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Sixteen up-and-coming
businesspeople have come to the biggest jungle of their lives
- New York City - to take on each other and the business savvy
of Donald Trump to win the job of a lifetime as an apprentice
with the Trump Organization.
Recaps by Gordon Pepper, GSNN |
FACT FILE:
Host: Donald J. Trump
Assistants: George Ross, Carolyn Kepcher
Creator: Mark Burnett
EP: Mark Burnett, Donald J. Trump
Packager: Mark Burnett Productions, Trump Productions
Airs: Thursdays at 9:00pm ET on FOX |
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Episode 1 - January 5
This is the show that I've been waiting for. I'm not
going to start the show, though - I'll let the Donald
handle it.
"New York - my city. Where the wheels of the global
economy never stop turning. A concrete metropolis of
unparalleled strength and purpose that drives the
business world. Manhattan is a tough place - this island
is the real jungle. If you're not careful, it can chew
you up and spit you out, but if you work hard, you can
make it big - I mean really big.
"My name is Donald Trump, and I am the largest real
estate developer in New York. I own buildings all over
the place - model agencies, the Miss Universe Pageant,
jet liners, golf courses, casinos, and private resorts
like Marle Island, one of the most spectacular estates
anywhere in the world.
"But it wasn't so easy. Fifteen years ago, I was
seriously in trouble. I was billions of dollars in debt,
but I fought back and I won - big league. I used my
brain, I used my negotiating skills, and I worked it all
back, Now my company is as big as it ever was, as strong
as it ever was, and I'm having as much fun than I've
ever had.
"I've mastered the art of the deal, and I turned the
name 'Trump' into the highest quality brand, and as the
master, I want to pass along my knowledge to somebody
else. I'm looking for - The Apprentice."
Hence it starts. Sixteen people from all walks of life
will be competing for the spot as The Donald's protégé.
Just like in Survivor, the 16 people are divided into 2
teams, and the teams have to complete a task. The
winning team stays intact, while the losing team will
send 3 people up to The Donald, who will 'fire' one of
them.
Before we get to the firing, we must see the 16 people
who are being hired.
Jessie (21) only has a high school diploma and
sells real estate. She looks like a thinner version of
Survivor's Jessie Camacho.
Kwame (29) has an MBA from Harvard and works for
a wall street firm. He's the lone African-American male
in the group.
Ereka learned her trade right in NYC from her
family's pizza place. She is a marketing manager from an
international cosmetic company.
Troy only has a high school diploma, but he is
the president of his own linen company. He is the
stereotypical cropped brown hair, blue eyed mid-western
accented guy - from Idaho.
Amelia is from Austin, who got caught in the dot
com bust. She works for a high tech agency and is hoping
not to be dot gone.
Bowie Hogg (there's a name for you) is also from
Texas (Dallas) and works for an express delivery
service. He's not a hog, but he is plump.
Kristi is from CA as she owns a restaurant and
other real estate property. She's a long haired blonde.
David is the only doctor. in the group, and
earned his MBA at NYU. He now works as a health care
medical venture capitalist.
Omarosa came from the projects and is a PhD
candidate. Her resume includes working at the White
House for the president. She's the lone African-American
woman in the group and I like her chances.
Self-described as the hardest working salesman in
California, Nick works at 100% commission. The
blonde Californian is impressive - but is he too full of
himself? "If I don't see, I don't eat."
Katrina is in the top 3 of all realtors - and
she's 23. She's blonde/brown haired, leggy, and sexy -
and it seems like she's aggressive. I like her chances
as well.
Sam is a business director of an internet company
that he founded. Those people are either very smart - or
very weird. We'll see where he fits.
Heidi is a senior account executive for a
telecommunication company in Philadelphia.
Bill started the "Cigar of the Month Club". He's
turned it into a multi-million dollar operation.
Hopefully, he won't be the butt of the Donald's ire.
Jason built up a real estate development firm and
gives it to lesser developed families. He's only 23
years old and is from the west coast.
Tammy is from Washington, and she is the top
stockbroker for a firm on Wall Street. She's the lone
Asian in the group - and when she comes in, she doesn't
talk.
Neither does anyone else. It seems like they care only
about impressing one person - Donald Trump. These are
all a bunch of high strung individuals with high strung
personalities. This ought to be fun.
The 16 people are brought into the Donald's office,
where Trump introduces everyone to his 2 cohorts. The
first one is George Ross, executive Vice President, The
other person is Carolyn Kepcher, Chief Operating
Officer. Those two people will be Donald's eyes and
ears, and will be helping Donald in determining who
stays and who goes. 'This isn't a game - it's a job
interview.'
Donald divides the teams into men and women. He also
tells someone to select a project manager. The manager
is accountable for both victory and defeat, and the
losing team will be called into the board room - which
is where he eliminates people. The winner will be the
president of one of his companies for a year with a nice
($250,000) salary.
The Donald dismisses everyone and sends them into their
suites, where caviar and other goodies await them. They
start mingling - until Tammy wonders why the women are
mingling with the 'enemy'. Nevertheless, the people
start talking. Sam, who is in love with Donald, can't
relate to David, who's been buried in the classroom
instead of in the business world.
