Notes here and there as the final four battle. …

(Parvati wins, 5 votes to 3. Amanda and Parvati were final two. Natalie finished fourth, Cirie third. I was convinced Amanda would win it all — should have won it all — as you can see in my in-progress notes below. Good season, bad finale.)

Amanda has won the first immunity challenge, leaving Cirie, Natalie and Parvati in jeopardy. Lots of maneuvering with no certainty. "We've duped so many people with straight faces," says Cirie, who is feeling very much at risk. My guess is that it doesn't matter much to Amanda who goes, since she should be able to win a jury vote against any of the other three, but "Survivor" juries can be weird. At tribal council, Probst is noting that there have been four straight blindsides, but I'm not sure anything qualifies as a blindside at this point. Amanda says she is "fairly confident" about what will happen tonight, but no one is absolutely sure. Parvati calls it the craziest and messiest series in the history of "Survivor." Cirie is confrontational during tribal about being at the bottom of her alliance (with Amanda and Parvati).

Natalie is out on a 3-1 vote. Although Natalie would be a good one to be against in jury, she had to be seen as a threat in immunity challenges, keeping someone else out of the final two or three. And since there's more money in lasting longer, the others all have reason to get her out, Amanda included — since I don't think Amanda goes to the jury unless she wins immunity again.

Back at camp, Cirie has a fit, again arguing about being at the bottom of her alliances. Lots of question whether there's a final two or all three will go jury. For someone who has been such a cool customer during the game, she's suddenly quite heated. Does she think she can intimidate her way into the final two? Yelling leads to tears and group hug. So maybe Cirie has played Amanda. If there's a final two.

Tree mail to group refers to "final immunity challenge." Much despair as they go on the Parade of Ousted Contestants. Cirie sees the final immunity challenge as "poetic," a blindside to people who have trafficked in blindsides. They parade. What this tells me is how iffy the show was in the early going, then it turned into a lot of fun. And how freakin' brutal physically the whole thing has been. Penner: "It was a once in a lifetime experience I got to do twice." Seems that Parvati is making Cirie and Amanda carry a lot more torches. Erik seems to have learned misogyny from the show.

The final immunity challenge. Endurance test involving holding a cylindrical block with a ball in an indentation, with handles to press into each side of the block; as the test goes on, more blocks are added between the handles. Drop the ball or the blocks, and you lose.

Parvati goes out first. Rounds are five minutes until a final one that goes until one of them drops. Cirie loses. Amanda is guaranteed final two. I think she can beat either Cirie or Parvati, but who's a safer bet?

Much maneuvering by Cirie to persuade Amanda that C will have a tough time before the jury, but Amanda says Cirie is a good speaker and could sway jurors. Amanda says she'll make a decision based on "my gut feeling." Amanda cries a lot during tribal council; jurors look skeptical, but it could just be the editing.

Amanda votes out Cirie, keeps Parvati for the final. Parvati looks very happy. Maybe she thinks her combo of backstabbing and alliances will outweigh her arrogance and snottiness.

Jury time. This will go on forever, so they can slide the vote announcement into the 10 p.m. hour and it's only about 9:35 now.

Eliza starts the jury thing and raises the meanness issue with Parvati, and superficiality and yakking where Amanda is concerned. Jason asks Amanda if she would have told Ozzy about his ouster had she known; she says yes. He asks Parvati what her redeeming qualities are. She says protectiveness and loyalty to Amanda and Cirie. But we're clearly in a pattern re Parvati.

Alexis asks Parvati what makes her a better role model for young girls than Amanda. Parvati says she's outspoken and Amanda went more with the flow. Alexis blitzes Amanda about whether she's genuine — saying she didn't buy the tears about taking out Cirie; Amanda says she was always genuine and doesn't need sympathy votes. Kind of harsh sounding.

Natalie calls Parvati the most masterful flirt in the history of "Survivor." Natalie wants to know how that translates in the bedroom. Confusion. Natalie rephrases about how it works in Parv's intimate life; Parvati admits she will flirt with anyone, men or women. Natalie goes at Amanda about her "glazed-over look" and asks if she was playing the "zombie pretty girl … pageant-queen cliche." Wow, the knives are out. Amanda says she made smart decisions and she came in to win.

Erik says 5 or 6 days ago he would have voted for Amanda. Now he feels "totally thrown under the bus" at his last two tribal councils. Amanda says everything she said was honest. Amanda is coming on very tough; Erik says "too late for 'I'm sorrys.' "

James says Amanda pretty much has it in the bag, then turns on Parv. Parv says there was no chance for her to win the game if she stuck with James. He's bitter.

Cirie asks Amanda why Parvati deserves a million dollars more than Cirie does. Amanda says Parvati played a great game and made bold decisions. Cirie clearly feels disrespected. Parv says C played a great game but more under the radar, and that she couldn't have beaten Cirie in front of the jury.

Ozzy says he might be the biggest idiot up here. Says he was very hurt by what Parvati did. "You put a price on a friendship." Intensely angry, and "I don't want to talk to you." And that "you took away 14 days that I could have spent with Amanda." Ozzy then tells Amanda he is "having feelings that I never really felt before. … You're just an amazing girl and I want everyone here to know that."

Still thinking Amanda will win, but it feels as if it could be close now.

Jury votes. Erik went for Amanda! Wow, that's a surprise. Alexis goes for Parvati. Natalie votes for Parvati. Ozzy votes for Amanda. We see some voters, including Jason and Eliza, struggling with their ballots.

Transition to the present-day reunion telecast, with Probst carrying the votes. Probst says word on the street is that this is the best season since the first.

Votes: Parvati, Amanda, Parvati, Amanda, Parvati, Amanda, Parvati, Parvati. Well, that stinks. Oh, well.

After the jury vote was revealed on tonight's "Survivor," James gleefully declared that his reign as dumbest contestant ever is over. And he's right …

although he will still be part of a season with what is probably as a group the dumbest cast ever. Multiple blindsides. Multiple misplays while holding immunity idols.

And tonight, Erik TURNING HIS IMMUNITY NECKLACE OVER TO ANOTHER PLAYER. TURNING OVER IMMUNITY WHEN HE IS THE LAST MAN AGAINST FOUR WOMEN. TURNING OVER IMMUNITY WHEN HE IS COMPETING AGAINST ACKNOWLEDGED SCHEMERS NATALIE, CIRIE AND PARVATI, ALONG WITH AMANDA, WHO PULLED OFF AN EPIC BLINDSIDE A WEEK AGO.

I will dial it down now. ERIK IS THE DUMBEST PLAYER EVER. All right, I will dial it down NOW.

It's not just that Erik's tactical sense is nil. Comical. He tried approaching several women with the same strategy, never imagining they might tell each other. He completely botched a tentative deal with Natalie for a deal with Amanda, even though he could trust neither and just managed to tick off Natalie. The only way he was going to survive was to keep winning challenges, and he was more than able to that; tonight he won both reward and immunity.

So of course he gave up immunity. Because he bought into a completely nuts scenario from the women, in which his giving immunity to Natalie would somehow be redemptive for Erik when it came time for the jury to vote. Madness. It was such a pitiful move, we didn't just get James's declaration at the end. We got laughter from the jury as soon as Erik turned over the necklace. We saw every vote as it was cast — no suspense here, no possibility of a double-cross.

Madness. Erik is THE DUMBEST SURVIVOR PLAYER EVER.

Can't wait to see whom he votes for in the final. (For that matter, I can't wait to see who is in the final. We're down to a dangerous bunch of contenders.)

