Survivor: China

I’m not sure how I feel yet about the Survivor: China finale. I found myself cheering at the end. Strange since I wasn’t originally a fan of the winner though I did warm up later on. I ended up feeling unsettled about a player I had liked all along and I survived a mini-roller coaster ride with another player when I found myself with no clear favorite in the end. To sum up, I was a little all over the place during the final three hours of the show. Now I sit here somewhat dazed by it all so let me tell you how I got here and see if anyone else feels the same.

The two-hour finale started with a final reward challenge that had Amanda, Denise, Todd and Courtney rebuilding Survivor’s version of China’s Great Wall. Amanda won and was rewarded with a meal. She could choose to keep it all for herself or share it with one or two people. She agonized for the appropriate length of time and then chose to share her meal only with Todd. This was, after all, a perfect opportunity to privately evaluate her closest ally and determine if he was still trustworthy. Ironic since in the end she would be the one called out for being a liar…

Amanda prevailed again at the final immunity challenge that had each person balance a growing stack of porcelain plates on a balancing arm while standing in the hot sun. Todd and Courtney succumbed first leaving Denise to try to get Amanda to make a deal for the final three. Amanda refused, going on to win it all on her own, beholden to no one. Didn’t you just want her to win the whole thing right then and there?

At this point we learned in confessional that in her real life, Denise earned only $7/hour as a lunch lady. I wish I never heard those words. I’ve liked Denise pretty much throughout the game, but after tonight I left the show not thinking of her as I did for episodes 1-12. Instead, because such a big deal was made of it, I ended up feeling bad for the woman who we’ve learned has lost her Lunch Lady job because of her time on the show and now works as a janitor. I hate that people like Courtney feel they are entitled to make comments such as, ”This isn’t, like, welfare. She doesn’t deserve it because she, like, sucks at life.” And while it’s great that Mark Burnett decided during the live reunion show to give Denise 50K on the spot I’m soured on it because it reduces this nice woman to being a charity case and she doesn’t deserve that.

As we all knew it would, that tribal Council separated Denise from her four-pack leaving her bitter and angry at final tribal. Denise’s one consolation, however, was the fact that, deliberately or not Todd, ever the masterful player, tossed Amanda under the bus in the jury’s eye by making them believe that she had betrayed Denise. With that move, he effectively took Amanda out of the game.

Facing the jury, the final three fended off a few targeted questions, but unlike other final tribal councils, the jury was not completely nasty. James, in his wife-beater, chose not to be a ‘Bitter Betty” and asked a benign question. Jamie, however, tried to be a tough nut, but only accomplished the second half of that description as she stumbled over her circuitous question. There was some flirting between Frosti and Courtney, “You look great,” “Thanks, I dressed up for you.” There was some indignation on Todd’s part towards Peih-Gee. “First, I did not slide anywhere! Second, I got my numbers. I fought. It was a glorious battle!” And there were some retorts on Courtney’s part to Jean-Robert, “I won a challenge…Did you?’

Overall, apologetic Amanda killed her chances by painting herself as the “doe-eyed” liar who had no choice but to lie. Todd on the other hand owned his lying ways and backed up his every move with strategic reasons for each one. Courtney played the survivor card – she was the smallest and the weakest, but she lasted to the end. ‘You have to give a little bit of credit to the little girl who everybody thought would be gone.”

In the end, the jury voted Todd as the ultimate survivor, with Courtney a close second and Amanda a distant third with only one vote. I cheered and I surprised myself when I did. As I said, I was not a fan of Todd at the beginning. Then he won me over, but I still didn’t I want him to win; though I wanted and fully expected him to be there in the end. I had started to root for Amanda in recent weeks but was frustrated by her action-less talk of ousting Todd. I discounted Courtney as pretty much everyone else did. I wanted to see Denise make final three at the least, but we know how that went. Congratulations to Todd, a true student of the game who has earned his place in Survivor history.

