I didn't have high hopes for last night's season finale when the Donald started off with that boardroom fakeout again. By now we all know that there's really a big audience there. I guess the concept is kind of fun (I enjoyed the canned-sounding laughter), but next time they should probably stop pretending they're in the regular boardroom.
Trace was clearly overmatched last night. His strategy to focus on star power wasn't that smart considering few New Yorkers are country music fans. I loved the fact that Trace chartered two private jets to fly in his friends from Nashville, and they seemed lovely, but they were no match for Simon Cowell, Ozzie Osbourne and Fergie. (British celebs seem so much more fabulous than ours for some reason.) What's more, Trace's food allergy charity, though worthy, wasn't nearly as compelling as the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund. Piers' idea to give away 20 tickets to service people to tug on the bidders' heart strings was brilliant.
The criteria on which the task was judged were pretty lame. Catering and the auction versus band management and decoration? That's so subjective, but it did make for some great moments. Of course, Trip and Lennox's nail polish run was fabulous. And I loved when Piers told the waitstaff to get the party goers drunk and hold back on the food so they would bid recklessly. That was brilliant. I was getting annoyed that Trace was acting so clueless about the wheat grass juice. Go to a juice bar! The country routine started to get a bit tiring.
The auction itself was pretty exciting. The guy from Cantor Fitzgerald was amazing! I can't believe he paid $100,000 for tea with the Duchess of York and another $100,000 for the Ozzie Osbourne prize! I felt bad for Trace when a dinner with him garnered only $6,000, and from Ivanka! She looked fabulous at the event! Trace's wife better go along to chaperon. Of course, the best part of the auction was when Simon Cowell called in to bid on the shopping spree with Ivanka. I'd like to be a fly on the wall in that store. I don't understand why Trace thought Simon's call-in was so distasteful. Lighten up! He definitely seemed bitter during the event.
A note on the Backstreet Boys: Who do they think they are? I couldn't believe there was a possibility they would not go on stage if their demands weren't met. I think Piers had it right when he said they would never turn down a chance to perform in front of a huge TV audience, especially since they're completely lame. The synchronized dancing has to go.
Even though Trace did a good job with the band and bringing in some country stars, it was obvious he wasn't going to win even before the final boardroom showdown started. I'm all for being nice, but, as Piers mentioned, the point of the show is to raise as much money as possible for charity. Besides, Piers isn't all bad. Carol and Lennox always liked him, so he must have some appealing qualities.
In the end, it was obvious that Piers should win based solely on the large amount of money he raised during the auction. The comparison with the ticket sales was ridiculous, especially since Piers gave away 20 tickets. The Donald also seemed like he was grasping at straws when he criticized Piers for trying to get the party goers drunk. Of course, Stephen Baldwin acted so offended by that strategy. Please. He's a total hypocrite. I loved when the Donald said Stephen's career wasn't going so well until the Celebrity Apprentice. Ouch!
The real clincher for Piers was the touching moment with the injured soldiers. That kind of blew the whole "Piers is evil" theory out of the water. I felt kind of bad for Trace. He's a nice guy, but as Piers pointed out, this isn't a "good guy competition." Piers blew him out of the water consistently throughout the season. The Donald clearly made the right decision.
Some great moments: When Stephen and Piers "made up" in the van, when Lennox and Piers said they would be lifelong friends, Omarosa's insane comment about Piers' dental hygiene (and the Donald's dismissive reaction), that tense moment when Piers and Trace were bickering about the supposed slight against the country donors and the audience started hooting and clapping, Piers' boardroom sweats, and, of course, Gene Simmons' special appearance via satellite from Tokyo.
I guess the "Celebrity" spin helped revive the Apprentice franchise to some extent, though the Donald's insistence that the show would be around for a long time seemed a bit desperate. The good news is that the next season (slated for January 2009) is going to feature a new set of celebs.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Friday, March 21, 2008
Celebrity Apprentice - Episode Twelve
I'm glad the Donald ignored Jim Kramer's advice and fired Carol instead of Piers. Those two get along pretty well, which wouldn't make for much of a final showdown. The whole "good versus evil" match up between Piers and Trace is pretty compelling. I was less than impressed with the interview process. Only one hour for all four contestants? Plus, who is this Erin Burnett lady? I'm assuming she's Mark Burnett's wife, which is pretty lame. That said, she's better than Jim Kramer. That guy is completely obnoxious. I don't blame Trace for criticizing his aggressive style. So, yes, the Donald made the right call by keeping Piers in the game. It was also nice that Carol got to leave with her dignity, knowing that she was pretty much fired because she wasn't out to get Piers.
