'The Apprentice' Whittles Down to Predictable Final Two

Last night, "The Apprentice" whittled down to a predictable final two as Donald Trump fired Liza Mucheru-Wisner, leaving Clint Robertson and Brandy Kuentzel to battle it out for a job as The Apprentice.

'The Apprentice' Final Two: Bye Bye Liza

Last night's episode began just after the exit of Steuart Martens. Donald Trump brought the remaining three contestants back to the boardroom where he would fire someone immediately. He began by asking them why he should choose them, and who was the stronger player.

Brandy talked about leaving home at a young age, financing her own education, and training at one of the finest law firms in the country. Clint spoke about his vast credentials and his business accomplishments throughout his career. Liza channeled the Obama campaign and spoke about "hope" in this recession-themed "Apprentice."

To nobody's surprise, Clint and Brandy said that Liza was the weakest player of the three. Trump, who had defended Liza throughout the season, told her that she was outstanding in every way, but that she needed to learn how to get along with people.

I actually liked Liza and felt that she was treated horribly by her teammates. Every time she had good ideas, they always shot her down. To make it as far as she did with everyone against her is quite an accomplishment.

On the other hand, if everyone dislikes her that much, then it's a sign that she doesn't have the leadership skills to command respect. Still, Trump has a soft spot for golfers, and I have the feeling he'll offer her an opportunity elsewhere.

'The Apprentice' Final Two: Hello Liza "Minelli"

Liza may have been fired, but she wasn't away for long. Donald Trump brought her along with Stephanie, Anand, Steuart, Poppy, and Mahsa back to work on the final task. Brandy and Clint had to choose between two final projects. One was hosting a VIP golf tournament with Kathy Griffin and the other was organizing a dinner gala with Liza Minnelli.

Brandy chose the team of Liza, Stephanie, and Anand while Clint chose the Liza Minnelli event. They both seemed to get what they wanted. Clint ended up with both the task and the team he wanted while Brandy had the advantage of having Liza (a former golfer for the Kenyan national team) working on a golf tournament.

Clint's team seemed to have its act together at first, as Don Jr. observed, but things went out of hand quickly. Catering flaked out on them at the last minute, leaving Steuart to scramble at the last minute. Worst of all, Poppy and Mahsa spotted a glaring oversight--Liza Minnelli's name had been misspelled on all the posters and place cards, and there was not enough money in the budget to reprint everything.

"The Apprentice" Final Two: Golfing With Kathy Griffin

Meanwhile, Brandy had problems of her own. The photographer had gone to the wrong location two hours away. Mr. Trump requested to spend the day golfing with Liza, leaving Team Brandy without its valuable fourth member. Brandy had considered saying no to Trump's request, but made a controversial decision to stick it out. She wanted to prove that she could get along without the fourth member.

Brandy was also thrown a curve ball when she sent Liza and Anand to pick up gift certificates for the tournament attendees, and instead they came back with gift bags. Brandy and Stephanie were worried that people in Rolls Royces would not want $500 gift bags, while Liza argued that the attendees would want something tangible to take home.

We'll see what happens next week on "The Apprentice" finale, when Donald Trump makes his final decision. Clint has been a runaway front-runner for several weeks now, though Trump does like Brandy's soft spot for older men.

Clint probably deserves to win based on the season as a whole, but I haven't been able to warm up to him this season. Something about his attitude rubs me the wrong way, and I didn't like the way he and Steuart made Brandy feel like a third wheel. Still, based on his accomplishments and skills, I would be very surprised if Donald Trump didn't choose him as "The Apprentice" at next week's finale.