It's hard to conceive of the alternate universe in which a reality TV hit like The Apprentice approaches actual reality: like a Mafia don drunk on his own power, Donald Trump--holding court here from a would-be-intimidating oversized executive chair and referring to himself as "The Donald"--lords it over 16 pathetic, desperate souls who'll lie, cheat, backstab, and be seen in the presence of Trump's truly terrifying comb-over for the chance to, well, continue doing all those things as a Trump employee. "This isn't a game," The Donald snaps, "this is a 13-week job interview." Except, of course, it is a game, with a series of absurd obstacles set before the contestants in an artificial environment--these people all live together for the duration of the 15-episode "interview" in a suite in Trump Tower, like characters in some ridiculous sitcom--most of it coming off as staged and scripted. Top-rated show or not, The Apprentice is sort of oily and leaves a bad taste in your mouth, almost leaving you to wonder if this was intended as a sop for ordinary-schmoe TV audiences, to fool them into thinking that the money and power absent from their lives isn't worth having. And if the Emmy-nominated series doesn't do the job well enough, an entire disc of extras--featuring such horrors as more whining from the fired contestants to "career advice" from Trump's scary capos--may put you off good-paying corporate jobs with benefits forever. Optional. (M. Johanson)
The Apprentice: The Complete First Season
Universal, 5 discs, 718 min., not rated, DVD: $59.98 Volume 19, Issue 6
The Apprentice: The Complete First Season
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