Who will be fired tonight from Celebrity Apprentice? Discuss the show here, and later, read Montavilla’s recap.
UPDATE: Dee Snyder was fired. He was the project manager of the losing team. He brought back Stephen Baldwin and Gary Busey, but Trump felt the project manager was solely responsible for the team’s failures. Omarosa led the winning team. The project entailed putting together a marketing exhibit for Universal Studios Theme Park. Full recap later!
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The Wolf in Charge of the Hen House
The extremely sluggish credits roll and then we get a recap of last week. Bret Michaels went home, which inspires scream of surprise when Brande and La Toya return to the suite. Brande figures she survived by fighting hard to stay. Omarosa is happy to have toppled a former winner. Yeah, that was really Brande’s victory, wouldn’t you say?
The celebrities get a surprise visit from Donald Trump, who tells them that they are heading south to Universal Orland Resort by private plane for the next task. Trump has the teams choose project managers without telling them task. Dee volunteers immediately, hoping to raise money for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. He stresses that AIDS is incurable. Omarosa is raising funds for the Sue Duncan Children’s Center. Her late fiancé was Michael Clarke Duncan, who credited the center with helping him as a child.
We watch the celebrities board the plane, with many beauty shots of the interior and huge TRUMP painted on the exterior. On board, the teams view a video with Trump explaining the task: to create an interactive display as part of the resort’s marketing campaign. They will be judged on creativity, adherence to the resort’s marketing themes, and guest experience. This segment is, of course, followed by a real commercial tie-in for Universal Orlando.
Meanwhile, Trace Adkins delivers his check to the American Red Cross. It’s not particularly exciting, but that’s the way Trace Adkins likes it.
Project Manager Omarosa has her eyes on the big vision. She wants her Team Power members to contribute equally to the task. Her underlings (or “Minions”) have their eyes firmly fixed on the small vision: If they lose, someone will have to go into the Board Room with Omarosa and that thought has them scared silly.
Meeting with the Universal executives, Omarosa makes Dennis ask a question. A task for which he is ill prepared. But he starts talking and finally manages to latch onto a thought: How should they incorporate celebrity into the display? The executives mention that they don’t use celebrities in their marketing because the park and its attractions are the stars.
In the meeting with Plan B, the executives stress that the marketing theme is about creating memorable experiences.
Omarosa looks the empty white stage provided by the park and decides to create three different spaces within it. LIttle Jon adds to that the idea of doors that lead from one space to the other. Omarosa keeps Dennis with her, and sends the rest of the team out to take photos and buy props. However, she only gives them two definite themes: Harry Potter and Despicable Me. Her team runs through the entire park, taking pictures like crazy. They are terrified of getting labeled “weak” by Omarosa.
On Plan B, Dee’s first idea is to create a celebrity experience using cut-outs that people can take pictures with. Penn finds that a bit ordinary and suggests using a “floating head” illusion with mirrors, so people can take a unique picture. Dee likes it, but after spending a lot of time brainstorming, the team is still unable to tie the idea into the marketing theme. It’s a pity because it turns out the carpenters have already worked with Penn and Teller and knows how to create Penn’s illusion. Stephen, a modern-day Iago, whispers to the cameras that Dee is wasting time.
It turns out there’s not much to the task itself. Team Plan Be strolls around the park, looking for inspiration. We get a time-filling sequence with Gary acting nutty with a camera, footage of Penn wearing a tall wizard hat, and Marilu and Lisa grousing about how boring Dee’s idea is.
Meanwhile, on Team Power, we get a few minutes of Omarosa describing her vision to her carpenters. As it turns out, Omarosa’s vision is too ambitious and parts of her design have to be jettisoned. Brande narrates that Omarosa is “wigging out,” but all we see is her asking for options and staring tensely.