Jeff Probst said it best …

"You guys are perfecting the art of the blindside." Only this time it was a minority bloc that used it. And I was going "Yes!" when it happened.

Two players went out tonight. James was finally taken out because of the injury to his finger, although he got to stay on the jury.

But the big fun came when Amanda, sent to Exile Island, found the third hidden immunity idol but kept it secret from all the other players, except for telling Parvati that she knew where it was hidden. (I wouldn't tell Parvati squat. But she and Parvati actually seem to have a trusting relationship. Well, as long as it suits Parvati anyway.) Amanda then almost perfectly played the other people — although the bag emptying was a little too much — to the point that even Erik, who had won the immunity challenge, was willing to sell her out. So the Tribal Council was four votes for Amanda, none of which counted, and two for Alexis, who was dealing with her own injury and may not have lasted much longer, since any physical challenge would be beyond her; but she was a long-term threat because she had no obvious enemies on the jury.

Speaking of the jury, I was surprised how much discussion there was of jury votes considering how many people were still in the game. Talk about getting ahead of yourself.

At the same time, though, I don't know who was happier about Amanda's play — Amanda/Parvati or the jury. Not only did Ozzy and Jason see someone actually PLAY an immunity idol, they got to see it turned against the alliance that had taken both of them down.

Big fun. In fact, in terms of entertainment if not tactics, this has turned out to be a really enjoyable season so far.

"I got a hit, Schumacher, and Ruddy doesn't count any more."*

– Since I was the guy who asked NBC's Ben Silverman to explain how "My Name Is Earl" and "30 Rock" qualified as family-hour shows, it was with great amusement that I read a New York Times piece with an NBC executive admitting that the 8-9 p.m. slot isn't all that family on Thursdays. The exec told the Times that:

… the family-hour designation should be seen as offering "direction for program development," not "black-and-white expectations" for the audience.

"'It was not to be construed as a return to a strictly defined family hour," he said, featuring wholesome shows like “Little House on the Prairie,” a hit on NBC in the late 1970s and early ’80s.

By the way, the Times story managed to discuss the "MILF Island" episode without ever using the acronym "MILF." Although it did offer an explanation of the term: "referring to a teenager’s crude designation of someone’s sexy mother."

– "American Idol" has announced the finalists in its songwriting contest. The details are after the jump, but just looking at the song titles makes me think I've heard enough before I've heard anything. Examples: "Believe," "You Believe in Me," "You Believed in Me" (because past tense makes all the difference), "All You Will Need," "You Can Do Anything," "Dream Big."

– Is it just me, or was "Saturday Night Live" a humongous snore on Saturday? I'm usually willing to at least sit through sketches, but I found myself muttering "well, I can see where this is going" and hitting fast-forward.

– CBS has announced that the next season of "Survivor" will be shot in high-definition. Oh, goodie. Extra clarity for bug bites, skin tight over ribs and, of course, the pixels needed when swimsuits slip.

*I know, it's not from "30 Rock." It's from "Network," and it seemed to go nicely with this pic and with the "MILF Island" episode generally.

Here's the "Idol" song list:

Simon Fuller has announced the Top 20 finalists for the AMERICAN IDOL Songwriting Competition. Fans can listen to each submission and their cast their vote for the next AMERICAN IDOL hit single at www.AmericanIdol.com.

ALIGN – Written by James Smithson
ALL YOU WILL NEED – Written by Lauren Dion and Phil Minardi
BELIEVE – Written by John Buchanan
DREAM BIG – Written by Emily Shackelton
FAITH – Written by Zach Ziskin
FLY ME AWAY – Written by Scott Sheets
HERE I AM – Written by Tom Kitt, Matt Zarley, and Andy Zulla
IN THIS MOMENT – Written by Ryan Gillmor
NO TURNING BACK – Written by Luke Ebbin and Curt Schneider
ONLY LOVE – Written by Ken Stacey, Windy Wagner and David Walsh
OVERCOME – Written by Mark Holman
SOMETHING LIKE HEAVEN – Written by Aaron Sidwell
STRONGER – Written by Jason Phelps and Mendy Shaw
THANK YOU WHATEVER COMES – Written by Fran Lucci, Danny Powers and Dara Stewart
THE TIME OF MY LIFE – Written by Regie Hamm
WE’RE GONNA MAKE IT – Writen by Noel Cohen, Hugh Colocott and Amber Rhodes
WHEN YOU COME FROM NOTHING – Written by Will Hopkins
YOU BELIEVE IN ME – Written by David Barrett, Kurt Schreitmueller and Dan Yessian
YOU BELIEVED IN ME – Written by Perry Smith
YOU CAN DO ANYTHING – Written by Gail Farrell, Mark Gasbarro and Larry Kenton

Notes after the jump on "Survivor," the return of "CSI," "Leatherheads" the latest from the Black Keys.

After last night's ouster, Ami (above) has to be considered one of their more fascinatingly flawed characters in the history of "Survivor." She understands tactics very well, as was evident with the women's alliance in her original run on the show. But she doesn't know how to close the deal; the women's alliance turned on her, and a man ended up winning the top prize. On last night's show, she was thoroughly outmaneuvered — and by a fan, no less — as her tactical sense became a liability because it also meant she was untrustworthy. Of course, almost no one on "Survivor" is ever trustworthy, but she let herself be boxed in. Nor does it help that she's in a tribe that is, at bottom, quite bad; they really do need to win some challenges.

As for the show overall, it was a little too talky — one challenge and a lot of maneuvering. But I am still looking forward to the payoff in this season's fake-idol story.

Nice to see "CSI" back, and could we give Bonnie Bedelia's prosecutor character her own series? (I know, she's doing the "Sordid Lives" series for Logo. But she was such a force from the moment she arrived on "CSI," I couldn't help but think there was some backdoor-pilot maneuvering going.) Decent mystery, fun with the spreading illness, gorgeous look ("CSI" is one of my favorite HD shows) and they've not forgotten that Grissom is still hurting from Sara's departure.

I'm nothing but a fan when it comes to the Black Keys, but I also recognize the sense of creeping sameness that has accompanied some of their recent work. No such concerns with "Attack and Release," the newest, which suggests not a dead end for the guys but a wide open road ahead. The production from Danger Mouse takes them away from a stripped-down, hard, bluesy sound and into psychedelia and weird beauty. (Listening to the opening cut, I thought, "Hey, that's … melodic!") While I still like the older sound, with the menacing currents of late-night barroom knife fights, I keep going back to "Attack and Release" for the little flourishes and the big songs.

You can find my review of "Leatherheads" here. The Beacon Journal system also involves assigning star ratings to movies, and I have yet to quite get the hang of that. This one was 2 1/2 stars (out of a possible four), as were "Drillbit Taylor" and "Honeydripper," three very different movies. In each case I found something to admire in the movie but also saw significant flaws. In retrospect, I wonder if I was too kind in some cases — or if it's just that I love movies too much. But that love is not unquestioning, and it's been some time since I saw a movie onscreen that I was really enthused about.

Notes and spoilers from tonight, after the jump. …

What was the line one survivor had — they didn't go out in "blazing glory"?

Strange week. Penner was taken away because of his knee injury, and his tribe still won immunity. Then Chet, perhaps because he sensed how difficult his position had become, claimed that he had an injury, too (a bad heel that did look as if it had the potential for blood poisoning), and asked to be voted off. At which point things became, briefly, really crazy — with a few of the tribemates asking Chet to stay so they could take out Ozzy. But Ozzy gambled, didn't use his hidden idol — and didn't get voted off.

