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« Survivor: China
Going for the Oscar
Is it luck or skill that’s keeping Peih-Gee in this game? It’s hard to tell. She’s most definitely an outsider. Though I think she does more to keep herself that way than she realizes. The poor thing. She wants to be a part of the crowd so badly, yet when Todd called for a celebratory group hug among the final six where was Peih-Gee? She was sitting off by herself and had to be pulled in.
This was almost enough to make me feel sad for her, but then came the family visits at the reward challenge. Each player was partnered with a loved one and made to navigate a maze while blindfolded, find each other and then make their way to the center platform. Denise and her husband Robert were victorious despite the ear splitting (and hilarious) birdcall strategy used by Amanda and sister, Katrina. Denise stayed true to her alliance and chose Amanda, Katrina, Todd and his sister Brandi to join her on her river cruise and feast. This left Courtney and her English father Graham, Erik and his mother and a sulky Peih-Gee and her father Lawrence to remain at camp, hungry and bitter. And how deliciously naughty was it for the winners to bring back a chocolate treat for the starving challenge losers only you have them like it off of the winners hands.
Now this may be hypocritical, but I was surprised that Denise didn’t chose Peih-Gee to join in her reward as payback for Peih-Gee choosing her last week to go to the Shaolin Temple. However, to watch Peih-Gee complain about the same thing turned me off. Oh Well. Know what else turned me off? The losing members suggesting that Todd’s sad news of his younger sister’s miscarriage was akin to Johnny Fairplay’s dead grandmother ploy. It never once occurred to me that Todd was playing the game when he got emotional. But I will say Jeff has good hearing to have picked up on that whispered conversation.
In the aftermath of the family visits it seemed that Peih-Gee and Todd were the only two players invested in winning the immunity challenge. I’m going to assume that this swampified obstacle course trivia challenge was harder than it seemed due to some horrific humidity or some other weather phenomenon because otherwise it didn’t look that hard to me. Follow the rope, answer a true/false question, choose the right key retrace your steps and open a lock. Repeat two times. Yet, everyone was moving in slo-mo. Even the final leg was like stop-motion claymation special. Todd. Almost. Wins. Peih-Gee. Close. Behind. Todd. Has. Wrong. Key. Pieh-Gee. Wins. Immunity. Again!
She won her second immunity challenge in a row! Luck? I’d say a little bit because had Todd known that the Chinese invented gunpowder he would be the proud holder of an immunity necklace.
As things go when it comes down to six players remaining, the player with the least power in the game becomes the all-powerful swing vote. Denise bore the brunt of Peih-Gee and Erik’s lobbying to force a tie against Todd, Amanda and Courtney. It would have been a smart move for Denise, but instead she, like Aaron, looked too far ahead in the game to the possibility of a backlash from her alliance if she were to vote against them and the vote didn’t got in her favor. Erik paid the price tonight for Denise’s fears. But honestly, this guy was pretty bad at this game. I don’t think I saw one strategic move on his part the whole time he was in the mix. Erik seems like a great guy but he’s lucky to have lasted this long.
Now, he will join the ranks of the jury and if you watch the opening credits closely next week you’ll see that Survivor has done something different this season. No longer will you see the faces of all 16 players. You’ll get the merged tribe and then the jury. I guess that’s just more incentive to make it to the merge.
So, will Amanda make this move against Todd that she’s been talking about or will we have to wait yet another week? Did Denise make the right call in voting out Erik? What was Jaime laughing about at tribal James looked pissed though). And isn’t it interesting that the players are strategizing based on a final three finale? Wouldn’t it be great if Survivor flipped the script again and went back to a two-person finale?
What do you think?
For more Survivor: China check out our Online Video Guide.
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Dec 6, 2007 9:43 PM
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I was sad no one used the tried-and-true "Marco"..."Polo" game during the reward challenge.
I have no doubt that would have been the first thing to come to my sister's and my mind. I never said we were creative.
I'm ready for Peih-Gee to go. She's doing great at competitions but I just don't care for her. I was surprised to find how much I'm rooting for Denise. I was worried for a while there at tribal council that Denise might just be going home--that maybe her alliance decided that "she's being too wishy-washy--time to get rid of her."
I also didn't think Todd was doing a Johnny Fairplay move. But even if I had been suspicious about his antics I would never have mocked him or the possibility of his sister's pain.
I was hoping that they showed us that footage to see Courtney shoot herself in the foot later (and thus, be voted out)--but it appears nothing came of it. But I am thinking that there is still more to this story, at least within the game of Survivor. Otherwise I don't think there was much point showing us Courtney and company's doubts. (And I'm not saying Todd is lying. I'm just thinking that maybe Courtney will be shunned when others realize what she did.)
Or, I'm wrong. I guess we'll see soon.
