Monday, February 11, 2008

Big Brother House Pics

Have you checked out the new house? Or the old house that has been revamped. Well, just in case you missed it, here are some photos of what to expect tomorrow night. Looks like they are going with a "winter" motif via the log cabin look




The swimming pool, and whole sections of the yard, are heated this year. And a cozy outdoor fire pit makes a great centerpiece for backyard gatherings, complete with a spectacular 40 foot wide, lake view.






After walking along an upper hallway, that evokes a giant library, the Upstairs Lounge is a cozy place to gather with friends on the soft suede sofa. A full-size, authentic handmade canoe hangs from the ceiling behind you!





HOH Room.





The dining room and kitchen furniture are in bright reds and yellows, but it’s the massive, exposed logs on the wall above that gives the place its rustic feel. And high above the dining room table, pine branches add to the woodsy décor.



The living room boasts a two story high, stone wall, behind a free-standing fireplace. Horizontal logs cover the adjoining wall, and a giant green semi-circular sofa, gives the impression of a 1970’s conversation pit. The mounted deer head on the opposite wall continues the lodge theme.




The largest of the bedrooms has been transformed into the Boat Room, with shelves and chests designed to resemble small rowboats…nautical blue walls…and even rowboat shaped beds!







Two large beds made of actual unfinished tree branches fill this room. But it’s the pink bedspreads and frilly touches that really give this room its feminine charm. Will be interesting to see what the men think of this room!


A brand new feature to the house this year, the Spa comes complete with a massage table, two-person sauna and lounge of its own, for heating up sore muscles after a big competition, relaxing with friends, or plotting your next strategic move.
want to see more pictures from inside the house, check out the CBS Big Brother 9 website: http://www.cbs.com/primetime/big_brother_9/photos/

Friday, February 08, 2008

Survivor - Fans vs Favorites - Episode One

You know, I have been eargerly anticipating the start of this season's Survivor. I kept thinking how great it would be to see Ozzy, James, Yau-Man and Jonathon again. How each of these deserved another chance. But I have to say I was let down. It wasn't as great of a first episode as I thought it would be. Maybe because it seemed like it went by so fast. Were there more commericals last night or what. As I am sitting there watching it with my dauther, when it was over, she looked at me and said "that's it...it's over". I had the same feeling - "that's it". Ho hum.

For future Survivors I think they should make the first episode a two-hour one. Being that you have the first 8-10 minutes of the show taken up by our beloved Jiffy riding high in the helicopter telling us what we are in for and then the introductions of the players while they paddle (in this case, while they were being paddled) to their first destination, and then all the commericals they have, it doesn't leave much time for acual action.

(**Please note, my article will be a mix of show recap and mu personal opinions mixed in**)

So like I said, as usual the show starts out typical with Jeff doing his infamous helicopter ride over the area. Let stop right here and say they are in an absolutely beautiful location. Both my daughter and I were amazed at how beautiful the water is. Could end up being our next vacation spot...lol

The fans are shown first while they are being rowed into shore. Looks like a motley crew to me.....lol. Next up is the Favs and of course Johnny "Fairplay" gives us the first sound bite when he tells us he thinks he is the greatest player in survivor history - in your mind maybe! Yau-Man tells us the only reason to play a second time is for the million dollars. Sorry Yau-man that would be the only reason I would play the first or second time. James says he feels like a fan not a fav because he is in awe of Ozzy and Yau-Man. Awww.....still as humble as ever. Don't you love him. Go James!!!

As the fans reach the beach in the pouring rain we learn that for Jason, this is a life dream, to be able to Survive in the wild. Tracey tells us that finally seeing Jiffy makes this surreal. (***by this time I am rolling my eyes***). Jeff finally reveals who they will be playing against - their favorite players from seasons past. As the favs are introduced to applause, Joel says he is excited to see James and thinks James was the biggest and strongest player in survivor history....until this season (**I am again rolling my eyes, but this time I add a hearty laugh to go with it**). Yau-Man gets the biggest applause of all. They save Fairplay for last and Jiffy introduces him as the most infamous player in Survivor history. Johnny comes out wearing a baseball cap that says "Will lie 4 food"....hahahahahah

The players are told they will have to walk or swim across to the other island to get to the respective boats. And he tells them there are two special hidden immunity idols waiting for them. These idols are only able to be used at the first tribal council that your tribe attends. After that they are worthless, at least to the Survivors. They will end up on EBAY where the $$$ that someone pays for them will go to Pediatric Aids Foundation.

Tribe Names - Airai for the fans Malakal for the favs

As everyone reaches the island and starts wandering around looking for an idol, Johnny Fairplay finds the first one tied to the front of one of the boats. Too bad he found the one tied to the fans boat and when he realizes it he is caught in a tussle with Yau-Man who has seen the idol tied to the favs boat and makes a mad dash to get it. Yau-Man wins out and knocks little Fairplay down and gets the idol. Yau then tells Kathy, of the fans, to pick up the idol that Fairplay threw away. Johnny does what he does best now....whine about what a big bully Yau-Man is!

When we come back from commerical Mikey of the fans lets us in on some of the players and his nicknames for them. I had to mention this because I thought he hit the nail on the head and I laughed:
Kathy - this is a crazy woman who got the idol courtesy fo Yau-Man - he calls her Big Bird
Joel - you know the one who thinks he is bigger and stronger than James - he calls him Incredible Hulk
Chet - the token gay guy - he calls him Queer Eye for the Straight Guy
Erik - he calls him Jon Bon Jovi in his prime...lol
Alexis - Southern Princess is what he calls her.....

Big Bird, Kathy, shows her ignorance right off the bat when she asks Chet if it's ok to call him gay and says "it doesn't mean you want to be a girl does it". OMG...this woman is a nut case for sure. She can't get over the fact that she is thisclose to a gay guy because she says she has never met one. Chet fires back with "not that you knwo of" comment.....LMAO!!!!

