Thalia

I think you are right @KeithJ -- once again we have one chef from each team. But apart of that, I can't imagine that anyone connected with this show wanted Jordan in the final. He followed the same pattern. Every. Week. His time management sucks, causing him to turn in a bottom 2 dish. Then, he manages to pull it together for the cook-off. There has to be some difference between the two environments that caused him to choke at one and excel at the other. Zach seemed destined to win this thing during the first 2/3 of the season. I've been rooting for him all along, but I wonder if he can pull it together next week. He needs to quit trying to outdo himself with every dish. Multiple elements are nice, but not if it causes you to make simple mistakes elsewhere.

Please excuse the double post and please delete the one with the quote above if possible. After I put the quote in, I was unable to type under it. Or above it. Or on either side. Not sure what happened. Trying again. You are absolutely correct that going agains the banker makes the most sense for someone like Jordan, and probably for most players as long as they don't have an enemy playing. I was scared when Aron went up in the first episode because he had gotten the "Plucky and Endearing!" edit and I didn't want him to leave first thing. Rob's reasoning is that since the elimination of Alyssa and Claudia, he has had only one ally, and the remaining contestants see him as Enemy #1. So while he has a good chance of going home if he players the banker at least he also has the chance to save himself AND to get rid of someone else who wants him out.. But if Nick had won the other night, he would have almost certainly eliminated. At least that is what I think is going on. And I suppose Stephanie and Amy don't want Rob to play the banker for the same reason. You've been BAMBOOZLED! :-)

Liz didn't "want to make it awkward for everybody"?

I'm sorry. But I hate people who try to suck the joy out of others who are having fun.

I feel sorry for her. But as others have said, she knew what she was getting into. But now, the others who weren't chosen are having to sit there and listen to her whine about her entitlement. I would like her more if she would show some recognition that the others weren't chosen either. And the bit about it being her special thing with her daughter? Please. The inability to eat foods I get. But Liz isn't the only one who is missing a family member.

I listened to Aron's exit interview on Chappell's podcast. The lead takeaway is that he said he would have eliminated Stephanie and not Rob. According to Aron, one of the things we didn't see on the show was his friendship with Stephanie. He said they got along great for much of the show, but that may explain why he was inclined to believe her when she said the lie about Rob. He said that logically he knew it was true, but she did "get in [his] head," but that the insinuation that he was playing Rob's game was more damaging to Aron's game. Aron said his biggest mistake was not trusting Rob during the excursion and trying to show he was his own man. And he said it definitely was a mistake and he ended up going home because of it. He said he knew that Alyssa couldn't be trusted totally, but that they just bonded. His closest friends were Alyssa, Rob, and Jordan and they are the ones he keeps in contact with. Aron and Stephanie have "buried the hatchet" but otherwise haven't been in contact. I like this idea. Other good choices? Jack Benny. Hetty Green. Ebeneezer Scrooge. Montgomery Burns (Simpsons). Mr. Potter (Its a Wonderful Life)

Even tho I wanted Stephanie and Amy gone tonight, I'm glad Aron is gone. I just feel like he has no read on people at all and believes the last thing someone tells him. He had to know that Stephanie lied about Rob badmouthing Nick, or at least should have. Nonetheless, he swallowed her lie about Rob targeting him without seeming to question it all. And then he seemed so betrayed, but he quickly dropped his final 2 with the Rob the moment a cute (ish) girl was nice to him. With that said, the intimation that everyone thinks Aron has been Rob's puppet and questioning whether Aron is all that smart/tough, probably influenced him more than anything.

I find myself wondering how the producers prepped for this show. They have to have done at least one or two practice 24-hour periods to make sure all the logistics worked if nothing else. I've also been wondering if the hosts got to take naps, but Judge Not!MichaelSymon just relaxed on the sofa with a banana. The Voltaggio brothers were as relaxed as I've ever seen them. I would like to see them together in more things.

I can't effing believe it. Jordan gets by the blind judging AGAIN. I was sure that when Richard said the pork was dry that Izahya would win. Jordan is probably a nice person and a good chef -- but he is so ditzy/disorganized/whatever during the longer challenges. Somehow, however, he appears better able to focus when everything is on the line. I'm hoping Zach wins. Last week aside, he's been consistently good and even great at the challenges since the beginning. But if he does have a bad night or two coming up, I'd be okay with a Gabi or a Christina win. It really is Zach's to lose tho. IMHO. Although Christina's edit -- scrappy single mom! Dedicated nurse! -- can be a bit much, Gabi is the one who got on my nerves tonight. Did you guys know she comes from a small town?

they sure seem to have an awful lot of clothes this year. Don't get me wrong, a tasteful sweater and a pair of khakis beats seeing someone running around in their underwear.

I couldn't believe that Rob didn't murder Aaron last night. Less over getting the cases mixed up than messing up the walkie talkie. Rob might as well have not had a partner last night. Living with a household of women seems to have really mellowed him. Stephanie and Amy need to go. Their edit has been SO awful that I find it hard to believe that either will win. Villains have to be funny and likable in some other way if they are going to come out on top. A win by one of the two remaining founders of the Night Owls is bound to leave a bad taste in everyone's mouth. Especially since Rob ISN'T guilty of all the charges they were making last night. Jordan would be a great winner, although her win would also be a little strange given that I didn't even realize she was on the show before last week. When I saw people talk about Jordan I thought they were talking about Dawson.

