Task: Create a comic book character to promote zappos.com.
KOTU: All the men, captained by Scott Hamilton.
Athena: All the women, captained by Khloe Kardashian.
Eyes and Ears: Don Jr., Erin Burnett
Outcome: The client prefers Athena's character, and specifically dislikes that KOTU's character is named "EEE" rather than something that begins with a Z.
Boardroom: Hamilton chooses Tom Green and Herschel Walker for the boardroom.
Fired: Hamilton, for choosing an obviously bad name for the character and discounting protests against it because he didn't like the person the protests were coming from. His charity, the Cleveland Clinic Foundation which treated his cancer, gets nothing from this show that I know of.
Charity: Kardashian gets $20,000 for the Brent Shapiro Foundation for Drug Awareness.
Rodman and Hamilton are welcomed back to the suite. Green tells us that his team threw Clay under the bus, and that he could be next. Joan Rivers delivers her charity's meal to a woman with breast cancer.
This week's task is to design a comic book character to promote the Zappos.com website. Clint Black nominates Scott Hamilton as project manager, because he was organized the previous week and served as a voice of reason. Melissa nominates Khloe Kardashian as project manager for the women's team because she owns a clothing store. Duke doesn't say anything now, but later she tells us she's skeptical that Kardashian's experience is a good match for the task. Kardashian admits to us that she doesn't know much about online sales.
Athena prepares
The team meets with Tony, the CEO of Zappos. He wants the campaign to emphasize customer service. The character should convey the company's brand and culture. He refuses to give any suggestions about the character's appearance.
Everybody has an idea about the character. Joan suggests some bad puns involving midgets and thinks the character's superpower should be that she doesn't sleep. Jordan is irritable about her teammates and thinks they talk too much.
At first, Kardashian lets people pick their own roles and doesn't get very involved. Duke wants to write the script with Jordan, even though Joan Rivers has extensive, award-winning writing experience. Joan is sour and tells us that Duke is an idiot.
Finally Kardashian takes control. The editor and artists arrive. Jordan says that the character should be a housewife who is frustrated with bad customer service. That's when she transforms into a superhero. Joan suggests the name "Ms. Z." Donald Trump Jr. shows up. Melissa immediately takes credit for the idea.
The focus group arrives. Kardashian asks Jordan to pitch the idea. The focus group, which appears to be comprised of comic book fans, likes it. They are dazzled by the pretty ladies and give helpful suggestions.
It's time to model the costume. The model is late, so Gulbis is asked to model the outfit. Gulbis doesn't like the outfit.
Night falls. They're preparing for the presentation. Jordan is starting to feel sick and asks to leave. They let her go back to the suite so she'll be okay for the presentation tomorrow. Duke is angry when Jordan leaves.
The next morning, Duke and Roderick are in such a hurry to pick up their materials for the presentation that Roderick actually takes off her shoes so that she can run faster to meet a deadline. (Meanwhile, Rodman is playing a video game up in the suite while Black tries to finish the writing himself.)
KOTU prepares
The team meets with Tony, the CEO. He emphasizes the company's image - casual culture and humor. Green asks weird, confusing questions about humor. (Or maybe he's just thinking out loud.)
Green says one of them should be the mascot. Rodman thinks the character should be a transvestite and has some raunchy ideas about that. Green gets into it too. The others are not amused. Hamilton doesn't think the idea is consistent with the company's image.
The team isn't ready yet when the editor and artist arrive. Green is annoyed that Black doesn't want to be interrupted. Hamilton remains silent while everyone else is talking at once. Rodman disses Hamilton.
They are barely ready for the focus group's arrival. Hamilton watches quietly as Green pitches an idea. The focus group notices that they're not prepared. Hamilton complains to us that Green is performing; well, what is Hamilton doing?
After the focus group leaves, Walker yells at Green to shut up. Green suggests a character named Señor Zappos. Black vaguely suggests an Everywoman type.
The team finally asks Hamilton for a decision. The character is a female customer with no time to shop. She goes to the website and suddenly she has clothes. James makes suggestions about her appearance.
Erin Burnett comes by and hears their ideas, such as they are. She notes that they're disorganized, but have spent time thinking.
They spend more time on names, and Hamilton gives up on Green. Hamilton names the character "EEE" for "everything, everywhere, every time." She'll have EEE across her chest. (All I can think of is Eastern equine encephalitis.) No one else loves it, but there's no time to argue. Green makes fun and says it's "chEEEse."