For that reason, Piers' decision to pick Stephen Baldwin to join his team was questionable. He knows that Stephen doesn't like him, and that he bombed out completely during the art show task. So why would he pick him first over Carol? I can see why he passed up the hyper Marilu, but Baldwin over Alt? Come on. So far, it seems as though that decision might be Piers' undoing, judging by Baldwin's lack of effort and enthusiasm. It almost seems like he's trying to sabotage his old nemesis.
Speaking of sabotage, I suspect the Back Street Boys are playing it up on orders from NBC. I just can't believe they would be that rude to Trace and have so many catering demands. I guess they don't realize they're totally washed up! I'd rather see N'Sync or even Nick Lache's old band. Regardless of how obnoxious they are, Trace better hold his temper or he could lose the task based solely on a bad review from the band.
At this point, both teams have their share of problems. For Trace, it's the Back Street Boys and Marilu's penchant for wasting time. (I loved it when Lennox said he knows how to handle her because his mom is the same way.) I was a bit confused about which tablecloth they wound up choosing, but if it's the black one I'm not sure how great that will look. I would have gone with the gold. What Trace does have going for him is his celebrity guests, although I didn't recognize two out of three names he mentioned, so I'm not sure how excited New Yorkers will be about them.
At any rate, the country stars are still better than anyone Baldwin has drummed up, which, at this point, seems to be exactly zero. He already tapped Alec and Billy for favors, so now all that's left is the out of control brother who did that rehab special on Dateline last year. I have to hand it to Piers for reeling in the Duchess of York. He is ridiculously connected! I would love to have tea with Fergie. Trace will be hard pressed to beat that at the auction!
This task seems rather arbitrary, so it will be interesting to see who's strategy will pay off: Piers' (raise the most money) or Trace's (bring in the bigger celebs and focus on decor). Since the whole point of the show is to raise money for charity, I have a feeling the Donald will be more impressed with the former. How smashing could the decor possibly be? I guess we'll find out next week!
For that reason, Piers' decision to pick Stephen Baldwin to join his team was questionable. He knows that Stephen doesn't like him, and that he bombed out completely during the art show task. So why would he pick him first over Carol? I can see why he passed up the hyper Marilu, but Baldwin over Alt? Come on. So far, it seems as though that decision might be Piers' undoing, judging by Baldwin's lack of effort and enthusiasm. It almost seems like he's trying to sabotage his old nemesis.
Speaking of sabotage, I suspect the Back Street Boys are playing it up on orders from NBC. I just can't believe they would be that rude to Trace and have so many catering demands. I guess they don't realize they're totally washed up! I'd rather see N'Sync or even Nick Lache's old band. Regardless of how obnoxious they are, Trace better hold his temper or he could lose the task based solely on a bad review from the band.
At this point, both teams have their share of problems. For Trace, it's the Back Street Boys and Marilu's penchant for wasting time. (I loved it when Lennox said he knows how to handle her because his mom is the same way.) I was a bit confused about which tablecloth they wound up choosing, but if it's the black one I'm not sure how great that will look. I would have gone with the gold. What Trace does have going for him is his celebrity guests, although I didn't recognize two out of three names he mentioned, so I'm not sure how excited New Yorkers will be about them.
At any rate, the country stars are still better than anyone Baldwin has drummed up, which, at this point, seems to be exactly zero. He already tapped Alec and Billy for favors, so now all that's left is the out of control brother who did that rehab special on Dateline last year. I have to hand it to Piers for reeling in the Duchess of York. He is ridiculously connected! I would love to have tea with Fergie. Trace will be hard pressed to beat that at the auction!
This task seems rather arbitrary, so it will be interesting to see who's strategy will pay off: Piers' (raise the most money) or Trace's (bring in the bigger celebs and focus on decor). Since the whole point of the show is to raise money for charity, I have a feeling the Donald will be more impressed with the former. How smashing could the decor possibly be? I guess we'll find out next week!