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Dec 6, 2007 10:28 PM
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Just a small correction - Peih-Gee didn't win 2 immunity challenges in a row, cause Erik won last week. PG won the reward challenge last week, but had won immunity the time before that.
Todd needs to go - he is getting on my last nerve and seems quite a bit stuck on himself - he thinks he knows it all & is the best player..get over yourself! He's lying & backstabbing, and totally untrustworthy. After Erik lobbied Denise for her vote, Todd went over and said "You know I've got your back and I've been there for you" or something like that. But I'm sorry, wasn't it just last week that you were talking smack about Denise (along with Courtney, Amanda & James) while she was off on a reward challenge? If you look at some of the past winners of Survivor (Earl, Tina, etc.), people trusted them - I just don't think Todd wins it if he makes it to the final 3 (or 2).
And if you think Erik was a bad player, please explain to me how Courtney is still in this game. She's no better than he was - she was just lucky to be put on the stronger tribe to begin with (Fei Long), and is now riding their coat tails. Since Erik's gone now, I'm rooting for Denise all the way, cause out of the 5 players remaining, I think she's the most deserving.
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Dec 6, 2007 11:52 PM
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Glad to see Peih-Gee win another immunity challenge (once again, I think her Chinese ancestry helped here). Wish she would lighten up a little bit but enjoying her more now than when she threw the challenge with Jaime weeks ago. Amanda's butt got quite a showing with blurs all over the place with one exception. And they did the same thing to her sister, Katrina! Loved their bird calls during the whole reward challenge. I think I want Todd out too and hope Amanda's plan goes into play next week. And while the immunity challenge was clay animation slow, some of the challenges from last Sunday's "Amazing Race" were even slower to me!
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Dec 7, 2007 12:20 AM
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I am ready for PG to go. I just don't like her. I agree with you SNLfan, she is getting fortunate with these Chinese questions. Hopefully next week there will not be any questions to give her any advantage. I just knew that PG would be ticked when Denise didn't pick her. And lo and behold she did. Look, PG had to pick 2 people to go last week. So it was basically the luck of the draw that Denise was chosen. If 2 of her tribe mates would have still be around, Denise would not have been chose by PG. I frankly did not feel sorry at all for PG.
I didn't like that they thought Todd was lying about the miscarriage. And Todd did say that it is true alone on camera. Todd is nothing like Johnny Fairplay. Not even close. JF was/is a vile human being who I couldn't stand on the show and still can't stand. Todd may be playing the game hard, but I don't think he is a bad guy like JF.
Courtney is another person who I don't want to win. I didn't like that she made fun of the miscarriage. I realize that she thought that Todd was making it up, but it still makes her look extremely bad. She just doesn't seem to be a good person. It was a big surprise that she has an English father. The two of them didn't seem anything alike.
I think I am rooting for Denise to win it all. She is likable and she hasn't stabbed anyone in the back. She would tough to beat in a final 2 or 3. And I don't think it was horrible move for her to vote out Erik. She is the low person on the totem pole in either group. So go with the people you trust a bit more. I could have seen PG and Erik throwing her over the next week and joined forces with someone else to get her out. I don't buy that it was a poor move on her part.
A couple more things. I want to thank my lucky stars again that Jaime is on the jury. Wow. James looked ticked off. If looks could kill, everyone would have been dead from him. Rhoda-Are you just now realizing that they changed up the credits after they reached jury stage of the show? Really? Ok then. CBS-Free the cheeks. Free the cheeks.
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Dec 7, 2007 1:15 AM
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speedy1383, loved reading your request to CBS to "free the cheeks". LOL!
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Dec 7, 2007 2:11 AM
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StarMesa two members of the stronger team are no longer there. So Courtney is doing something right to still be around.
This is the second time Survivor all but gave PG the challenge. When it comes to the Chinese cultural things she has a huge advantage.
I thought it was good of Denise to pick people that didn't get to go on the reward last time. Sure it would be nice to thank PG by taking her but it seems like a better plan to take her alliance members who didn't get to go last week.
And I thought it would have been a dumb move for Denise to go with the other 2. It only gives them a tie so if they lose Denise gets voted out fifth rather than fourth. And there's no way she's going to beat the other 2 in a final 3 so she'd be playing for third place whereas with the others if she can get to final 3 she has a good shot at winning. And most importantly, she thinks she is final 3 with them. And all she has to do is win one endurance challenge to get final three. It can be done.
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Dec 7, 2007 2:54 AM
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I don't know if the miscarriage story was true or not, but I thought it was fishy that Jeff made him repeat it. Others whispered to each other and weren't made to repeat it. Also it's tacky of CBS to have made a big deal out of a heart-breaking private family situation. The whole thing just didn't fit.