Rodman picks a fabric for the costume. Hamilton calls the costumer with the EEE name. There is some doubt as to whether they heard him correctly. Even the costumer finds it odd.
Night falls. Hamilton is worried about the presentation because he's not a writer and doesn't have anything. Green volunteers, since he has sold four film scripts. "No, we've heard you talk and stuff," Black replies. (Walker witnesses this.) Black, Hamilton, and Walker ignore him as he at first offers to help and then proceeds to annoy them.
Green questions the EEE name again. Hamilton walks away. He and Black and Walker agree that Green is playing a game and not working on the task. (That they shut him out of?) Green tells us that EEE is a bra size. He complains that they're too focused on their task to pay attention to him.
The next morning, Hamilton wants Black and James to help him finish preparing for the preparation. He insists that the others, particularly Green, "chill out and relax." Green again offers assistance. Hamilton tells us it's disruptive and sabotage. (Green follows Hamilton out onto the terrace while Hamilton is telling us this. Green seems only mildly mischievous to me, and at this point I think he's just teasing Hamilton because it's too so easy. Also, while you can argue that Green himself is throwing Hamilton under the bus by picking on him, I'm shocked that Hamilton is playing right into his hands.)
James offers advice about the script and Rodman also tries to participate, but Black can't tolerate other opinions and shuts them out. Rodman and James both find Black overbearing.
Rodman says the presentation should be done by someone "gifted and crafty." McKnight suggests Green for the narration. Suddenly, Hamilton loves Green... sort of. He asks if Green likes the idea enough to pull it off. Green is sour that suddenly they want him to do something. Walker doesn't want Green to do it because "he was not a part of it." What? Green protests that they wouldn't let him touch up the script. Walker calls him a liar (multiple times) and claims that they asked him to help.
Um... the liar is Walker. He was sitting right there when Black told Green not to do it. Green is offended. Rodman offers him a drink that looks like a breakfast shake. They agree to get a beer later.
The presentation
Jordan is nervous during the presentation and still sick. She's very awkward and says "democrapic" instead of "demographic." At one point, she says "women like you and me, I'm sorry, you're not a woman!" to Tony. There are more verbal fumbles and a generally weak script, but the artwork and story are strong. Gulbis looks great in the costume, but makes a negative comment about it to Trump in front of Tony.
Green does a great presentation in which an exhausted, frustrated woman becomes fabulous. The costume has a Z on it, but Green dutifully says "EEE - Everything, Everywhere, Every Time."
After the presentation, Tony privately tells Trump he liked everything about KOTU's character except for the EEE name. He's confused as to why they didn't go with Z, but he liked that they focused on the customer. He also remarks on the awkwardness of Athena's presentation but otherwise liked their work.
The postmortem
Trump asks about the friction between Green and Hamilton. Green says Hamilton couldn't keep the group under control, and Hamilton says "they" asked him to lead. (He can't remember who, specifically, and nobody admits to it. It was Black.) Hamilton insists that Green was divisive and that he tried to derail them at every step. Green says he tried not to get angry and that they didn't allow his ideas. Hamilton interrupts with guffaws. Walker tells Hamilton to let Green finish. (Walker who called Green a liar earlier? What? So he shows one face to his team and another face to Trump?)
For the second week in a row, McKnight says that there were too many chiefs. Erin Burnett agrees.
Joan says their team has a lot of chiefs too, but that Kardashian grew into her leadership role. Kardashian gets high marks from her team. Joan says Duke wouldn't let her give her ideas despite her Broadway credits and Emmys. Duke says that some of her teammates get their feelings hurt. Trump tries to smooth things over between Joan and Duke, saying that Duke will become more diplomatic and that Joan can take her to Vegas and she'll win lots of money for her.
Trump asks Melissa who came up with the idea for the character. Melissa again takes credit and says that it "sprung from my head." Kardashian gives the credit to Jordan. Jordan is gracious about it, though I'm wondering if we missed something due to editing, because Gulbis looks like she disagrees. Maybe Melissa came up with the seed of the idea that Jordan developed, and we missed it?
Trump and Jr. question why Gulbis complained about the costume in front of Tony.
There's some joking around about how Trump once unsuccessfully tried to pick up Roderick. Roderick doesn't remember it at all.
The teams look at each others' four-panel comics. The men think the women's comic is a lot like theirs. The women are grudgingly impressed with the men's and agree that there's a resemblance, except for the EEE name. Hamilton defends "EEE" as "quirky."