We go back to see that the favs are all working together and putting there previous Survivor skills to work getting shelter done. This is the advantage they have over the fans. Johnny Fairplay tells his tribe that he found a message in a bottle that said that his grandmother had died. Over at the fans campsite, we see they are having a tough time with shelter and when nighttime comes they are still shelterless and fighting the pouring rain.

Parvarti didn't learn from the first time around and continues with her flirting, this time with James. And we see that the second couple that was mentioned pre-show is Ozzy and Amanda. I hope these guys wise up and see that they are being used but from previews and spoilers, they won't be thinking with their minds. Will James make another huge blunder and fall under Parvarti's spell.....I hope not!

The first alliance is born with Jonathon, Amy, Yau-Man and Eliza. Since they already notice the closeness of the couples they feel the need to get a 5th and for some reason they look at Fairplay. Where is Cirie. Amanda and Ozzy pull Johnny Fairplay aside and try to pull him in to be their 5th as well and tell him they will be voting out Elize. Of course Fairplay goes along with this in front of them but then we see him spilling all to the other 4 person alliance. For some reason these 4 also believe Johnny and get him to agree to be in their group. What??? Did any of these people watch Fairplay during his Survivor stint. Don't they know he is the biggest con artist out there. He says it best right before commerical when he says" It's an insane thing, there are 9 other favorite survivors of all time and they all believe what I am saying. Have they not watched before". My thoughts exactly Johnny!

The favs get fire first with Yau-Man using his glasses and the sun.

As they all arrive to the first immunity challenge, Jiffy gets "DeJaVu" feelings. When asked how they are faring, Eliza gloats and runs her mouth about how they have the bigger advantage and they are living high. Eating and drinking and having fun. Someone needs to shut her up.

The immunity challenge consists of taking puzzle pieces and puting them together to make 4 wheels which will go on a cart. The cart must then be pushed, while carrying two players, thru some obstacles to a sand pit where they will have to dig up planks to finish a bridge that they will have to cross to get to the finish line. At the finish line they must dismantle the wheels and place the puzzle pieces in the correct slots on a turnstile. After that they must turn the turnstile to raise a lit cauldron which will ignite a bigger fire. First to do this wins immunity.

The fans get off to a great start by working together on their wheel making puzzle pieces. The favs however don't seem to know what the hell they are doing. Fans finish wheel making first and head out on the obstacle course. They reach the sand pit and start digging for their planks to make the bridge they have to cross, complete. The favs finally finish their wheels and take off thru the obstacle course and then wipe out by hitting a tree. Looks like Eliza may have hit her head. I wonder if it knocked some sense in her...lol
The fans end up winning and I wasn't really that disappointed especially when I saw the favs give up when they realized they would not win. I thought we had a group of favs that would never give up. That disappointed me more than them not winning.

Back to the beaches and this is where we realize that Fairplay has a soft spot in his heart. I never thought I would be saying those words. He says he can't stop thinking about his girlfriend and his expected daughter. He tells Parvarti and Amy (separately) that he wants to go home. Amy is skeptical - at least she is showing some smarts.

At tribal council, Jeff asks Johnny how it was when they first got to camp. He says it was "cake", easy but they were over confidant. Eliza is asked if their past reputations will be a big factor and Eliza says of course, everyone will remember the things you did on past Survivors. Jeff tells Fairplay that no one in this game has a bigger reputation than him, which he agrees to but then says that the other favs were all surprised by the real Fairplay and they all trust him. He says he can not stop thinking about his little girl and wonders if he is a bad father for being here. Jeff makes mention that he is not a father yet. All the while Yau-Man is smiling wondering what Fairplay schemes is.

Jeff asks Johnny if he is quitting and Johnny says no, but his head is mixed up and his mind his not there.

It's voting time and Yau-Man chooses to keep his one use idol. As voting takes place, no votes are shown other than Yau-Man and Jonathon who each vote for Fairplay. Yau-Man says that if Johnny needs parenting advice he will be glad to help him.

Fairplay is voted out and we see that everyone voted for him with he voting for Ozzy. As he leaves he gives Jeff a hug and tells the other to treat Jeff right. I have to wonder here just how much Johnny Fairplay was paid to appear on the show. You know they are paying them and I suspect he is getting paid even more. I hate tribal councils where it is so obvious who is going home. Can't they edit this better to make it a little more suspenseful.

Previews let us in to the fact that the couples (Parvarti/James and Ozzy/Amanda) heat things up. We see P/J snuggling at night and we see O/A getting into some hot and heavy kissing. Note to the guys, think with your brain in your head not with the brain between your legs.

So that's it folks. I wasn't impressed like I said in the beginning. I hope things heat up next week and we get to see more of the Survivor we love. And hopefully we will get more Fan time so we can learn more of who they are. I am pulling for James, Ozzy, Jonathon and Yau-Man, in that order, on the Favs tribe. I have no favorite on the Fans tribe, but Mikey seems like he might be a good one to pull for. I will give you my Fan favorite after next week show.

Care to comment......tell us your thoughts...click here:
http://bbbut.proboards7.com/

bbfanatik

Wednesday, February 06, 2008

Big Brother Winter Twist Revealed - Soul Mates????

So this years Big Brother twist is that each contestant has been paired with their "soul mate" as determined by Big Brother.

Apparently each wannabe contestant had to fill out a "love-match" profile along with the standard application. Then Big Brother worked their magic (yeah right) and proceeded to match contestants with who they think will be soul mates, love mates or possibly worst enemies.