I'm going to root for Denise, too. And I wasn't sure about that question and answer session at tribal council. How does having a happy marriage and family have anything to do with people wanting to vote you out? Does that imply that the others don't have happy family lives? I understand it when a millionaire has to keep that a secret or will be voted out, but having a nice family is not on a par with that at all.
The blurring of both sisters' butts makes me think CBS is doing that because the sisters requested it. That maybe Amanda wasn't kidding weeks ago when she said her mother would be upset to see her like that. I just find it hard to believe that she's showing more than PG in her bikini, but it's hard to know for sure since it's always blurred.
And why do I care? Heck if I know!!!
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Dec 7, 2007 5:19 AM
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Im also in agreement about 3 things. 1. I want PG gone like yesterday. I wanted to reach through my tv and smack the living daylights out of her with all that sulking she was doing about going on the reward. She is so bitter. Get over it PG. 2. I also want Todd gone. I can't stand him. and 3 Im also rooting for Denise. She is the only one who is not getting on my nerves on this show.
I thought that Courtney's father Graham was going to break her in 2 when they were hugging.
James looks good cleaned up. And the reason why he looked so pissed off was because he is pissed off at himself.
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Dec 7, 2007 6:41 AM
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I'd agree with that statement about James, lizzybelle. And I say that because last week during his farewell message he was a great good sport and a gentleman, and blamed no one but himself. I really wish he'd trusted less and used one of his immunity idols, but alas, it was not to be.
I'm getting antsy for final tribal council and see if we can get any fireworks out of this bunch. That's always fun.
And then on the last show when the winner is named, Speedy1383 can see Jaime in all her make-up and pretty clothes...and she can wow him all over again.....albeit without a bikini on. Not my fave, but I've enjoyed seeing you moon over her, Speedy!! 
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Dec 7, 2007 7:06 AM
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From what Courtney said before she started mocking Todd, a conversation had been held early in the competition where Todd stated his teenage sister had gotten pregnant and it didn't seem like the family was happy about it. That's why she thought he was faking the emotions. In other words, if the family wasn't happy about the pregnancy to begin with, why get emotional when it wasn't meant to be.
I was so hoping Denise would have forced the tie last night. I really like her, but I think she may be gone before final 4. PG has been doing well in the immunity challenges and if she wins it next week, I can see Denise going home.
I really hope Todd goes home soon. He is cocky and arrogant and rubs me the wrong way. PG has bugged me since the thrown challenge and Amanda and Courtney have done nothing to show they deserve to still be there.
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Dec 7, 2007 7:37 AM
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I am amazed how much I still love this show and love watching the challenged after all these seasons. Jeff's lines never get old and I just love it! I thought it was hilarious how Courtney dramatized Todd's reaction to the bad news. I can't stand her but that was funny to me. She doesn't deserve to win and neither did Erik. I think everyone else that is left could be deserving. Whether we like PG or not, she is doing an amazing job at staying in this game. I will be sad to see her go home, when she does eventually. But I think it was stupid on Denise's part not to jump alliances. Unless Amanda actually gets the Kahunas to get rid of Todd, I don't see anyone else being in the finals except those 2. I can't stand Todd for the record though, he is just shady!
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Dec 7, 2007 7:58 AM
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I am confused. I don't understand why people are rooting for Denise? I get that she is a nice person but does she deserve a $1 million dollars for being nice? In my opinion, NO!!! I didn't like PG either but after last night I am kind of rooting for her. It hasn't been easy being the outsider. I know she has an abrasive personality but you have to admire the fact that she is still hangning in there. Also, I don't think anyone could penetrate the group of Todd, Courtney and Amanda. What has Denise done? I haven't seen her make any kind of strategic moves. I do admit it is a lot easier to root for someone like Denise but I can't do it. This is Survivor!! You should at least put some effort into trying to Outwit,Outlast and Outplay the other players. I don't think you should make it to the final 3 or 2 based on being nice
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Dec 7, 2007 8:31 AM
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What the hell is Todd still doing here? Has he won any individual challenge? Man, is he lucky he had the numbers at the merge.
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Dec 7, 2007 8:47 AM
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Rhoda- You really thought that the immunity challenge didn't look that hard? Really? Maybe not complicated, but I thought it looked extremely exhausting. Had it been on flat ground, I would have agreed with you. But, having trudged through water, I can imagine trudging through a muddy swamp would be very exhausting (and slow).
I think that Todd was emotional just from seeing his sister, so I don't think that the crying was just because his other sister had a miscarriage, but from missing home and being emotional to get any news from home. And I think that Courtney is a cold-hearted b**ch! I didn't find anything funny in her mocking the situation. Just because it was an unplanned teen pregnancy doesn't mean that Todd can't be concerned for his sister and what she is going through. Courtney can't be gone soon enough for me.
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Dec 7, 2007 8:54 AM
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