Tom tells Trump he thinks they lost because of the name, and says he protested against the name.
Jordan thinks their team won even though she stumbled during the presentation and was sick. She says they sent her home. Melissa says she had to go home. Roderick says Jordan didn't even want to go home. (Jordan asked to go home. I double-checked.) Duke makes a disgusted face.
Athena wins, and Kardashian gets $20,000 for the Brent Shapiro Foundation for Drug Awareness.The women go up to the suite to watch the boardroom on closed-circuit TV.
In the boardroom
Up in the suite, Jordan hopes that they win eight in a row.
In defense of Black's and Hamilton's claims that he was talking constantly, Green says he was just giving options. Hamilton says that some (meaning Green) were "playing the game" rather than working.
Trump asks if anyone spoke up against the name "EEE." Rodman and Green did. Hamilton discounted Green's opinion because Green fought him "every step of the way." Green says he wasn't fighting - he wanted them to win, and he knew "EEE" didn't make any sense.
Summary of blame:
- Black blamed by: Green and James, for being argumentative.
- Green blamed by: Black, Hamilton, and Walker, for undermining Hamilton and acting up.
- Hamilton blamed by: McKnight for the name, and Rodman for being too soft.
Up in the suite, Joan calls Black a snake. Jordan thinks there's something mean about him. They both like Green, saying that he's different but smart.
Hamilton chooses Green for the boardroom. He also chooses Walker, not because Walker did anything wrong, but because Hamilton recalls that Trump has been unimpressed in the past when someone chose only one person when they could choose two. Hamilton says Walker can be his advocate.
While they wait in the lobby, Green says it's never fun to lose and he looks forward to the discussion. Hamilton and Walker say nothing.
In the boardroom, Burnett says that Green and Hamilton need therapy to be together in the same room. Junior adds that Black needs it too, and Hamilton should have chosen him instead of Walker for the boardroom. Trump calls the apprentices back in.
Hamilton complains that Green is too wired and had to be kept away from others. Green says that's because of enthusiasm, unlike Black who just likes to argue. Green says they ganged up on him.
Walker denies that they ganged up on Green. He says that Green is talented, but questions everything. (Walker, on the other hand, never seems to question anything. I think this is unhelpful.) He proudly admits to telling Green to shut up.
Recognizing that Walker doesn't belong there, Trump sends him out. Walker goes to the suite and tells the women he thinks Hamilton will be fired.
Green tells Trump that he wants to be the next manager, and that Hamilton should have assigned roles.
Burnett asks what was the deal with picking the name "EEE" for the character. Hamilton deflects and says that Green was too disruptive. Trump says he should have brought Black back to the boardroom instead of Walker. "Tom didn't like anything but his ideas," Hamilton complains.
They all agree that Jesse James is great. Green says Hamilton didn't understand the brainstorming process. Hamilton says there was no brainstorming, just a hurricane of Green. Green tells Hamilton to keep talking. Hamilton shuts up.
Hamilton admits that it was too soon for him to be project manager. (He was nominated by Black, but didn't turn it down.) Green interrupts to say something supportive. Hamilton complains again - evidently Green annoys him so much that he can't even hear his words.
They both talk about their cancer charities and their experiences with testicular cancer, and joke a bit about how they've got just one set of testicles between them. (Please give me some credit for not describing either of these men as "testy" all night even though they were both extremely testy.) Hamilton doesn't want to talk about that now and think he's better for the team than Green is.
Burnett says that the client's issue with their presentation was the name "EEE." Junior agrees. Hamilton says that people shouldn't be finished off by one mistake. Trump says it was a big mistake. (I agree, since Hamilton was stubborn with Green about the name for purely emotional reasons.) Hamilton is fired. Trump warns Green that he has a lot to live up to next week.
Hamilton asks Green to tell the guys that he's sorry he let them down. Green says he didn't let them down, and it was "one of those things." In the taxi, Hamilton says he's "bitterly disappointed."
Next episode - a one-hour show beginning at 10 pm ET. They're going to sell wedding dresses, and George comes back!
My MVP
My MVP pick for this episode, not that it matters, :-) is Claudia Jordan. Why? Because when Melissa Rivers told Don Jr. that she came up with the idea that was really Jordan's, she didn't put up a fuss. She knew this wasn't the time to make a scene. Besides, she had witnesses... lots of 'em!
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