Future Episodes & Finale Details

[MAY 6 UPDATE: Details added below for Episode 13]


Episode 11: Monday, May 8, 9:00 ET/PT

The candidates relive their younger days by putting on a tailgate party event featuring blooming onions and other items from the Outback Steakhouse menu. The team that generates the greatest revenue from the sales wins. One team creates a spectacle with an eating contest while members of the other team dress up as cheerleaders. The winners travel via helicopter to Raphael Vineyard on Long Island to blend and create their own private label wine. The losers go to the boardroom. One candidate will be fired.

This task took place on Saturday, October 29, 2005, at the Rutgers University homecoming football game against Navy. Sean Yazbeck switches sides to join (Orthodox Apprentice candidate) Lee Bienstock's Gold Rush team. Roxanne Wilson leads Synergy's Allie Jablon and Tammy Trenta.

Randal Pinkett (winner of Season 4) attended the game. He's a Rutgers graduate and his wife works for the university's Alumni Association. The big question is if Randal's appearance at the game makes it into the episode. Season 4 was airing while Season 5 was filming. Last fall, Randal knew he was in the final two, but he hadn't been hired by Trump yet. The Season 5 candidates wouldn't know anything about Randal since there's no television in the suite.


Episode 12: Monday, May 15, 10:00 ET/PT (special time)

The final five Apprentice candidates are challenged to assemble the perfect home theater display at a Wal-Mart store for the Microsoft Xbox 360 videogame console. The display will highlight the game system's features for potential customers. One candidate feels they are being undermined by their team, while the other group worries that their display will not be completed in time. The winners take a private jet to Hollywood and get a chance to appear in a movie, while the losers face off in the boardroom. One candidate will be fired.

We suspect that the "undermined" candidate is on the three-person team and the "worried" team has two candidates. (Could an individual be undermined by a team with just one teammate?)

Tammy Trenta will watch this episode at her high school, Bishop George Ahr HS. Advance tickets are $10 each ($5 for current students). All proceeds go directly to the high school's alumni association and to Tammy's Theresa Kathryn foundation.


Episode 13: Monday, May 22, 9:00 ET/PT

The final four candidates create a new line of uniforms for Embassy Suites hotels. One team uses its love of fashion to try to stitch together a win, while the other team models its designs on market research. The winners hit the town with Trump's favorite apprentices, while the losers struggle to survive the boardroom.


Season 5 Finale: Monday, June 5, 9:30 - 11:00 ET/PT

The 15-week job interview culminates as the final boardroom begins on The Apprentice and two candidates vie for the $250,000 year-long 'apprenticeship' during the live season finale. After four seasons in Manhattan, the finale moves to the Orpheum Theater in Los Angeles, California, where Donald Trump will hire his new Apprentice. Trump's newest employee will join the ranks of the previous winners - Bill Rancic, Kelly Perdew, Kendra Todd and Randal Pinkett.

Special guest appearances during the final task include Michael J. Fox, Jaime Pressly, Denis Leary, Jason Priestley, Stephen Baldwin and the Barenaked Ladies, among others.

For the first time in the show's history, fans will have the chance to advise Trump on who should be the next "Apprentice." In the penultimate week, viewers will be able to vote for one of the final two candidates via phone and on-line. The results of America's favorite candidate will be presented to Trump during the live finale before he makes his final decision. "I'm very anxious to see who the fans choose for their favorite finalist -- their decision could have a big effect on my ultimate decision," said Trump.

Viewers will also be able to log onto www.nbc.com to write in questions for Trump to ask the final two candidates during the live boardroom finale.

One of the final tasks will include the debut of SLS International's Q Line Gold Home Theater Surround Sound System.


Tickets to the finale and after-party

A limited number of tickets to attend the live finale and the after-party are available through VIPGetaways.com. Tickets are $1,750 each.

The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation has been trying to auction off tickets to the finale and the after-party. Auctions for four separate pairs of tickets -- at $1,500 a pair -- ended on April 25 with no bids. The eBay auctions were re-submitted at $1,000 a pair and ended on May 2 without any bids.


Scheduling of the finale

The final boardroom was originally scheduled to take place over two hours, in New York City, on Monday, June 12. No episode was scheduled to air on May 15. The official rules for the Excedrin sweepstakes still include the original schedule.

However, Mr. Trump (and The Apprentice production crew) is leaving New York on June 1 (Erev Shavuot) to spend five weeks at Trump National Golf Club in Los Angeles for the taping of the next season. Accordingly, the taping of the finale was moved to the Orpheum Theater in Los Angeles. It was also reduced to 90 minutes and rescheduled to Monday, June 5, possibly to clear up the schedule for a Stanley Cup game, as Walt has been telling us.

To accomodate the earlier finale, Episode 12 will air on May 15, originally an off-week. (Earlier in the season, the 7-11 episode was moved up a week from April 17 to make room for a week of Celebrity Cooking Showdown.)

Sorry, Walt, no indication that the finale was ever scheduled for a Friday.