Five Most Dastardly Deeds from 'Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains'

This has been an incredibly dastardly, evil season of 'Survivor.' For me, that makes the season all the better. Blindsides, betrayals and just plain old evilness run amok. Evil schemes and false alliances abounded. That's entertainment or, as they say in the reality television circles, "That's good TV!"

Although it was too much for Boston Rob "I could have been a contender!" Mariano, it's what's made this season so intriguing. As I set to write this, I was going to pick out five simple dastardly deeds. But this season is so much more than just five selected deeds. It's often been the deed-doer. Read on.
1 The Dastardly Dislocation
Yes, the dastardly deeds got their start in the very first episode of the season, setting the tone for the most villainous (and dastardly) season ever. We're talking the first challenge of the season. Pairs of villains pitted against pairs of heroes retrieving a bag, then trying to get it back to their finish mat. Heroes' Cirie and Stephenie were up against villains Parvati and Danielle. As the athletic Parvati got Stephenie in a hold, Courtney shouted out, "Break her shoulder!" Say what?

It almost happened -- Parvati dislocated Stephenie's shoulder. No, I don't think she was intending bodily harm. But Courtney was out for blood or, at the very least, broken bones and severe pain. "The Villains are brutal. They've dislocated my shoulder the first challenge. I mean really? Like, you're already on the Villain tribe. Do you have to act like a total, like, jerk?" Stephenie said. Yes, yes they do.

2 James Gone Wild
We, the show fans, liked James in his previous seasons. He was a bit of a gentle giant who didn't roar like Rupert, had cool country sayings, and a body which could grace mens' underwear boxes. Somehow we ended up with a different James this season, one more suited for the Villains' tribe.

He lit into Stephenie at tribal council. In a reward/immunity challenge, he was up against the much older and weaker Randy from the Villains. He threw Randy into the mud, then threw his heavy bag at the helpless Randy, thunking him in the head with it. When Randy said it was a "classy move," James let loose with a string of bleeped vulgarities at him. Courtney, known for her sidelines commentary, shouted, "I told you that you were on the wrong team, James!" His bad behavior continued until he once again went out due to a medical issue. I didn't like this new and improved James.

3 Sandra's Betrayals
Sandra thinks she should have been a hero. She's dead wrong. She's a more quiet villain than many, but effective nonetheless. She's played the game for herself, just as she should. Unlike others who tell the world they have a hidden immunity idol, she told no one. While others have betrayed people, they often end up being voted out next.

Sandra was supposedly tight with Russell. Sure, we knew she wasn't really an ally, but he didn't know. He knew when she announced to everyone that he had an idol at tribal council.

In more recent episodes, Sandra has betrayed both Rupert and Russell ... over and over again. Rupert was her old buddy from Pearl Islands. She had a hand in getting him voted out. Plus, she blatantly betrayed Russell when he played the Boston Rob, "If you're not with me, you're against me. Are you against me?" game. Yet, as I write this, she's still in it to win it. She's often mentioned as a target, yet others seem more immediate threats. She could betray her way to the million by bamboozling the jury.

4 Parvati's Poisonous Persuasion
Unlike Sandra with her quiet nasty deeds and Russell with his over-the-top ones, just about everything Parvati has done since the beginning of the season was suspect to the others. Targeted from the get-go, she's still in the game. How is that?

She's not the prettiest woman on the show, never was. Yet she seems to hold some kind of flirty magic power over both men and women. She won her season with her persuasive ways and she still has allies going into the finale night. She's a dangerous player, yet no one has successfully mounted a campaign to get her out. Her powers have worked on Russell despite betraying him. Still he clings to her in the game. So does Sandra. But can she persuade the jury if it gets to that point?

5 Russell, the Walking Evil Doer
Nope, he's not human. Russell is a conglomeration of dastardly deeds in motion. We knew his strategy from last season. But to his fellow castaways, he came in an unknown entity. His season aired while they were filming this one. Sure, a few really nailed him from the beginning -- he thinks he's playing Sandra and Parvati. But they're playing him just as much.

Yet, he still has the power to wish people to the cornfield. With the exception of a case or two in which his dislike for a person (for daring to distrust or cross him) didn't stand up to a far more popular target, everyone he wants gone, gets gone. The snake oil salesmen could put rocks in a box and convince people they need to buy them.

Russell is directly or indirectly responsible for the ouster of Boston Rob, Tyson, Coach, Danielle, JT, and Rupert. Unlike Sandra, people know he's a villainous dastardly deed in a human costume and they're mad at him. He needs to work on that.