During Big Brother 9's premiere broadcast on Tuesday, February 12 at 9PM ET/PT, the houseguests will be told they are being matched up with their "soul mate" -- a "stranger who may prove to be their true love or their worst nightmare," according to CBS.

Apparently Big Brother is hoping for some love connections or some really big fights. Not only are these people paired up for possible love connections but they will also be partners in everything. They will sleep together, compete together, be Head of Household together, be nominated for eviction together and ultimately be evicted together. Hmmm....makes you wonder if this season will be a shortened version of our favorite summer staple. If there are two evictions each week, then this Big Brother won't last longer than 2 months instead of the typical 3 months.

The house, as always has been redesigned and looks like a rustic cabin. Lots of woodsy stuff, dead animals on the walls, stone walls, a free-standing fireplace, a full-size, authentic handmade canoe hanging from the ceiling. There is also a new diary room with real tree trunks in the background, nautical-themed bedrooms, an island oasis-themed HoH room, and even a few live animals.

One change this year is that Big Brother will not be airing on Thursday nights with live evictions. Live Evictions will be held on Wednesday nights. We still get our three episode a week dose of BB, but I am sure producer Allison Grodner didn't want to go up against ratings jugernaut, Survivor, Fans vs Favorites. Can't say I blame her!

There will still be the live feeds, so make sure you have your feed subscription up to date before next Tuesday's premiere and "After Dark" will be on ShowtimeToo again this year.

For a preview of all the contestants, check out this video where our favorite houseguest of all time, Janelle, or at least mine, introduces us to this years cast:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-h7c4kcfSog

For a sneak peek of this years Big Brother house, check out these pictures:
http://forums.jokersupdates.com/ubbthreads/showthreaded.php?Board=bbnewsandrumors&Number=7817789

So are you ready to find out how this years "Dirty Little Secret" plays out! Check back after premiere night for my take and others on the first episode and join in the fun and give us your comments., click here:
http://bbbut.proboards7.com/

bbfanatik
6 days and counting!!

The British Are Coming!!!

Well at least one is coming and he will be this years Bachelor set to premiere on Monday, March 17th.

His name Matt Grant, a 27-year-old "global financier" from London. Probably a day trader....lol

At least we have another one that is easy on the eyes and I am sure the accent will make you melt. I love a man with an accent!!! I am looking forward to another round of speed dating, cat fights, shirtless stud, bikini babes, tonsil hockey, fantasy dates and then finally the big finale where he picks one and we find out the next day they are no longer together. Good entertainment there folks!!

for more information on our new bachelor, click below and then come back to discuss.

http://www.realitytvworld.com/news/british-native-matt-grant-serve-as-abc-new-the-bachelor-star-6492.php

Big Brother Cast Revealed

The new Big Brother cast has been revealed. Here we go:



Alex, 24, DJ company owner from Staten Island, New York


(ok, so he will be without his shirt most of the time)







Chelsia, 21, college student from Cedar Falls, Iowa


(she will be a bikini babe for as long as she is in the house)








Joshuah, 25, advertising media buyer from Dallas, Texas


(from his smile, I think he will be the comic relief this year)








Amanda, 23, paralegal from Fridley, Minnesota



(another bikini babe. She kind of reminds me of Sara...you know Sara and James)








Matt, 23, roofing foreman from Charleston, Massachusetts


(this guy looks like he could be Mr. Innocent but I think he will be causing trouble because he has that look too)






Allison, 28, pharmaceutical sales representative from Boston, Massachusetts


(WOW, no fake boobs here. I am surprised she was cast. There must be something there that does not meet the eyes)





Jen, 26, bartender from Columbus, Ohio


(another Danielle....bikini babe)









Adam, 29, public relations manager from Del Ray Beach, Florida


(could this be our token gay guy???)










Sharon, 23, realtor from Olathe, Kansas


(bikini babe, but too much sun on her face...she needs sunscreen)







Jacob, 23, electrician from Dallas, Georgia


(is this our token religious person this year??)









Parker, 26, paparazzo from Northridge, California

(no thoughts on this one yet, but I sense something...like maybe he could be a shit started)









Sheila, 45, former model from Reseda, California


(our resident mom and a hot one at that)










Ryan, 27, college student from Columbus, Ohio


(resident dork this year)








Natalie, 28, bikini barista from Salem, Oregon

(we know what she will be wearing all summer....ouch!!!)









James, 21, originally from Sarasota, Florida, currently biking around the world

(two gays in the house this year????)








Neil, 29, realtor from Los Angeles, California


(this will be our eye candy girls....no shirt...always working out...watch for it)





Well that's my take from just looking at the pictures. Do you have an opinion and who stands out for you.


Remember the show starts in one short week...WooHoo!!!

Come back after the show and let's discuss!

Get your live feeds before they start so you don't miss a beat.

bbfanatik

photos and bios courtesy of: http://www.tvguide.com/PhotoGallery/Big_Brother_9_Cast_Revealed__1094/1.aspx

Tuesday, February 05, 2008

American Idol - Tuesday Feb 5th

Well tomorrow night is the final night of auditions and even though they can be really funny, most of the time they are just very irritating. I have to say I look forward more to the Hollywood round and then the final 12. I haven't watched much of the auditions before tonight. However I was really impressed with what I saw tonight.



The Florida Fair Queen (or whatever her title was) impressed me more than I thought. At first glance I thought "oh no here we go, another airhead who thinks she is all that because she has a crown", but she proved me wrong. She actually had a good voice.



The young girl who had just lost her father 2 days earlier was incredible. I don't know this girl was able to get up and sing, much less sing LeAnn Rhimes "How Do I Live" and dedicated it to her father. I know I was in tears jsut like Paula. Besides that being an awesome song, she nailed it and brought the passion that song so deserves. I hope this girl go far in the competition and is able to bring her passion to other songs.