I can handle it when my favorite players don't win these games. But if Pam Amy wins I can see me being angry for days. She is such a bully, and Nick is right there with her for making fun of Aaron's status as the 97 lb weakling of the show. Classy. PS, I think I keep calling Amy Pam because she reminds me of "Angry Pam" from the old Trading Spaces days. And that goes back a while!

I've been rooting for Emmy because she lives in Nashville, but mostly because I love her grandmother. But I'm ready for her to go. She is too nervous and her range too limited for the show. And with her familial connections, she has lots of options as a songwriter and as a singer in smaller venues. The judges have said nice things about her for two nights in a row. But Megan Trainor is right; Emmy gets off melody too easily and it seemed to me tonight that she got lost a few times and had to hit the reset button on the song.

Next week, on Deal or No Deal Island! Joe: Those who retrieve the top six cases in value will be granted immunity, as long as your first name has three letters. Oh, and isn't Pam. Go!

Like so much on this show, the way this competition was played made no sense. It doesn't seem the task was timed, yet they all seemed to trying to beat each other to the cases and then to the beach. If there was more than one key, I can maybe see why a team would want it first. (was there a second key in the final crate?) Nick and Rob could have taken a leisurely paddle around the Banker's Island and I can't see that they would have been penalized in any way. Did Stephanie agree or was she noncommittal when Alyssa told her the plan? I remember it as the latter, but I could be wrong. And Alyssa was correct when she said Stephanie never spoke up against the Kim plan when she had a chance. One reason I quit watching the Chase was it was too irritating when the players left with nothing at the end. That was only for 1 episode. I imagine I'll be livid after the finale if Rob (or Austin or Jordan) leave with a prize of $20

How is Jordan still on this show? I guess he's just lucky that he has strong chefs on his team that save him through team immunity. Although he did do well with the lamb's tongue or whatever that was last week.

Maybe the time the teams had to eat cheese with maggots? Blech even if it was a local "delicacy." That was the year Penn and Kim Holderness won.

When Blaise had to break the tie, it was immediately clear that Gordon's chef would go home to even things up. I even wondered if Nyesha was told to vote differently to Gordon so that the final decision would be left to the one judge who knew who to vote for. Both Richard and Nyesha were looking down and struggled giving their vote. Above and beyond the struggle you'd normally have knowing you have to kill someone else's dream. Once Gordon's chef (I don't know their names) got biscuit dough, he should have switched plans and made some kind of brunch dish. If he had eggs, pork, salmon, cheddar, or Mexican ingredients he could have made a killer breakfast pizza. I know he said choosing the biscuit dough was an accident and can't remember what other ingredients he'd grabbed. Whatever they were, they didn't work with the Pillsbury Dough Boy.

God/Bhanu: 1 Randen: And who knows! Next week, a prayer inspired tidal wave could knock out everyone but Probst and Bhanu, leaving him the Sole Survivor by Default/Divine Intervention!

I can see that he's cocky, and that might turn off some people. But cocky is good with me if a) you're a good player and can back it up; b) if it combined with humor. "I've still got it" for example. He said it with humor and the recognition that he IS good at these kind of games. He certainly takes up a lot of camera time, but it looks like even Joe M. is kind of star struck around him. Speaking of camera time: there was a woman during the suitcase portion who had long reddish hair. I would swear she hadn't been on my tv screen before that moment. I have no idea who she is.

This was a fun episode. I've been so impressed with Boston Rob's machinations that I am going to seek out his Survivor episodes. Aaron lucked out the day he rode in with Boston Rob. And although Aaron is the opposite of a comp beast (a comp milquetoast?), if he drags him to the end, Rob has almost a 100% chance of winning. And, actually I'm happy for Aaron. He's so sweet and I was worried that he would be voted out in the first episode.

John: it was a game. A game. A GAME! I want that to be my new ringtone. I will probably finish this tomorrow. I got tired of the poor loser behavior during the first 15 minutes. I can only assume it will get worse.

Kate's banishment around the firepit was pretty much a sure thing. THAT SAID -- even if I'd been 99% sure she was a faithful, I would have voted to banish when she tried end the voting because she thought "they'd caught all the traitors." As MJ pointed out correctly -- then who in the heck banished Sheree? There had to be at least one more traitor and if Kate had really been a faithful, then she was a faithful who decided it would be cool to give away $200K. I LOVED Alan's blue plaid outfit. It looked so classy and was tailored to perfection for him. The writing on the wall became more and more legible by mid-season and Dan's departure and his attack on Phaedra: It was going to be a win for the faithfuls. If Sandra or CT had been the last traitor, they might have had a chance. Kate made a mistake being too loyal to Phaedra before the vote and then getting pissed at Phaedra during the vote. I don't guess it matters much to Phaedra that Kate was a bad traitor; money wasn't going to Phaedra in any event.

And when Brantzen jumped into the mud, Boston Rob immediately whispered to some of the others: "wow, look at him. He wants to steal your money. I'm not saying he should be eliminated, but, you know, maybe you should." or something close to that. 😀