The Apprentice 4, Episode 12: Sweet Charity

Randal and Rebecca wait in the suite, but they’re not especially worried about who will come back – they’re sure it will be Alla. They think Felisha knew she’d be fired. They’re wrong, of course, as we see Trump firing both women. Trump then walks over to the suite and gives them the good news. Randal is clearly surprised to see Trump. Trump asks, “Expecting someone else?” Rebecca admits she thought it would be Alla. Trump tells them they’re the final two. “That’s crazy!” exclaims Randal. Rebecca says in an interview that she was in shock. Randal says in an interview that he didn’t expect to land in the final two quite this way, but he’s happy it happened. Trump congratulates them and says they’re both outstanding.

That night, Trump tells them, they’ll go out to dinner with George and Carolyn. I would love to have dinner with George and Carolyn. Trump suggests that they ask lots of questions and try to get in his head. “Tomorrow will be hell,” are Trump’s parting words as he leaves the suite. Rebecca and Randal shake hands and congratulate each other.

At the restaurant, Carolyn teases George about eating sushi. Randal is happy to have such a rare opportunity as to spend time with the two of them. He asks if they have any advice. George says that they must get people to help them, and in fact, they’ll be choosing their teams that very night. Rebecca admits that she already has her team in mind. Randal learns that they each get three people, and says off the top of his head that he’d like Josh, James, and Mark. That’s interesting – Rebecca wants Josh, James, and Chris. “You have a problem,” says Carolyn. Rebecca offers to trade Josh for James, and Randal agrees, but says he wants Chris. Rebecca says she has always wanted Chris and offers to trade him for Josh. They decide to flip a coin, and Rebecca wins. Rebecca thinks she might like Toral on her team. “That’s deep,” answers Randal, then adds that if Rebecca wants Toral, he won’t stand in her way. In an interview, Randal says that he thinks Rebecca is nuts – Toral has never impressed him. Carolyn wonders how Toral feels about the fact that Rebecca said she should be fired. In the end, Rebecca’s team will consist of James, Chris, and Toral. Randal will work with Josh, Mark, and Marshawn. Those are two great teams. Other than Toral, they’ve all impressed me.

The next morning, Rebecca answers the phone and learns that they need to meet in the boardroom at 8:30. A really hot shirtless Randal does some ironing and says that he’s used to working with Rebecca, so it’ll be different to see her as a competitor. Rebecca says that she may be 10 years behind Randal, but she thinks she has great experience and a real shot at winning.

In the boardroom, Trump tells them that this is going to be a tough contest. Randal says that he feels good. He has a 3-0 record as project manager, the respect of all of the candidates, and has drawn strength from the loss of his grandmother. Rebecca says that her broken ankle was not a problem. “I’m still here, Mr. Trump,” she says, and she’s glad to be. Trump says that the next task will be very tough and will challenge them to take things to the next level. Rebecca will manage the Yahoo All-Star Comedy Benefit with host Joe Piscopo to benefit Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. Randal will be in charge of the Outback Steakhouse VIP Softball Challenge to benefit Autism Speaks. They’ll be judged on the overall success of their events. Trump brings in the two teams, and I have to say, I like that the teams are made up of strong, smart people who want their leaders to do well. Toral immediately says that she is a big Rebecca fan and wants her to win, so there are definitely no hard feelings about that boardroom.

Randal says he’s really happy to see his team. He loved working with them and missed them when they were fired. He really feels supported. Rebecca tells her team she’s happy to be working with them. She thinks that all three are loyal, smart, and were underestimated. She asks Toral to handle the accounting, adding in an interview that she is a diamond in the rough. She is convinced that success must be a team effort.

Randal calls his team from his limo. Mark says in an interview that he thinks Randal is great, so his goal now is to get “Superman” hired. Marshawn will be handling the VIPs, Mark is in charge of set-up and logistics, and my boyfriend Josh will work on charity relations and fundraising. In an interview, Josh says that if Trump isn’t going to hire him, he really wants him to hire Randal, and he’ll do whatever he can to make it happen.

Rebecca’s team meets outside the nightclub. James thinks they should hire a valet service. They look at the club, and it’s really cool. They sit down to go over plans. In an interview, James says that as much as he loves and respects Randal, he’s now determined to beat him. Chris thinks the venue will be perfect for the event. Rebecca admits in an interview that she has never planned an event before, but she intends to take it on with “the same can-do attitude” that she’s used on every other task.

Randal and his team are at the stadium. Randal says that they need to figure out the layout for the events, which include a tailgate, the game, and a VIP reception. There will be celebrity players, plus 400-500 spectators. Everyone comments on what great weather it is for baseball (it must be killing James not to have this task), and the God of Irony stirs in his sleep.

Rebecca and James meet with the Yahoo executives. They learn that it is very important to make the VIPs feel important. One of the executives says that they have never done a charity event before. Should they solicit donations that night? No one gives a clear answer to the question.

Rebecca says that she wants their event to be unique, so she hired Infinite Marketing to advise them. Her initial idea is to frame the stage so it looks like a computer monitor, to tie in with Yahoo. The plan is, alas, an expensive one. Rebecca says in an interview that some of their ideas might end up not working, but they have to keep trying. Chris says in an interview that they are focusing on ambience and décor, then says he can’t believe he said the word “décor.” Dude, it’s not like if you say “décor” you’ll accidentally make out with a guy. Relax. I guess he does relax, because the next thing you know, he’s looking for the perfect purple fabric for the furniture. James says in an interview that Chris is more creative than he thought, but that’s funny to see this former football player choosing fabrics. Chris gives Rebecca an idea for centerpieces, and she loves it.