The last one to blow me away was the rocker chick with the dual hair color. She had a great rocker voice and if she can keep from being over the top she should maybe make it to the top 12....maybe.



Other than those three, no one else blew me away, at least not that I can remember and if I can't remember them then they for sure did not blow me away.



Two of the rejects that stood out was the girl who professed her love for Simon and said she had a crush on him. This girl could not sing AT ALL. And she could not believe the judges thought she couldn't sing, but don't they all.



Also, the goth looking guy who appeared to only want to be there to give Simon a hard time stood. Another on that could not sing, but I was pretty sure he couldn't sing before he opened his mouth. His cockyness was too much.



So we have one more night of auditions and then we get to the good part of the show. Not the great part, but a better part then what we have been seeing for the past couple weeks.....at least in my opinion.



Care to discuss....what's your thoughts! Let's dish....



Don't forget Survivor - Fans vs Favorites begins this Thursday. After the show be sure to come tell us what you think.



bbfanatik

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

American Idol Season 7 Premiere - Night 1

The Good
























The Bad















The CREEPY!!


Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Survivor All-Stars ..... or not

Survivor time is upon us once again, and I have to say I'm pretty excited. Instead of yet another All-Stars installment, CBS is pitting 10 Survivor super fans against 10 of our favourite previous Survivor cast members. Would you like to see James, or Ozzy get another chance at the million, but you love seeing fresh faces for a new season? We now get both! I personally think this may be even better than Survivor: China, which I thoroughly enjoyed, and I can't wait to see how the super fans play themselves against the veterans. One thing I did notice, is the name of the islands where the show is taking place: Palau, Micronesia. Palau was the location of Survivor 10, as well as the first Survivor I believe, although it is probably located on different islands each time.

Addicted to Big Brother will be covering this season of Survivor, although our format has changed to more casual opinion pieces mixed with facts about the show, so check out the site each week to see what we come up with!

Sunday, January 13, 2008

the best thing to come out of the writers' strike

it was said that big brother could only happen during the summer because the fall/winter schedules are too full for a 3 day a week, one hour show like big brother but luckily for all of the die hard big brother fans out there the writers' strike makes it a perfect situation to dust off big brother and bring it back for a special winter edition.

sure we may be bombarded with sucky sitcoms, dramas, and movies that execs pulled from the dusty backs of their shelves but we'll be so glued to our live feeds and the TV show itself we'll hardly even notice!

this may even turn out to be a blessing for CBS. i don't know about you but i have way more evening time to kill in the dead of winter then in the summer when i'm torn between the feeds and swimming at the lake. plus in conjunction with the new survivor season this could be a ratings one, two, punch.

Wednesday, December 05, 2007

Calling All Big Brother Watchers

Well as you have all heard, our favortire summer staple, Big Brother, is coming back for a winter run. That's right....Big Brother Winterized!!! The ninth season of Big Brother is slated to return on Feb 12th. And with that in mind, we are putting out feelers for recappers and screencappers for the website. We are looking for anyone who would like to help in the following areas:

recappers: live feed recappers and show recappers (you dont have to do both)

screencappers: someone with the live feeds who can capture some screen shots for our cappers to add to their articles.

videocappers: someone with the live feeds who doesn't mind recording and capturing anything of interest (fights, sex, competitions, stratigizing) that happens in the house on the live feeds.

news reporter: someone who doesn't mind searching out and finding the absolute latest up to the minute news report on anything Big Brother.

I am usually the head live feed recapper and unfortunately the timing for the upcoming season could not be worse for me, so any help you can give would be much appreciated.

If so head over to the link below and let us know what you would be willing to help with.

Thanks

bbfanatik


click here to leave a message on how you can help: http://bbbut.proboards7.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=staffarea&thread=1196873609

Survivor All Stars - Part Two?

Although it still isn't confirming that Survivor's next edition will be the show's second all-stars installment, CBS has announced that Survivor's next season -- which the network is currently terming Survivor 16 -- will premiere on Thursday, February 7 at 8PM ET/PT.


According to a CBS spokesperson contacted by Reality TV World, additional details about Survivor's sixteenth edition -- including its formal title -- will not be announced until the December 16 finale of the show's currently-airing Survivor: China edition. While rumors that CBS might be planning another all-stars installment have circulated for years, more formal reports that Survivor's Spring 2008 edition would be another all-stars season began to surface earlier this year.

According to a May report in In Touch Weekly, a second all-stars edition would only feature castaways from the seven Survivor installments that have filmed since 2004's Survivor: All-Stars edition occurred (Survivor: Vanuatu; Survivor: Palau; Survivor: Guatemala; Survivor: Panama; Survivor: Cook Islands; Survivor: Fiji; and Survivor: China). "No winners will be back," an "insider" reportedly told In Touch at the time. The May In Touch report came two months after long-time Survivor host Jeff Probst -- who will be returning to helm the sixteenth season -- had told reporters that although he "personally didn't want to do" and "didn't enjoy" the show's initial All-Stars edition, he felt Survivor was "due" for another all-stars installment. "We're going into our sixteenth season, [a second all-stars] wouldn't be a bad idea... The only thing I can say is that I've come around to understanding that even though the All-Stars we did was a pain-in-the-ass from a production point of view, it was one of our best seasons," Probst reiterated to reporters during a September conference call to discuss Survivor: China. "And it was our best season because we had our best people back. I get that." According to Probst, one of his biggest all-stars gripes was the swelled heads some of Survivor's first All-Stars edition participants developed during their second go-around on the show. "I wouldn't be looking forward to necessarily doing another 20 all-stars," Probst explained at the time, "because I know the minute you call them an 'all-star,' suddenly the contract has four-page rider on it that they need their green M&Ms removed."

