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A Dose of Reality: The Apprentice 5 - Episode 15: Season Finale
by Paul Schultz
Published: June 6, 2006

If an apprentice is hired, and nobody sees it, is he still an employee of Mr. Trump's? That's the most dramatic question to come out of the less-than-tension-filled season finale of the fifth iteration of The Apprentice. The show was live from Hollywood, California, with "America's Boss" Donald Trump. In the face of dwindling ratings, I couldn't help but wonder if there were more people in the audience than parked at home watching it on television. Trump's bullshit meter, however, was full-throttle as he proudly proclaimed, "in every way this season has been a tremendous success." I had no idea your standards were so low, Mr. Trump.

For the same reason I can no longer stand watching the The Today Show when the hosts go outside the studio, the screaming, rowdy crowd in the auditorium touches the nerve in my arm usually reserved for channel-surfing. Fortunately, they quickly go into a recap of the season, and how the two finalists positioned themselves to via for the title of Apprentice. Trump asks the audience who they like best, and the resulting cacophony for Sean pretty much negates any further doubt as to the outcome. Still, he want the viewers to tell him who to pick, but it sure sounds like a ploy to me, since I doubt anyone tells Trump what to do.

The final task

The team leaders selected three former candidates to assist them in this final determining task. Gold Rush was assigned to organize a celebrity hockey match benefiting the (Denis) Leary Firefighters Foundation. Synergy was tasked with putting on a charity concert by the Barenaked Ladies benefiting the World Wildlife Fund.

Team - Synergy

Sean, 33, born and raised in London now works as a director of business development for a recruitment consultancy registered on the London Stock Exchange, where he boasts the title of the top-ranking sales person globally at his firm. He graduated from the Southhampton Solent University with first class honors. Quickly snapped up by an international recruitment consultancy, Sean spent nine years brokering multimillion dollar deals with Fortune 500 companies in over 20 global locations. He earned the EB1 Green Card for 'persons of extraordinary ability' in 2005. Sean resides in Miami.Sean
Project Manager


Tammy, 33, is founder of Theresa Kathryn Enterprises, Inc, a company that designs stylish briefcases for women. She oversees every stage of the products' original creation from design to final marketing. Through Theresa Kathryn Enterprises, Tammy's goal is to continue to inspire women to excel in their chosen career paths while maintaining their femininity and individuality. Tammy, also a vice president at a major Beverly Hills investment firm, advises California's most affluent and high profile clients on managing their finances. A Certified Financial Planner, Tammy is considered an expert in her field. Tammy earned her B.A. at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications at Arizona State University, where she represented Senator John McCain as a constituent liaison. She later returned to Arizona State University where she received her M.B.A. Throughout her schooling, Tammy has self-funded all of her education. She is an avid marathon runner, an experienced motivational speaker and enjoys writing poetry. Andrea, 31, a self-made multi-millionaire, enjoys creating business ventures on the frontiers of technology and popular culture. Not satisfied with a conventional path, Andrea skipped college and personally financed her first enterprise: Rhythm Styx, a wildly successful toy company. Driven by her early achievements, at age 23 Andrea started a clothing distribution company targeted at the burgeoning youth market. Since then, Andrea founded and is the CEO of five unique companies: StickerJunkie.com, an online customized sticker company; T-ShirtJunkie.com, an online customized t-shirt company; Delinquent Distribution, a distributor of hip teen apparel; Zoko, Inc., an online community connecting best-selling authors with their readers; and Luxury Wedding Packages, Inc., an online wedding planning service delivering one-of-a-kind wedding experiences to an upscale market. While she can often be found jetting around the globe, Andrea's main residence is in Santa Fe, New Mexico where she is active in local charitable causes, avidly practices yoga and takes long hikes with her three large dogs Empress, Elvis and Priscilla (all pound rescues). Tarek, 27, raised in the public housing projects and tenements of New Bedford, MA, is a wunderkind of sorts who credits his mother with fostering his desire to become more than his surroundings. After earning a scholarship to an elite boarding school in Massachusetts, Tarek went on to receive a B.A. in liberal arts from St. Anselm College and a B.S. in electrical engineering from the Catholic University of America. In addition to being a member of MENSA, Tarek played rugby for the Dallas Harlequins of the U.S. Super League and rowed crew in the Henley Royal Regatta in England. He is currently a global product marketing manager at a Fortune 500 company. He is constantly closing multi-million dollar deals while traveling throughout Asia, Europe, and the U.S. In addition to his travels, Tarek has been widely published in technical journals and magazines around the world.
Tammy Andrea Tarek