However, if Todd were just in this for some money, then he need only have worked on being popular because that’s the other route to a fatter bank account on Survivor. Fan favorite James edged out Denise and Peih-Gee to win $100K merely by being, in Jeff’s words, one of the most popular players the show has seen in a long time. Hello? Does anybody remember a little guy named Yau-Man? I’m not all that keen on the additional prize money. In my opinion it negates the work of the actual winner. Perhaps I’d feel differently if I were Rupert or James.

Despite this, I do enjoy seeing the aftermath of the show at the reunion special. We have another Survivor love connection with Jamie and Erik who are dating. He’s still a virgin (wink, wink). Ever so tactfully, Jeff addressed Courtney’s weight and she says that she is not anorexic. She currently weighs more than 95 pounds. James was named People’s Sexy Man of the Week. All other reveals were uninspiring. Things like Jean-Robert saying he’d play the game exactly the same had he the chance to do it all over again.

So that’s it folks. Join us next season for Survivor: Micronesia where fan favorites will battle the show’s super fans. Should be good.

It’s been great blogging for you this season. Thanks for all your comments. Now one last time you tell me. Did the right person win Survivor: China?

For more Survivor: China check out our Online Video Guide.

It would be unkind of me to start tonight’s blog off with a rousing chorus of Ding-Dong The Witch Is Dead. It really would. Because you know, I’m sure Peih-Gee is wonderful person in person, but in the game of Survivor this was not readily apparent and I’ll not be surprised if in the coming weeks of post-show Survivor press we witness her invoking the Bad Edit defense. If there’s one thing we’ve learned through these many days in China, it’s that Peih-Gee doesn’t give up easily.

That’s what got her to one of the most important points in the game – the night we determine who will make final four. The stakes were high, not just because we’re so close to the end, but also because this week’s prize at the reward challenge was an overnight stay on the Great Wall of China complete with a meal. Who wouldn’t want to win this, right?

But as we’ve seen at almost every challenge where the prize was a local cultural experience Peih-Gee Starts in with oh-this-means-so-much-to-me- body language meant to guilt everyone else into letting her win. I understand that being of Chinese heritage, these opportunities may resonate just that much more for Peih-Gee, but that doesn’t mean she’s entitled to win them just because. So the post-losing sulking she does just doesn’t sit well with me. As in tonight’s crossbow challenge where Courtney apparently uninterested earning the trip outright chose Denise as the winner. I’m guessing Courtney’s strategy was based on the assumption that Denise would choose her as a companion out of gratitude and so it didn’t matter if she won or not.

Courtney played her cards right and Denise chose her and Todd leaving Peih-Gee simmering with resentment that easily boiled over when Jeff stirred her pot. “Hello, I'm still a person!” Waa Waa Waa. Meanwhile Amanda, also left behind, was the epitome of good sportsmanship. At least on the surface. But isn’t that where it matters most?

Back at camp, Amanda cleared the air with PG and laid the groundwork for a coup against Todd. Todd played right into the plan when he and Courtney came back from their fabulous reward and complained about the food. Not smart and really not kind at all. As a viewer, I was getting excited. How great would that be to see someone else besides Todd make a play that would turn the game on its ear! Go Amanda, right?

Things fell into place at the immunity challenge – a replay of previous challenges including that chicken fetus eating challenge – when Amanda and Peih-Gee were the last two standing. Amanda won the necklace. She had Peih-Gee and Denise ready to make a move but come Tribal council time, all of the Fei Longers voted the remaining Zhan Hu out 4-1.

What??? Why didn’t Amanda, Miss “I May Have to Think about Getting Rid of Todd,” vote against Peih-Gee? What about your big plan to get rid of the “backstabber”? Where has all the game-play gone? Make a move woman!!!

Now that that’s out of my system I have a few things to say.

Jean-Robert was right when he said Courtney was going to slide her way to the finals.

Denise is just one lucky woman because she’s not playing the game very well. She sat under the stars on the Great wall with two connivers who were discussing changing up the final three by dumping Amanda and what did Denise do? She walked away from the conversation and went to bed rather than jump on the chance to make it three days closer to the million.