Last week, James Clement, the tenth castaway eliminated from Survivor: China, was not made available for post-show media interviews following his ouster on Thursday night's broadcast. No reason was given for his unavailability, however the move appeared to all but confirm Clement's participation in Survivor's currently-filming second all-stars edition. In 2003, former Survivor: Pearl Islands castaway Rupert Boneham was not available for media interviews after his elimination from Survivor's seventh edition because he was participating in the filming of Survivor: All-Stars. According to online reports, Survivor's second all-stars edition is currently in its final days of filming in Palau, the South Pacific island chain that previously served as the location of the show's tenth installment.

Prior to Survivor: Palau's Spring 2005 premiere, Probst had gushed about the region's crystal clear waters. "We're in the most beautiful water that we've ever had in terms of visibility," said Probst. "The visibility was so good that we decided to pull out a lot of challenges we'd been sitting on and you know anytime you create stuff underwater, it just adds such a physical component." Ironically, Palau was reportedly Survivor producer Mark Burnett's first choice for Survivor: All-Stars, however due to scheduling problems, Survivor's first all-stars edition ended up filming on the same Panamanian islands that Survivor: Pearl Islands, the show's previous edition, had filmed on.


Tuesday, December 04, 2007

The Winter of Big Brother????



It has been confirmed that Big Brother will begin on Feb 21st.......


Indeed, the biggest strike shift at CBS is the scheduling of "Big Brother" three nights a week. The Eye had been mulling the idea for the past month (Daily Variety, Nov. 7).
Ninth installment of the summer staple will make its bow Feb. 12, at 9 p.m. (serving as a lead-in for "Jericho").
Julie Chen-hosted reality skein will also air Wednesday and Sunday nights at 8.
While the Tuesday edition of
"Brother" displaces scripted series "The Unit," the Wednesday and Sunday episodes take the place of reality shows -- "Kid Nation" and "The Amazing Race" -- that will have wrapped their respective runs by February.
Winter air pattern for "Brother" is also very similar to the skein's summer sked, in which episodes run on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday nights. Eye is still planning a summer edition of "Brother."


(I haven't completely rested from the loss of sleep over this past summer and now we have to start it all over again......Oh man.......bbfanatik)

Monday, December 03, 2007

Amazing Race - Blonde BlowOut

Departing the Pit Stop in first place at 6:45am, siblings Azaria & Hendekea ripped open their clue to discover they needed to fly over 3,000 miles to Vilnius, Lithuania. When they landed, they had to drive one of the marked cars to St. Ann's Church to find their next clue. Arriving at the very empty Ouagadougou Airport, Azaria & Hendekea, along with dating couple Nate & Jen, walked to a nearby Internet café for information on the earliest flight out of Burkina Faso to Vilnius. They learned that the earliest flight to Paris, where they could connect to a flight to Vilnius, departed at 10:45pm with plenty of seats available on Air France. With many Teams present in the small Internet café, father and daughter Ron & Christina opted to take a taxi into town to the Air France ticket office hoping to find it open even though the Internet café worker said it would be closed. Their gamble paid off as they walked into the office and tried to book tickets. But Ron's overbearing behavior once again surfaced, much to Christina's chagrin.
Questions and comments Christina tried to direct at the ticket agent resulted in criticism from her father on how to do it better. Later, Ron remarked, "Christina is somewhat naïve. I basically want to teach my daughter how to deal with various kinds of people. In the end, the pair booked tickets on a flight to Vilnius landing at 2:10pm. Both Azaria & Hendekea and Nick & Don separately learned that the earliest flight to Vilnius arrived at 1:25pm. The two Teams got into taxis heading for the Air France office to purchase tickets on this flight, as the curious Nate & Jen and Shana & Jennifer followed along.

Nick & Don entered the Air France office as Ron & Christina exited, unaware they had booked a later flight. Just as Nick & Don sat down to begin purchasing the 1:25pm flight with an agent who didn't speak English very well, Azaria & Hendekea arrived and used a different agent who spoke better English, allowing them to snag the tickets ahead of Nick & Don. When Nick's agent brought up the 1:25 flight on her computer, it was now completely booked. The best the agent could offer the disappointed Nick was a 5:35pm arrival. In a strange and confusing turn, after Nick & Don left for the airport, Nate & Jen used the exact same agent and successfully booked tickets on the 1:25pm flight along with Shana & Jennifer, who used the other ticket agent. Back at the airport, Nick & Don walked into the now open Air France office and managed to upgrade their tickets from the 5:35pm arrival to a 1:35pm arrival via Frankfurt. They would be on the same flight as TK & Rachel and Kynt & Vyxsin. A stunned Nick learned from Nate & Jen that they booked the 1:25pm after he and Don left the Air France office prompting Nick to say, "That lady made me so mad."

With all the Teams at the airport again, the Air France office became crowded as Teams tried to secure the best seats on the flight. Wanting privacy for her transaction, Shana ordered Jennifer to ask a stunned Hendekea to leave the office. Outside, Nate & Jen, TK & Rachel and Azaria & Hendekea all marveled at Shana & Jennifer's behavior. Jen noted, "We can see people's true colors." Inside the office, Jennifer lamented to an unsympathetic Shana that they officially burned any remaining bridges with the other Teams. After bringing up their disagreement over the U-turn in the last leg and Shana's insistence on clearing the office, Jennifer implored Shana to "think it out a little bit." In response, an angry Shana sniped, "I'm way more methodical than you," to which Jennifer retorted, "You're really flattering yourself."