Still, it wasn't all that thrilling. The Gang of Chet was once again inept at challenges; and had they kept Joel or even Mikey B, they could have replicated James's immunity-challenge strategy and had a chance at winning. Then there's the fake immunity idol Ozzy made, now in the hands of Jason. That could be funny down the road, but right now it was just a setup.

Comments with spoilers after the jump …

Cirie-ously, Joel's Gone

In the tribal stage of "Survivor" there is, ideally, one game going on — your tribe against their tribe. But there is always a secondary game, in which individual players seek to protect themselves more than they worry about winning tribal challenges.

It's the second game that has kept Chet astonishingly safe for two weeks, and the second game that took out Joel this week.

The show included a realignment of tribes so they were no longer fans and faves but blends of both. Joel and Chet, whom he saved a week ago in order to take out Mikey B, ended up in the same reconfigured tribe, and Chet continued to be a non-asset in challenges. Both of which were lost by their tribe.

So it seemed logical to take out Chet at tribal council. Only Cirie, who has a remarkable knack for manipulating the other players even though she has no noticeable skills to bring to tribal competitions, sensed that taking out Chet would start a trend of dumping the weaker members of the new tribe, and she would be up for a vote soon enough. So she maneuevered virtually everyone else into taking Joel out.

And it's a sad replay of a week ago, when Mikey B should have stayed and Chet gone. (And Joel was aware, long before the tribal council, that that maneuver had come back to hurt him — since he was saddled, almost literally in one challenge, with Chet.

Again, the players decided that having a strong tribe — and therefore a way to avoid council votes — was less important than their individual self-protection. It's an illogical move in crucial ways. Again, if you have a strong tribe, then you can win challenges and don't have to worry about getting voted off until the merger — and may stiill be in a strong position when the merger comes. But the short-term advantage blinds them to the long-term potential.

As I said last week, it was probably good for the fan tribe that the mixing up of teams was coming, since the fans were probably on track to a series of defeats. The mixing only changed which individuals were on track to those defeats; Cirie has still set up a scenario where her tribe will lose again and again. She either has to hope that Penner's injury is severe enough to elminate him — and therefore prevent a tribal council — or that she can keep coming up with schemes to protect herself.

But then, protecting herself is her lone priority and focus.

It's getting late and I'm not going to go into a lot of detail. But the night's spoiler and a few words after the jump …

Goodbye, Mikey B

It's probably a good thing that, according to the promo for the next episode, "Survivor" is going to move the players around so that there are fans and faves in each tribe. The way things were going with the current lineup, we might as well have skipped ahead to the point where the fans were all wiped out and enjoy the spectacle of the faves turning on each other.

In getting rid of Mikey B, the fans simply made themselves weaker, after a series of defeats in challenges. And they were going to need strength, since the faves have now demonstrated that experience matters in a very simple way: the faves came to the game with an understanding of the physical and mental demands of the game and in most cases were prepared for challenges. The fans flounder and, tonight, individuals chose saving themselves over keeping their tribe strong.

Meant to post last night about this and "Lost" but surrendered to weariness instead. Make-ups this morning, starting with the perils of overthinking …

Along Went Mary

How can you not enjoy a "Survivor" episode where the tribal council vote is something like 6-2-2? Or where Probst says "first tribal council, first blindside"? Or where the guy who sets the blindside in motion not only succeeds but does so without even having to vote for his own scheme

In any case, Mary is out. My regard for Joel now extends past his apparent ability to find hair product in the wilds of Micronesia. And Mikey B once again demonstrated how easy it is to overthink the game — with his trying to arrange a split vote from his alliance to make sure at least one of his rivals was eliminated. It was good thinking on paper but way too complicated for the way the game is usually played — and too tricky for an alliance that large and new.

That said, had I been playing, I would have taken out Chet right away. He was bad at the challenge, and lackadaisical getting out of the water. And his comments during tribal council were so annoying, I wouldn't have been surprised if the other fans had just thrown out their plan and voted him off. (If there was an opportunity for private conversations before the vote, they might well have done that.)

I suppose I should mention the faves, but they were not nearly as interesting this time. Oh, there was potential for future shows, notably in Cirie's becoming the swing vote on the faves. She proved before on "Survivor" that she is a very smart player, and underestimated because of her limitations in physical challenges, so she should provide plenty of fun as the others scheme around her.

Still, when she and Kathleen were working together on the immunity-idol search, how was that supposed to finish? They weren't going to share the idol. Kathleen's previous idol had a limited shelf life. What if they both spotted it at once? Would one have taken head-butt instructions from Yau-Man?

A most excellent start tonight, as explained with spoilers after the jump. …

In the latter stages of tonight's season premiere of "Survivor," I had captioned this photo of Jonny Fairplay with a question about whether anyone should trust this guy.

And the answer is, no one did. And Fairplay is the first one booted from "Survivor," and on a 9-1 vote no less. (The 1 vote that Fairplay didn't get was his own.)

Fairplay is the best-known of the faves on this "Survivor," so well known that when the faves were introduced to the fans, Fairplay was saved for last.

He's also one of the most hated "Survivor" players ever, not only because of the dead-grandma stunt but because of everything he has said and done since.

Still, tonight had a puzzling situation where two different alliances within the faves tribe were turning to Fairplay as a swing vote. This was even more confusing because Cirie was also available, and is certainly more trustworthy.

But, even though Fairplay repeatedly insisted that he was sincere, his plea to go home to be with his pregnant girlfriend sounded like a scam. I still think it was. But I also think that those two alliances were not using him as a swing vote but setting him up for immediate removal.

Oh, the show made it look as if everyone was granting his wish to go home. I don't buy that either. So many votes? That was a plan, and an entertaining one for starting the season.

Could be very interesting. The faves know each other's game very well, it appears, and that makes their calculations pretty complicated. And the fans have some intriguing personalities, even if I can't believe Kathleen is as insanely naive as she appeared in the first show. (Her bio suggests, if not worldliness, then at least some experience.) At the same time, the fans are pumped for the game, and rolled through the first challenge, so they've done more than watch the show; they have a sense of how things work. I'm psyched.

CBS leaked it to Entertainment Weekly ahead of time but after the jump you can find the official announcement today.

One member of my house will be happy that James from "Survivor: China" will be back, but I'm dreading the spectacle of Jonny Fairplay (not to mention actor Jonathan) again…

CBS today announced the 20 castaways who will compete in SURVIVOR: MICRONESIA — FANS VS. FAVORITES, when the 16th installment of the Emmy Award-winning series premieres Thursday, Feb. 7 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

CHET WELCH
48
Ford City, Penn.
Pharmacy Customer Service/Pageant Coach

"Survivor: China" fans know that fourth-place finisher Denise Martin got in trouble after she claimed she lost her job and ended up taking a demotion when she went on the show. (See one story here, and a statement from her employers here.)

Martin via CBS released this statement today:

I would like to apologize to Mark Burnett, Jeff Probst, CBS, (school superintendent) Nancy Lane, the Town of Douglas and my friends and family. It was not my intention to mislead anyone. I take full responsibility for my actions and hope that you can find it in your hearts to forgive me. I do not feel comfortable about accepting the $50,000. I would instead ask that it be donated to the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. Please accept my apology. I would also like to thank all the people who have supported me through this experience.

Result after the jump …

This may turn out to be a big karma season. The issue came up in the first show, and tonight's ouster of the blondes, Shana and Jennifer, above, certainly came after they had piled up the bad behavior — the unnecessary U-turn, the general nastiness by Shorter (and Much Meaner) Blonde tonight. (I know they have names. It's late in a less than ideal day, and I don't have the will to double-check which is which.) No regrets about their departure, and I'm ready to see Jennifer and Nathan go next considering her lunacy and meanness tonight.