Once the displays are finished, the celebrities interact with park-goers. Team Power guides people through the display, handing them wands, Hogswart scarves, Spiderman webs, and tiny Despicable “Minions” for the photos. Plan B has cut-outs of the celebrities wearing costumes from the various attractions, plus real celebrities wearing costumes form the attractions. Penn remarks on how surreal it is to have real people and identical cardboard people in the same space.
Don, Jr. and Eric Trump show up to inspect, but have nothing to say. Neither do the park executives, who seem to enjoy both displays equally. Since the editing isn’t tipping its hat to either team, I decide to guess the winner during commercials. It’s really a toss-up, but I’d give it to Plan B’s display. It’s better-looking and their crowd was having a great time. But it’s not very creative. No, scratch that. It’s not at all creative.
As we begin the Board Room, there is a lot of time-filling. Trump asks Dennis Rodman if he liked the private plane. Dennis is polite, but seems unimpressed. Little Jon, being a bit smarter, kisses Trump’s ass about how amazing the plane is. They all agree that having a private plane will help you attract women. Good to know.
When Trump attempts to stir up shit with Dee’s team, there are severe flashbacks to
Season 5. Dee and Penn refuse to throw each other under the bus. Penn stresses that he pulled back once Dee decided on an idea — since his pushiness got him fired last year. Dee admits that Penn had a great idea, and refuses to blame him for not pushing harder.
Things are little more contentious on Omarosa’s Team Power. Omarosa admits that Dennis wasn’t the hardest worker. But she won’t name a second player to bring back if she lost. She says Little Jon was her strongest player, leading to a typically Trumpian rant. Trump says Little Jon has made a lot of money since appearing on the show and demands a cut of it.
Trump wastes more time by having the teams exchange display photos and asking for their assessments. Dee thinks it’s hard to see the images in Omarosa’s display. Omarosa finds Dee’s concept “underwhelming.”
Don, Jr. and Eric deliver the judgement from the executives. Plan B’s celebrity cut-outs incorporated the “memorable moments” concept well, but their design was too simple and wouldn’t have the same impact without living, breathing celebrities. Team Power’s display was “incredibly” creative. The negative was that the word “Orlando” got lost in the clutter.
We get more posturing from both teams. Trump remarks on how engaged Dennis Rodman is, comparing that to his earlier hungover stupor in Season 2. Then Trump starts talking about his haircut and Oh my God, please make it stop!
“Can we know?” Little Jon screams. I feel proud to have a psychic link with a celebrity as cool as Little Jon.
I was wrong and Team Power wins. Omarosa breaks down in grateful tears. La Toya interviews that Omarosa is using her fiance’s death to further herself in the game. I’m inclined to believe her, but, on googling Michael Clark Duncan, it seems like this season must have been filmed shortly after his death, so now I feel like a big heel for being cynical.
However, Omarosa is not so broken up that she can’t enjoy spying on the Board Room as Team Plan B is forced to sacrifice one of their own.
Penn and Dee steadfastly refuse to fight each other. Trump tries to make a little hay about how great Penn’s idea was, but that doesn’t go anywhere. The only players Dee can even suggest are Gary Busey (because he has a narrow skill set), and Stephen Baldwin because Dee doesn’t trust him. Omarosa, from the safety of the suite, comments that Dee is targeting the wrong people.
She’s right about that, but it turns out to be a strategic move on Dee’s part, as he explains while they wait in the lobby. He remembers that Adam Carolla was not allowed to fall on his sword, so he’s bringing two people who don’t deserve firing, knowing that Trump will have no choice but to fire the Project Manager.
Which is exactly what happens. Trump practically begs Dee to give him a reason to fire either Gary or Stephen, but there is none, so Trump sadly points his finger and utters the words, “Dee, you’re fired.”
Dee tells the elevator man, “I didn’t expect to see you so soon.” But he’s thankful to have escape the Trump Tower with his classiness intact.
Goodbye, Dee Snider. Just like last time, you were too good for this game.
What did you think of this episode? Were you as disappointed as I was not to see La Toya try to take Omarosa down? Would you sleep with Donald Trump because he owns an airplane? Let me know!
