It's bloody obviously that HarryH and Lizzie were the worthy finalists, or even HarryM at a pinch.

So let's just fire them all, not because they deserve it, but because we want a twist.

Am I right in thinking this is the first ever firing which isn't a result of Sugar wanting to fire them (but rather a sales manager at a Bradford Morrisons having essentially the call)

It does seem odd that we have watched these candidates slowly whittled down one by one each week, then just when things are getting interesting and we are down to a strong final 6 we see four of them all fired within just 5 minutes on the show - as you say seemingly mainly based on one number thought up by the Morrisons buyers.

To fire the whole losing team in one go is quite a bold decision, but to then even fire one member of the winning team in the same episode is just plain silly and goes against the spirit of the show. It makes it look like they were desperate to bring the series to a premature end to fit in with the Christmas TV schedules.

I think it was a terrible mistake to change the format near the end. Talk about unfair with the Morrisons order swinging it. An order that just would not be placed for real in such high volumes 50 K of each flavour? As I keep saying a damp squib. I won't be bothering with the final as I like neither finalist.

It was bad. Two to go would have been one thing but to fire an entire team, plus a good one from the winning team, was ridiculous.

Not fair on the youngsters. I enjoyed last night's show very much until then, even though I knew it was coming.

Yes it's a if it's not broke don't fix it job.

I thought it was a great shame to fire four. The format has been one from the losing team up until this., Changing it to cull the whole losing team, and one from the winning team was ridiculous.
Harry H was, for me, the best all-rounder, and a potential winner, I liked lizzie too. Harry M was certainly good tv!

We seem to have been left with the lack- lustre group as the winners, on the say so of a Morrisons buyer.
I don't really care which of the finalists win's now.
One is capable. but not easy to like, the other seems lazy, and wasn't of the same calibre as those who have gone.

I liked Harry H and Lizzie too. I thought Lizzie delivered an excellent pitch to the airline - really clever with a play on words as well - far better than Zara's.

Agreed.She did really well with her pitch to the airline, quick as a flash, she thought on her feet, and overcame their objection. She was also likeable!

Totally agree Harry H and Lizzie were the 2 I wanted in, don't care at all now who wins cos neither deserve their place. Very disappointed as I'm sure the 4 who went are too, so unfair to get through everything to be chucked out for no reason other than figures. If they'd have judged the task on it's merits, performance and produce Harry's team would have won hands down.

[quote=Halki;55122816]Agreed.She did really well with her pitch to the airline, quick as a flash, she thought on her feet, and overcame their objection. She was also likeable![/QUOTE]

She was wasn't she? I liked the way she wrapped up her pitch with thanks for flying with team whatever they were called. It's no wonder they won that pitch.

I hated the mass-firing as well, it was totally unfair on them.
Zara ahould win easily now, but Harry H should have been in the final two.

not sure whether I'm thinking straight on this one: anyone else think that the two Harrys should have been in separate groups? Before you ask why - don't know just think it would have been more interesting to have them in separate camps and we may have at least seen one of them in the final. They were two strong candidates. What do others think?

Yes, I thought her pitching skills were as good as her older namesake from Series 6 of the adult version.

She probably would have won it against Harry H, as a male won last series and she seems a bit more driven then him.

This new concept for the semifinal will be thrown in the bin.....right?? I have yet to see someone praise it. The concept last year worked far better, did not work on the adult version but that was more due to the awful candidates left, why decide on the finalists with a normal task

It's misrepresentation really in getting the kids to sign up to the show. They will have watched last year's format and believed they stood a chance on making the final based on merit rather than a sudden switch which afforded last year's candidates a better chance of winning.

I wouldn've liked a 3 way final between Harry H, Zara and Lizzie.
Harry M had his strengths, but was fatally flawed in championing his own ideas long after they had become acedemic. This also extended to him being too autocratic as a leader.

yep agree with all your post.

That would have been a brilliant final, the best three to a nail-biting finish. I would have been sitting on the end of my seat!
Instead, we have a dog's dinner of a final.

I think it backfired for Lord Sugar to be honest, as he changed the teams before the task I think he put the people he wanted to be in the final in one team (Harry H, Harry M and Lizzie) and thought it was a sure thing, as I have never seen him so dissapointed that a team has lost before.

Don't think that was the intention. However it was a daft decision to fire 4 people. Considering the series is shot months before it's broadcast, they could have just added 2-3 more weeks and fire them one by one.

It was a stupid twist and took a lot of the fun out of the programme. Why not just make it 2 or 3 weeks longer? Harry H could have won and Lizzie didn't deserve to go like that. James is not a worthy finalist.

It did leave a bad taste and just seemed to ruin the whole series which was building up nicely. Getting rid of a whole team and one member of the winning team just seemed like a rush job to get to the Final but some of the best contestants have been lost in the process and all for a shock few minutes of television.

Agree, however I'm not so sure on Lizzie. Apart from being a very likable girl, what did she actually do that REALLY stood out? There are thousands of girls like her in my opinion, very replaceable.
The only two that really stood out for me are Zara (amazing pitches, eloquence, hugely creative) and Harry M (real business acumen, well spoken, good coping with pressure and standing up to people)

Harry M would be a poor businessman unless he changes his autocratic style. It's all very well being single minded if your ideas are good, but his weren't that great (no worse than the other Apprentices though). However because he clung to his ideas even after decisions have been made he was very disruptive.

The only real acumen he showed all series was in selling those bird box cameras at retail price to a wholesaler. The rest revolved around "this is my idea, it's perfect and I won't listen to any other suggestions". In business if you wear blinkers like that you won't get very far. A good business person will listen to ideas and input from others, not squash them.

I can't see all this 'Harry M was a great candidate' business. He lost every single task, all of them, including when he was PM and did manage to get his own ideas through rather than when he wasn't PM and tried to get the PM to go with his ideas right up to the point it was beyond too late.

Rather than go on about the bloody smoochies why didn't he get behind the Empire State product and help make the packaging better, because it was rubbish and wouldn't stand out on the shelf.

I accept he did say he didn't like it during the design stage but didn't come up with anything better

I was really disappointed with the twist because I knew that one candidate deserving of a place in the final was going as a result of something hugely unfair and obviously implemented to create drama. It turned out to be Harry H who was IMO the standout and most likely winner. Lizzie also impressed but I think Zara was always going to be there. Surely the win is Zara's......but I suppose stranger things have happened.