Didnt Harry M actually come up with the name 'Empire State Popcorn' - I think he did.

Being part of a losing team doesn't make you the reason for each defeat. Sugar acknowledged that Harry M had many strengths and was unlucky that his losing record affects that.

And he DID get behind ESP. He was doing his best to try and convince Harry H to change his mind as he feared ESP wasn't a strong enough brand, this was right. He was desperate as all of their necks were on the line 'You've gone and got us all fired' he said...and he was right.

Smoochies - silly idea as it sounds - would for me, have attracted the Supermarket. Perfect popcorn for couples who want to sit in with a movie - I'd buy it, certainly ahead of La Popcorn. Sugar also liked the idea

But once that was definitely out, Harry M got behind ESP and delivered an excellent pitch promomoting it that resulted in a very large order for the team.

They were brainstorming the idea of a name weren't they once they decided on an American theme. I did agree with Harry M in the boardroom - he did get behind the product once it had been sent to marketing. I just think it's a shame that it's ended this way and paved the way for a very poor final. Won't be one I'll be watching I'm afraid.

Sugar blatantly thought that Harrys and Lizzie would win, thats why he had hoped to select his finalists from those three. He hadn't planned on having to pick one of Heya or James to be finalists.

So, the difference between Lizzie and Zara is their speech pattern

Lizzie also had great pitches (praised by both Nick and Karren) and designed the strap around the arm in task 2 (the baby task).

You British people do have some issues with classes in your country if this particular series is anything to go by. Mind you, in my country you also have different accents and stuff but not to this degree of contempt.

Agree its not the intention. He had two groups and either had strengths. He couldn't put the two awkward customers (Harry M and James) together and he needed to see what Zara, James, Harry H and Harry M could actually do. If anything Harry H's team is the last chance one.Unlike Haya, Zara and James, Harry H hadn't won as PM and looked a bit like a competent soldier rather than a leader. Zara had made a few mistakes and needed a good showing to convince him. He needed evidence James could succeed and Harry M needed a chance to win and show what he could do.

In one sense the SF sorted that out. Harry H was competent but couldn't win. Harry M was still difficult. James was manageable and Zara did well across a range of tasks.If you had had more weeks the record would still note that Harry M had gone on so long with no wins and Harry H had had no wins as PM in two goes.

They obviously had no programming time to have more episodes with xmas coming up (the schedules have been out since one Apprentice series was delayed by the 2010 election) and its not clear how long 16 year olds could be away from home. Interviews of the last 4 or 6 would have been fairer to all - but they seem to have ruled that out, so the choice was lots more tasks which might have shown nothing not already known. Its difficult to see too how you get from 4 contenders to 2 by just using tasks and the usual format, and you have to have just two finalists.

The real loser from the format I think is Lizzie. From Lord Sugar's comments he's picked up that she's articulate and says what she thinks and honest, but he missed out saying the bigger point that actually she was very smart. On series record or range of ability or SF performance she did better than either Harry. The only argument against her in the SF is, if you believe Harry M's theory they needed a more striking concept, which Zara and James did go for. But thats not really an argument , unless you think Harry M's own suggestion of smootchies had any merit, as that was all that was on offer, and her arguments against it were convincing.

Ideally it should have played out to a later final - probably between both Harry's, Zara and Lizzie - but there doesn't seem any way to get there and, on record, both Harry's would have looked questionable winners.

yh i agree op

I'm sure if the 2 you wanted in the final got there, you wouldn't be saying it's a damp squib!

As a neutral, I wasnt bothered who got to the final, and that made the 'semi final' more interesting knowing the losers would get fired.

And in a way, it makes sense, if you lose - you should be treated as a 'loser' which in Apprentice terms means getting fired!

I'm not sure i can be bothered to watch the final cos i don't really like either finalist.

Harry H and Heya should be in the final imo.

I think the masss firing could have been very good, But I would have had it after the first task. Double the number of contestants and really put them in their place at the very begining. See who folds under that initial pressure.

I thought the finalists would be Harry H and James. I don't really like James but can see that he is a great business person. Harry is likeable and takes chances. It was such a shame that he never won a single task.

They already got 2 more episodes then last year (and more contestants).

The format from series 1 was fine and they should have just stuck with it (instead 2 vs.2 it would become 3 vs. 3). Mind you, then the Zara fans would probably have said it was fixed.

Really disappointed with this year`s semi-final as well. Too many deserving candidates gone for no good reason. Just felt it wasn`t meant to happen like that and LS was left floundering.

I won`t be bothering with the final. Its a foregone conclusion that Zara will win - but it will only be by default so hardly cause for celebration. A real let down.

I agree it was a stupid decision. I have no idea why they changed it. I definitely would have picked different people for the final.

Lord Sugar shuffled the teams and they were all aware the losers of popcorngate would go. LS gets who he wants as his finalists unless he allowed Morrisons to choose them for him.

I think it was another experiment to see how a 3 v 3 semi final would work. Teams of two in the semi finals aren't great TV. In the adult Apprentice series they tried a different possibility (4 way interview final to decide the winner). You can't really do interviews in Young Apprentice, so it was the mass firing instead.

Neither idea worked well, so maybe they'll go back to having four in the semi final again next year.

I think the critic issue here is that it took the firing decision out of the hands of Lord Sugar.

That should never happen. Fire four at once if you want, but make those four people the ones that LS wants to fire.

The same thing happened in the previous final, which was 2 v 2. The losing team were fired and LordS chose the winner from the winning team.

Totally agree.

Uhmm....no.

The winning team was decided by Lord Sugar (i.e. the advert task this series).