Of course, it could just be a bad season for Jennifers.

It sure was a bad season for James on "Survivor: China" Thursday. I've mentioned before what a gambler he was to go into tribal council with two immunity idols and a threat looming, and not use either. It worked once but not on this week's show, and he managed to get sent home because, of all things, he trusted other people. (Insert the appropriate quotation from "Animal House" here.) But it was remarkable to see Denise, largely a cipher up to this point, reveal a passion and a skill. It makes her much more interesting going into next week's show, where the promos show her thinking she's a swing vote.

Not much other TV viewing this weekend, with the exception of football (mostly college games on Saturday). I expect to post something tomorrow morning about the two-hour "Closer" airing on TNT. The more I think about it, the better I like it, especially as a character piece. But I'll expound later. Right now, time to say goodnight.

Results and ruminations after the jump …

Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out

After a couple of dazzling weeks of "Survivor' finishes (the idol-that-wasn't, the two-idols-but-play-none gamble), this one was just routine. We've seen the food-or-challenge temptation before, and this time so many took advantage that it seemed less a matter of hunger than meanness and arrogance.

And Frosti's ouster wasn't even a close vote, although it could be a factor if Courtney gets to a jury vote, since he appeared to be her Courtney more than anyone for his going home.

There was, though, a cliffhanger, with the tribal council vote followed by Probst's declaration that there was more business to do. Speculation here: that they had to vote off a second person. "Survivor" encouraged that with a promo for next week in which not all the players were visible. But that seems too obvious.

Maybe James is going to get penalized for eating too many cheeseburgers?

Details after the jump …

J.R., but not like Ewing…

It was Jean-Robert's night to go, but James's night overall. Not only has he become very talkative (although the taciturn James of early shows could have just been a result of editing), but he came close to one of the most foolish miscalculations in "Survivor" history. And that says a lot considering what happened on the show just a week ago.

But there James sat, with two immunity idols, having been warned that there could be an attempt to oust him, and NOT playing an immunity idol. And he quickly accumulated three votes in tribal council. But he still survived, and so looked not only like a riverboat gambler but like Bret Freakin' Maverick.

That's the kind of stuff that is keeping me coming back. Not Bag O'Bones Courtney proving dead weight for reward and then winning immunity. Give me scheming and plotting of a high order, being practiced by people with very high opinions of themselves and their strategies. (Hello, Todd.) And the last couple of weeks, the scheming has involved duplicity, arrogance, double-crosses, lies and ineptitude. In other words, it is just swell.

"I've come to realize that I'm very good at playing stupid," Jaime said on Thursday night's "Survivor: China." And, apparently, very good at playing stupidly. …

I don't know what was more foolish, playing an immunity idol that wasn't an immunity idol, or … No, that's it. That was incredibly foolish. Yes, it was compounded by her telling almost everyone that she had it, but that was just icing on the cake. I have been drifting away from "Survivor" this season, and I still don't find it all that impressive a cast. But Thursday night's wrong-idol story was just too good.

I have been jammed up. Early Thursday evening I was out (and thank you to the Bath-Richfield Kiwanis for inviting me to speak), I've been staring down some work deadlines and I have had a family issue to handle. So I'm a bit behind on viewing and way behind on posting. I hope to elaborate later today but will make a few brief points now. "The Office" was utterly ridiculous and absolutely hilarious. And "Grey's Anatomy" was pretty uneven; did it not occur to anyone just to have the observation area cleared? And I'm looking foward to a complete viewing of "Survivor: China"; I saw the wild tribal council and the bride tells me that the events leading up to it were priceless — as anything leading to the presentation of a wrong immunity idol would have to be. Anyway, I hope to have more later.

When the Indians took the lead in the second, and then actually held it for a bit, I began to feel secure enough to channel-hop. Or at least to channel-hop while having a running score on my laptop. Last I looked, Indians led, 9-3. So let's talk "Survivor" tonight, with spoilers, after the jump …

You know those boys/Don't want to play no more with you …

I'm not crazy about the "Sister Christian" references to the now-ousted Leslie, because I don't like mockery of any faith. That said, she was annoying and gullible, and her profession of a strong bond to her co-religionists in the other tribe was a terrible error in a game where strategy so often involves shifting alliances and keeping your ideas to yourself. Plus, her suggestion that the other side had more heart that the other tribe did not lead off the immunity challenge with an underfed Skinny Minnie incapable of cutting a rope.

That said, it was still amazing that Tribal Council came down to Jean-Robert vs. Leslie, when Courtney was a thorough liability — even more so when whatever alliance she thought she had was incapable of standing solidly behind Leslie. And I have no patience with thinking like that of Todd, looking far past the current situation toward people he might have to compete against post-merge. Does no one remember that "Survivor" included the wipe-out of almost an entire tribe, leaving its sole remaining member with no support system for the rest of the game? The first thing you do is retain immunity as long as possible, so you have numbers going into the merge; then you worry about picking off individual threats.

And where Leslie was not much of an asset — her performance in reward wrestling consisted of modest shoving, falling down and rolling into the water as soon as discretion allowed — she at least had more muscle than that Twiggy wannabe who's still around, and still capable of bringing down her tribe.

But the Indians still lead 9-3.

Notes and spoilers if you haven't watched yet, in series alphaetical order, after the jump …

"How many Emmys do you get for treating a deer?"

Well, I fudged a little with "CSI," fast-forwarding to near the end to see if Sara bought it or not. And it's a testament to William Peterson's acting that I still felt a tug of emotion as he looked at Sara in the helicopter. But that may not mean she's going to be around long; TVGuide.com is reporting, based on sources, that Jorja Fox still doesn't have a new contract with the show and she will be gone in November. And TVG's Michael Ausiello is chummy with Fox, and has an interview with her online — although Fox is coy about her future in the formal interview.

"Grey's Anatomy" was a disappointment in almost every way. One diehard fan told me this morning that she may not be back for more. I did like the milder tone (that is, no one died in this episode), and I'll always watch Bailey and the Chief, and Cristina with her interns was fun. Also, Alex's smirk after he told his interns not to complain. But let's look at some of the big gaffes.

Starting with three words for Izzie: CALL A VETERINIAN!! She has time to sit and study deer anatomy online, but doesn't think to call a vet? She's an idiot, and still poison for George.

Another gripe: Meredith's sister has been to med school, and doesn't know that introducing yourself in the middle of an ER crisis is a bad idea? Another: They're doing an Addison on Callie, taking a formerly strong character and making her soft and weak. And obviously there's more punishment to come for Callie, what with George being a complete idiot about Izzie.

Speaking of George, if the intern gossip has included Izzie's killing a guy, don't you think someone would know that he's repeating his internship — and he's married to the chief resident? Anyone? Anyone?

Too much aggravation.

"My Name Is Earl," which I had seen before telecast but didn't get around to blogging about, was a sturdy show. And it did a nice job of maintaining the issue of the list while keeping Earl in jail. Lots of comic possiblities there for the future. And the present included such delights as Joy's rubber band and Randy's car theft.

And how very funny was Ben Foster?

Two connective thoughts about "The Office": Between it and "Grey's," it was not a good night for animals. Between it and "Earl," we saw that an hour of a sitcom is plenty manageable, even when those hours are structured so they can be neatly split into two half-hours for syndication.

And, while there have been weeks when I found "Earl" to be funnier than "The Office," this was not one of them. "Earl" was sturdy. "The Office" was creepy-brilliant.

