EPISODE FOUR

SOAP DOPES

Up in the suite, the candidates carried on the great tradition of speculating about who would be fired. The big question was: Would Michael get the axe dispite his exemption? Angie thought it was crazy to bring a candidate with exemption back into the boardroom. But Erin saw it differently. She believed that Trump would fire Michael because he abused his free pass. But Michael walked into the suite and Erin was proven wrong. Now, if Michael thought he was done getting a stern talking to because he had survived the boardroom, he was mistaken. Bren told Michael, in front of everyone, that he had disappointed them all and that he needed to be a man and step up from this point forward. After Bren finished, Michael apologized to his team. But in an interview, Alex warned that, unless Michael made a complete 180 degree turn, the guillotine would drop right on his neck.

Trump was heading out on a business trip, so the candidates gathered around their plasma screen and Donald called them from his limousine. He told the group that they would work with Donny Deutsch on their next task to create an ad campaign for a new product: Dove Cool Moisture Body Wash. Each team would attempt to wow Donny - and he would pick the winner. George and Carolyn would observe the teams and report back to Trump. As always, the losers would face Donald in the boardroom where someone would be fired.

Both groups arrived at Deutsch Inc., Donny's advertising agency. The teams were each charged with making a 30-second commercial. But Donny had a little surprise for them - he was pulling out all the stops. Each team would have access to a state-of-the art sound stage, in addition to professional actors, crew and equipment. They would have everything they would need to make an industry-level ad. Donny dared them to be creative and different. Donny told them to make 30-second movies - and he challenged them to blow him away.

Erin volunteered to be Project Manager of Magna (Book Smarts) and led the group in a brainstorming session. Bren pitched his vision for the commercial: A female chef helps her male protégé wash a cucumber, with all the innuendo the two can muster. She pulls him aside and gives him the Dove body wash. He kisses her on the cheek but then walks out with a near-by male waiter. While many people laughed, some didn't think the commercial was right for the task. Michael raised objections, saying he didn't think Dove would like it. Bren countered that they had to take the risk. Privately, Michael said he didn't like the idea but that he would help his team make the best cucumber porno that he possibly could.

On Net Worth (Street Smarts), Kristen volunteered to be Project Manager. She said that she was qualified because her boyfriend was a director and she had spent a lot of time on real sets. In an interview, Audrey said that having a boyfriend who was a director doesn't make you a director. John pitched an idea: A group of marathon runners grab cups of water as they pass a line of spectators. The runners all throw the water on their faces in an attempt to cool down. But then one runner grabs a bottle of Dove Cool Moisture from a spectator, lathers up his wet face and uses another cup of water to rinse. The runner towels off, and newly re-energized, wins the race. Kristen and others liked the idea. John said his goal for the commercial was to make Donny laugh.

After Bren, Erin and Alex enjoyed the perks of casting, the rest of Magna went to their sound stage. But the team ran into a problem even before they arrived. Their actors had been told to be at the stage by 4pm, but the team didn't get there until almost 6pm. One actress was so upset about being stranded at the cold soundstage that she was ready to quit. Stephanie apologized, but that didn't help. The actress wanted to talk to the person in charge. Erin couldn't pacify her either and the actress warned that she would probably walk off the job. But at the last minute, Bren swooped in with his Southern charm and talked her into staying.

At Net Worth's sound stage, Kristen said that she would direct the commercial. John wanted to stay and help direct so that the joke would be presented just right, but Kristen sent John and Craig to do the music instead. In at least one way, Kristen deviated from John's original pitch - she didn't have the runners throw the water on their faces. This meant that the runner put the body wash directly on his sweaty face and then wiped off the lather with a towel. During the shoot, Kristen told Audrey to work with Tana, who was in charge of the models. In an interview, Kristen admitted that she told Audrey to go with Tana to keep Audrey out of her hair. In her own interview, Audrey said she thought the commercial was stupid and one of the cheesiest things she'd ever seen. Audrey wasn't alone. In another interview, Angie said the commercial wasn't funny or innovative.

During the filming on the Magna set, the actor and actress suggestively washed a cucumber and team members couldn't help but giggle. Carolyn, however, was not amused. Privately, Michael said the only way his team would win would be if Net Worth were to come up with a more idiotic concept for the ad than his team had.

Once the film was shot, Net Worth went into the editing rooms, where everyone saw the footage for the first time. Tara said that it looked like the commercial lost the humor of the original idea. John agreed, saying that it wasn't funny at all. Kristen defended the work saying that she was never going for funny. Her logic was that she didn't try to put comedy into the idea because the idea itself was funny. John simply said he thought the original idea he and Craig had come up with was lost - and he called the commercial a mess.

For the presentation of their commercial to Donny and two of his top executives, Erin had the members of Magna dress up as chefs. In an interview, Michael said this made no sense - and he thought that his team was oblivious to the fact that they looked like morons. The first thing out of Donny's mouth was the team can't wear goofy outfits and be taken seriously. So Donny made them take off their hats. Then Donny and the two managing partners watched Magna's commercial. Donny shook his head, but made no comment. He thanked the team and sent them out. Next, Net Worth presented their commercial. Donny thanked the group and sent them out. Donny started the discussion with his two managing partners by saying that he was really disappointed. He thought that both commercials were "silly", "stupid" and "off". Both executives agreed. One said that the choice was between a disgusting commercial where a sweaty runner rubs on body wash without using any water and a semi-porn piece. Donny brought both teams back into the conference room and got Trump on the line. Donny pulled no punches and said that both teams "missed big." He had to tell Trump that there was no winner - an Apprentice first! So, Trump responded with his own first and said that both teams would return to the boardroom to face him and someone would be fired.

Erin said that the mood in the suite was horrible. Kristen admitted that she didn't talk with anyone and went to lie down in bed. Bren worried that he would be in the "hot seat" since the commercial idea with the cucumber was his. Privately, he admitted that he was "terrified". Later, Kristen chatted up both John and Tana as she tried to lay blame on Audrey. But in an interview, John said Kristen was the one who should be fired.

It was standing room only when both teams arrived in the infamous boardroom. Trump watched Magna's commercial and said that the team had to be crazy to think that the cucumber idea wouldn't offend anyone. Next, Trump screened Net Worth's commercial with the runners and called it terrible. Trump asked Audrey for her input and she said that Kristen had botched the joke that John and Craig had come up with. Kristen shot back that she had to baby-sit Audrey during the task. Carolyn said Net Worth's commercial was disgusting - the runner applied the body wash directly to his sweaty face and didn't use any water. Finally, Trump asked each Project Manager to bring in two people to face the firing with them. Erin chose Bren and Michael while Kristen chose Audrey and Tana.