they never got there. She thinks they missed a big opportunity.

Sean’s team brainstorms what kind of companies might make donations. Tammy suggests nurseries and other green companies. Tarek had no idea before that Sean has a thing for Tammy. He likes her, but doesn’t want him to lose sight of the task at hand.

Sean and Tammy meet to discuss the menu for the pre-party. Meanwhile, Tarek and Andrea meet with a Pontiac executive. She asks for collateral to make sure Mark, the executive, is happy. Tarek understands that they should push the G6 hardtop convertible. Sean and Tammy choose a menu like they’re planning a wedding. He says he’d “be in there like swimwear” if he could. Andrea asks if they can raffle off both cars. He hesitates, but agrees. Tarek thinks that Mark probably thought one of them was in charge. He wonders if Sean missed it because of Tammy. He thinks that meeting with Pontiac was more important. I tend to agree. Tammy could have chosen appetizers by herself.

Lee and his team meet. Roxanne and Pepi have the programs ready. He doesn’t think he needs to micromanage. Obviously, he’s forgotten how Tana’s team screwed them up. Lee tells Carolyn he’s realizing how extensive things are. Carolyn says he’s taking a laid back approach and doesn’t demonstrate leadership abilities. He seems to think that things will work themselves out.

Liz calls and seems irritated. She wants to know what the overall fundraising strategy is. Lee says she expects a lot. He says there will be a silent auction. He says, “You know what we’re going to do?” She sighs that he doesn’t seem to. Carolyn raises an eyebrow. He says that Liz is pushing him, and that the Leary foundation isn’t his only concern. He says that there isn’t time to do all of the raffles and auctions. She says that he shouldn’t make excuses to the woman who’s handled the event for five years. Dude, Trump should hire Liz. She wants a walkthrough that night. Lee looks freaked out. Roxanne says they’re not prepared for her at all. If he doesn’t deliver, Liz could pull out. Lee says it’s impossible to run a thousand different events.

Andrea finds Tammy and whispers that she has to go to the doctor- she’s been coughing up blood. Oh, that old excuse. She hopes to be back in an hour. Before she goes, she tearfully runs through what needs to be done. Tammy asks if she can run to the grocery store while she’s out. Sensitive! Sean arrives, and Andrea is really scared because her nose is bleeding, too. He gives her a hug and says not to worry. Sean understates, “coughing up blood is not good.” He gives her another hug and says not to fret about coming back if she can’t. Sean says in an interview that it sounds really serious. Andrea leaves, crying. Poor thing, she must be so afraid. Tarek says she’s a huge part of the team, and losing her is a big problem. Tarek asks about banners that were supposed to be delivered to Xanadu. Tammy isn’t sure what was going on. Tarek says it’ll be hard working without her.

Next week, we’re finally at the season finale. Who will it be? I’ve made my prediction. We’ll find out soon, and I’ll see you lovely people then..

Betsy Wasser is the Associate Editor of Reality News Online. She can be reached with any comments at betsywasser@Gmail.com.

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