Well, strange as it seems, after a grand self-sacrificing flourish at Tribal Council, our gravedigger James is still hunkering down at the newly juggled Zhan Hu — surfer Aaron instead getting the heave-ho — which may mean James still has an opportunity to canoodle with the burly "school lunch lady," Denise. Beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder here: despite ripples of cellulite and a bruising presence, James sees a jewel.

By David W. Taylor (Email The Author)
Reality Reel Media
10.25.07

Most of us would dismiss Denise as a rather, say, ordinary specimen of female delights. James, on the other hand, views her good nature, her humble soul, and her relentless work ethic as a prize worth considering.

For most of us living in the media-driven material world of uber-sexual vibes, this is quite shocking. But a gravedigger, perhaps, views human worth in a completely different context.

A life honed by hard back-breaking physical labor begets respect for marketable human skills on life's plaintive battlefield — or, plainly put, handiness outweighs flashiness. Think: A homestead wife on the rugged Western plains. Someone overly worried about the luster of their lipstick gloss, for example, when one is trying to merely survive, is of little use compared to someone ready and willing to chop a cord of wood. And Denise is nothing if not handy. Her unfortunate school lunch speciality the gross deep-fried chicken nuggets notwithstanding.

One can maybe understand James' appreciation of Denise by remembering his morbid assessment of his new Zhau Hu mates. He thought they were too "happy." Fei Long suited him because of their doom and gloom. "My people are miserable...I like misery." Denise may be, then, sweet perfection.

Let's now switch channels to Eric and Jaime: two potential lovebirds who are sleek and shiny, and Christian. They lurk seductively half-submerged in a nearby lake and look into each other's eyes and see heavenly sparks; sexual charms. I'll bet neither one is thinking about the other's work ethic.

Eric, a self-confessed virgin, seems level headed enough, though, to appreciate Jaime beyond her more obvious physical attributes (and who couldn't be so tempted). Jaime feels strongly that Eric's lack of fornication may signal an "even more trustworthy" ally and she, perhaps, is correct. I mean, Eric's singular dedication to his moral compass must certainly give him a harrowing depth of character. Jaime eventually shared even her Immunity Idol clues with him...and this might be just the beginning. Of sharing.

The masterstroke of the evening, though, was Peih-Gee's plotting, with Jaime, to bungle the Immunity Challenge for the sake of the Zhan Hu numbers game. It all made sense: making absolutely sure that the Fei Long population dropped before a merge to protect the extended and dwindling Zhan Hu community. It was quite a bold move.

Yet the way it was handled was annoyingly childish. Any whiff of an epic shift was soon extinguished — with Phei-Gee and Jaime giggling and fidgeting amongst themselves before, during and after their scheme unhatched. And to not tell Eric about their plan was nearly a deadly mistake.