Survivor 15.12 "We're the meanies." and predictions

Niners Win!!! Sorry, but I don't get a lot of chances to say that ;)

The reward challenge this week said it all about Peih Gee's status as the ultimate outsider. Each player was given six arrows that would be fired from a repeating cross bow, but they had to secretly distribute their six arrows amongst the other contestants and give none to themselves. Courtney got 12, Todd got six, Amanda got 4, Denise 2 and Peih Gee gets a pity arrow from Courtney. Denise mutters something about being at "the bottom of the totem pole" but it's Denise, who's positively existential about her place in the game, refusing to act. Peih Gee just continues to get more and more bitter. Todd does remarkably well and when Jeff marvels at his shooting skill Todd quips "It's secretly a hobby of mine." But it's Courtney's misfires for Denise that make the lunchlady the winner, so she picks Courtney to go with her. When she has to pick a second person, she goes with Todd, and a tearful, bitter Peih Gee can't believe that after taking her to the Shaolin Temple, Denise would opt not to take her to two straight rewards, but Denise doesn't want Peih Gee to get any stronger. Peih Gee later regrets her meltdown, a pattern for the odd girl who can be remote and volatile at the same time. Amanda also hates being on the outside for once--hey, it's no fun being Denise, is it? Amanda takes the time she alone with Peih Gee to ask her why she doesn't like her, and Peih Gee and she clear the air and establish what seems to be a actual respect and fondness for the other. The two bond as they eat a double helping of rice and later that night, Amanda disses the passive Denise as a perpetual puppet, first for Jean Robert and James, and now for Todd and her. She tells Peih Gee's she's open to changing things up...

Elsewhere, Todd does his Flight Attendant routine for the gals and then they are blown away by the Great Wall of China, but not so much their feast, which involves heating raw meat in hot sauce. They don't like it, they don't get it. Courtney reveals to us that Todd was brought along so's not to incur his anger. That Night, Todd speculates that if Peih Gee wins Immunity, they should think about dumping Amanda, who's probably well liked by the jury. "We're the meanies," Courtney adds. She shrugingly agrees, but she also points out that they'd pretty much be plotting to dump whoever wasn't hear. Denise is troubled by how easy is is for Todd to talk about backstabbing his closest ally, but we all she's unlikely to do anything about it. WHen the gang gets home, they're irrationally miffed that the girls aren't waiting with bated breath back at camp (they went to fetch water). They wish they'd at the well when Courtney and Todd proceed to bitch about how weird the food was. They actually complain about winning a reward! Then Denise tattles on Todd--that they'd brought back sandwiches which he ate on the plane, so Amanda has to be content with some nuts and berries Denise scrounged.

The Immunity Challenge combined a bunch of past challenges--Courtney is a sport when Jeff reveals the rope cutting puzzle that left her spent and unglued early in the season. Todd is out early when he can't manage the throwing stars. Then we have the gross eating challenge, where they have to eat that chicken fetus with feathers. Peih Gee eats it with relish as Denise gags again (she choked last time). Denise quits, which irritates Probst. He's pretty sick of her "I ain't gonna do nuthin" attitude. I can't fault her for not eating that thing--I mean, I can't eat a lot of things that most people thing are delicious, let alone that horrible thing, but everything about her gameplay, if you even really want to call it that is very "I'm just along for the ride." Courtney asks Jeff is she still has to eat if Denise is quitting, and he says yes, so she does. Courntey is out on the bouncing a ball on a drum thing, and Amanda and Peih Gee slug it out hacking those ropes and building that puzzle of heavy rings and Amanda wins.

Back at camp, Denise and Amanda give Peih Gee props for how well she played, and Peih Gee's chances of surviving are bolstered a bit when Todd complains about how much rice Amanda ate while he and Denise and Courntey were eating meat on the Freakin' Great Wall of China. But Denise balks at the idea because she thinks she can beat the shifty Todd with the jury. Todd and Courtney go to get water and Todd asks if Peih Gee's lobbying. Courntey says no but then wisely adds, "Unless she's just not talking to us."

At Tribal Courntey again whines about the "bad reward food," and Peih Gee blows a great opportunity to rag on she and Todd legitimately, and making a case for her being a fighter and a more sympathetic person, by instead getting whiny herself and making the ridiculous claim that unlike them she's a "positive person." Uh...yeah, okay. She does dig at Courtney for being "carried" but, I always hate that argument, especially as Courtney has played a rather impressive social game If Peih Gee had tried to be just a little more pleasant to be around, instead of being a grouchy martyr, maybe she could have made inroads. Then Todd answers Jeff's question about who he would take into the Finals: the most deserving or the one he could beat, by proudly stating he'd go with the most beatable. Amanda grimaces, because she must know he just said "I'm taking Courtney, not Amanda." But she doesn't vote him out, and Peih Gee goes out in 5th place. Todd makes a big show of rolling his eyes and smugly smiling as Peih Gee and Amanda hug, earning a very angry look from Eric. Todd had better watch his attitude--he wants to be another Richard Hatch, but his cockiness reminds me of Boston Rob in the All-Stars, and we all know how that worked out, and Todd is unlikely to marry Courtney or Amanda and get the big check anyway.

PREDICTIONS:

Denise seems the most likely vote out at 4th place--she's being brought along for her vote and she's just outlived her usefulness. But really, I think Denise is the best person to take to the Finals--all this "She's a mother, so people will vote for her," stuff is crap (the jury is all a bunch of young singles) and the fact that she hasn't "pissed anyone off" is a direct result of her not having done much at all, game wise. People like to vote for someone who beat them, and she didn't beat anyone. But Denise will go 4th. Next will depend on who wins Immunity. I'd love to see Amanda and TOdd square off, but if they go back to a Final Two (and the promos say 3 Tribal Councils, so i looks like it), then it will be up to the Immunity winner. Todd and Amanda would both take Courtney, and Courtney will take Todd, so Amanda has to win to have a chance. I personally am hoping Amanda wins, though it'll probably be Todd, who has played a great game. I just wish he wasn't so full of himself. Oh, and no car this year? Could they not get one past customs?

Peih Gee ends up in 5th place, where Dr. Sean the idiot brain surgeon did in Borneo. The Outback's good-natured Rodger and Africa's plucky T-Bird were, like Peih Gee, outnumbered when they finished 5th and in the Marquesas we were freed of Sean's big mouth. In Thailand, Ted was blindsided by Brian and Clay and in the Amazon, the guys got rid of the odious Heidi. In the Pearl Islands the girls blindsided smarmy Burton, who left the game for the second time and Jeff's too-young girlfriend Julie was gone here in Vanuatu. Cranky Caryn was booted in 5th place in Palau and the car-curse was brought to a whole new level in Guatemala when Cindy was kicked out after opting to keep her car rather than give one to each of the remaining Finalists. Crazy Shane bought in here on Exile Island and dumb Adam was 5th in the Cook Islands. Last season we bid adieu to goofy Boo.

Peace Out!

Christine :D