The Apprentice 6×02 – “Beach Accessory”
Episode Grade: D
5:30 AM, and Jamie takes the call; the Apprenti have half an hour to get ready for a trip to Heathrow. We run through the requisite shots of everyone looking groggy and unkempt, and on the way to the airport, Jamie and Shibby agree that this week they must beat “those girlies”. And then… Heathrow.
LSAS is too busy with something actually important to meet these chumps in person today, so he appears via video to inform them of their task. “Beach holidays are big business, whether it’s Bermuda or Bognor. People are prepared to spend a lot of money before they go on holiday to make sure they have a relaxing and stress-free time.” Take note of that last parts, guys, it’s important. It means “don’t design something that actually causes more hassle than the alternative of using nothing whatsoever to perform the task for which your product is designed.” So yeah, the task. Design a ‘beach accessory’ to be pitched to three different retailers. LSAS also notes that Synergy are “a man down”, which is perhaps not the best choice of phrasing, given the circumstances. Raleigh’s brother was critically injured in Afghanistan, so he’s decided to bow out of the competition to be with his family, and no one will begrudge him that choice. As a result, though, the teams need a little balancing, so Stella is sent to join the men to “keep them in check”. She looks fairly apprehensive about the prospect, but manages to put on a fairly convincing smile as she walks over to join them.
Now, I didn’t hear LSAS actually say in so many words that he was appointing Stella as PM for Synergy, but it appears that they’ve taken that as read anyway. She tells us that she’s had plenty of experience working with “serious businessmen”, and these guys are “quite young”, so she has “no problem whatsoever in whipping these boys into shape”. I certainly believe her. She tells the guys that she’s not going to put up with petty squabbling. Jamie adjusts his tie nervously, Stella glares.