Friday, March 14, 2008
The Celebrity Apprentice: Episodes 10 and 11
Recap from last week's art challenge:
Omarosa got what she deserved last week. She should be embarrassed about her behavior. Her personal attacks against Piers only make her look petty and desperate. I can't imagine what she's going to do now that's she's gotten the ax. Who would hire her? On a side note, the purple and white go-go outfit she was wearing was absurd. She should really pick one style and stick with it rather than going back and forth between the teeny-bopper look (recall the brown cheerleader outfit) and the matronly businesswoman (e.g. the portrait collar suit jacket).
Speaking of ridiculous, the opening scene in Trump's apartment was over the top. He always mentions how it's the best apartment in New York City, but it looks like a cross between a set from the Rome mini-series and an old lady's house in Palm Beach. All that gold is too much! I feel bad for Barron. The poor kid is already being groomed for the house business, as he calls it. He seems pretty cute, but he sounds Transylvanian like Milania, which is a bit unsettling.
As for the task itself, Hydra clearly chose the right artist. The big new media pieces were definitely splashier than the arty-crafty David Kramer posters. Plus, as Carol picked up on right away, Hydra could sell multiple copies of the Shirley Shor pieces. The dealer's suggestion that Empresario should follow their hearts was flawed. They should have done more research, especially since none of them were art lovers.
In the end, it was all about math and, of course, sales. Empresario bombed out on that end as well. I was surprised that Stephen Baldwin was so bad. He seemed more interested in flirting with women in the gallery than selling anything. Omarosa made a big mistake earlier that day when she told Baldwin to stop calling his contacts so he could research the artists. It seemed like she was trying to sabotage him so her lack of connections wouldn't be so obvious. In a way, I feel bad that she's at a disadvantage because she's not rich, but she should leverage other people's connections whenever possible. At the gallery, she seemed nervous and desperate. Trace was the only decent person on the team. Even though he was out of his element, he used his charm to make sales.
Hydra, on the other hand, did everything right. They managed to draw people into their rooms, and even steal one of Baldwin's contacts, despite their location in the back of the gallery. Piers once again turned on his used car salesman charm. I'm always amazed by his connections. He must be quite the star in England. Carol was fabulous and so was Lennox. So it was no surprise that they wound up slaughtering Empresario.
I'm not quite sure why Omarosa started a rumor about Piers being gay. Was that some kind of strategy? Or did she just want to embarrass him one last time on television? Either way, it was a bad move. She wound up getting fired and Piers looked like the bigger person. I loved Trace's face when Piers came in and kissed him, calling him a "beautiful cowboy." That was fabulous. I also loved how Lennox's reference to "Brokeback boardroom." Brilliant!
Now for last night's decidedly unclassy Quinznos task:
I really thought Stephen and Trace had this one down, even though they were short one team member. The Cowboy Club was more creative and Trace and Stephen seemed confident and upbeat. Lennox and Piers, meanwhile, were busy making catty comments about Carol. What exactly did they do during the first part of the task? While she was busy designing the flyers and dealing with the printer, they were standing on the sidewalk complaining. If Hydra had lost, the boys definitely would have blamed her for cutting into their marketing time. I also think Lennox made a mistake by putting Carol behind the counter in an ugly hat. Piers seemed to be having problems getting people on the street to take flyers, but everyone knows Carol Alt. Piers should have been behind the counter.
It's hard to say exactly why Empresario lost. It might have had something to do with location or the fact that they had only two team members. Another possible problem, as Ivanka pointed out, was their complicated sandwich choice. These days, most people (in NYC at least) seem to be gravitating toward healthier sandwiches, so topping prime rib with bacon was a bit much. Keeping it simpler could have made a big difference.
At the end of the day, it was hard to place the blame on either Trace or Stephen. Ivanka was correct to base her suggestion to fire Stephen on his weak sales performance history during the past few weeks. As she pointed out, the purpose of the show is to raise money for charity, and Trace is clearly better than Baldwin when it comes to closing deals. Too bad he hasn't raised any money for his own cause, but at least he'll have the chance now. I'm glad Trace is staying, but I'll also miss Stevie B's antics.
Of course, the biggest shocker of the night was when the Donald called the final four back into the boardroom to eliminate two more people. That was insane. In the previews, it seems like the Donald is looking at either Carol or Piers (or both) when he says, "You're fired." But it's not totally clear. I'd be surprised if Piers didn't make it to the final two. I'm guessing it will be him against Trace. It'll be nice to see the whole gang back together again!