Amanda is just as bad. She knew what had to be done yet she was too afraid to make the move. She may as well just crown Todd the winner and be done with it.

Peih-Gee. Honey, you played the game too hard. Congrats for lasting as long as you did.

Negative Nancy a.k.a. Courtney and Todd are well on their way to final tribal council which, if you weren’t paying attention, will be this Sunday. So plan accordingly for the three-hour finale and reunion show wrap up this weekend. I’ll see you then and in the meantime I’d love to hear your predictions for this season’s winner.

For more Survivor: China check out our Online Video Guide.

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.

Episode recap: Ready to Bite the Apple

Okay, was that not the coolest Survivor reward ever? Two weeks ago, when dear Frosti was bumped from the tribe and we poor sots thought that that chapter was over Jeff pulled a To Be Continued saying there was “more business”. Wheels started turning in people’s minds. What could this mean? Well, I’ll tell you what it meant: There was another reward challenge to be held immediately after tribal council. It whisked the winner, Peih-Gee, and two of chosen tribemates, Erik and Denise, to the 1500-year-old Shaolin Temple, the birthplace of kung fu, where Shaolin monks still practice this ancient martial art. I mean, come on, that is a fantastic reward.

It was a special treat for Denise who, it turns out, is a near black belt at karate, having studied for eight years. I love that she continues to surprise me and her tribemates with stuff like this. I hope she sticks around a lot longer in the game because it wold be sweet to see her outlast the other players who have marginalized her. Yet it bugs me to see that Denise’s loyalty to her alliance is unreciprocated. There she is away on a reward with the two other outcasts and her alliance is whooping it up back at camp exclaiming how great it is to be just those four. Where’s the love for Denise, I ask? At least our favorite lunch lady got a once in a lifetime, up close and personal demonstration from the monks of something that was meaningful to her. That totally makes up for her being overlooked before.

As amazed as Denise was by the monks I am by Peih-Gee and her staying power. She’s not liked at camp. She’s been on ‘the list’ for a while, yet she manages to survive tribal council time and again. Every week she’s pushing that same old, “if we band together we can vote them out” strategy that everyone ignores. But she doesn’t give up and that’s admirable. Even tonight, last to know Peih-Gee stumbles across James’s hidden idols and comes up with a plan that the remaining Fei Long have already put into play. What is it with Zhan Hu always being a few steps behind? I cracked up when she asked Amanda if she knew that James had the idols and Amanda was like, “Duh! I’m not stupid”.

It’s about time somebody had the nerve to force James Of The Two Idols’ hand. The Former Fei Longers voted against James hoping he wouldn’t use an idol and the remaining Zhan Hu’s voted for Todd –
which, of course, means that his little neck was really on the block. James has been quick to toss out adapted biblical references in this game to keep things inline as he sees them. I’ll do the same: It is better to give up an idol than to keep two of them and lose the million dollars. Yes, James, you made the wrong choice tonight and ended up taking that walk of shame out of the pagoda. In a refreshing move he didn’t leave a bitter goodbye message.

Six are left and one alliance has already started cannibalizing itself. Which way will this game go next? Courtney displayed some skill with the star toss. Todd is losing his hold over his group. Erik, this week’s immunity winner, and Peih-Gee are holding their own in challenges. Amanda wants to make a powerplay and Denise could do the same. To my eyes, it’s anybody’s game now.

For more Survivor: China check out our Online Video Guide.

Episode Recap: It’s Been Real and It’s Been Fun.

If you didn’t gobble down you Thanksgiving Day feast in time to catch Survivor: China then fear not because you did not miss much. Yes, folks it was the most beloved of episodes: The season recap. This year, however, included far more new footage making it much less of a rehash than it has been in years past and for that we are thankful.

