Undercover Boss Canada, episode 5: a bigwig with a big wig

Undercover Boss Canada, episode 5: a bigwig with a big wig

Undercover Boss Canada Episode 5

We actually feel sorry for Cineplexs Ellis Jacob on this week’s Undercover Boss Canada. First, he’s forced to shave a beloved moustache and wear a mangy toupée that looked itchy as hell. Then he oversees a birthday party with a passive-aggressive mom, not enough pizza, a busted DVD player and 11 bratty kids (why do kids turn evil at birthday parties?). Does Jacob make it through the week? Find out after the jump.

Jacob is sweet, but he’s also—how can we put this delicately?—completely incompetent. When he’s working the concession stand with assistant manager Katie, she quickly decides he’s not up to making popcorn (he did look pretty confused). Instead, she invents a job for him: arranging the tortilla chips for the nachos. “It’s about presentation,” she tells him. With all due respect, Katie, they’re anemic-looking chips covered with nuclear orange cheese—is it really about presentation?

After bumbling through the horrific birthday party and a power outage in the projectionist booth, Jacob reveals himself to his employees and finally finds something he’s good at: giving truly thoughtful gifts. Even we get choked up when he gives a private screening of Casablanca to 79-year-old movie lover Paul. And as he announces the gifts, what’s that we spy on Jacob’s lip? The stubble of a new moustache already sprouting! Good for you, man.

He simply cannot mop, even after multiple demonstrations by birthday party manager Jodi. “I thought that was a pretty easy task to get done,” she said. So did we.

When Jodi finally gets mad about his inability to clean, he apologizes humbly. A class act!

He ignores an employee suggestion to lower prices and talks about trying to “get another 10 cents out of everyone for food.” Come on, Ellis, that popcorn already costs a fortune.

According to his nametag, his favourite movie is The Shawshank Redemption. We’re cool with anyone who loves Morgan Freeman.

He gives lovely gifts to his employees, including tickets to CinemaCon for movie geek Codi and a trip to New York for theatre lover Jodi. (Note: is a name ending in –odi a prerequisite for working at Cineplex?)


Genuine—the gifts totally swung this one in his favour.


Fired. Worst. Mopper. Ever.