Meredith hit by the car. Kevin and Oscar studying the mating habits of Jim and Pam. Jan threatening Pam.

Here's an episode I would like to see: Jan suspecting Angela has her eyes on Michael. What a throwdown that could lead to.

More goodies: The deep blush on Jim when the documentary makers show them the car footage. (That was one of several reminders about the docu crew; there was also the doctor eyeing the camera.) Dwight, Angela and Sprinkles. This was really creepy in my house, where one of our cats died not long ago, but still funny. And I should note that the actress who plays Angela has been on the cover of at least one cat magazine.

I read them at the vet's.

Creed's creeds. The guys' escaping the 5K. The way the route wasn't in a circle. Michael's knowing the "nurse." It was just nonstop funny.

Finally, "Survivor." Goodbye, Ashley, fangs for the memories. Mildly entertaining but I'm not yet feeling must-see about it.

Here's a link to my review of "Eastern Promises," in case you missed it over at Ohio.com.

My review of "The War" will be in Sunday's Beacon Journal. I had some issues — and think Ken Burns mishandled the Latino question — but kept watching. We'll talk more about it.

TV Tattle has a link to an item about Maureen McCormick and Eve Plumb that will probably boost sales of "The Brady Bunch" DVDs. And that may inspire new line readings of "Marcia Marcia Marcia."

But keep in mind that the item is credited to a source for the National Enquirer.

Also from TV Tattle, this story saying the ratings for "Survivor: China" were the worst yet for a "Survivor" premiere.

I watched the premiere, but will keep my spoiler-containing thoughts for after the jump. …

I didn't hate it but I wasn't longing for more either. The China location didn't really mean much once the game started going. It's not as if they're in the heart of Peking, after all. Remote locations, rain, iffy shelters — "Survivor" has done it before.

The now-ousted Chicken overplayed his hand considerably; he could have made his point quickly, then helped people out in a way that would have demonstrated his value to the tribe. That said, I'd still have dropped Ashley first, both because she seems useless and because I don't like her piercings. But I suspect Ashley's relative youth and looks played a role in ousting Chicken, who came across too much like a grumpy uncle to the younger players.

I'll keep watching for a bit, but I suspect "Survivor" may end up back-burnered on the DVD while I catch up with other things.

Complete list after the jump ..

The CBS announcement:

CBS today announced the 16 new castaways who will compete in SURVIVOR: CHINA when the 15th installment of the Emmy Award-winning series premieres Thursday, Sept. 20 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

FROSTI ZERNOW
20
Chicago (originally from Traverse City, Mich.)
Parkour Athlete/Student

Notes after the jump …

(If you want to skip the more detailed recap, Earl won on a 9-0 vote.)

Needing immunity, Yau-Man won a blindfold/maze/drawbridge challenge. So he's guaranteed a spot in the final four. And Earl has the other idol, so he's safe. Boo and Dreamz put up a fight in the challenge, while Cassandra was inept. Which seems to be helping her, since the discussion of voting out someone is focusing on Dreamz and Boo, who are much stronger competitors.

Tribal council focuses on keeping your word and who might get sympathy votes from the jury.

Last chance for the hidden immunity idol: Earl, seemingly in no danger, still plays it.

Boo is voted out. Runs from tribal council. Wants to get a shower and shave? In his farewell comments praises Yau as a competitor and wonders if Dreamz will keep his word. Vote was 4-1 against Boo.

Parade of fallen contestants. Zzzzzzzzzzz.

Endurance immunity challenge. Lying on an angled plank with water streaming down it, and with the angle made worse every 5 minutes. This is the last challenge. The top three are going to the jury.

Angle increased three times. Cassandra goes out first. Not exactly a surprise. Angle increased for the fourth time. Earl goes out next. Yau-Man goes. Dreamz wins immunity. Now will he give it up?

What a mess. Cassandra so doesn't deserve to go to the jury, and she's going. Yau asks Dreamz at least not to vote for him if he goes back on the idol promise. Dreamz recalls taking out "a whole alliance" to get the championship. Says he'll keep thinking about his kid — but sure seems to be leaning toward keeping immunity. "$1,000,000 or keeping my word."

Boo looks cleaned up but kept the beard. Jeff says the jury knows they will vote among three.

Dreamz is saying this is a game of lying but he's also thinking of his "humanity side." And he still wants the truck. But thinks he'll go to the jury if he gives up immunity. Yau says he thinks Dreamz will live up to his word. Dreamz is wondering now about the three-to-the-jury. Yau says, "Whatever you do, you'll have to live with it."

Immunity time. Dreamz keeps the necklace.

Yau-Man is voted off. Great player in a lot of ways, but trusted the wrong guy in the end.

In the final comments, Yau also notes that Earl voted against him. (3-1 vote.)

After council, Earl thinks the jury is going to rip him for turning on Yau. Dreamz is convinced the jury will rip him. Cassandra mumbles. Dreamz justifies his action in a game involving "snakes, rats, weasels." Then they enjoy a big food drop, and do the usual camp destruction.

Comments to jury. Earl notes that he never got a vote, and he never won immunity, that he played a smart and honest game. Cassandra says she started slow, but that she was someone people could befriend — and that she stuck tight with her alliance. Dreamz reminds everyone about his "life story," and that he hopes they will help his life.

Michelle asks what was the hardest thing. Dreamz mentions his hard past almost immediately, and doesn't mention any second thoughts about Yau. Cassandra mentions not swimming. Earl brings up Exile Island.

Edgardo wants to know how Earl found out who had the other immunity idol. Earl says Dreamz.

Mookie asks if that's betrayal. Dreamz calls it "just a lie."

Alex asks about maintaining integrity. Cassandra brings up hearing a conversation involving Alex, who accuses her of lying. Cassandra tries for a defense; Alex tells her to stop talking. Bickering ensues. Alex then goes at Dreamz for wanting to help kids but cheating and lying in the game; Dreamz insists "this is part of the game," not the real world. Alex says Dreamz "can't hide from karma forever."

Lisi eenie-meenies "a liar by the toe." Asks to see Cassandra's shoes and asks if she was unprepared. Says Cassandra made it by greed. "Greed never propelled me," she says — but has to admit she wants the million. Lisi asks how many zeroes are in a million; he wonders if she's calling him stupid. Lisi goes at Earl about the Yau vote and his "whole show" for the jury. Earl says he was shocked that Dreamz didn't give up immunity; Lisi points out that he could have voted off Cassandra.

Stacey says the only difference between Earl and Dreamz is that Earl is more sophisticated, and wants to know if she should vote based on need. Earl says any of three needs the million.

Rocky wants to know who the biggest kicker is. Cassandra brings up about her listening again; Rocky doesn't want to hear it. She says "I don't feel I've manipulated a person" — Rocky cuts her off and turns to Dreamz. He admits to manipulating when he had to. Earl says he manipulated, too, because no one even thought he was in the game.

Boo starts by praising Yau as "the greatest all-round player" — and goes at Dreamz for breaking his promise. And wants "a Christian answer" from Dreamz about whether he meant it when he first made the promise. Dreamz talks, but Boo concludes he is "an immature Christian."

Yau notes that he does not have "testosterone overload" and that Dreamz's betrayal "was entirely my fault." Then asks Dreamz to explain why he changed his mind. Dreamz says "I didn't change my mind" — that he was playing the game. So Yau says that when Dreamz accepted the truck, he was playing — and Dreamz says Yau should have known it.

Then asks Earl why he wouldn't take Yau to the jury. "Because I would not win," Earl says. "You played the best game by far."

No final statements. Votes cast, then the tape-to-live segue.

