To all the readers and to the editors of GSNN, I apologize. My real life has been in the trash bin recently, and I've had to take care of certain issues.

ANYWAY...

The italicized comments are mine only, and do not represent GSNN or anyone else.

Lou won immunity in the hang tough challenge... Holly Montag joins the camp and redeems herself by helping to win the ladies first food trial.... Patti and Torrie win a luxury challenge (with the luxury being workout items. ... Lou is rewarded as the Camp Leader with a Skype Video Call to home, and Chooses Daniel and Patti to receive one as well.
Janice is persecuted by the camp for her kleptomania, which includes stealing a reward granola bar (What bugs me is that Janice is caught on camera for stealing and she still lies to the camera!)... Stephen and Daniel continue to rib Janice. (I prefer the Baldwin's sense of humor)... Sanjaya wins another food trial with the tight-rope shopping excursion. The Fellas win a mexican feast.

Patti has a breakdown.

Love comes to the camp via Holly and Sanjaya (Can I get a massage from Holly Montag? I think writing this blog, I deserve it!) The Camp is getting eaten alive by the bugs (They now wear citronella stickers to ward 'em off). Daniel is eliminated from the competition thanks to America.

NOW Onto Monday night's episode. Cue the official headline!

Episode 8
TONIGHT

A medical emergency rocks the camp... John Buckles under the pressure... Then find out who you voted to take on the Tunnel of Terror, and one Celebrity will win immunity!

First thing's First, There is a MASSIVE Tropical storm passing through Costa Rica. Myleene and Damien are in an alternate indoor studio, as the normal outdoor setup is washed out.

We pick up where we left off last week, with Daniel Baldwin packing up and leaving. Obviously, this is effecting Stephen to the Nth degree. I guess it's like with my brother.

Janice, however, is happy that Daniel's gone. And she makes no bones about it to the public, while Torrie feels that Janice was a poor sport about it.

Quotable: "None of you Baldwins can take a joke! You sure can't dis it."--Janice to Stephen after she jokingly says she rifled through Daniel's stuff.

Chicken is here, and now, Janice is expressing an interest in cooking the next meal. John feels that it's just Janice wearing everyone down.

Quotable: "I Think Janice cooking for us would be worse than the great flood that Noah experienced in the Bible!"--Stephen

Janice and John make up?!? John Salley wasn't sleeping too well. I guess he was worried about what the heck was going on. Janice says to John "Let's Have a good time." Hey, anything that Janice does that is a positive will help the entire camp. Holly is getting some sage advice from Lou Diamond Phillips about being a celebrity. He recounts an experience with Dame Helen Mirren at the premiere of La Bamba, when he was mobbed by women, and he said, "Maybe I'll get used to this." Helen said, "Don't. If you do, you'll think it's normal!" Janice opens up on sometimes it sucks to be a celeb, while Stephen muses about sometimes, especially in a restaurant when you want to sit down and eat, it comes in handy. Patti talks about how different the political eye is different than the celebrity eye.

Scroll Time

Dear Celebrities, It is time for you to select two members from each team to battle it out in the next luxury trial. The luxury treat for the two victorious celebrities is a nice relaxing massage."

It will be Lou and John versus Torrie and Patti. At the jungle clearing, they receive their instructions

"WALK THE PLANK"
One celeb will stand on a plank, while the other will crank the opponents plank back in. Whomever stays on the plank the longest wins, and gets the massage for the both of 'em. The loser will see one player take a bath. And in a perfect editing image....

Quotable: "Mother,,,(SPLASH!)" --John as he goes in the water.

The women get the massage. Having had a few of them in my life, it is a good reward.

Everyone now knows...Don't mess with Torrie. Lou and John are good sports about it.

(I wouldn't be caught dead in a dark alley with her! She is a pro wrestler and could probably take out a few people)

After the break, the campers have been moved to the confessional building for "health and safety reasons". Back to the taped footage, Janice is beginning to compliment people. Janice opens up about her daughter. In confessional, Janice says that the bravado she has just covers up the open and vulnerable side of her. Janice goes through her sex history, and it is a struggle for her to do this. Hm. She's opening up a LOT! Lou said he felt honored that she talked to him about her daughter. Janice has the good kind of breakdown in the confessional and at the camp.

Then the rains came! Don't say there's nothin to do in the doooooldrums...If you don't get that reference, watch "The Phantom Tollbooth")

An afternoon activity has been planned. It's a scavenger hunt. Each celeb must, in turn, find the item in camp and return it to the confessional. All items must be in the confessional within 5 minutes. It certainly broke the doldrums. Lou has to find a candle. Lou thinks that it's the hardest to find. He takes A minute to find it, and then... Stephen has to find a mirror, and he goes very well.

Patti has to find the Jump Rope that was part of the exercise package. Everyone is helping out with the scavenger hunt.

Holly is next with the SOS pad.