Omarosa got what she deserved last week. She should be embarrassed about her behavior. Her personal attacks against Piers only make her look petty and desperate. I can't imagine what she's going to do now that's she's gotten the ax. Who would hire her? On a side note, the purple and white go-go outfit she was wearing was absurd. She should really pick one style and stick with it rather than going back and forth between the teeny-bopper look (recall the brown cheerleader outfit) and the matronly businesswoman (e.g. the portrait collar suit jacket).
Speaking of ridiculous, the opening scene in Trump's apartment was over the top. He always mentions how it's the best apartment in New York City, but it looks like a cross between a set from the Rome mini-series and an old lady's house in Palm Beach. All that gold is too much! I feel bad for Barron. The poor kid is already being groomed for the house business, as he calls it. He seems pretty cute, but he sounds Transylvanian like Milania, which is a bit unsettling.
As for the task itself, Hydra clearly chose the right artist. The big new media pieces were definitely splashier than the arty-crafty David Kramer posters. Plus, as Carol picked up on right away, Hydra could sell multiple copies of the Shirley Shor pieces. The dealer's suggestion that Empresario should follow their hearts was flawed. They should have done more research, especially since none of them were art lovers.
In the end, it was all about math and, of course, sales. Empresario bombed out on that end as well. I was surprised that Stephen Baldwin was so bad. He seemed more interested in flirting with women in the gallery than selling anything. Omarosa made a big mistake earlier that day when she told Baldwin to stop calling his contacts so he could research the artists. It seemed like she was trying to sabotage him so her lack of connections wouldn't be so obvious. In a way, I feel bad that she's at a disadvantage because she's not rich, but she should leverage other people's connections whenever possible. At the gallery, she seemed nervous and desperate. Trace was the only decent person on the team. Even though he was out of his element, he used his charm to make sales.
Hydra, on the other hand, did everything right. They managed to draw people into their rooms, and even steal one of Baldwin's contacts, despite their location in the back of the gallery. Piers once again turned on his used car salesman charm. I'm always amazed by his connections. He must be quite the star in England. Carol was fabulous and so was Lennox. So it was no surprise that they wound up slaughtering Empresario.
I'm not quite sure why Omarosa started a rumor about Piers being gay. Was that some kind of strategy? Or did she just want to embarrass him one last time on television? Either way, it was a bad move. She wound up getting fired and Piers looked like the bigger person. I loved Trace's face when Piers came in and kissed him, calling him a "beautiful cowboy." That was fabulous. I also loved how Lennox's reference to "Brokeback boardroom." Brilliant!
Now for last night's decidedly unclassy Quinznos task:
I really thought Stephen and Trace had this one down, even though they were short one team member. The Cowboy Club was more creative and Trace and Stephen seemed confident and upbeat. Lennox and Piers, meanwhile, were busy making catty comments about Carol. What exactly did they do during the first part of the task? While she was busy designing the flyers and dealing with the printer, they were standing on the sidewalk complaining. If Hydra had lost, the boys definitely would have blamed her for cutting into their marketing time. I also think Lennox made a mistake by putting Carol behind the counter in an ugly hat. Piers seemed to be having problems getting people on the street to take flyers, but everyone knows Carol Alt. Piers should have been behind the counter.
It's hard to say exactly why Empresario lost. It might have had something to do with location or the fact that they had only two team members. Another possible problem, as Ivanka pointed out, was their complicated sandwich choice. These days, most people (in NYC at least) seem to be gravitating toward healthier sandwiches, so topping prime rib with bacon was a bit much. Keeping it simpler could have made a big difference.
At the end of the day, it was hard to place the blame on either Trace or Stephen. Ivanka was correct to base her suggestion to fire Stephen on his weak sales performance history during the past few weeks. As she pointed out, the purpose of the show is to raise money for charity, and Trace is clearly better than Baldwin when it comes to closing deals. Too bad he hasn't raised any money for his own cause, but at least he'll have the chance now. I'm glad Trace is staying, but I'll also miss Stevie B's antics.
Of course, the biggest shocker of the night was when the Donald called the final four back into the boardroom to eliminate two more people. That was insane. In the previews, it seems like the Donald is looking at either Carol or Piers (or both) when he says, "You're fired." But it's not totally clear. I'd be surprised if Piers didn't make it to the final two. I'm guessing it will be him against Trace. It'll be nice to see the whole gang back together again!
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