Votes: Earl. Earl. Earl. Sure looks like a 9-0 vote. Earl. Earl. Yup, had to be 9-0.

Jeff confirms that. I'll save the reunion show for another time. Night, all.

All after the jump …

Even with a piece missing from the end, that was a terrific episode of "The Office." Pam's monologue was splendid. Andy floating is still making me laugh. But my favorite thing was probably Creed with the fish.

Good "Earl," too. Cute couple of the week: Jason Lee and Marlee Matlin. Very nice work by Jaime Pressly and Eddie Steeples. And the ending set up a third season where Earl may get back to being a more flawed character than he has been this year. Wouldn't you expect some considerable bitterness that his good deed landed him in jail? The list may go on, but I suspect Earl is going be creating some new items for it in the fall.

"Grey's" was better than last week if only because it wasn't shoehorning in the Addison pilot. But it was also blah in a lot of ways, and the multiple-jeopardy ending was a real case of trying too hard. And I was expecting there to be a cannibalism element in the frostbite subplot, so the head shot at episode's end was a letdown.

On the other hand, "Grey's" covers a lot of flaws just by the caliber of actors that are around. James Pickens Jr., as the Chief, plays every note right. And Jeff Perry, playing Meredith's Dad, managed to do drunk, enraged and miserable simultaneously, and do them all well. And look at Isaiah Washington's face in the bar; whatever his off-camera issues have been, he's good at his work.

Still, I am sick of Izzie, especially in the context of George-Izzie-Callie. And Izzie's attempt to brush off George was way too reminiscent of McSteamy's pre-emptive brush-off of Addison. The Alex and Amnesia Girl story has dragged on way too long.

I've been in and out of "Survivor Fiji," but I gave it a full shot last night and marveled once again at the way people overthink things. Yau's enlisting of Dreamz had disaster written all over it — the bride and I were both saying that Dreamz would try to take Yau out before he had to keep his part of the car bargain — and was a big example of not trying to be too smart. Indeed, if Yau hadn't made the deal with Dreamz, he might not have had to use his immunity idol this go-round.

That said, Yau was smart enough to believe the "bad vibes" he felt — and used the idol to save himself. But what's his option next week? Lots of pressure to win immunity, since he knows there were four votes to oust him. Otherwise, he may have to hope that Earl will protect him — but Earl should also be thinking about protecting himself. Working for him, though, is that Dreamz's scheme failed spectacularly.

For all that, I'm still not all that excited by "Fiji." There has been some good stuff, and I really like the way Yau has played, but I'm not feeling passionately against anyone at this point.

One more note: I am really feeling some season-ender fatigue, and a staggering indifference to the networks' new-season announcements next week. Am ready for shows to wrap up, and looking forward to a summer where I can try to do some catching up, especially on "Heroes," "Jericho" and "The Shield."

Who won't be surviving tonight — on CBS or ABC? More after the jump …

"Survivor" briefly: Spin city. Bossy Sylvia looks like a goner based on previous animosity from folks in Ravu. Then Erica got (justifiably) emotional during the immunity challenge, lost by Ravu, ample excuse for everyone to accuse her of a freak-out. THEN there appeared to be second thoughts about both Erica and Sylvia. "Gives me cramps in my brain to think about," says Anthony. In council, Sylvia admits to feeling "kind of like an outsider." Rocky drops a "dictating … in a positive way" on her. Sylvia acts as if she's going to be around, recommends that they assign a leader after council. Right. Beginning to feel as if the editing has put Erica in more jeopardy than she really is. First vote: Erica. Next: Sylvia. Next: Erica. Next: Sylvia. Next: Erica. Next: Erica. Next vote boots Erica. So the editing was building suspense the other way, making it seem as if the Erica second thoughts had more oomph than they really did.

And on to Grey's Anatomy!! Let's watch together!

"Previously on" ending with Meredith going into the water. Meredith narration, shot of water with people's images superimposed. Meredith reaching up out of the water; apparently can't swim. Goes under, whispering "I've disappeared."

Back to hospital. Cristina pondering. Badgered by others, but in control. Asks where Meredith is, no one knows, concern.
George in surgery, lies to patient about missing kid. "He'll be waiting for you after surgery." Bailey, sotto voce, asks what happens when she wakes up. George says she'll at least be alive. Bailey says to find the kid.

Conference: Burke, Chief, Addison, discussing Jane Doe. Alex joins, saying there's a mob scene looking for family members. Chief tells him he's the system for handling it. Addison wonders if anyone would notice if she was gone.

Back to disaster scene. Izzie and the guy close to death. She doesn't know what else to do. Buddies beg her for more help. "I'm out of practice … ," she laments. Buddy begs her again. She swallows, asks for cell phone.

McDreamy elsewhere. Guy Meredith helped, covered in her jacket. McDreamy spots the little girl. She stares. (Duh.) He asks if Meredith is OK? She shakes her head no. Another shot of Meredith sinking.

And now a word from Windows Vista. And other products. Lots of other products.

We're back. People receiving treatment, George with a photo of the missing kid. Quizzes a kid, not the right one. Alex in the crowd. People want a new list. "Nobody knows anything right now," he says. More yelling. "That list is all I have … Give me a minute to think and I'll come up with a damn system." Perky Doc offers help or a hug.

Izzie calls the Chief. He says stay calm. She says "Calm is an impossibility." The Chief says she has to make some holes; he doesn't know the procedure and is going to have to talk Izzie through it. McSteamy appears. He knows the procedure.

Izzie asks the buddies for a drill.

George searching more. I am beginning to think the kid's an illusion or long dead, the mother delusional.

Alex posts pics of patients for the family members to ID. Perky has a list of details. Some people can't find their loved ones. Alex looks uncomfortable, doesn't want to say people are dead. A guy's looking for his wife — who's pregnant. Could this be Jane Doe's hubby.

Back to the pier. Staring Girl. McDreamy tries to talk her through. She goes to the water. Still staring. McDreamy asks where exactly Meredith is. Still staring, then points at the water. If that's not a commercial break point …

Yup.

We're back. Meredith is still sinking. Then to surgery on Jane Doe. Alex enters, says he's found the husband. "How do you know?" Addison says. Hundreds on the ferry. Says do not give the man hope until everything has been checked. Alex takes a polaroid of Jane Doe. Addison, Burke talk about the young people. Beeping. Jane Doe's hypertensive. Burke fixes it apparently.

Alex passes George on stairs. George talks about how hard it is to find a kid. Alex says he knows where a kid might be. Next scene: the morgue. George hadn't checked there. Alex says "tell me if you find a pregnant chick." George stresses about a body turned the wrong way. Alex and George talk about death. The body's a woman, seven months pregnant. Alex takes another photo.

Chief is talking Izzie through the drilling. She keeps wanting to clean it. He tells her to get on with the drilling. More talking. McSteamy also offers guidance. Izzie tests drill, buddy looks grossed out, Izzie says none of that (although at greater length and with some repetition). The drilling. Ewwwwwwww. Marks for a second hole. In she goes again. Almost seems to smile as she drills. Chief says to drill around the hole to expand the opening. She complies. Chief, McSteamy tell her how to deal with the clotted blood. She says brain is pulsating, which is good news. Chief says "nicely done." Much joy at the scene.

Staring Girl at the water. Coast Guard asks her if she's OK, says she needs to come with him. More staring. Sound from the water. MCDreamy appears on a stairwell from the water with a very, very pale Meredith. Commercial.