While there were some moments worth seeing again like James giggling in the woods over the possibility of Jamie playing her fake immunity idol it was the added scenes that put some events into a chronological context that I really enjoyed. Remember Dave, that abrasive guy from Zhan Hu? Believe it or not I had actually forgotten about him. Perhaps I should say I had blocked him out. Regardless, his appearance on the show reminded me of just how ridiculous he was. I loved seeing how his no eating before challenges strategy to conserve energy played into that immunity challenge where his lack of energy caused his tribe to lose. Talk about having to eat crow afterwards.

I would, however, have preferred seeing that over the vivid footage of Erik “squeezing the poo” out of worms before eating them. Yes, hunger can make you do some strange things, but depooifying an invertebrate before ingesting it is just nasty.

I always wonder why those stuck in the wild on these shows (I’ll forgive those who are really SOL in the wilderness) don’t cook the food that enters their ever increasing palate? Honestly, how long does it take to roast a worm? I was so happy to see them cook that frog (unlike a certain adventurer on the Discovery Channel who prefers to bite the heads off the live suckers!) before eating it.

James has been a fan favorite this season and continues to be if only for his calling Aaron out on his poor leadership skills. Nevermind that the “stewardess” and the “older lady’ we’re also sunning on the boat with Aaron when they should have been working. For James the buck stopped only with Aaron and he made sure that Aaron knew how he felt about the situation.

I’m not sure if James’ tirade was the reason Aaron resigned as leader (only to then issue a ton of orders) but that sure was a lame move on his part. Yeah, nobody wants to be the leader on Survivor but stepping down will not help your game play once you’ve been thrust into that role. That’s just another reason why it was right to vote Aaron out.

I’d like to think that Todd, the man behind the curtains this season, would have found a way to abdicate without looking like a weenie had he been in Aaron’s shoes. But watching him wig out on Jean-Robert for an inconsequential comment, however, leads me to believe that Toddy is only just holding it together out there.

I realize it’s tough situation. I mean people are squeezing poo out of worms for crying out loud, but they need to hang in there. James sees himself as the glue that binds Fei Long. That could very well be the case though I’m not a hundred percent convinced. James could stand to lighten up on the verbal attacks but at least he has his head on straight and calls out the bull when he sees it. Maybe he could spend some time doing impressions of others in cast, which in my opinion was the funniest part of the show. Courtney and Todd impersonating Jaime and Denise was spot on. From the looks of it next week, we’ll get Amanda doing Peih-Gee when she makes a move to break up with her Fei Long alliance.

Until then, my guess is still as good as yours about the upcoming twist, but if you have a guess as to Jeff has in store for these guys please share.

For more Survivor: China check out our Online Video Guide.

Episode recap: Just Don’t Eat the Apple

Hi Survivor fans! Rhoda here with a special Thank you to Nina for filling in while I was on the road to North Carolina last week. And while I’m feeling grateful let me give a shout out to this On Demand world that we now live in. Yes, there was the VCR and then the DVR but this whole watching television whenever and – with my laptop – wherever thing is truly the best advance to come along since sliced bread.

At my leisure I caught the triumph of Courtney and the demise of Jean-Robert without missing a beat. Well, there was that hiccup with the buffering but we won’t talk about that. With a little refreshing I was able to catch up without having to tinker with a videotape or worry that I would return home to the dreaded blinking clock on the VCR courtesy of a random power outage.

Last week the tribe voted out Jean-Robert and then went on to sleep easy with him gone. But with that huge target no longer around each of these players ought to watch their backs or at least recognize that if they aren’t, Todd is.

Why is no one worried about Todd? I’ve said it before: He’s shifty. Yet, he’s the leader of the pack and to my surprise, I find that I’ve fallen for him. He amuses me to no end – mostly due to faces he makes and his habit of surveying his crew of misfits like he’s Lord Meerkat. Whether it’s Peih-Gee, expertly annoying James or Courtney and Frosti canoodling as if they were chimps in a grooming circle you can always rely on Todd’s face to quietly express his horror, disgust and/or frustration with those around him. I am completely delighted by the man and amazed that no one notices or is disturbed by the fact that he is constantly observing and plotting – or at the very least keeping some wonderfully sarcastic comment to himself. Were I playing this game, this guy would be at the top of my list of targets. Now that he’s won me over I worry that with every adjustment he makes to his strategy Todd will overthink himself right onto the jury.

