The Apprentice: Martha Stewart: Episode 12

Everyone's waiting for the two contestants to come back, and after several hours realize that, oh my God, they've both been eliminated!

Martha calls the contestants and tells them to meet her at her Connecticut home. She explains that she got rid of both Ryan and Marcela. We're down to three. There are no more teams, and each contestant is on their own...

Jim, Dawna, and Bethenny are all being grilled interviewed by Martha's corporate team, and each of them are giving their reasons why they should be the person hired to work at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (and just as many reasons as to why their opponents shouldn't be hired).

To summarize: Jim is creative but crazy, Dawna has the most corporate experience, and Bethenny is a health food cook with not much business experience.

Martha and her team talk about the three players. They are more impressed with Dawna and Bethenny, despite their flaws. They aren't sure about Jim. Susan is still worried about Jim talking about "having a strategy" and "playing a game." Which basically means Susan has no concept of what this TV show is all about (sorry, it is a game, even more than it is a job interview).

Goodbye Jim!

So it's down to Bethenny and Dawna.

They have to pick three former contestants to come back and be their "employees" for the next challenge. I didn't see this coming, though I'm not a regular viewer of Trump's Apprentice so maybe this is the norm? They look through the Apprentice yearbook ("Hate ya! Don't ever change!") and talk about each player's strengths and weaknesses. 

Giant charity event. Bethenny will spearhead The Apple and Eve Big Apple Circus. Dawna will be in charge of the Liz Clairborne Fashion Show and Charity Benefit.

For employees, Bethenny picks Ryan, Carrie, and Jim. Dawna picks Amanda, Sarah, and Howie. Jim doesn't understand Bethenny's choice of Ryan and Carrie, until he realizes "Bethenny has no friends."

I won't go into detail into what happens with the tasks, except to say that Amanda doesn't know a thing about fashion, Howie is perfect if Martha is looking for someone to market to immature frat boys, and Carrie loves to hold a grudge (though why the hell would Bethenny pick someone she destroyed in the boardroom and who obviously isn't thrilled with her?)

Both teams (hey, didn't Martha say earlier that there are no more teams?!) are rather screwed up, as we head into next week's finale...