Omarosa finds the first assignment, where she calls the
ladies over to read the note. The first task is to
create a team name. The women take a long time to
determine the names, and the bad names from both sides
get tossed around. The men decide on Versacorp, while
the women choose Protege. I think the women's name is
cooler. Nick hates Versacorp, and we are already sensing
rifts with the guys.
The teams are invited to go to the New York Stock
Exchange at 5:45 am the next morning. At the exchange,
Donald invites them all - and tells them their first
assignment. The teams are given $250 to create their own
lemonade stand. Whoever makes the most amount of money
will win the competition. Donald notes that the women
are more excited about this, Will he be prophetic?
The team captains are Troy for the guys and Ereka for
the women. With that, the Donald sends them off as the
competition begins. Troy says that the best spot is
location - and he sends Kwame to get the best site for
them. Kwame decides to use the seaport and the rest of
them will get supplies. The women are more concerned
about the product, as some of them want a table and the
other people are yelling at each other. Omarosa accuses
Ereka of being emotional and irrational as they continue
to squabble.
Kwame, meanwhile, gets a deal with Duane Reade as they
get the table, ice and cups for free in exchange for
people to show up at the store. ON the women's side,
Kristi and Amy split up to get the supplies while the
rest of the girls scoped out for location. Troy is being
the cheerleader - and it looks like they are selling
lemonade.
The women set up shop all the way uptown - 59th street.
After they all get profusely lost, the women start
selling as half of a group. They finally all meet at
53rd and 9th - and they have lost precious time behind
the guys. Tammy who 's feet hurt, decides to take a
lunch break - something that pisses off the women at no
end. Omarosa confides with Tammy and tells her that the
women feel like she is not carrying her weight and she
says that to not worry about it if she just works. What
does she do when they get back? She blows up in front of
the group. There's a good way to get sent to the board
room.
What's another way to be sent to the Board Room? To act
on their own and not listen to the rest of the group.
This is what David is doing - and the fact that Carolyn
is taking notes on what he's doing is not helping. What
isn't helping for the group is that Trump is angry that
they are trying to sell the lemonade at the Fulton Fish
Market. "It's a smelly fish market and no one is there."
The guys realize it and decide to switch to a new
location.
It's the guys turn to waste precious time while the
women will be capitalizing. They sell $5 a glass - and
the horny men are going for it. In the words of George,
'I'm spending $1 for the lemonade and $4 for the kiss.'
The women are using sex to sell - and it's working
beautifully.
The men are slowly moving uptown - and they are not
finding anyone here either. Sam is convinced that the
women are selling products better. Sam wants to get hot
women to sell the lemonade, which in theory works - but
it's something that should have been thought of hours
ago.
Sam is getting desperate - especially after Troy yells
at him and Carolyn is taking notes. He tries to get
someone to spend $1,000 on a cup of lemonade - and hopes
that Donald will be impressed by it. The person
approached, though, isn't too impressed and does not go
for the pitch. Sam feels like he is in trouble - and
he's probably right. They do move up to the village and
get some more sellers, but it seems like it's too
little, too late.
It will be too late for someone as the Donald gets
called into the office. He calls Carolyn to give a
report for the men, who doubled their money to $500.
George says that the women made...over $1,200. The women
win in a rout. The women as a reward get a tour of
Donald's apartment. The men will be seeing the Board
Room.
While the men are grumbling, the women get to see the
suite. Nice. Everything is bathed in gold and the women
meet his girlfriend Melania. The Donald comes in and
tells them that if they are really successful, they can
live in this. Donald gives them the tour and all of the
women enjoyed it.
The men are finding it less enjoyable, as they know that
they will be losing one of their own, Troy knows that he
is going to the Board Room - and he will be bringing 2
people with him. Sam decides to make notes - and say
both positive and negative things about people. He's
also getting bad energy from David - but can he get rid
of the doctor?
It's Board Room time. Kwame tries to defend his actions
and David is asked if things would have been different
if he was the leader. David says that sales isn't his
forte, and I think he dug his own grave right there.
Jason, meanwhile, doesn't help his cause when he
interrupts the Donald. Jason accuses Troy of not
listening - and Sam backs him up. Troy said that he was
trying to be positive. Carolyn thinks that Troy was
inconsistent. Everyone asks who was the worst leader -
and they all say Sam. He defends himself by saying that
the only person that he respects is Donald Trump. That
pisses all of the guys off, and even if Sam gets out of
this one, he will be the target of the guys ire every
single time.
Donald asks Troy as to who else is the most responsible
for the disaster. Troy replies Sam and David - and all
three of them are on the chopping block. While they are
outside waiting for the axe, Carolyn explains that Sam
didn't break the line - and Carolyn may have saved Sam's
bacon. Sam keeps bragging on how he will be the
president - and George likes him as a risk-taker.
Donald tells all of them his opinion. He tells Troy that
he did a lousy job as the leader - but he does have
potential. Donald tells Sam to be careful - but he could
be great - or he could be a total disaster. Donald keeps
the project named Sam - but tells David that he just
didn't step up and his saying that he couldn't have done
a better job damns him. There are 2 elevators - one goes
up and one goes down. David will be taking the elevator
that goes down to the street. "David, You're fired."
David leaves the building and we leave the episode.
My take? This is a cool show and Burnett has another
winner on his hands. If this show stays the course, then
this will be a good show. Next week, we'll see if any of
the people who are on the bubble can get themselves off
- or if they burst.
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