It’s been a while since I’ve watched ‘The Apprentice.’ The show starring Donald Trump lost it’s flare somewhere around the battle between the Haves vs the Have Nots (college educated vs. street smarts).
But I tuned in tonight to the latest rendition of ‘The Apprentice’ - ‘Celebrity Apprentice’ after hearing that a friend would make a small appearance. Tonight’s episode was a show of art imitates life imitates art. For the last few weeks on ‘Celebrity Apprentice,’ the men’s team has dominated the competition. Tonight was the last opportunity to for the women’s team to show they were made of sterner stuff.
Tonight’s challange was to make a campaign for Crocs sandals. Donald Trump had the two teams working in adjoining meeting rooms. When the men’s team thought the women were spying on them, project manager Piers Morgan (America’s Got Talent) decided to stage a falseto fight with Vinny “Big Puss” Pastore (The Sopranos), and then send him over to the women to spy on them. What started out as a little spy game for laughs turned out to be Vinny playing the role of double agent. Pastore goes above and beyond the call of duty and lives out his glory days as Salvatore ‘Big Pussy’ Bonpensiero one last time.
Pastore ended up joining the women’s team and sending secret messages back over to the men’s camp. After a change of heart, Pastore decides to turn double agent and help the women. Too bad Piers hangs his rat informant Pastore out to dry by exposing Pastore’s secret.
Pastore, ever the Soprano actor, gets ostracized from both teams, which lead to an epic board room throw down between Pastore and Morgan.
I’ve got to say this episode may have been one of the funniest things I’ve seen on TV in years. You really couldn’t script comedy with this genious. The fact that these “celebrities” took a simple game and turned it into a bout of corporate sabotage is beyond hysterical.
In the end Pastore decides to honorably resign, but not before two members of the men’s team say that they would rather see Morgan get the boot.
Ok, one last Sopranos callback. When Pastore walks out the board room, “Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey begins to play in the background. Then when Vinny walks out the building, a man in a Member’s Only jacket walks by him. And there you have it. Vinny’s stint on ‘Celebrity Apprentice’ ends with a mock version of the series finale to ‘The Sopranos.’
You have to hand it to the producers, they must have planned that scene from day one.