I worry just as much for James who is not quite the shrinking violent we met in the early days of this journey. Remember how Leslie took him under her wing and we viewers all went, “Awww!” Now it seems he’s either telling Peih-Gee to “shut up” or that she’s “stupid”. Looks like he’s finally got that social game down.

Sadly, James has not excelled at following the bouncing ball. This week’s very cool reward challenge required two teams to navigate a mild obstacle course while bouncing a ball against several drums. It was like a Chinese version of paddleball, except the paddle was a bongo and there were no strings attached. The team of James, Denise, Peih-Gee and Todd was not adept at this game and lost 3-0 to their opponents who were rewarded with a river cruise and a feast. At camp sore loser Peih-Gee had “the nerve” as James said, to accuse James of not trying to win the challenge. Her accusations caused James to get indignant (which I loved) and handed out the verbal smack-down. Of course while these two argued Todd watched and plotted.

Th immunity challenge offered everyone a meal if they were willing to forfeit a chance at immunity. James, Denise, Todd and Courtney were confident enough to risk going home and devoured burgers and fries while Peih-Gee, Frosti, Amanda and Erik battled it out in a memory game involving the Chinese zodiac. It came down to Frosti and Peih-Gee. While James managed to eat seven cheeseburgers during the challenge, Frosti couldn’t recall the right sequence of tiles and lost immunity to Peih-Gee.

This was a difficult loss because it spared the outcast Peih-Gee from Jury duty and sent Frosti packing. What does this mean? It is clear you can’t trust the Fei Long folk anymore. They had allied with Frosti yet sent him home over Erik the outsider from Zhan Hu. The way things are going Peih-Gee has a real chance of making it past the next vote but in yet another twist there is “More business”. Tune in next week to find out just what Jeff has up his sleeve.

For more Survivor: China check out our Online Video Guide.

Episode Recap: "High School Friend Contest"

Good evening, Survivorites. Nina Hämmerling Smith here; I'll be your blogger tonight while Rhoda's away.

It was quite an episode, wasn't it? I lost track of the number of times the strategy shifted and lies were told and uncovered. It all began with James, a good provider and obviously a tremendous physical threat, and his insight that the Fei Long'ers may all be opposites, but they have the strength of numbers, whereas the Zhan Hu'ers were trying to win a "high school friend contest."

His comment proved prophetic when the reward challenge involved a school-yard pick of teams, and poor Denise was left out and became ineligible to enjoy the reward, a feast at an ancient village. The challenge involved sinking the opponent's boat, and Peih-Gee's red team picked Courtney as a captain because she weighs next to nothing — but, hello, she's also got the strength of a weak kitten (mew!). Jean-Robert, Todd, James and Amanda won easily, with a combination of brawn and brains.

It led to a delightfully awkward encounter between JR and three of his supposed "allies," all of whom handled an idol at one point but were feigning surprise at the news of its existence. The scene also provided one of the funniest lines of the night, courtesy of a tipsy Jean-Robert: "I did not know there was an American Immunity Idol." Ha! I guess we should all consider ourselves lucky that he didn't break out into song.

Meanwhile, the challenge losers — Peih-Gee, Erik, Frosti, Courtney and a rightly pissed-off Denise — started strategizing back at camp, led by Miss Conniving herself, aka Peih-Gee. She suggested that they pick off Jean-Robert next, certainly an appealing prospect to most of them.

Todd, meanwhile, was pissed that James hadn't offered him one of the idols when he returned to the fold, and decided with his inner circle that they would blind-side James.