Overall Assessment

The team needed to cope with the absence of Andrea, who went off to tend to an unexpected medical emergency. Not to worry, though. Cameras were in the exam room to capture the verdict. Now, it would have been cool to see antisocial maverick Dr. House trotting into to examine the patient, but this show is not nearly that clever and besides, it's the wrong network. Our crimson-haired beauty merely broke a blood vessel in her nose and responds to Sean's concerns with an "I don't want to talk about it. I just want to get back to work." That's all fine and dandy until you pass out but, hey, it's only your health. Sean says Andrea is a rock, and thus she proves you can get blood from a stone.

Sean walks the sponsor through the plan for opening the concert. Trump is to drive onstage in a hot new Pontiac G6. When Sean gets to the idea of Trump being accompanied by the lead singer dressed in a panda suit (symbolizing the World Wildlife Fund), you can hear a pin drop. The sponsor firmly says there is to be no comedic elements. Then why the hell did you hire the Barenaked Ladies? Now there's a band with a sense of humor. To Sean's credit, he replies, "I hear you loud and clear" and wisely drops the idea.

Tarek says he is pretty much left to run the show. But rather than enjoy the freedom of autonomy, he laments that the project manager should be more involved in the details. Dude, that's called micro management, and nothing good comes from that. Tammy, meanwhile, makes herself useful by finding a lost music CD for Sean. Then they get chummy. Hey, hands off the help, mister!

Before the big event, Sean rushes off... to find some hair spray! To him, apparently, the worst thing that could happen is a bad hair day. Other than the mad scramble for music, the only glitch in Synergy's plans were the complaints by the Pontiac execs that there wasn't enough of their signage at the pre-party. Although Andrea in jeans showing off auction items didn't look terribly professional. At least Sean met Trump at the front door like he said he would, a simple task that Gold Rush couldn't accomplish.

Team - Gold Rush

Lee, 22, graduated from Cornell University with a 4.0 grade point average, where he received a B.S. in policy analysis and management. While attending Cornell University, he won business plan writing and marketing competitions, and served as a teaching assistant for courses in entrepreneurship and management. He worked for Merrill Lynch, researching emerging markets, creating portfolios and compiling business plans for high net worth clients, including an investment banking deal with an estimated value in excess of $100 million. Previous experiences outside of corporate America include working at a day treatment program for the mentally ill, volunteering at soup kitchens and teaching fourth grade children in an inner-city school. Lee draws his inspiration from his grandfather who emigrated to the U.S. penniless and uneducated, yet through hard work and determination was successful through investing in real estate. At age 22, Lee became an analyst for one of the largest business/consulting firms in the world. Today, Lee works with some of the biggest companies and government agencies in the country to devise business strategy and information technology systems. Lee currently resides in New York City.Lee
Project Manager


