Surviving China, Episode 10: Boot to the Head!

It seems like such a long time since host Jeff Probst told the remaining contestants that they had unfinished business at Tribal Council. We had to wait two weeks, with a mostly useless recap episode in between, but now we finally get to find out what he was talking about. I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for a big letdown, because I just don’t think the cliffhanger will live up to the tension. Two weeks ago, I predicted something like a challenge rather than another vote.

Picking up where we left off, Probst dismisses the jury. He continues that they are not going to camp because they will participate in a reward challenge at Tribal Council. Ha! Told ya so!

The players are understandably happy that they don’t have to go through another vote – and they get to compete for a reward! But Probst says this is no ordinary reward. The winner will travel by private jet, hundreds of miles to a temple in the mountains. Probst says few outsiders are ever allowed there and it is “an incredibly rare privilege.” The temple was built in the fifth century and is famous for being the home of kung fu. So everybody will be kung fu fightin’! Or they’ll enjoy a kung fu demonstration and a meal, and spend the night in the temple. Oh, and the winner will choose two people to go with them.

The challenge will be a series of questions asked about Chinese culture. First person with five right answers wins.

And they’re off! The first question is true or false: China is credited with the invention of the abacus. Correct answer is true. Todd, James, Peih-Gee, and Denise get it right.

Which animal does not belong on the Chinese zodiac? Rat, rabbit, cat, rooster? I’m pretty sure it’s cat. And I’m right! For that matter, so are all the players. And really, they should be, since they had a challenge related to the Chinese zodiac once already.

True or false: 99% of the giant panda’s diet is bamboo? Everybody but Denise says true. Probst asks if she still thinks she’s right. She says no and he says, “Well, you’re right about that.” Ha! It is indeed true. Peih-Gee, James, and Todd have three points. Everybody else has two.

The capital of China is: Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Macau? Beijing is correct, with everybody getting it right except Amanda. So if Peih-Gee, James, or Todd get the next one right, they win.

In Chinese culture, receiving a red envelope means that inside is a love letter, cash, a death notice, or a military draft notice? The correct answer is cash. Peih-Gee is the only one of the four-pointers who gets it right, and wins reward!

She has to pick two people. She hesitates, then picks Erik, saying they have been starving for the longest. Then she picks Denise as the second guest. It’s obvious to me that these are not strategic picks. Maybe she thinks she’s already lost, so there’s no point. But she should have tried by taking, for example, Todd and Amanda. Or maybe Todd or Amanda, so she could work on one while Erik works on the other. But she left the core alliance together, and no good can come of that.

They are all sent back to camp together, and then the three journeyers are picked up by a boat early the next morning. Denise tells us that she has a lot of love for Peih-Gee because she was picked to go, but she’s also concerned because she’s leaving the rest of her alliance and has no idea what will go on.

No sooner do they leave than the four who remain start talking about how this is how they want it to be. Todd calls it a nine-day ahead sneak preview. James wants to “frolic” all the way to the final four. As long as nobody bites the apple – like Eve did in Eden – they’ll be fine. I’m thinking that since the title of this episode is “Ready to Bite the Apple,” he could be in trouble here.

Amanda says she’s going along with all this discussion about them being the top four, but in reality, she doesn’t feel comfortable going to the top three with any of them! This is the time in the game when a change needs to be made. She can make something else happen the way she wants it to happen. Hmmmm.

Meanwhile, the other three are put on a jet and whisked away. Peih-Gee talks about how they stink and are in their raggedy clothes, but they’re flying in the lap of luxury.

Peih-Gee starts talking about how they could be the final three. All they need is for James to join them and they’d have a majority. Yeah, and they sky could turn neon purple. It ain’t gonna happen.

Denise tells us Peih-Gee is working her strategy and while Peih-Gee and Erik are on the outside now, she’ll wait and see what happens.

The three arrive at the temple, and Peih-Gee tells us how being Chinese, it’s especially great to experience all of this. Denise says she’s been taking karate lessons for about eight years and is close to a black belt. She tells us this is the reward she wanted to go on the most – seeing over 1000 years of culture and the beginnings of the martial arts is incredible for her.

The kung fu demonstration begins, with lots of synchronized flipping and kicking and jumping. There’s stick swinging and one guy who breaks a metal bar on his head. Ouch. Then there are some special guests – a bunch of Chinese children. The kids show the Survivors some moves, and then Denise is asked to show a few moves of her own. Erik says he’s impressed. “Denise. Who knew?” Heh. Denise tells us she’ll take the experience back home for the rest of her life.

Dinner starts and Peih-Gee is in heaven. They are escorted to their bedroom – a small room in the temple with sleeping mats. Peih-Gee says her neck is still on the line, but the temple is an inspiration to keep trying.

Back at camp, the next day, it’s rainy and cold. Todd says it’s hell – you’re sitting in a muddy hole in a swimsuit you’ve been wearing for a month. The journeyers return and find the others still sitting in hiding in the cave. Only Amanda eventually comes out to greet them.