Back at camp, Jean-Robert woke up early the next morning to look for the immunity idol and seemed to think he'd discovered something when he tore off the remaining plaques on the pagodas. I'm confused — he was at tribal council last time, wasn't he? Jaime played something she thought was the idol, Jeff threw it in the fire... and Jean-Robert thinks he has a trump card in his pocket because he has three things that look exactly like Jaime's kindling? He told Erik he had the idol, and Erik broke the news to him that — oops — James had not one but both of them. Of course JR couldn't keep the info to himself; he went blabbing to James that he knew he had them both, claiming he "figured it out" all on his own. Uh-huh. And then he went and told Todd, as well, who was royally bothered by the fact that he came up with the same idea of blind-siding James, enough so that he decided to change the things up yet again and vote Jean-Robert out instead. Seemed like a solid plan, but, as Courtney — who won individual immunity by proving that balance was one area where she actually surpassed James — pointed out, "He's become the Susan Lucci of tribal council; his name is always up there, but he never quite gets voted out."

Going in to the council meeting, I honestly didn't know whether it would be James or Jean-Robert going home tonight. And it did come down to the wire. Erik and Peih-Gee were the only ones who brought their stuff with them, but Peih-Gee only received one vote (from Denise, who apparently wasn't in on anybody's plan); James, meanwhile, looked genuinely stricken as Jeff read the votes against him. But just like at the '99 Emmys, every streak must come to an end, and Jean-Robert was finally sent home. I'm looking forward to talking to him (check out my Q&As with the Survivor cast-offs) to find out what he really thinks of his former tribemates.

A couple of things to look out for in the weeks to come: What will become of Courtney, now that her nemesis is out of the game? Which way will she sway? If the snuggling is any indication, she and Frosti are becoming close; where does he stand with the tribe? And what about Denise, who could become an important swing vote? Stay tuned!

Check out Survivor: China video in our Online Video Guide.

Last week, Jaime was sent packing, the first victim of the post-merge advantage held by the former Fei Long tribe. This week, it seems that mastermind Todd is going to turn on James, one of his own — or is he? Sounds like a risky strategy, and thus far Todd hasn't made many mistakes in that area. We'll see if his desire to blind-side James (who, as of now, has both immunity idols) is outweighed by his need to keep the numbers working to his advantage.

by Nina Hämmerling Smith
In a topsy-turvy episode that included the merging of the two tribes, former Zhan Hu member Jaime Dugan, 22, was voted off Survivor: China (8 pm/ET, CBS) after trying to use what she thought might be an immunity idol. The college student was the silent leader of the Zhan Hu tribe and one of the masterminds behind the controversial thrown-challenge strategy. Here, she tries to unravel some of the complex scheming and strategizing that ultimately led to her ouster.

TVGuide.com: You clearly knew that the former Fei Long members were going to vote you out. Why did they target you instead of Peih-Gee or Erik?
Jaime Dugan: Earlier in the day, Jean-Robert told me. I think they figured out that I had a lot to do with what was going on at Zhan Hu. And I did very well at physical challenges. I felt like Erik was sick right then, he was really weak, and in the challenges, I performed a little better than Peih-Gee. So I think overall they thought I was a bigger threat....read more

Episode Recap: I'm Not as dumb as I look..."

Peih-Gee was right. They merged at ten and now it is every person for themselves at the new Hae Da Fung (Black Fighting Wind) tribe. And what an entertiaining episode. I spent most of the hour laughing while anxiously awaiting tribal council, both fearful for James and excited to see if Jaime would make a fool of herself.

TC did not disappoint.It all started back before the merge when James, having hurridely retrieved Zhan Hu's idol left an obvious clue to its existence that later had Jaime rifling through his bag. She and Erik, both secure that they had found the secret idol, entered the merge feeling confident -- well Jaime was confident since she made sure to hang onto what she believed to be her trump card. The teams celebrated their joining at a feast prefaced with Jeff's caution that the game never stops. You'd think one of these yahoos would pay attention to what was happening around them given this rather blatant clue that the Chinese cultural performances would be important later on.

