Pitting a 23-year-old financial journalist against a 34-year-old Rhodes scholar in a grueling competition appears to be a David and Goliath situation at first glance. How could Randal, someone with an extra decade of experience and impeccable academic credentials, bow to someone like Rebecca, bright and articulate as she is? This week’s episode may hold the answer to that question.
The final tasks were revealed this week. Randal’s assignment was to orchestrate a celebrity softball game catered by Outback Steakhouse to raise money for the charity Autism speaks. Rebecca’s charge was also a fundraising event, sponsored by Yahoo, with comedy acts to benefit the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. Both players had three days to organize these enormous events. Last week, I declared with confidence that Randal will probably be the next apprentice, but after watching this week’s episode, I’ve changed my mind. It’s Rebecca all the way. She’s a tiger on crutches, and Donald Trump would be remiss not to hire her. Why? Let me count the ways.
1. Rebecca’s never shed her game face.
After the Donald informed Randal and Rebecca that they were the final two, he told them to get ready for dinner at Megu with George and Carolyn. The dinner was supposed to be an opportunity for the two apprentice wannabes to pick the brains of Trump’s employees. However, the minute Rebecca asked them for advice, she and Randal learned that they needed to pick their staff for the final task that evening. What kind of advice is that? The dinner was really just another way for George and Carolyn to assess Randal and Rebecca’s negotiation skills as they wrangled for the best employees.
Now, in the past, the final two have not been able to choose among any of the previously fired candidates. In seasons one and two, Trump selected six people and allowed Bill, Kwame, Kelly, and Jennifer M. to divide them up. Last season, Kendra and Tana were simply assigned people without any say in the matter. I’m left wondering if Randal and Rebecca knew that they would be able to form their teams in this manner. Also, were there any limitations on who they could pick? Why, for instance, wasn’t Alla even in the running? It’s true that she screwed up on what turned out to be her final task, but Randal and Rebecca didn’t really see that. They thought she was a star until the end. Maybe they were afraid that she’d be bitter that they stole her megaphones on the Shania Twain perfume task.
However, at Megu with George and Carolyn, Rebecca was prepared to assemble her staff and Randal wasn’t. Carolyn’s eyebrows raised as Rebecca announced her decision to bring Toral on board, but it turned out to be the right move. Toral loves Rebecca and works well under her employ. She also got James and Chris, who are also doing a good job for her. Randal’s staff consists of Josh, Mark, and Marshawn, three choices that seem solid. The only problem is that…
2. Rebecca is better at delegating responsibilities.
My opinion on this could very well be influenced by some clever editing, but all shots of Rebecca and her team show them working together harmoniously. She and James met with the Yahoo executives, while Toral and Chris worked on setup at the venue. Chris showed his flair for decor before heading off with James to have dinner to the event’s designated emcee, Joe Piscopo. Toral was also helpful in discussing how to approach VIPs for donations at the event. In short, everyone in Rebecca’s group was always doing something that looked productive and useful. They worked well together.
Over on Randal’s side of the fence, things were much more uneven. First, he took a backseat at his meeting with Alison Singer, the Senior Vice President of Autism Speaks, who stated that Josh was acting more like the project manager. She also remarked that Randal seemed more interested in the logistics of the event than getting Autism Speak’s message out, a key element in motivating people to donate. Mistake number two was dragging all of his workers to Party City to pick up supplies for the event, forcing Mark to cancel a meeting with the color commentator for the softball game. The nail in Randal’s coffin was his hands off approach to setting up tents and seating on the baseball diamond. While Mark worked alone for hours, Marshawn and Randal peered out the window at him and declared that he was a working machine. Randal finally got his butt in gear only after one of the Outback Steakhouse guys came up to the office and told him to shake a leg. Which brings me to my final point…
3. Rebecca has more passion.
Rebecca has proven that she has the spark and determination necessary for the job. Unless Randal’s talking about his wife, he often appears wooden in a Kelly-ish way. Now, it’s true that Kelly was hired, but I no longer think that that kind of stoicism impresses the Donald. Witness Kendra and her tears last season. Even Trumpo yelled at her for crying, he admired her emotional side. Rebecca has that. It comes out in a very professional way, but there’s something warm about her as well. When she shakes people’s hands, she says “Nice to meet you” and tacks on their full names, probably a strategy for remembering them later.
Randal is a really nice guy, but at times he seems a bit robotic. In his meeting with Alison Singer, he didn’t sense the heartstrings approach that she wanted him to take to the event he was organizing. Randal’s mind doesn’t work that way and, in the end, it will be his downfall.
4. Rebecca’s from Minnesota.
And so am I.
Of course, the episode ended with both candidates in a bind: Joe Piscopo had to ditch Rebecca’s event and rainy weather threatened Randal’s softball game. Although the weather couldn’t be controlled, I have to wonder if Joe’s exit was calculated on the part of the show’s producers. No season finale of The Apprentice would be complete without some huge snag. The only question now is who will handle these disasters with more grace. I’m putting my money on Rebecca.
