Anyone else watching this season? Nene is both annoying me and not, although after watching this outburst from her when they're just picking the PM has me wanting to slap her.

I'm really hoping either Marlee Matlin or Meatloaf win - they both have been pretty good and (other than Meatloaf's outburst at Gary) calm.

I'm so hooked on this show this year that it's a little bit ridiculous! And, yes, even though I kinda understood it (I find Star Jones to be a horse's behind, too --- but, I gotta say, she seems like an angel from above when compared to grumply ol' Dionne Warwick) that full frontal attack coming out of Nene was uncalled for. Especially considering that the challenge hadn't even been presented yet! I'll give her a break and suggest that (maybe?) she did that so that Donald Trump could see what was *up* amongst the ladies when he was out of the picture? Nikki-the-recently-fired model was on a local news show today and mentioned that the contestants have NO interaction with Donald himself outside of the opening of the show and then at the boardroom. And even his snitches (aka offspring) don't spend enough time on the field to know the real atmosphere, as things unfold. All he sees/hears is the results and/or the feedback from the executives or his children. Therefore he can't really fathom how horrendous Star is or can be as the tasks happen. She personifies what galls me about the show, sometimes. It's a show about raising money for charity, for heaven's sake! It'd be naive to think that exposure and a hoped-for career boost isn't a big part of it, too, I know ... but with players like Jones it seems ALL about self-promotion. But, still. Nene willfully picked a very disruptive fight last night that, while it may have had some merit in the truth of the thing, made her appear as nothing more than belligerent. Belligerence is rarely attractive, and usually impossible to root for. But Donald Trump seems to flip-flop so boldly week-to-week in what he seems to be looking for. Heck, maybe he found Nene's stunt somehow a "positive" thing? I didn't get to see the last 15 minutes of the program, what with news bulletins taking over, so I've no idea what the final discussion was like in the boardroom.

I agree that Matlin seems almost a lock for the final two. I really like the way she conducts herself - especially given that she finds herself in some formation of a catfight going on somewhere every other minute. The three remaining guys? They seem to work together so well (it's almost 'boring TV' watching them as it's generally so smooth over there, now that Busey's gone). I'd never heard of the guy before this, but I'm thinking John Rich is a standout amongst the men. Any of the guys could make the finals, though, and I wouldn't mind it.

Well,I think it's good and bad he doesn't know more of what's going on behind the scenes. He's looking for results and probably doesn't care about the petty arguments. If something's big enough, it'll come out during the board room...

I like all the guys, too - maybe not Lil John as much. Star Jones annoyed me in the first episode when she brought her dog! Really? she doesn't have someone to watch the dog? I notice we've seen less of the dog in recent episodes though... Nene acts a bit immature and like she hasn't yet figured out this isn't "Real Housewives"...

I totally agree. Nene thinks she's on the wrong show. A little hissy fit here and there on "Apprentice" is expected ... but those brawls on that "Housewives" franchise hardly fit into a (semi-) serious boardroom/business situation. Thing is? I can't stomach Star Jones so much I'd like anybody on that team better than her, no matter who it is or where they came from. I'm too biased that way, I reckon. I just realized, too -- if Donald Trump were PLAYING on one of the teams, ladies' or mens' or both? I have a hunch I'd find him as off-putting as I do Miss Jones. Both certainly know how to 'toot their own whistle', don't they? So, then, I reckon Trump might find her behavior entirely acceptable were he able to watch/participate in the projects in-progress. Truth is, I'm a newly-enthused and suddenly huge fan of the show itself. My enthusiam (or complete lack of it) re: Donald Trump himself is a whole other matter.

When we watch at my house, it's really odd how I invariably start 'sticking up' for Lil' John. He's another one I was completely unfamiliar with prior to all this. He cracks me up, though --- every once in a while he'll pipe in with a remark or observation that just kills me . Dude sure knows how to work a crowd at those presentations, too! Doesn't make him a *best* at anything in the mix, however, I realize ... but he's certainly entertaining. I can never tell how these folks get edited, though. Seems as if Lil' J rarely gets anything much to do, in terms of building a winning project. He can sell the end result like a charm. But I'm not so sure he gets much opportunity to do much more than that. Looks likely that if the guys team ever loses? Lil' Jon will get fired, no matter who does what.

I have a question, while I'm here. Does anyone else think that who Trump thinks is *good TV* (thus better ratings) vs. *bad TV* influences his ultimate decision? I should amend that ~ Donald's a smart fellow, so I'm sure it does. Ratings = money, after all. Better question: does he let that influence him too much?

Oh absolutely Gatsby, Gary Busey would not have been around nearly as long if the firings were based on incompetence. I was actually surprised that Trump didn't bring him back instead of Latoya but not even the best Hollywood writers could come up with a fathomable reason to bring Busey back. I actually like Nene, she tells it like it is whether you like it or not. Immature or not it is surely entertaining which is how you get people to watch. I think it'll come down to either John Rich, Lil Jon, or Marlee Matlin to win it all. I actually first heard of Lil Jon when Dave Chapelle impersonated him on "Chapelle's Show". He certainly can get a crowd going. To answer the question, it's all about the ratings for "Celebrity Apprentice" and Donald knows that. Look at the previous winners Piers Morgan, Joan Rivers, and Bret Michaels all well known figures in their lines of work and with distinct personalities, coincidence? I think not.

In a word (after watching last night)? "Yay!" That's in re: the final firing of the night (after two before it ... busy boardroom, huh?). My buddy was watching with me and we both agreed that we actually liked that team's commercial spot better (especially since I, for one, find nothing terribly offensive/disrespectful about policemen at donut shop references - it certainly isn't anything close to an untried 'joke' that hasn't been bandied around for years). However? Because she was in the 90-second spot, that dreadful Star Jones? Nothing left to do but choose the other team, based on that alone. How unfair is that, eh? But I couldn't help it. The woman, by mere virtue of showing up and acting superior, gave me many an itch. The only other observations I remembered from watching was that Nene finally got her wish, and now can return to her preferred "Housewives" mileu. None of her disappearance made any sense to me. First and foremost, it seemed as though she got just what she wanted - switching teams seemed a perfect solution! Guess not. Then she storms off for reasons that had never been suggested before. I reckon she ultimately wanted to stay on Team Jones, just so that they could bicker together and torture each other for a few more episodes? For Trump to shift teams was basically 'mollycoddling' Jones and her sinister behavior? Too much 'right fighting' with Nene. And when you get there, nobody ends up right about anything. The worst of it, too, is that at the end of the day it was SHE who let Star win the battle, not Donald Trump. The other thing I remember about Sunday night was that Meat Loaf sniveled and/or wept just a little too much. I get it that he's a sensitive guy, and all that. And in my opinion there's nothing wrong with being one. However? One need not dehydrate themselves in the process.

All things considered, though, I think that the Final Four has the ideal choices of people to fill it. In my estimation, anyway.

Nene quitting was selfish because now her charity has no chance of getting money. And I agree - why did she quit? She got on a different team from Star...

My opinion of Star has been low ever since I heard she had companies 'sponsor' the wedding...

I think Marlee should have done more on her task - she seemed to just sit back and not do anything... But she didn't get fired so I guess that was the right thing to do. Star outright lied - she said not to use the shot the team should have added then fought with Meatloaf saying he didn't include it!