Ambulance. McDreamy doing CPR on Meredith. Surgery. George checks on the woman. Bailey asks if he's found the son. "He's lost, or …" George says. Bailey says after surgery she'll get to tell the woman she's not going to die, "she's just going to want to die." Izzie arrives with her patient. Offers many ideas. The Chief says "you saved his life" — and sends her to the OR, "officially off probation."

Izzie starts telling Cristina about the brain drilling. Cristina says "I need to know where the hell Meredith is." Izzie is still jazzed about her "rock star" moment.

Alex posts photos of fatalities. Grief-stricken recognition. Izzie in surgery with McSteamy, working on her accident guy. She gets to use the surgical drill. More people looking at photos. More grief. Alex looks for the husband. He shows the two pictures. Guy asks for more details. Jane Doe is not his wife. He asks for the other photo. The dead woman is his wife. Tears. Alex looks pained.

Ambulance arrives with Meredith. McDreamy's still doing CPR. Bailey wants to know how long she was down. Calls for help STAT. Commercial. Every break seems tied to a Meredith moment.

Hospital. Burke approaches Cristina. She is peeved. They go to a private room. He asks what her problem is. Cristina misses Meredith — hasn't been able to tell her about the engagement. Burke wonders if Cristina wants Meredith's approval. "She's my person," Cristina says. Burke is now peeved.

Izzie in surgery. Pager goes off. Alex checks on Jane Doe. Addison is there. Alex says, "I'd notice. … If you went missing, I'd notice." Leaves. His pager goes. George on the stairs again. Sees there's a 7-year-old John Doe on the surgery schedule. Callie's doing the work. Shows Callie the kid's picture. "Please tell me it's him," he says. Callie says, "Oh, yeah."
George promises Callie a world-class kiss-related event later. (My description. He's stopped before giving his.)

Staring Girl. She's with the families now. Mom finds her.

McDreamy still CPR'ing Meredith. Bailey, the Chief move him aside. "We need to save her life," the Chief says. "Go." She is so pale. And, commercial.

Burke. Finds McDreamy crying. "They threw me out." "What do you need?" Burke asks. "I need you to go in there," McDreamy says. He does. Meredith's temp only 80 degrees. Needs defib. Addison enters. "Oh, my God." Suggests other treatment. McDreamy in the hall. McSteamy comes to sit with him. Intense music. More work on Meredith. Temp only up to 81. More gathering. Cristina arrives. "She will come through this," Izzie insists. George not sure. "I believe Meredith will survive this," Izzie says. "I believe in the good." Alex looks doubtful. "I believe that … in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, we will all be OK," Izzie continues. Then goes into illusions she believes. Then tells George she believes he made a terrible mistake in marrying Callie — but that it's OK to say so because they are best friends.

IS SHE OUT OF HER MIND? Well, yes.

Still working on Meredith. Still pale. "We're losing her," the Chief says. Flatline on a monitor. White screen. Meredith coughing in bed. At her side is Kyle Chandler, the dead bomb-squad guy. "Am I dead?" Denny Duquette says, "Damn right you are."

Episode ends. Promo for next week. "The devastating conclusion to the season's most unforgettable event."

A couple of notes: ABC's press release about next week's new episode says: "One person's fight to live affects everyone at Seattle Grace."

From TV arcana, if Meredith does die (which still seems unlikely), it would not be the first time the title character in a series was killed off. One example: "Nichols," a 1971-72 series starring James Garner. Nichols was a Maverick-like character and, as the first season neared its end, someone decided he was too unlikable. So Nichols was killed in the show's final episode — and succeeded by his twin, who was more heroic. The idea, as "The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows" notes, was to keep the series going into a second season with the nicer Nichols at the center. But the show was canceled at the end of the first season.

All right, so "Survivor" has already played the race card more than once — presenting people who fit stereotypical images. But in the new tribal arrangement, it sounds as if it's really going to put race on the front burner. Here's the announcement from CBS:

CBS today announced the 20 new castaways who will compete in SURVIVOR: COOK ISLANDS when the 13th installment of the Emmy Award-winning series premieres Thursday, Sept. 14 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

SURVIVOR: COOK ISLANDS will feature the series' most ethnically diverse cast to date.  The castaways will initially be organized into four tribes divided along ethnic lines (African-American, Asian-American, Hispanic and White) before merging in a later episode.

In addition, throughout the series, at least one castaway each episode will be banished to a separate island (Exile Island) miles away from camp.  While being separated from the tribe is not desirable, the castaways will learn that there is a hidden Immunity Idol somewhere on Exile Island.  If found, this Immunity Idol could save an individual from being voted out at a future Tribal Council.

Castaways that will be competing in SURVIVOR:  COOK ISLANDS (in alphabetical order) are:

REBECCA BORMAN

34

Laurelton, N.Y.

Make-Up Artist

ANH-TUAN “CAO BOI” BUI (Pronounced Cowboy)

42

Christianburg, Va.

Nail Salon Manager

SEKOU BUNCH

45

Los Angeles (originally from New York)

Jazz Musician/Recording Artist

J.P. CALDERON

30

Marina Del Rey, Calif.

Professional Volleyball Player

CRISTINA CORIA

35

Los Angeles

Police Officer

STEPHANNIE FAVOR

35

Columbia, S.C.

Nursing Student

BILLY GARCIA

36

New York (originally from Miami)

Heavy Metal Guitarist

ADAM GENTRY

28

San Diego, Calif. (originally from Fredericksburg, Va.)

Copier Sales

NATHAN GONZALEZ

26

Los Angeles

Retail Sales

JENNY GUZON-BAE

36

Lake Forest, Ill. (originally from Melrose Park, Ill.)

Real Estate Agent

YUL KWON

31

San Mateo, Calif. (originally from Flushing, N.Y.)

Management Consultant

BECKY LEE

28

Washington, D.C. (originally from Pittsburgh)

Attorney

OSCAR “OZZY” LUSTH

25

Venice, Calif.

Waiter

CECILIA MANSILLA

29

Oakland, Calif. (originally from Arequipa, Peru)

Technology Risk Consultant

SUNDRA OAKLEY

31

Los Angeles (originally from New York)

Actress

JONATHAN PENNER

44

Los Angeles (originally from New York)

Writer/Producer

PARVATI SHALLOW

23

Los Angeles (originally from Atlanta)

Boxer/Waitress

JESSICA SMITH

27

Chico, Calif.

Performance Artist/Rollergirl

BRAD VIRATA

29

Los Angeles (originally from Seattle)

Fashion Director

CANDICE WOODCOCK

23

Fayetteville, N.C.

Pre-Med Student

Odd to watch the final two on "Survivor" tonight and not see Terry there. Or, for that matter, Cirie, who proved a really good tactician in the later stages of the game. But Cirie could not get past that fire-making tie-breaker with Danielle. Then Danielle won immunity — after outbalancing Terry and giving Aras an ambiguous nod that he interpreted as a pact and so threw the immunity challenge , and then breaking her old pact with Terry to take Aras to the final two. Where she lost the jury vote to Aras.

After a formidable run in the immunity challenges, Terry proved to be like an NFL team that goes 15-1 in the regular season and gets bounced in the playoffs. Last week, he lost reward and immunity to Aras, losing control of the game in the process. (Indeed, the hidden immunity idol turned out to be a nice addition to the game for suspense purposes, and something that was never put to use.)

This week, he won reward but lost immunity again. At least his decision last week not to give Danielle the immunity idol proved a wise one; she sold him out this week, and she would have done the same a week ago.

And when you look at the most interesting characters in this "Survivor," Danielle and Aras are not very high on the list. Terry, sure, Shane, Cirie, Bruce, Courtney — but none of them won. I postponed "The Sopranos" for this?