Randal and his team meet with the CEO of Autism Speaks, Allison. Allison shares with them that one out of 166 children are now diagnosed with autism, a fact that has Josh visibly shaken. Allison sees his reaction and says that they’re most successful when they lead with facts like that. In an interview, Josh says that his wife is pregnant with their first child (congratulations, Josh!), and the idea that the child might have a challenge like autism is sobering. He says that he is now even more determined to help Randal pull of a great event. Allison says in an interview that Josh seems more like the leader of the group. He suggests that they get some megaphones, to emphasize the “speaks” part of Autism Speaks. Randal and Rebecca know of a Radio Shack where you can get nine of them. Randal likes the idea and wonders aloud if they can fit into the budget. This doesn’t please Allison, who thinks Randal is too focused on the operational details and isn’t focused enough on the message.

Meanwhile, Chris and James are really excited because they’re going to dinner with Joe Piscopo. They tell him about the goals of the event, and Joe says it’s for a great cause, so he’s happy to do it. He thinks the two guys are on the right track. They walk back home feeling good. James thinks they formed a good relationship with Joe, which will inspire him to give his all. They join Rebecca and Toral. Rebecca says in an interview that her team is a lot more awake at the moment than she is. She thanks Chris and James for going to the dinner - she figured they could handle it, and she’ll meet with Joe later. In an interview, Chris says he has a lot of respect for Rebecca. She’s done everything Trump asked of her, all on one leg. He loves Randal, but he’s going to work hard for Rebecca. That’s both Chris and James now saying they love Randal, so you can really tell what a well-liked guy Randal is.

On Randal’s team, Mark makes an appointment to meet with their color commentator. Before he goes, Randal wants Mark to go with the rest of the team to Party City. Mark reschedules his appointment, but wonders why all four of them need to go to the party store. Yeah, I’d like to know that, too.

Rebecca’s team orders more chairs and sets up the club. They’re all working really hard.

Randal, Mark, Marshawn, and Josh are all at Party City browsing for what they need. Josh is excited to find plastic megaphones. Mark realizes that he’s running late, and calls the commentator to apologize – he won’t be able to make it. In an interview, Mark says this is the first bad decision he’s seen Randal make.

Rebecca meets with the Elizabeth Glaser people, including Elizabeth’s son Jake. Jake agrees to speak at the event.

Randal and Josh take the limo to the stadium and get excited about the built-in desks. Randal reviews the layout, including the placement of the tents, with the Outback executives. They figure since it’s not going to rain, they don’t need to have all of the chairs set up under tents. The God of Irony starts to giggle.

The Yahoo executives come to the club to meet Rebecca. She reviews the set-up with them, down to the purple and white confetti on the bar. Wenda, one of the executives, questions where that confetti needs to be placed. Wow, that’s some impressive micromanaging. They ask her about food, and Rebecca reassures them that although they’re using a lot of purple in the décor (it’s Yahoo’s color), there will be no purple cake.

As for fundraising, Rebecca says one of the ideas they had was to auction off the opportunity to sit in a special seat for the show. Wenda says that she doesn’t want to press their VIP clients to donate on the spot. Toral asks the question I have which is if they should directly ask for donations that night or not. The answer is no- the executives just want to include contribution envelopes in the gift bags. Wow, that’s way too soft of a sell, as far as I’m concerned, but I’m not sure what Rebecca can really do about it. She says she’ll do as they ask.

Over at Excel, Mark is very hard at work setting up the field. Marshawn observes from their box that Mark’s middle name is “I’ll Make It Happen.” Mark might be working hard, but he wonders what the other three are doing inside. The Outback people wonder too. In particular, executive Ben wants to see Randal working. They won’t have time to set up in the morning, Ben says. Mark doesn’t answer questions about what the team’s doing, but assures Ben that he’ll take care of everything. A moment later, Ben is in the box talking to Randal. He says again that everything has to be set up that night, and Randal agrees. Ben tells him that there better not be any glitches, as Randal is there to represent his brand. For a brand with the tagline “No rules, just right,” Ben’s quite the taskmaster!

Rebecca’s team gets some bad news – Joe Piscopo calls and says that due to union issues, he won’t be able to perform. He tells James he hopes they can work something out with the union. In case they can’t, James asks Joe if he can recommend someone else to do the job. Joe cannot. Chris is very upset, saying that this is a possible failure of the task. Rebecca looks a bit worried as well.

Randal and his crew set up tables and such in the dark. Randal says he’s determined to prove “I can be urgent.” He says that they’re running all kinds of scenarios so they’ll be prepared for the unexpected. Good thing he is, because the God of Irony is totally awake and is calling for rain the day of Randal’s event.

Next week, we’ll see the conclusion of the final task. Can Randal deal with the rain, and what is Rebecca going to do without an MC? Then, the “toughest final two yet” will meet for a live finale, and one will be hired. I still think Randal will pull it out to win at the end, but we’ll soon find out. See you then!

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