Lenny, 37, originally born in Baku, a city in the former U.S.S.R., grew up in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, where he served in the Soviet Army for two years. At 24, Lenny left for the United States with his wife and child. Eager to start a successful business of his own – but knowing no English – Lenny built himself up from a janitor to the eventual owner of his own Russian restaurant. Lenny also became a stockbroker and achieved his Series 7 license after being in America for only two years. He now operates his own medical trading company. Lenny resides in New Jersey with his wife and sixteen-year-old son. Jose, 25, a Cuban-American attorney from a top law firm in Miami, and former Florida College Student of the Year, is the first Hispanic to receive that distinction. Pepi was president of both his high school student body and the University of Miami's student government. He graduated from Columbia Law School where he received several honors including the American Bar Association's Law Student Division Silver Key. Pepi has traveled extensively throughout the world, including study trips abroad in France, Greece, and Argentina. In his spare time, he donates his efforts to help build homes for Habitat for Humanity and assists his community through various pro bono endeavors. Roxanne, 26, an attorney at Winstead Sechrest & Minick, P.C., credits her parents – both professors at Arizona State University – with instilling the virtues of education in her at a young age. Moved by seeing Sandra Day O'Connor appointed as the first female U.S. Supreme Court Justice, Roxanne decided early on to pursue a career in the legal system. The Baylor University graduate earned her law degree from the University of Michigan. While studying law, Roxanne became a certified Jazzercise instructor and currently teaches three classes a week. Before going into private practice, Roxanne clerked for Justices Scott A. Brister and Craig T. Enoch of the Supreme Court of Texas. Roxanne serves on the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation Austin Affiliate Board and is active in her Riverbend church choir and young professionals group.
Lenny Pepi Roxanne

Overall Assessment

Gold Rush meets with Christine DiCarlo of The Leary Firefighters Foundation, and the team does little to make the anxiety-ridden representative comfortable. Well, okay, Lenny tries cracking some jokes. The guy's a freakin' riot. And here I thought Brent would have been the most entertaining choice for teammate. Lee and his team are not prepared with the level of details she expects. Roxanne hid in a corner until the train wreak ended.

In a stupendous lack of judgment, Lee determines that Lenny will be the one to greet the celebrities as they arrive. This results in Jason Priestley (Beverly Hills, 90210) wandering aimless around the facility, and Jaime Pressly (My Name Is Earl) stranded in the locker room as the guys are dressing in their hockey gear. It does, however, result in the best line of the night, as Pressly gets a bit testy with the disorganization right before she's to conduct the auction out on center ice, and ardently spits out to Lenny: "Your shit's not together, little Apprentice boy!"

Miraculously, they did get their shit together and the hockey game and auction was an entertaining success. At the end, event tsar Lys Hopper reflected on Lee's performance, "He did a good job. I have a big smile." Unfortunately, there was that little detail about the missing welcoming committee when Trump arrived on the scene, which got him good and pissed off.

Lesson of the Week

"Taking Credit" - Trump invites you to not be afraid to blow your own horn when you've achieved success. I think that's what he said... it was mighty hard to concentrate on his words with the dual distractions of his hair, and the cheering throng behind him.

Boardroom Recap

Melania had a good front-row seat for the boardroom proceedings onstage. Really, when was the last time you had a board meeting with a boisterous, sign-waving crowd surrounding you? Sean was determined to display his enthusiasm to Trump, while Lee was calmly confident. They were both asked why they picked the people they did for their respective teams. Both answers seemed rather contrived and forgettable, though I do remember them using the word "passion" alot. The fired candidates were up on the stage, though they were little more than window dressing. They were briefly queried for their opinions. And for all the snide editing throughout the series that showcased Brent's obesity, barely a blip was spared to show his substantial weight-loss.

Both candidates are given the option of taking a job building the Trump International Hotel and Tower in Honolulu or overseeing Trump's $370 million Soho skyscraper. The New York project is selected by each. Then, Trump gives each the opportunity to sell him on why they should be the next Apprentice. Trump suddenly asks Sean if he's going to marry Tammy. Since a decision on his fate has yet to be made, he buries the natural "none of your frickin' business" response and simply blurts, "Yes!" Much discussion centered around the age and experience different in the candidates.

Trump asks first his kids, Ivanka and Don, Jr., then observer George Ross, what their assessment is. Each gives a non-committal "I like them both" answer. He turns to Carolyn Kepcher, who promises to make a choice, then proceeds to praise each without voicing her preference. All this wishy-washiness, you would think, would irritate the boss who is looking for an answer. Not so, since Trump has an ace up his sleeve -- the viewer poll results. After noting that they were surprisingly one-sided, he cheerfully sets the results aside without revealing them.

