# The Apprentice -- 4/21 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 21, 2005, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apprentice-4-21/300395 "2005-04-21T12:44:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2005, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apprentice-4-21/300395/1 "2005-04-21T12:44:54Z")
The last “regular” episode before the final four. The task is to come up with products to reduce office clutter – damn, I like this idea. Maybe _you_ guys keep your cubbies tidy – I’m definitely a maker of piles and a tosser aside of the “I’ll deal with this later” school. Alex and Bren vs. Tana, Kendra, and Craig. It seems unlikely that the latter team can lose the task, but if they do, Craig seems like the obvious victim. (Damn, whaddya bet his cab ride confessional makes _no sense whatsoever_?) Between Alex and Bren – well, I like Bren, as I’ve mentioned a billion or two times – but he is kind of goofy looking. Why doesn’t he wash his hair? (Or is it, as a friend of mine speculated, Vitalis?) And Trump does seem to like Alex, for reasons that are increasingly unclear to me. So I’d guess Bren gets the boot, though I’d prefer Alex. So, Tana and Kendra are good for the final four. (Kendra, btw, was a linguistics major at Univ. of Florida, which … is not the major I would have guessed for her. No wonder she and Craig can’t get along.) Them plus two guys – probably Alex, and either Bren or Craig, depending on who wins tonight’s task. Alex (why am I just now checking out bios?) was a lobbyist for the apple industry. Yikes. So at least two book smarts in the final four, and at least one street smarts, Tana. Will Trump actually go ahead and hire a street smarts person? If so, should he? See y’all back here at nine. ---
**Author:** ![Scuba\_Ben](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/278dde/32.png) [@Scuba\_Ben](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scuba_Ben)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2005, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apprentice-4-21/300395/2 "2005-04-21T12:52:33Z")
Good morning, **twickster**! At this point, I’m watching the show pretty much just to know the context for **Mullinator** ’s ratings. Is anybody going to be brought back for the final task? And which three people from the first eight firees would you want on your team? ---
**Author:** ![Mal\_Adroit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df788c/32.png) [@Mal\_Adroit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mal_Adroit)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2005, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apprentice-4-21/300395/3 "2005-04-21T13:42:41Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > I’m definitely a maker of piles and a tosser aside of the “I’ll deal with this later” school. Et tu? _Clutter ratalias_ bit me on the ass this very morning. Had a rush job buried under some other crap in my inbox. . . if I’m still employed tonight, I’ll be very curious to see what the candidates come up with! > [@twickster](#): > > And Trump does seem to like Alex, for reasons that are increasingly unclear to me. Think the honeymoon might be over there. He wasn’t impressed with Alex’s work on the brochure last week at all. Here’s to you, Craig, and your (hopefully) imminent departure. ---
**Author:** ![Mullinator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@Mullinator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mullinator)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2005, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apprentice-4-21/300395/4 "2005-04-21T17:06:36Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > The last “regular” episode before the final four. The task is to come up with products to reduce office clutter – damn, I like this idea. If they want to reduce office clutter, the remaining candidates should all jump off the Brooklyn Bridge. Of course, that would mean Isaac Newton wins the challenge and, by default, the show. Which, oddly enough, seems a lot more palatable than any of these yokels. Tonight’s activity? Really all of these people leave a lot to be desired. Who goes home? Of course I know (I do have a special mind meld with this show now). But, really, exposing nuances is so grating. Onward next edition! ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2005, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apprentice-4-21/300395/5 "2005-04-21T17:30:32Z")
> [@Scuba\_Ben](#): > > Is anybody going to be brought back for the final task? And which three people from the first eight firees would you want on your team? The only person I can think of that I would want is the first guy Trump fired. Funny how the finalists ALWAYS make the first guy fired look good… ---
**Author:** ![zut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zut/32/2875_2.png) [@zut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zut)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2005, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apprentice-4-21/300395/6 "2005-04-21T17:52:21Z")
> [@watsonwil](#): > > The only person I can think of that I would want is the first guy Trump fired. Funny how the finalists ALWAYS make the first guy fired look good… Yeah, no shit. I just looked on the NBC website to refresh my memory. I can just foresee the final episode: [Chimey-type music. The Boardroom comes into focus.] **Trump:** Tana and Kendra, you have one last week in your sixteen week job in-ter-view to see who will be my next! Apprentice! You both have yooge! tasks ahead of you, and to help you on those tasks, I’ve brought back the first six fired contestants. [The losers file in.] **Trump:** Tana. You’re a Mom from Iowa, so you pick first. **Tana:** Ummm… I’ll take what’s his name. [gestures] **Todd:** I’m Todd. **Tana:** Whatever, loser. Get over here. **Trump:** Kendra. You pick second. [silence] **Trump:** Kendra? **Kendra:** Ummm… Can I just do this by myself, Mr. Trump? Please? I’ll pull an all nighter, I promise. [scene fades.] ---