Well, they were. Jeff dropped in at the new tribe unnanounced and seemingly unwelcome since Hae Da Fung barely bothered to acknowledge his arrival. Going with he theme that the game never stops I immediately suspected Frosti of playing everyone when he declared that he had a bad memory and would therefore lose this memory challenge. He then easily won the first individual immunity by answering all the detailed questions correctly. Guess I was right. All of a sudden Frosti is the potential swing vote straddling his alliance of five with Todd, Amanda, Denise, and James and his former ties to Peih-Gee, Jaime and Erik. Even better, after Jaime tipped her hand to him about her idol, Frosti was the only one in the whole game who really knew what was going on. Nice postiion to be in.

For the whole show, I wondered (hoped) if James double-checked his bag to make sure he hasn't been robbed by his devious tribemates. Does she or doesn't she have James' idol? What's going to happen at Tribal? The best case scenario, that's what. You see, ever since the giggle fit, I've not been able to stand Jaime and her disrespecting of James's privacy did not help the matter. I could only hope that she would enact the scenario that Yao-Man had hoped for during his stint in Survivor: Fiji. Sure enough, Jaime stopped Jeff moments before he read the vote and gave him her "idol", which he promptly tossed in the fire. This is why I love Jeff -- he does without compunction what we viewers wish we could. Fei Long, who all knew where the true idols lay, erupted into fits of laughter as Jamie edged out Jean-Robert and was sent home.

Speaking of Jean-Robert...Courtney needs to get over her little thing with the poker player. Nobody cares. Yet Courtney insits that she will vote against her nemesis despite what her tribe wants. I'm not sure what game Courtney thinks she's playing but a social one it is not. With each eye roll she further alienates a potential juror but at this rate she'll probably be Juror No. 2. (I look forward to her question at the final tribal.) Who knows? maybe, as Jean-Robert suggested, she'll go far in the game since strength is now targeted in the individual portion of the game.

That's a discussion for another day. Tonight, I'll rest easy knowing that James is safe for now and the evil-doers from Zhan Hu have lost their power.

For more cool Survivor: China video, check out or Online Video Guide.

“Drop your buffs,” Jeff Probst tells the 10 remaining castaways tonight, as the Fei Long and Zhan Hu tribes merge. But before the teams come together, there is a desperate search for the remaining hidden immunity idol — and one player falsely believes that there are three of them. At tribal council, somebody shocks everyone else by believing that he/she is invincible. That's never a good thing. — Tim Holland

by Nina Hämmerling Smith

Sherea Lloyd, 26, became the second victim of the game's twist on last week's Survivor: China (8 pm/ET, CBS), voted off by her new Fei Long tribe mates after Zhan Hu abandoned their strategy of throwing immunity challenges to maintain post-merge numbers. The fourth-grade teacher talked to TVGuide.com about playing both sides, Courtney's eating habits and why Jean-Robert should be the next to go.

TVGuide.com: You seemed pretty angry about being voted out. Do you think Fei Long made a mistake by sending you home instead of Jean-Robert?
Sherea: I definitely think they made a mistake. He was more of a threat than I was. They just weren't really sure if I would flip on them or not, so I guess that's why I had to go. Hopefully he'll be the next to go...read more

Episode Recap: "That's Love, Baby! It Makes You Strong!"

Tonight’s show was very much the part two to last week’s drama with Peih-Gee and Jamie throwing the challenge, except that this week was more of a comedy of errors. At the center of all those errors: immunity – both hidden and earned.

First off, I do believe Peih-Gee has gone a little crazy with this game. As if she were some prisoner in a gulag who had just spied her first opportunity for escape, Peih-Gee, so intent on preserving her original alliances, tried to pass a message to Sherea during the reward challenge. She should have focused on the task at hand instead of trying to pass covert messages. Zhan Hu lost and had to give up James for a night of kidnapped bliss back with his home tribe.

