I think even if he didn't say it in time, the fact that he was going to say it is good.
I think the experiment failed and the joke next episode will be Eleanor protesting with "Brent was ABOUT to say sorry!". The Judge will be like "really, you think?", and let him go for like 5 more seconds where it's revealed that he actually said "I'm so, so, sorry that you feel that way" or something equally Brent-ish
I don't know where they go from there if it fails, but then that's the magic of the show I guess.