Mark Burnett is a very successful and (generally) smart TV producer. He also has more than a little Barnum in him, and tonight's "Survivor" showed once again that he will happily play with the audience in order to keep it around a little longer.

Who's in the final three? We don't know. The tribal council vote came down to a tiebreaker between Cirie and Danielle, and the show ended before showing us who won the tiebreaker. Step right up, ladies and gentlemen — and wait around until Sunday for the big finish.

The show had its moments. Seemingly unbeatable Terry lost both reward AND immunity to Aras, and the reward win came about in large measure because Cirie was able to block Terry's progress several times on the challenge course. The immunity loss was even more key because Terry had worked out a deal with Danielle where he could give her the immunity idol if he had immunity himself — driving either Aras or Cirie out of the game.

And, for once, Terry played smart. Danielle tried to talk him into giving up the idol, since Aras/Cirie would assume he had it and vote for Danielle — who could then block them with the idol and send either Aras or Cirie home. But Terry kept the idol for himself. And I am sure that, had he given the idol to Danielle, she would have cut a deal with Aras and Cirie and taken Terry out. So not only did we see Aras at last do something he had repeatedly failed at — beat Terry — we saw Terry do something he had done terribly — figure out a strategy.

But that created the tie situation, Aras and Cirie voting for Danielle, Terry and Danielle voting for Cirie. One flaw in the show: Everyone on the island knows the game well enough that they figured the tiebreaker would be a fire-making challenge. Good time, then, to change the tiebreaker, as the show has done before. But we still had the fire challenge — ONLY WE DON'T KNOW HOW IT TURNED OUT.

Well, I got those other two bushes out, more easily than the first one, proving that even a little experience can ease the task. (By the way, after writing this morning's post, I went to church, where the sermon was called "Spring Pruning" and the pastor had many stories about his own fun with plants. Sometimes these things are in the air — especially when the air has bright sun and warmth passing through it, and being outside is mandatory.) We have accumulated groceries. The bride cleaned house and put a second coat of paint on the shed door, and washed her car, and made a lasagna. I ran the edger along the sidewalks, which wasn't bad, and swept up the cuttings, which is not among my favorite things. Younger son went to his job.

In other words, the day was full for everyone. And some TV was squeezed in. Well, a little bit of "The Sports Reporters" this morning. At lunchtime, we watched "Survivor" and caught up on all the strategizing and scheming.

I don't really have anything to add to the discussion I saw online after the telecast. Terry seems a lock for the final two, with a game that combines great individual effort with terrible team strategy. He reminds me of the "Saturday Night Live" parody of a Bush/Dukakis debate, where — after ramblings by Bush — Dukakis says, "I can't believe I'm losing to this guy." The folks on "Survivor" must feel that way every time Terry approaches them with a plan. Cirie, on the other hand, is really smart. We'll just have to see how smart. At this point, if I'm Terry, I want her in the final two since she has been so skilled at betraying nominal allies now sitting on the jury. But when has Terry ever managed to influence who joins him at anything?

Watched some of the Cavaliers-Detroit game during the afternoon. Might have watched more if it hadn't gone like this:

Passed through the house at one point, score's tied 14-14, looks good. Back to the yard, where the bride later informs me that Detroit is up 10. A short break around half time, to see Detroit was up 21. Another check later, when Detroit's lead was in the thirties and time was short. Not a lot of reason to sit by the set and expect a Cavs comeback — at least, not in that game.

Finally, evening brought a chance to really couch out in front of the TV. Rewatched "Alias" and it makes more sense to me — well, as much sense as "Alias" ever makes. As I've said before, I'm sick of Rambaldi but I keep hoping it's finally leading somewhere. Odd to have not only two deaths but two involving cut throats — an eerie symmetry underscoring the betrayal and obsession in each. And I like the way Jennifer Garner is playing Anna-as-Sydney, grabbing onto a facial expression as shorthand for Anna.

I thought a lot about faces during "The West Wing" (which I actually watched after "The Sopranos," but I'll order my notes here by the clock). I may be overthinking this, but when I look at "Sopranos" or "The Shield," or tonight's "West Wing," I see shows where the people involved know they're near the end and they want to go out great. Everyone on "WW" was on his and her game tonight, and I don't mean they were chasing Big Moments. They were just working — working together, playing off each other.

Think of the scene where Joshua Malina (Will) and Mary McCormack (Kate) talk about him running for Congress. Timothy Busfield (Danny) on the street. Busfield in the apartment with Allison Janney (CJ). Janney and Richard Schiff (Toby). And what about the way that Jimmy Smits (Santos) is morphing into Bartlet — like in that moment where Santos gives CJ a won't-take-no speech? I will really miss seeing these guys go at it.

'"The Sopranos" was a dud for me, the first one this season. The best explanation I can give is that the show was so intent on showing us why Tony was bored, it made the show boring. The Christopher stuff felt flat. We know he's the victim of his own demons. The scenes at the street fair may have been touching on their own, but in the larger context they didn't really tell us anything. And the flashback to his betrayal of Adriana, while filling in a gap, didn't fill it in a way that brought us a new insight into what happened. And guess what, Pauly is cheap and selfish and mean, and Janice is selfish. Not great.

I'm hoping to post tomorrow about "Grey's Anatomy" and maybe "Saturday Night Live," which I recorded. But for now, I'll leave you with my hope that there was sunshine in your day, too.

We don't always get to see all the elaborate maneuvers leading into Tribal Council, with schemes edited out so that we might be surprised by the outcome. But tonight we got to see Cirie lay out a scheme that involved telling two different lies to three different players — and came off the way it should have.

Here's what she did: Terry had won immunity, again. Nutty Shane thought he had the votes to take out Danielle — but Cirie and Courtney were playing him. (Lie one, Player One.) Terry set up an alliance with Courtney, Cirie and Danielle to take out Aras. But Danielle and Cirie were playing HIM. (Lie two, Player Two.) They saw Courtney, almost as annoying as Shane, as someone both Shane and Terry would want to take to the final two, figuring they could beat Courtney on a jury vote. So they connected with Aras — while keeping Courtney in the dark (Lie Two, Player Three) — to form three votes for Courtney's ouster. Half the people in the game went into Tribal Council with no idea what was about to happen.

The only thing that would have made it better would have been Terry's sniffing out the plot and giving his secret immunity idol to Courtney — protecting her and taking Aras out of the game (since he still got votes from Courtney and Terry, while the only vote for Danielle came from Shane, who by tribal council was out of all the loop). But even without that twist, it was a cool finish. And proof how very, very smart Cirie is at this game.

It's possible, of course, that this puts Shane in a better position. As the most irritating player remaining, he may become the player people now most want against them in the final two.

On the jury side, Bruce was back, so I don't get the possible-tie scenario I hoped for after last week's telecast.

Well, Bruce's stomach pain took him out of the game (although Probst's mention of whether Bruce could return for the jury was a nifty little tease. If he didn't return, you'd have a even-numbered jury. What would the show come up with to settle a tie vote?) And I was puzzled about why Cirie was so worried about alienating Shane; if her sharing of reward brought her votes from Aras and Danielle, she was in as good a position as Cirie-Shane-Aras, and if she flipped one more vote, she had a majority for the final four without Shane.

Not much else to say. "Survivor" was the only show I managed to sit through with any concentration today. Had a bad cold and stayed home. Under those circumstances, it would have been nice to catch up on DVR'ed shows of recent vintage. But my head was so stuffy, I couldn't watch anything that required real concentration. What time I spent with the TV on was more staring than watching.