Landing in Vilnius, Lithuania at 1:25pm, Nate & Jen hopped into their car first. Azaria & Hendekea and Shana & Jennifer had difficulties finding the parking lot, allowing Nick & Don and TK & Rachel from the 1:35pm flight to pass by them. Landing in last place at 2:10pm, father and daughter Ron & Christina, not wanting to waste a precious second, wisely paid a taxi to lead them. Christina's smart move gave them an advantage as Nate & Jen and Shana & Jennifer wandered aimlessly through the city. Arriving at St. Ann's Church in first place, Nick & Don ripped open the clue to find a Roadblock. In it, one Team member had to choose a local Lithuanian woman working outdoors, who would give them a package and tell them where to take it. Then, traveling on foot through the confusing streets of the Old Quarter, Team members had to deliver the package to the correct person, who would then hand them their second package and one of four final destinations.

As Nick ran off with instructions to find Weinius in the Vilnius University Courtyard, Kynt and Hendekea opted to deliver packages for their Teams. Nick kept his lead over his competitors as he located Weinius, who instructed Nick to find a hair salon to deliver his second package. Nick's lead soon began to shrink as began asking local after local for directions, but no one could tell him where the salon was located. Eventually, Kynt jumped into first place by delivering his second package to the Gabi Café for his clue. After running back to Vyxsin, Kynt opened the clue to discover they had to drive to the town of Rumsiskes and find Lietuvos Liaudies Buities Muziejus, a Lithuanian outdoor ethnographic museum. With Nick still searching in vain for the hair salon, TK employed the services of a young local man, who directed him through the city to earn the next clue. Ron asked for help at a hotel to complete the task in third. Even Hendekea, who had to find the hair salon as well, stumbled upon a local woman who led her to the correct location. A stunned Don watched five Teams pass them as the sixth, a very lost Shana & Jennifer, finally arrived at the church with a golden opportunity to catch up. As Shana ran off with her package, Nick finally found someone to direct him to the salon. However, Shana's urgency in running, coupled with directional help from locals, allowed her to pass Nick as he bled time finding his way back to the church. The two Teams left the church moments apart knowing that one of them would likely be eliminated. A worried Shana said, "Please, please God, let us stay in this game.

Arriving at Lietuvos Liaudies Buities Muziejus in first place, dating Goths Kynt & Vyxsin opened the clue to discover they had to scour the village for a vacationing Travelocity Roaming Gnome hidden among 100 of his closest Lithuanian gnome friends. With their gnome in hand, the Goths continued along the path to find the next clue, a Detour, having to choose between Count Down and Step Up. In Count Down, Teams made their way through the traditional Mid-Summer's Festival to a marked section of picket fence. Once there, they had to count every picket that makes up the fence and then reveal their calculation to a villager. If they were correct, they would receive their next clue. In Step Up, Teams had to stilt-walk along a marked course to the finish line. If a person fell off before reaching the end, that person had to go back to the beginning and start again. When they reached the end, they would receive their next clue. Running into the festival to try stilt-walking, the Goths marveled at the brightly colored costumes of the dancers and the fun, frightening masks of revelers, as everyone danced to music from accordion players. Later, Kynt remarked, "Vyxsin and I love to play dress up and we were surrounded by kindred souls that made us feel 'normal'."

As the dating Goths struggled to maintain their balance on the traditional wooden stilts, dating couple TK & Rachel and father and daughter Ron & Christina ran into the boisterous festivities determined to take the lead. With all six racers falling down, some closer to the finish line than others, Kynt & Vyxsin opted to cut their losses and switch to counting pickets. After TK successfully stilt-walked the entire distance, he cheered Rachel on. Kynt & Vyxsin started counting pickets and discovered that the loud music and boisterous revelers made concentrating on the number in their heads rather difficult. Reaching 400, the dating Goths disagreed on which picket represented the landmark and returned to the beginning, just as Rachel took her very last step on the stilts to finish the task. Opening their clue, the dating couple discovered they had to make their way on foot to the next Pit Stop at Aukstaitija Windmill.

While TK & Rachel searched for the windmill, Kynt & Vyxsin reached the magic number of 717 pickets and ran off in hopes of overtaking the dating couple. After a close footrace, TK & Rachel claimed first place, a far cry from their near elimination in the previous leg. Phil awarded the ecstatic couple a 10-day trip for two from Travelocity to Japan. The injury-plagued Ron, who was suffering from a hernia, slowly inched along the path to the finish line, where Christina stood waiting, having already traversed the course on stilts. She received a scare when she watched her father take a nasty tumble, forcing him to start over, but her encouraging words kept Ron moving forward as the pair claimed third place for the second leg in a row. Afterwards, Christina said, "I'm so proud of my dad. He's my Superman."

With Azaria & Hendekea finishing in fourth, the frustration of counting got to Nate & Jen as they managed to fowl up each other's concentration each time. This led to another fight between the bickering couple, which reached the pinnacle when Nate called Jen a "bitch". While stunned that he called her that, Jen had enough presence of mind to agree they needed to switch to stilts. This wise choice resulted in a much quicker finish en route to fifth place for the couple.

The partygoers at the festival may have been in a celebratory mood, but grandfather and grandson Nick & Don and friends Shana & Jennifer arrived at the festival with their game faces on as they battled to stay in the Race. With both Teams opting to count pickets, concentration amid the chaos around them would make all the difference. Shana & Jennifer appeared more motivated than ever before, but soon the friends' communication broke down as Shana accused Jennifer of not adopting a strategy to complete the task. Shana sniped, "You're so on a Team of your own, it's ridiculous." Meanwhile, Nick miscounted for his Team, but, as the blondes continued to argue instead of count, he went back and corrected his mistake to reach 717 pickets, earning the clue. Shana eventually let Jennifer count by herself saying, "You just go ahead and count it and if it's wrong, it's all on you." Jennifer did miscount on her attempt, sealing their fate as Nick & Don slipped into sixth place. Arriving on the mat in last place, friends Shana & Jennifer received the bad news from Phil that they had been eliminated from the Race. A tearful Jennifer remarked, "This Race means so much to me. I'm just so disappointed and so hurt that we got eliminated." Shana added, "We come from a comfortable life. We get manicures and pedicures and facials and you come here and all of that goes out the window. I'm just amazed about what we've accomplished."