Finally, putting one unfortunate interviewee, and all of us, out of our misery, Trump addresses the young leader of team Gold Rush, and Lee is fired. Sean Yazbeck is the next apprentice, and he takes the news in a most unprofessional fashion by launching out of his chair with a celebratory whoop! Then the winner... leaves the building. Well, that's a rather anti-climactic ending for the assembled audience. Trump and all the losers are left, instead, to receive the sustained applause. The home viewer is informed that items from the show will be auctioned off to benefit The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.

"I'm the apprentice, baby!" Sean shouts as he drives away in his new car -- the spoils of victory. His parting words end things on a bit of a downer, as he divulges an empty pursuit of wealth: "Mr. Trump, I'm not going to let you down. I'm going to show you as soon as possible that you made the right choice. I'm going to work my fingers to the bone and I'm going to make you richer than you are already." I sure hope Tammy wasn't listening, because that attitude could put a crimp in her love life.

Final Thoughts

The final show was light on the details. There was absolutely no discussion about what happened in the final task. There was no announcement of the results of the fundraising events. How much money was raised? Which event was more successful? Did it even matter? What was Trump's reasoning for firing Lee? What was so great about Sean that he was hired? Plenty of unanswered questions were left scattered on the floor of the boardroom.

To alleviate concerns that he might be a decent guy after all, at the benefit concert Trump made sure to remind us what a boor he is. After the name of the headliners was announced, the band took to the stage, prompting Trump to whisper, "I thought there would be bare naked ladies." Grow up, will you?

Now if only NBC would just say those two magic words to Donald Trump: "You're fired!"

Other Previously Fired Candidates

Allie, 30, graduated summa cum laude and No.1 in her class from the University of Florida. While maintaining a 4.0 GPA as a finance major in the honors program, she met the demands of her rigorous schedule as a Varsity Gator cheerleader. Allie developed her disciplined work ethic at an early age as an internationally competitive gymnast. Most recently, she furthered her education at Harvard Business School where she received her M.B.A. Previously a financial analyst in Miami, Allie transitioned into a sales career to capitalize on her passion for people and building relationships. Originally from Columbia, South Carolina, she moved to Southern California where she works for a Fortune 500 medical device company. She is responsible for a multi-million dollar sales territory as a market development account manager. She is an avid sports fan and actively trades in the stock market. Charmaine, 27, an only child, was born and raised in a small town in Kentucky. Her mother, an adventurous and hard-working Filipino immigrant who left everything to move to the U.S., has been a big influence on Charmaine. She earned a B.A. in corporate communications from Western Kentucky University, and after winning numerous awards for her leadership and public speaking, she moved to San Diego, where she began her career in marketing and advertising sales. She successfully brought in multi-million dollar clients, trained new employees, and structured long term pricing and contracts. Charmaine, the youngest on the sales team, consistently exceeded her sales goal by more than 200 percent, making her the No. 1 in sales for two consecutive years. She went on to Scottsdale for her next challenge in new business development with a mortgage firm. Charmaine now resides in Nashville, Tennessee where she is an area manager for a Fortune 500 company. She works in warranty and risk-management consulting and is highly involved in the local real estate community. Whether she's driving the performance of the company or mobilizing an entire office to run a mini-marathon for charity, Charmaine has proven she knows how to get it done. Brent, 30, was born and raised in Toronto, Canada. After graduating from York University in Toronto with a B.A in Political Science, Brent moved to Florida, where he attended law school at Nova Southeastern University. A Florida bar member, Brent currently juggles two jobs, working as an attorney for an insurance defense firm and handling real estate closings. Two years ago, Brent married his law school sweetheart, Stephanie, and recently obtained his green card. He believes he struck gold when he married Stephanie, as she is the best wife a guy could ask for. Brent maintains a high energy level in his professional and personal life. He believes it is important to be yourself at all times. He believes one should never forget where they came from, and even though he no longer lives in Canada, he is still a proud Canadian residing in the United States! Brent is a family man and maintains a close relationship with his wife, parents, in-laws, sister, brother-in laws, aunts, uncles, cousins and nephew. Brent's friends adore him as they say he is not only a great friend but he is a Stacy, 38, attended Cornell University with dreams of becoming a news reporter and graduated with a journalism degree. After a short stint covering court trials as a street reporter in Savannah, Georgia, Stacy decided she wanted to move from in front of the camera to the courtroom. Now a public defender in New York City, Stacy is admitted to practice law in Connecticut, Florida, California, Washington D.C. and New York. She appears as a legal commentator on CNN and Court TV. Michael, 29, is a Manhattan native with a diverse educational background including graduating from the United Nations International School in New York City, where he concentrated on economics and studied three languages. He received his Bachelor of Science in business administration from Washington University in St. Louis, majoring in both finance and marketing. Following his studies, he joined Arthur Andersen’s Business Consulting practice in Chicago, where he provided financial and operational management consulting services for Fortune 500 companies. He is currently a mergers and acquisitions consultant for one of the largest professional services firms in the country, assisting multi-million dollar companies with financial integration and development. When Michael is not working, he can be found thrill-seeking through snowboarding, wakeboarding and riding his motorcycle.

