Survivor: Thailand -Tossing the Cookie, or Why Tanya Should Not Have Been Voted Off

OK, this is when it gets hard. Tanya actually should have been voted off. I love the girl, she was my pre-show favorite to win, and knowing that she wasted the last month of her father's life secluded in the loser's lodge in Thailand is heartbreaking. She was ill however, and not being able to stomach water and seafood would have eventually killed her if she had not been voted off.

It was not only a smart move, but also one that Tanya said she welcomed. On the CBS morning show, she said she would have voted herself out, if allowed. So, I have been racking my brain trying to come up with a reason - any reason - that Tanya should not have been voted out. And I found one or two.

One: She was adorable and was this year's Survivor cutie. Yeah, I know, it's a lame reason, but Survivor is always better when there is an Elisabeth, a Colleen, or a Neleh to root for. But I came up with another reason why she should have stayed. This one requires a little creative imagination, but just play along with me.

The previews for next week look amazing; it may be the most intense Survivor episode in the history of the game. This is what we have been waiting for. It's nearly Shakespearean! Burnett et al. apparently revealed that in episode 3, there is a fight during a challenge: a real fight. Although it was revealed preseason that two contestants come to blows, it looked more like a major felony was committed.

But the other piece of drama that unfolds is a doozey. Apparently, Ghandia accuses Ted of making sexual advances toward her. He denies it. The scream that was previewed for us tells me that Ghandia probably was telling the truth. Even though we only got a quick glimpse of it, that frustrated, angry yowl is exactly what that situation makes you feel like doing. A whole body and soul cleansing scream. Maybe there was a misunderstanding, but something happened and it obviously will affect the game and possibly the contestants marriages, if we are to believe the tabloid reports.

And that is where we would need Tanya. Tanya is a social worker who works with kids who have been sexually abused. She is a professional whose job it is to get to the truth, to find out if and how a child was abused. She is there to make a case against the person who did this and to find out if it is real or just a cry for attention. When the he said/she said incident comes out, it would be great if Tanya were there to find out the truth. She could take Ghandia aside, take Ted aside, question them, and let them use Monkey Puppets to explain what happened. And then she could use her professional experience and decide who she thinks is telling the truth.

If the tribe thinks Ted is lying, and they vote him out, then they are in even more dire straights when it comes to challenges. If Ghandia appears to be lying, then she goes and the tribe is physically stronger, but emotionally wrecked since they will question their motives in disbelieve her. Having Tanya would ease the tension that is sure to arise by this situation.

But Tanya is gone and that leaves the next question, who should have gone instead? Jan is a lousy rower, is not a great swimmer, and let Helen do all the work on the water excursion. I am not sure whose idea it was to leave the map behind, but Jan should have grabbed it. Jan is the weakest, slowest one left on the tribe and they need to seriously consider if she is worth pulling along.

Who is the underdog this week? Well, although it looked like it might be Helen, who doesn't want a walking talking encyclopedia who knows how to clean calamari and rows and swims like she does it for a living? Helen is safe for a while, no matter how many nerves she steps on. If they vote her out, they deserve to lose. It would be like voting Hunter out.

Helen is not the underdog, and Clay with his golf paraphernalia is right up there with a guys' alliance. Brian, Ted, and Clay can rule their Tribe now. Bringing the golf clubs was really a great idea. It creates bonds, relieves boredom, and makes people forget the dead squid at their front door.

The underdog now is Ghandia. She is not such a good swimmer and Ghandia went against a very strong player because she was annoyed by her. Bad strategy. I would expect Ghandia's torch to go next time, if they let Jan slide. Although Jan is also underdog worthy, I think, like Tanya, she will deserve to go when he time comes.

On Sook Jai, there are a couple underdogs, Stephanie and Jed. They might be busy gathering food, but they need to look a little less lazy doing it. I would say Jed is still OK because of his skills as a swimmer. He took up the slack for Penny and was a major part of the immunity win this week. CG could have very easily taken over the lead at that point, but Jed - probably because he had rested during the previous days - had enough energy to keep them right in the game. Stephanie, ill and antisocial, needs to get her act together or she will be gone.

Peggy Keller is Mother and Behavior Therapist to her two autistic sons and teenage daughter. Click here to e-mail her.

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