Well, another season of The Apprentice has come to a close and my prediction skills haven’t improved one iota. It’s a good thing that I have at least a few redeeming qualities up my sleeve, like my ability to whip up a single serving of chocolate frosting to spread on a graham cracker. I always tip well. And I never call people piss ants directly to their faces. But when it came to anticipating the Donald’s final boardroom decision this week, I sucked. I really believed that Rebecca was going to get the job.
Hey, I never said that Randal didn’t deserve to be the next apprentice. His track record and personal relationships with everyone on the show were immaculate. He’s a dynamic public speaker. He would make a great model for Michael Kors’ menswear collection. Plus, he’s a Star Wars junkie (love those geeks!). His win was well-earned.
So why do I still feel uneasy?
I guess it’s because of the big twist at the finale, which actually turned out to be a bit of a bathos. Immediately after Trump declared Randal hired, he starting jumping and whooping as a victor is entitled to do. But in the middle of his glory dance, the Donald sat him down again and asked him if he’d be OK with sharing the top honors with Rebecca. Randal’s response to this was a flat-out negative, and he briefly explained that in this competition, there was only one winner to crown and it was him. Fair enough, Randal. Some might view his refusal as selfish, but I don’t think Randal was to blame for this awkward moment.
It was totally Trumpo’s fault and further proof that this guy has a real knack for messing up on live television. Remember his ridiculous behavior during the finale at season two, when he randomly called on people to assess finalists Jennifer and Kelly’s qualifications? He put a lot of people on the spot and forced emcee Regis Philbin to ad lib that segment of the program. But that’s Trump, and he has repeatedly proven that the only agenda he truly cares about is his own. He majorly screwed with the logistics of Rebecca’s final task when he ushered VIPs down to the basement for the comedy show thirty minutes before it was scheduled to begin.
But back to the finale, it was lame that he put two jobs on the table and asked Randal and Rebecca which ones they’d prefer. He did the same thing last season to Tana and Kendra and it was just as stupid then as it was this time. Dude, if you’ve got two positions to fill, hire two fricking people! Don’t dangle these carrots in front of them and then yank one away. But far worse than that was the fact that Mr. Trump really seemed to want to hire Rebecca and then asked Randal for permission to do it. Who’s the boss here, anyway? It’s certainly not Tony Danza, or even Alyssa Milano, fetching as she is. I’m not sure why El Donald was so gingerly about changing up the game, since he’s done it before. Firing four people at once? No problem. Switching up the teams when one is getting its ass kicked? Sure, go for it. But selecting two winners? Not gonna happen.
And why not? If Trump thought that Rebecca was so outstanding, why didn’t he just declare her hired as well? Then she and Randal could done a victory boogie together and it would have been all good. Would either of them been disappointed with that outcome? I hardly think so. Would the Donald have a competent person to oversee each of his New Jersey projects? Absolutely.
Over the course of season four, the Donald was really starting to grow on me. He didn’t seem to be as big of a jerk ass stick in the mud as I’d originally thought. In fact, he appeared to have his moments of sensitivity, such as when he flew Randal out for Grandma’s funeral. He handled some potentially sticky issues, such as the whole Jewish comment thing between Clay and Adam, fairly well. But when it came down to the most important moment of the whole show, the actual hiring of his apprentice, he bungled it for Randal, but interrupting his celebration and asking him to make a snap decision that had the potential to make Randal look like a real jack-ass, no matter what his response was. Trump also botched things for Rebecca, by briefly giving her the hope that she could still work for him. Considering how much respect the Donald claims to have for both of these people, he certainly didn’t show it in his behavior at the end of the show.
I can’t wait to see this rude dude shake up another bunch of contestants in season five. I love to hate him, but Trump truly delivers one of the best shows on television. I hope NBC never fires him.