Allie

Charmaine Brent Stacy Michael
Summer, 30, raised in Orange County, California, experienced her family's financial ruin during her teens. Led by her father's example, Summer's work ethic and determination were molded during this trying time. Regardless of her title, Summer vowed to be the best at any occupation. With no education, and often earning minimum wage, Summer continuously gained the respect of her co-workers and superiors alike. Summer now owns Sunny's Restaurant in Huntington Beach, CA. Located on one of the most traveled streets in the county, the restaurant serves hundreds of locals and tourists daily. Summer thrives on the quality and efficiency of her business and is surrounded by employees who want the restaurant to succeed. Bryce, 28, born and raised in Kansas City, MO, attended the University of Kansas. While in school, his real estate ambitions were born when he and his parents purchased two town homes and renovated them. After the completion of the projects, he realized he had no intention of ever using his journalism degree. Bryce began working for Pulte homes in Kansas City, a Fortune 500 residential builder, shortly following his graduation. It wasn’t long before he wanted more, and then at age 24, with little money and no real experience, he co-founded a high-end residential building company. Four years later, the Gahagan - Eddy Building Company currently builds many of Kansas City’s finest custom homes with most projects exceeding $1.5 million. Bryce attributes his success to his family and the values his parents instilled: honesty, integrity, and ambition. He believes whatever you choose to do in life, do it, but do it better than anyone else. Dan, 31, is the founder of Brody Sport, a designer brand of activewear currently sold in prominent boutique shops and popular department stores. Dan has successfully launched several businesses during his entrepreneurial career beginning with a college venture, NYC cafe Leslie, 28 graduated in 1999 with a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism, with an emphasis in public relations. She was awarded a full scholarship in the sport of volleyball to play in the SEC at the University of Mississippi. Leslie’s success came early in life when she captured her first U.S. Swimming Championship Title for the state of Louisiana at age seven. She later captured the LHSA Tennis State Championship Title and competed in Division 1 level volleyball. Leslie, currently a multi-million dollar realtor with Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate in Boca Raton, has maintained a 100 percent closing transaction success rate throughout her career. Leslie is a member of the Boca Raton Junior League where she enjoys working with other women to make a difference in her community. She also participates in the Southern Palm Beach Women’s Tennis Association’s Open Level League. Leslie attributes the success throughout her life to her strong family foundation. Theresa, 36, a Psychotherapist-Wellness Center Owner, earned a psychology degree from Northwestern University and her masters in clinical social work from the University of Chicago. She currently works as a psychotherapist in private practice, helping her clients’ battle depression and other health issues. Theresa earned her real estate license at age 21 and also heads up a real estate design and development company.
Summer Bryce Dan Leslie Theresa

Past Recaps: Episode 01 | Episode 02 | Episode 03 | Episode 04 | Episode 05 | Episode 06 | Episode 07 | Episode 08 | Episode 09 | Episode 10
 
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