I normally never watch The Apprentice on NBC.  When I saw that Annie Duke was going to be on this year’s version of Celebrity Apprentice though, I thought I would tune in and support a fellow poker player.  I never missed a show, and was glad I didn’t.  Things really got interesting this year.

A variety of emotions

Over the course of the 2009 season there were plenty of laughs, questions raised, and downright insults thrown.  The laughs started early with the likes of Tom Green, Andrew “Dice” Clay, and NBA star Dennis Rodman.   Question marks began to show with some of the arguable firing decisions set by  Mr. Trump as some people, specifically Clint Black, stuck around well past their welcome.  But what really made this show good TV was the feud between Joan Rivers and Annie Duke.

It all started about halfway through the season when Joan Rivers was separated from the original all girls team, team “Athena”.  It became apparent that Annie was starting to take the side of Brande Roderick in the board room as opposed to Melissa Rivers, Joan’s daughter.  This frustrated Melissa, but Joan was absolutely furious.

Annie Duke: Put up your dukes!

According to Joan, Annie told Joan and Melissa at dinner (not televised) that she felt Brande was a weak link.  A story that Annie did not deny.  In fact, Annie told Brande that she needed to step up her game if she intended to stick around.  But the Rivers’ apparently thought that Annie would join them in throwing Brande under the bus, which Annie did not.  Instead Annie made remarks about Melissa’s mistakes which were evident and pertinent to the question Trump asked.

Then boom, the fireworks exploded.  Joan Rivers went psycho.  She went as far as to compare Annie Duke to Hitler.  She was all up in arms as to why Annie would go after Melissa in the board room.  Joan took it as a two-faced personal attack.  An attack that would never seem to rest in the eyes of Joan Rivers.  Joan was so over reacting that Melissa had to step up for Annie at times.

The fireworks were still smoldering for a couple of weeks until they went up in flames when Melissa was fired instead of Annie and Brande in what was a two versus one cat fight decided by “The Donald“.  The reaction of Melissa Rivers was laughable as she stormed off the set crying about how this reminded her of high school.  I guess Melissa was not one of the popular kids in high school even though I can imagine she tried to be.

Seeing her daughter’s reaction to being fired put fuel on the fire as Joan had personal attacks for both Annie and Brande, but more directed towards Annie.  Joan went on to degrade the poker industry and everyone involved by saying some pretty vicious things including using the mafia as a metaphor for describing poker players.

Through out these tirades Annie was attempting to keep it as business-like as possible, but you could tell these personal attacks were starting to get under Annie’s skin.  I do have to commend Annie on holding back quite a few times.  As each tirade came pouring down though, Annie grew more irritated and was visibly on the defensive constantly.

The final two

Then it came down to the final two contestants.  Of course the final two left were Annie Duke and Joan Rivers.  It was the perfect heads up match that the whole season would culminate to.  You know Donald Trump was not going to miss out on this good TV as I actually believe it should have been Annie and Jesse James as the final two.

Their final task was to host a silent auction in which they would be judged on five separate criteria.  To make a long story short, Joan would surpass Annie in three out of the five standards set.  However Annie did win the most important task as she raised the most money.

In fact Annie didn’t just beat Joan in money raised, which was just one criterion being judged, she tripled the amount of money brought in by Ms. Rivers with a final tally of nearly half a million dollars raised.  It would be the only standard used for judgment of the five that was not decided subjectively.  Plus another reason why Joan might have had a 3-2 edge was due to the quitting of the event planners.  An act that was brought on by Joan Rivers but unknowingly effected Annie at the last minute.

“You’re the Celebrity Apprentice”

All the week’s commercials showed Trump saying “You’re the Celebrity Apprentice” instead of the traditional “You’re Fired” used during the season.  So both contestants were hoping to be called upon as such when the final board room convened.  It was then, after the final task was over and the words of both Annie and Joan followers were given, that it was decision time.  It was then that Trump looked to Annie and said as she looked as bright eyed as an excited little girl on Christmas morning that Annie……… “You are……….fired!”  Needless to say, the look of pure joy was quickly swept away thanks to “The Don’s” fake out.

Since I guess the live TV feed ran short thereafter, they didn’t show much of the celebration on Joan Rivers part.  But they did show the first and probably the last hug to ever take place between Joan Rivers and Annie Duke.

Looking Back

Now I must say I was rooting for Ms. Duke to win and if you were basing the final decision on the season performance she would be second to none.  Unfortunately it was based on the final task.  Again it was unfortunate that it also had to be based on such subjective criteria, but it is what it is.  Annie lost 3-2 with the five standards set, thus inherently losing the season for Annie Duke.

If I were Donald Trump, my order of firings would have looked like this:

1. Andrew “Dice” Clay
2. Tom Green
3. Dennis Rodman
4. Scott Hamilton
5. Claudia Jordan
6. Khloe Kardashian
7. Brian McKnight
8. Clint Black
9. Natalie Gulbis
10. Hershel Walker
11. Melissa Rivers
12. Tionne Watkins
13. Joan Rivers
14. Brande Roderick
15. Jesse James
16. Annie Duke