Todd capitalized on that opportunity, making sure to get James’ clue to the idol. Unfortunately, Todd — who had been so smooth in the game thus far — lost all ability to make a nuanced play once he discovered the idol. His partner in crime, Amanda, pulled a ridiculous shingle-removing ploy that resulted in Frosti busting in on the idol’s retrieval. It was nice, though, that instead of stabbing James in the back, Todd included him – and everyone else, really – in a plan that would set James up to be the bearer of both idols in the game. And America breathed a sigh of relief.

It’s great that Todd had the presence of mind to keep playing the game, despite the distraction of James’s nekkid booty. The only caveat, however, was that Fei Long would have to win immunity so that James could use the idol at tribal council and then vote out Jaime. Sadly, the tribes were faced with my most hated of Survivor tricks: the food challenge. To steal a line from James, “Oh, the humanity!” Chicken hearts I can handle. Eel? Yeah. Baby turtles and chicken fetuses? Not so much.

James, up against Denise, tried his best to throw the challenge, but Denise couldn’t get that feathery, partially formed bird down her throat. No doubt she’s used to finer fare than that. Zhan Hu won, but really, Fei Long was at a disadvantage anyway having Courtney on their side in a food challenge, and so Todd’s finely tuned plan fell to pieces when Erik swallowed the 1,000-year-old egg faster than Frosti did. I know Jeff said these were delicacies in China, but I just don’t see that mess on the menu at Panda Express.

Tribal council once again brought out the best in Sherea, who released her pent-up anger in near Tourettes-level outbursts. I don’t know where the animosity toward Jean-Robert came from, but it was vitriolic. Perhaps it was fueled by her buddy Courtney’s ongoing distaste for him. Courtney may be abrasive at times, but she provides quite the amusing commentary.

Tonight’s gem regarding Jean-Robert’s “bad boy” status was particularly funny. Who knows, maybe he does have a Harley? Courtney might want to zip it, though, as her unbridled opinions may have made her into the outsider she perceived herself to be. Todd has liked her since day three, so I don’t know what she’s bellyaching about. Now she’s gone and blown the love by saying she doesn’t feel like a part of the cool kids. It’s lucky for Courtney that Sherea — who still needed to be blurred, by the way — had made no friends at Fei Long. Sherea’s torch was snuffed unceremoniously with a vote of 4-2.

Jean-Robert, you’re next… or maybe not. Next week’s previews have me scared for James (Jaime and Erik find his idol) and worried that Jean-Robert may survive another cut when Jeff calls for everyone to drop their buffs! (Eek!)

Until then, I leave you to ponder three of my favorite moments from tonight’s show — and yes, they all involve James:

-James and Denise hugging as he reunited with Fei Long. Is this the best alliance in the game?

-James cleaning up at the Tea House reward. Gratuitous or welcome footage?

-James smacking Todd on the arm and nearly knocking him over. The man doesn’t know his own strength.

What did you think of this week's episode? Leave your comments below!

For more Survivor: China check out our Online Video Guide.

Last week the ladies of Zhan Hu made a controversial move to secure their future by throwing a challenge and voting out Aaron, one of two newcomers to their tribe. Next up, James? Maybe, if anyone has the muscle to pull out a win on his own it’s this guy. Can Jean-Robert do the same over on Fei Long? Maybe but he’ll need to focus on both his social skills and his game or he may just find himself on the as gone as Aaron. Leave your comments here if you and I’ll be back after the show.

Last week, the two strongest players from each tribe were forced to switch teams. Zhan Hu's Jaime and Peih-Gee seized the opportunity and concocted a risky strategy that involved throwing the immunity challenge so they could vote out one of the new arrivals. Aaron, Fei Long's previous leader, bit the dust. Gravedigger James knows he's next. Will the three original Zhan Hu members throw another immunity challenge so they can vote him out? One thing is for certain: This week is the disgusting but highly entertaining eating challenge. The castaways dine on — or rather try to choke down — unusual Chinese delicacies, such as a chicken heart and a “thousand-year-old egg.” (No fortune cookie included.) Also, one player locates the hidden immunity idol, but the secret discovery is quickly found out by an unwelcome tribe member. — Tim Holland