Survivor China - "Don't Bite The Apple"

Survivor: China's eleventh episode picked up immediately where the tenth episode left off -- with host Jeff Probst informing the seven remaining castaways that there was still "more business to attend to" after they had voted Michael "Frosti" Zernow out of the game during the show's ninth Tribal Council session. Jeff dismissed Frosti's fellow jury members -- Jean-Robert Bellande and Jaime Dugan -- and said the castaways would be competing in their next Reward Challenge at Tribal Council. The group was relieved since they were presumably expecting another elimination. Jeff explained the rules, as he would ask a series of questions based on Chinese culture. Each time the castaway got one right, they'd score a point. First castaway to five would win Reward, where they would travel by private jet to the ancient Shaolin Temple, one of the origins of martial arts. They'll enjoy a martial arts demonstration, a hot meal and an overnight stay. In addition, the winner would get to choose two people to take with them.

The Reward Challenge then commenced. Everybody answered at least three of the first four questions correctly, however James; Todd Herzog, a 22-year-old flight attendant from Pleasant Grove, UT; and Peih-Gee Law, a 29-year-old jeweler from Marina Del Rey, CA, were the only ones to answer all four correctly. Peih-Gee was the only one who knew that receiving a red envelope in Chinese culture met cash was your gift, and she claimed Reward. Erik Huffman, a 26-year-old musician from Nashville, TN, was Peih-Gee's first choice to accompany her to the Temple, not surprising since the two are the only original Zhan Hu tribe members remaining. Pei-Gee then chose Denise Martin, a 40-year-old school lunch lady from Douglas, MA, to also go with her for Reward.

The next morning the merged Hae Da Fung camp was quiet as all the castaways slept, except James, who as usual was up and about doing chores. The boat then arrived to pick-up Peih-Gee, Erik and Denise. Denise said she had "such love" for Peih-Gee, but was also "concerned" and "very, very nervous" that she was leaving her allies back at camp, worried they'd strategize behind her back. Once the three left, Todd; James; Amanda Kimmel, a 23-year-old hiking guide and Miss Montana USA 2005 from Los Angeles, CA; and Courtney Yates, a 26-year-old waitress from New York, NY, were the only ones left at camp. Todd called it a "nine-day advance sneak preview," meaning he expected the four to the Final 4. "When Denise, Peih-Gee and Erik left for their Reward, we were all like, 'Ooh! This is nice to have just the four of us. It could be this way. We could keep it this way,' said Todd. "There was no arguing." James agreed, and said he'd like to see present company "frolic all the way to four." "The four of us right now are in the proverbial garden of Eden. The Lord said don't bite the apple. If Eve would have listened, they would still be frolicking naked in heaven. I just want us to frolic naked as long as we can!" said James. "So don't be tempted by Peih-Gee and Erik. Don't bite the apple! Leave it alone!"

While Todd and James were seemingly comfortable with the Final 4, Amanda had her doubts. "Right now I'm kind of just going along with everyone," said Amanda. "In all reality, I don't feel comfortable going to the Final 3 with any of them. This is the time in the game that a change needs to be made. This is my chance to make something else happen the way I want it to happen."

Peih-Gee, Erik and Denise were enjoying their Reward -- however realizing her neck was on the chopping block -- Peih-Gee thought it might make sense to try and strategize as well. She suggested that if they could convince James to vote with them, they'd have four votes and be able to "pick off Todd." Denise knew what Peih-Gee was trying to do and just went along with it as to not ruffle any feathers. "Peih-Gee and Erik are definitely on the outsides. But you don't want to make enemies," said Denise. "So I mean we're just going to have to wait and see what happens at this point."

The three then arrived at the Shaolin Temple, and Denise revealed she had been taken karate for the last eight years and was close to becoming a black belt. The three received a kung-fu demonstration and learned some moves from some kids before Denise was asked to give her own demonstration. She shyly obliged, and Erik was "impressed." That night they ate dinner and slept on floor mats, which looked moderately comfortable.

The next morning there was some awful weather pounding the Hae Da Fung camp, and Amanda, Courtney, James and Todd huddled in a cave to protect themselves. "This rain storm is hell when you are sitting in a muddy hole in a swimsuit you have been wearing for a month, crammed, hunched over like this, looking out, praying for the clouds to go away," said a sullen looking Todd. "I am done with the rain... Done!" The boat came back carrying Peih-Gee, Erik and Denise, and Amanda was the only one who left the cave to great them. Peih-Gee then made the mistake of venturing into the cave and gushing about the trip to the Shaolin Temple. "The cave is the best thing I have right now," said Courtney. "The cave is my happy place. What I don't like is when everyone and their damn mother decide they like the cave too! Peih-Gee comes sidling up in there and I'm like, 'I'm going to kill you.' And then you want to start talking? No get out of here! No talking in the cave!"

Denise then pulled Todd aside and asked if everything was "still cool," and he assured her "of course." Denise then revealed Peih-Gee and Erik were trying to "work" on her to become the third member of their Final 3 alliance, suggesting they blind-side Todd at the next Tribal Council. Needless to say, Todd wasn't too pleased with the plan but Denise assured him there was nothing to it. Erik then tried to gauge James to see if he'd be willing to align himself with the two former Zhan Hu members. James was pretty noncommittal about the idea and told Erik to ask what the "powers of be" say -- referring to the former Fei Long tribe's five-person majority. "There is an original group of five and a group of two," said James. "Erik is not that smart. Why would I go from the nice happy five to the evil two? I am not going to eat that apple. They can tempt me as much as they want but I'm just not having it.... He should know that I'm really not going to flip on nobody at this point."