**Author:** ![Mal\_Adroit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df788c/32.png) [@Mal\_Adroit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mal_Adroit)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2005, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apprentice-4-21/300395/7 "2005-04-21T20:40:22Z")
> [@zut](#): > > **Trump:** > > **Trump:** Tana. You’re a Mom from Iowa, so you pick first. > > **Tana:** Ummm… I’ll take what’s his name. [gestures] > > **Todd:** I’m Todd. > > **Tana:** Whatever, loser. Get over here. > > **Trump:** Kendra. You pick second. > > [silence] > > **Trump:** Kendra? > > **Kendra:** Ummm… Can I just do this by myself, Mr. Trump? Please? I’ll pull an all nighter, I promise. > > [scene fades.] 😛 Classic. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Big\_Cheese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8baadc/32.png) [@The\_Big\_Cheese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Big_Cheese)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2005, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apprentice-4-21/300395/8 "2005-04-21T23:44:23Z")
i heard the final is only 1 hour this year instead of the mind-numbing 2 hours. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2005, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apprentice-4-21/300395/9 "2005-04-22T00:33:15Z")
The first season, the finale was two hours, which worked pretty well – an hour on the last task and then an hour of BS. The _second_ season, it was three hours. That truly was mind-numbing. ---
**Author:** ![LibrarySpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f9ae1b/32.png) [@LibrarySpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LibrarySpy)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2005, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apprentice-4-21/300395/10 "2005-04-22T01:17:01Z")
Watching Bren and Alex is just pitiful. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2005, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apprentice-4-21/300395/11 "2005-04-22T01:21:37Z")
Oh, I dunno, watching them kick back with their cigars made me laugh. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2005, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apprentice-4-21/300395/12 "2005-04-22T01:26:11Z")
Sweet Jesus, Craig is a condescending prick. ---
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2005, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apprentice-4-21/300395/13 "2005-04-22T01:27:19Z")
> [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > Sweet Jesus, Craig is a condescending prick. Yo don’t know what that word means, young lady! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2005, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apprentice-4-21/300395/14 "2005-04-22T01:28:46Z")
Delusion is bliss. Who would want that huge, clunky table in their office? ---
**Author:** ![LibrarySpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f9ae1b/32.png) [@LibrarySpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LibrarySpy)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2005, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apprentice-4-21/300395/15 "2005-04-22T01:29:00Z")
Oh, no, I agree, **twickster** , I really love them together. It’s just…when they start working… it starts to hurt. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2005, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apprentice-4-21/300395/16 "2005-04-22T01:29:47Z")
I remember when I had an office big enough to put that whole big clunky thing into … ☹ ---
**Author:** ![NotWithoutRage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/22d042/32.png) [@NotWithoutRage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NotWithoutRage)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2005, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apprentice-4-21/300395/17 "2005-04-22T01:31:28Z")
Best.reward.ever. I’m jealous. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2005, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apprentice-4-21/300395/18 "2005-04-22T01:31:54Z")
> [@Rysler](#): > > Oh, no, I agree, **twickster** , I really love them together. It’s just…when they start working… it starts to hurt. Good lord, yes – did they _really_ think they had won the task? ---
**Author:** ![pokey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ebca7d/32.png) [@pokey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pokey)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2005, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apprentice-4-21/300395/19 "2005-04-22T01:32:41Z")
Alex missed the boat, he should have invented a whole extra office! You just put it beside your first office, and stick all your papers in that office, leaving the first office completely tidy. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2005, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apprentice-4-21/300395/20 "2005-04-22T01:35:35Z")
That table would be useless to anyone working in a cubicle, plus it looked difficult to access and just like it would be more of a pain in the ass than a help. Whose idea was it, Alex’s or Bren’s? Personally, I still think Bren has a decent work ethic and personality while Alex is just kind of an arrogant tool. I’d fire Alex. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apprentice-4-21/300395.md?page=2)