Last week on Survivor, Denise passed up the opportunity to switch alliances and maybe make it a little further in the game. She is definitely aware that this may have been a big mistake, since she said it in during the vote, and again after getting back from Tribal Council. It won’t be long before she (and we) find out whether it was a mistake, or if she was smart to be loyal to her original alliance.

The reward challenge was archery with a twist, not only did the Survivors have to try to hit targets with their own names, they got to distribute their five arrows to the other competitors. This is one of those challenges that really can show someone like Denise her real place in the tribe. It looked like the arrows were color-coded, too, so everybody knew who gave them arrows.

Peih-Gee only got one arrow (from Courtney, good for her), and Denise only got two. Courtney got the most, but I wonder if that is because everybody thought she wouldn’t be able to hit the target. The prize was a meal and a night on The Great Wall of China. Denise won, thanks to Courtney, who was hitting mostly Denise’s and Todd’s targets. Denise got to pick two people to go with her, and chose Courtney and Todd. Peih-Gee was PISSED, but them’s the breaks. You can’t expect quid pro quo in this game; just ask Yau-Man.

Survivor Season Finale Clip 

Film.com Photo Gallery: Survivor: China

Amanda wasn’t happy about getting left behind, either, and got a chance to have a disgruntled heart-to-heart with Peih-Gee. It looked like they had a nice time together once they got their issues on the table. They got lots of fruit and fish, too, which helped their moods. The nighttime discussion naturally turned to talk of voting Todd or Courtney off next.

It goes without saying that the Great Wall was stunning, right? They were all confused by the cook-your-own meal; apparently none of them have ever been to The Melting Pot. Todd, Courtney, and Denise also had a nocturnal voting discussion about maybe getting rid of Amanda next. It looked like Denise might find herself in the swing vote position two weeks in a row.

Todd and Courtney tried to downplay the experience by saying the food wasn’t that good, but that just made Amanda mad because they seemed ungrateful. Denise did bring Amanda food from the plane, and Amanda suggested they talk later about some voting “ideas.”

The Immunity Challenge was a mixture of prior challenges. Ooh, including eating balut (the chicken fetus dish). I am recovering from a bout of food poisoning so y’all are just going to have to imagine what that part of the challenge was like, because I found it necessary to fast forward through that part. Todd was eliminated on star throwing; it looks like Denise was once again foiled by the balut; and Amanda and Peih-Gee beat Courtney and drum dribbling. Peih-Gee and Amanda both attacked the rope chopping with a vengeance, but Amanda was a little better at the putting the puzzle together, winning her immunity for the first time.

Back at camp, Todd was pissed that Amanda and Peih-Gee ate too much rice while they were at camp by themselves, and that was kind of the final straw for Amanda. This left a little room for Peih-Gee suggest to Amanda and Denise that Todd go, presumably followed by shortly thereafter by Courtney. Before heading out, Todd acknowledged that he had reasons to be paranoid, but said that he would be impressed if they voted him out.

The pre-vote discussion at Tribal Council came down to the age-old question of whether it is better to choose someone who deserves to win, or someone who will be easy to beat. A little early for that, isn’t it? Peih-Gee was the one to go. I didn’t like her at all for the longest time, but I think she fought really hard and did a good job trying to stick it out as the underdog.

So, no surprises in the final four. It has looked like it would come down to Todd, Amanda, Courtney and Denise ever since James went, if not earlier, and that is what we have ended up with. I am rooting for Denise, but I think she’s going to have to win both remaining Immunity Challenges in order for her to make it to the final two. Everybody knows she would win the jury vote up against any of the other three.

Sunday! Finale! Go, Lunch Lady, Go!

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Amy Kane spends as much quality time with her television as possible, when she's not busy at her day job as a cube dweller.

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