Survivor China: Going for the Oscar

(S15E11) Is it possible for Courtney from Survivor China to lose any more weight? I think my bones are fatter than she is. Okay, I understand that she's always been a thin person, but this is getting downright skeletal. Todd isn't doing all that much better. In Todd's case, his head is too big for his body now. Well, his head is pretty big because he thinks his game play is all that, too.

You see, if you go in with a healthy weight like Denise, you remain much more substantial should you make it near the end. If I were ever to go on the show, I think I'd prefer to go in sturdy and use the show as a weight loss program. But to go in skinny is just silly.

It's still a game between Fei Long and Zhan Hu despite the fact that they blindsided James from last week. Nah, there's no real love there, not at all. It wasn't anything more than a good chance to get James out of the game. Peih-Gee and Erik both need to win individual immunity every week from now on and we know that they both can't do that. Whomever doesn't have immunity of the two is a predictable goner ... unless they have Richard Hatch people manipulation skills. I don't see that out of any of the players left in the game from either camp.

It all leaves poor Denise stuck in between a rock (Fei Long) and a hard place (Zhan Hu). Either way, unless a miracle happens, she'd be low man on the totem pole. No one wants to be up against her in the final three -- yes, I believe it's set for a final three again this season, not a final two. She hasn't really burned any bridges, hasn't had any real arguments, works hard, and would most likely win if she were to be there at the end.

Todd is the target of both Erik and Peih-Gee as he's pretty much the stand-out player of the crowd. He's ticked folks off at times and they all know he's really playing the game. He's definitely not playing like your typical teensy gay Mormon flight attendant, is he?

Courtney's abrasive personality tends to work at doing herself in, I think. While she thinks she's always right, I don't think the others really trust her or respect her game play all that much.

Amanda is playing smart. She's aligned herself with Todd all along, but would throw him under the bus in a second when she thinks his usefulness to her is exhausted. Todd tells her too much and she doesn't reciprocate with the information she gets and even discusses voting him out with others. She's a snake, for sure. But snakes, weasels, and rats have always had a special place in Survivor.

Tonight's episode had the family members join in on the Reward Challenge. The castaways each teamed up with a loved one to make their way through a maze while blindfolded. Oh, they didn't really team up as they were separated and had to find each other, but you know what I mean.

Denise's husband Robert just seems like he's the perfect soulmate for her. Todd's sister is a very pretty girl, while the person I got the biggest kick out of was Courtney's father. He's British, prefers to wear a suit, and was a hoot! When he and Todd collided head on, "Bloody nose, bloody nose." I didn't care for Amanda and her sister doing annoying bird calls to hone in on each other. Names would have sufficed.

In a moment which I have to admit struck me as a Jonny Fairplay kind of thing, Todd's sister told him that his other sister suffered a miscarriage. But, it was apparently true. However, I'm not the only one who thought of Jonny Fairplay's fake dead grandmother ploy. Courtney later made a big deal about it claiming Todd should receive an Osacar for his performance and Erik tried to push it as a reason for voting Todd out (instead of himself).

Denise and her husband won, getting to the Yin and Yang symbol platform first. Denise had to pick two other castaways to join in on the reward. She chose Todd and, much to the dismay of Peih-Gee (who shared a cool reward with Denise last week), Amanda. The three castaways and their loved ones were off for a boat ride, a feast, and on overnight stay at Hae Da Fung for the guests. The family members of the others left after the challenge.

I thought this week's Immunity Challenge really showed how physically weakened the remaining castaways are as they all struggled. It was both mental and physical, but I thought it looked like they were all going to drown in the swamp, forget about answering questions about Chinese history. I just wish they had let us know the answers -- now I'll have to research to see if the Chinese invented barbed wire and Chinese fortune cookies.

Todd had a sizable lead in the beginning, but moved slower every minute. Oh, he was better than Erik and Denise, both of whom were lost causes on the first leg. Peih-Gee also moved slower with each step, but she did one thing better than Todd. She answered the three questions right and won Immunity. I thought at that moment, buh-bye, Erik.

Sure, there was plotting and scrambling. All of a sudden, Denise is the most popular friend to all on the show. If Peih-Gee and Erik can swing her vote, they could come up with at least a tie. Without swinging her vote, Erik would certainly be voted out 4-2.

When the votes came down at Tribal Council, as Denise cast her vote she said, "I probably made the biggest mistake in the game." Sorry, Denise. I think you're screwed either way. No one wants to be in the end with you. If you make it there, you'll win. But you're not going to get there. You didn't make a mistake. You just stayed loyal to your own crowd, that's all.

So, it was indeed 4-2 with Erik gone. Next week, if she doesn't win Immunity, it will be Peih-Gee history. If she wins it again, Todd will be the target. Once (if) Peih-Gee goes and it's down to the four original Fei Long, Denise won't make it past fourth place unless she wins Immunity. If somehow she made it to the final three with either group, she'd win. But that's just not going to happen. Snakes, rats, and weasels will eat her alive by four.