Trump asks Rod the same question after the break, and Rod says he will not bring him back because he was very good. Instead, he'll bring back Curtis and Michael, although he says it's hard. Michael says he expected that, because he's singled out Rod in previous times in the boardroom. Curtis says he's disappointed that that's his choice, but he has to bring back two people. Bret says he's sick to his stomach that Curtis and Michael have to go back to the boardroom, and that they lost. Then Erin points out that the reason they lost was that they got a lot of stuff wrong, and she wonders who was in charge of research. George asks if he put anyone in charge of it or if anyone stepped up, and he won't answer. Trump really tries to get Rod to bring Bret back, but he won't. He says he led the team to a good performance. Bret says he would bring himself back if he were in his shoes. Curtis and Michael agree that Bret should be brought back. Rod says that Bret's a real asset, and is the only project manager who has won, and that they could have won if the other two had stepped up. Trump gives Rod one more chance to change his mind, and he won't, so it will be Rod, Curtis, and Michael in the boardroom. Trump tells George and Erin that Rod's a tough guy and is made of steel. She agrees he stuck to his guns. In the lobby, Michael tells Rod it's a bad move not bringing Bret, but Rod says he feels like he owed it to Bret not to bring him since he asked him to do so much and he did a good job. Michael feels him, but thinks he should have brought him back. Is it possible I'm starting to like Rod. What is wrong with me?

After commercial, Trump calls the three back into the boardroom, and he asks them to sit down. He tells Rod he's proven he has a lot of fight in him, but what does he have to say? Rod says he thinks they did a good job, even though they lost. He says that he thinks they lost because some parts didn't work out, but it wasn't because of creative design. Trump asks him who to fire, and Rod says he'd reluctantly say Curtis, who is amazing, but didn't do that much on this project. Curtis says Rod was a poor project manager and wouldn't communicate. Trump asks Michael if Curtis failed because he was in charge of communications, and Michael says not at all. Rod says Curtis didn't work hard for Bret, and Michael scoffs that Rod wouldn't say anything bad about anyone until now, and he's saying Curtis didn't work hard. Trump asks why they didn't know the product, and Rod tries to say others should have learned about the product. Then he tells Trump that he knows Harry Potter, which he demonstrates by saying "Slithering" and "Ravencloth." What a tool. Trump tells him he respects his tenacity, but he's fired. In the lobby, Curtis and Rod hug, all, "No hard feelings, man." In the elevator, Rod's all, "Hey there, how are you," politicking to the elevator attendant. In the boardroom, Trump feels bad for Rod, and says "It's pretty sad" that he couldn't handle the task. Dude, when did Trump become such a softie? Rod gets in his cab.