No Love for Uncle Forti on 'The Apprentice' Ep. 1

Last night on The Apprentice, 16 talented but recession-beaten contestants began their quest to land a job with Donald Trump. After failing to design a cohesive modern work space, Nicole took the bullet, along with poor Uncle Forti.

Sixteen men and women of The Apprentice divided into the Battle of the Sexes. The men called themselves Octane, while the women called themselves Fortitude. Interestingly enough, in the discussions, both teams had considered the name "Phoenix" to symbolize rising from the ashes of the beleaguered economy. Of course Alex, not having studied fifth grade mythology, thought Phoenix and Icarus were interchangeable.

The Apprentice Ep. 1: The Men

The men chose Gene as their first PM because of his military background. They hoped he could lead them victoriously in battle. At first, Gene seemed to be an ineffectual PM, as he was pacing around mulling over color schemes instead of talking to the designer. Yet eventually he was able to bring his team together to create a green modern work space.

The open spaces, plants, SoHo vibe, and James' art work did create a pleasantly funky work space, despite crew members slipping on the colorful carpets.

Gene, Clint, Anand, and James already show signs of alpha male syndrome, which will make for interesting television on The Apprentice. David, meanwhile, will be a polarizing contestant this season. Despite being a loose canon, he provided tragically endearing comic relief when he called the automated operator to claim unemployment.

The Apprentice Ep. 1: The Women

The women, meanwhile, were a train wreck. They seemed more interested in playing not to lose than playing to win. Although Nicole did not like Tyana, she took her to the furniture store to CYA because she knew that it was in her best interest to consult the contestant with the design background.

Tyana, after hearing Nicole throw her under the bus to Don, returned the favor by criticizing her as an ineffectual PM who refused to take any leadership initiative. She and Mahsa were able to rally the team against Nicole, ensuring that she would be fired.

Mahsa criticized Nicole's fluid leadership style, complaining that, as a team member, she needed to be given directions. Yet, like Nicole, she seemed only playing to CYA. Of course, as a prosecutor, her abrasive attitude nearly shot herself in the foot in the boardroom.

Despite her lack of screen time on The Apprentice, Brandy seemed the most level-headed and fair, arguing that a PM always bears additional responsibility for failing a task though not attacking her personally the way the others did.

Nicole made a fair argument, pointing out that many women don't like to be told what to do and they like to feel respected and consulted in the decision-making process. I couldn't help feeling sorry for her when her entire team threw her under the bus. She, after all, was the one who had the courage to even volunteer as PM. And any woman who went to an American high school knows that girls can be vicious.

Yet, as a leader, she wasn't able to take a stand when she needed it most. For example, not like the picture of Uncle Forti, she failed to assert herself, taking one for the team instead.

In the end, Nicole deserved to be fired by Donald Trump. As Ivanka Trump points out, "Her 'back talk' to my father, in combination with her mediocre job as both a Project Manager and team player, led to her termination."

Yet it wasn't a total loss for Nicole on The Apprentice. Donald Trump saw her other talents. After firing her, he decided to set her up with an interview at the Miss Universe pageant.

The biggest loser of The Apprentice Ep. 1 was poor Uncle Forti, the ancient portrait that Tyana had chosen as a mantle for their "modern" office. He would have looked lovely in a 200-year-old law firm. Instead, he was humiliated on national television on The Apprentice. Of course, I'm sure the remaining 15 contestants will experience a similar fate at some point on the show.

Sources:

Ivanka Trump blogs 'The Apprentice': Episode 1, Entertainment Weekly