The next day, Amanda and Courtney decided to go for a walk together, and Amanda laid-out her plan to shift the power in the game by blind-siding James so he doesn't use one of his two Hidden Immunity Idols. "I have a really good idea. We get rid of James tonight," whispered Amanda to Courtney, who was skeptical at first. Amanda was persistent. "The thing is -- to get James out -- he can't expect it and he doesn't expect it right now... We're pretty much giving James a Top 3 spot right now! He deserves to win the $1 million! I'd give him $1 million! He's done the most around camp, he's been crazy-good in challenges..." Courtney looked absolutely amazed that somebody had a strategic idea who wasn't named Todd, but agreed to go along with Amanda's plan. "I have come up with a plan to get rid of James," said Amanda. "He is in control right now because he has the Immunity Idols. So he definitely has to be blind-sided tonight... James keeps telling everyone, 'Stay away from the apple. Don't eat the apple. This is our Final 4, that's it.' I'm not only ready to bit the apple, I'm ready to make the whole friggin pie! All we have to do is make sure he doesn't win Immunity today."

Hae Da Fung then gathered for Survivor: China's next Immunity Challenge and Jeff explained the rules. Each castaway would throw three Chinese stars at a series of targets, with each having a different point value: a one-point target, two-point target, three-point target and a five-point target. The three people with the highest point total at the end would move onto a sudden death round, in which they'd have one opportunity to score. The person who scores the highest in their final throw wins.
Peih-Gee went first and scored zero points, Todd scored three and Denise scored two. Erik -- who threw left-handed -- Courtney, James and Amanda all scored six points and went to the sudden death round, where the target was moved 10-feet back. Courtney didn't compensate for the new distance and threw her star right into the ground. Amanda got two points, Erik bested her with three points, and James' star bounced off the target. Erik won Immunity.

Back at camp, James was confident that since Erik won Immunity, Peih-Gee would be the next castaway booted from the competition. What James didn't know was that Amanda's plan was continuing to develop, as she told Todd it was a good time to take control away from James. Todd was still concerned about leaving Peih-Gee and Erik around, so Amanda said they could get rid of one of them at the next Tribal Council once James -- and his muscles and two Hidden Immunity Idols -- were out. "I guess if there was a time to do it, it would be now," agreed Todd. The two decided to "play up" around camp like their still ousting Peih-Gee as to not give James any idea what's going on so he wouldn't even be tempted to use one of the Hidden Immunity Idols. Todd realized the problem was that Peih-Gee and Erik were most likely going to vote for him -- so if James did use the idol -- the person with the next highest vote total would be booted, meaning Todd would be sent packing. Courtney and Denise were then brought on board.
Meanwhile Peih-Gee and Erik were enjoying what they assumed would be their last day together when Peih-Gee saw James' Hidden Immunity Idols hidden in the ceiling of the structure that they all sleep under. While Peih-Gee said she was "resigned" to go home, she figured she'd do some last minute lobbying with what she believed was some new information. Peih-Gee confronted Amanda and asked if she knew James had the two Hidden Immunity Idols. When Amanda just stood there and stared, Peih-Gee asked if Amanda even knew the Hidden Immunity Idols existed. "Yes," answered Amanda. "I'm not stupid Peih-Gee." Now feeling stupid herself, Peih-Gee had to explain how she only just came to learn about the idols and thought it might be a prudent plan to eliminate James next. "Peih-Gee... Just slow down, okay?" Amanda told her. "You just need to not do anything and just trust me. Act like you are going home... and just keep it like that." Peih-Gee wasn't stupid either and understood Amanda's underlying message that James was going to be blind-sided, sharing the news with Erik. James then had one final chat with Amanda before Tribal Council, making sure it was Peih-Gee who was being voted for. She said yes. "I've been the main guy trying to hold this thing together, and that's what I'm going to try and do," said James. "Tonight is pivotal. We get past tonight, I'm good... I will have the idols there. They will be in my possession, just in case. If I get a sense that somebody is going to do something they're not supposed to do, I will play the idols. I have to."

Survivor: China's tenth Tribal Council commenced, and Frosti, Jean-Robert and Jaime entered as the first three members of the jury. Peih-Gee told Jeff that since Zhan Hu's numbers are dwindling, it's been like "battling against a brick wall" in trying to make some headway in the competition. James knew that Peih-Gee was "doing what she's doing" and admired her for it, but still liked his odds better because he assumed he had the majority on his side. Peih-Gee then taunted James with Erik's Individual Immunity necklace and reminded him that she won the previous Immunity Challenge, which is why Frosti was booted. Everybody then took a shot of explaining what Survivor trust is. "Keep your friends close, keep your enemies closer," said Todd. "I don't trust anybody at all," said Denise. "You never know if it's going to be you." "It's possible [to trust somebody] if you have the same strategy, if you have the same goal," said James. "That's the only time you can really trust somebody. If you know that they really need you -- and you really need them -- they all bond together. If not, you really can't trust anybody." Jeff asked if anybody wasn't "overly concerned" it could be them going home, and Erik was the only one who raised his hand, meaning James must of at least had a twinge of doubt that he was absolutely safe. Peih-Gee once again claimed she fully expected it was her time to go, and the seven remaining castaways cats their votes.

Before Jeff revealed the results, he gave James one last chance to play one of the idols. When James decided not to use one of the idols, Todd's expression turned from nervous to elated. As Jeff read the votes and it became clear James was going to be booted, he looked embarrassed. James voted for Peih-Gee -- who voted for Todd -- but the other five votes all went against James, who was eliminated from the competition with two Hidden Immunity Idols still in his possession. The jury laughed as James exited the Tribal Council area.