Sanjaya...he has to find tweezers. Luckly, Janice has plucked her eyebrows recently.

Torrie has to recover the dumbbells from the fitness luxury prize.

Janice is next, and she needs nail clippers. Janice is good on the runway for walking, but not good at running.  John needs to find the TP (Toilet Paper). And the team punches in with 44 seconds to spare! For completing it within the 5 minutes, the camp gets...

Graham Crackers
Marshmallows
Chocolate Bars

Who's up for S'MORES?!? Good job team!

Now it's time for John to contemplate quitting. I can't tell if he's upset or bored. John feels that he has done all he needs to do, and not comfortable with the public controlling his destiny. I guess the elimination has him shook up.
It's time for din din, and Sanjaya takes over the cooking duties for a depressed John Salley. Sanjaya is getting testy about everyone commenting. Sanjaya, in not so many words, told Janice, "I luv ya, but SHUT UP!" The chips that Sanjaya deep fried were actually pretty good, even causing Janice to stand corrected.

John is still contemplating on leaving. Everyone is surprised, because he is such a competitor. I guess he needed a little love. Patti says that a lot of people look up to him in the figurative sense and everyone amps their game up due to him. It actually made him feel better, and decided to "Man up" and stay in the game.

Next morning, things are overcast again, and....... Janice is not looking good as she stumbles to the john. She can't pull a Number two, and has a log jam inside her. And her speaking of it is embarrassing everyone. She even looks a little preggers. She's tried all the jungle remedies...Papaya, Prunes, Even Sanjaya giving her stomach a massage, and nothing works. That's a scary thing when you can't "go". What's scarier is Janice's frank way of talking about it!

Patti makes a confession to John at the waterfall. Patti is visibly upset by what Rob is going through. While the call was relieving, she was shook up by how her husband's looking. She said the weight is back on her shoulders. Patti could go to jail for 7-10 years for just being associated with Rob, while Rob could get 10-20. John is being a good friend and is listening to her troubles, much like she did with him earlier this episode. Then the two go juvenile and splash water all over each other.

Damien and Myleene arrive to announce the results of the Food Trial vote.

The ladies will be represented by Torrie. The fellas will be represented by Sanjaya (No surprise!). Sanjaya believes that the public wants to see his breaking point.

Today's food trial is the Tunnel of Terror. The celebs take turns trying to find as many stars in all the inhospitable environments, including the creepy crawlies. Amongst them are the wooden stars. There are a maximum of 20. Each celeb has 3 minutes to get as many stars as they can, but they must complete the course to have them count.

After Sanjaya has crayfish, spiders, crocodiles, mud, claustrophobic environments, and everything else thrown at him, Sanjaya walks away with 19.

Torrie Freaks a little bit...and is running out of time as she hits the mud tunnel, but breaks through with 10 seconds left. She gets 18 stars.

By the slimmest and slimiest of margins, Sanjaya wins again and wins the food challenge. Truly, both did excellent. I'm a little claustrophobic, so I would've made the call.

Lou is not wanting hugs initially, but he is happy for the food that's coming in.

Put the two of them in the shower please!

Now the camp is seriously concerned about Janice's health. Looking even more frail than normal, she probably hasn't been able to go for a while. Today, the campers really do believe that she's sick. She wants to stay and compete, and is actually grateful for their concern. She got worse as the day goes on, including throwing up several times. She needed to be taken by the ambulance to the medical hospital to observe her. The doctor is saying it could be a viral infection, and has started her on an IV drip.

The night comes quietly for the camp, and at 2:57, everyone else is asleep, but a SNAKE comes into camp. (Remember what going in camp was all about?). And onsite security has been notified. Well, the security team gets the potentially dangerous snake out of there. I would be okay with that security detail getting snakes. These people are REALLY out in the wilderness. The snake has really rattled Patti, and she is now jumpy. The security team has been deemed the Ninjas by Patti.

The next morning, Janice comes back! She was bubbly and effervescent, and HAPPY!
A new Leader trial is coming up, and I've been very fond of Lou Diamond Phillips as the leader. He's been a GOOD leader. He's been a true father figure. Lou has been the steady head in camp.
 
Scroll time
"As Lou has served two terms as Camp Leader...Like the president of the US, he can't run for a third. So it is time for the next Leadership Trial..."

Janice wants to check out as she doesn't feel like she's leadership material. Lou is very humble in passing the mantle onto whomever it is.
 
Today's Leadership Trial is a head to head battle in a Jungle Quiz.
Each participating celeb must write down an answer in response to a survey of the American public on NBC.com (so THAT'S what the polls were about!) If you get it right, you can put a strike next to any camp-mate's name. Three strikes and you're out. Last man standing wins.
 
According to America, who does the most work at camp?
Answer: John.
Patti and Sanjaya get to put a strike up. They each put a strike up for Janice.
 
Which camp-mate does America think is the laziest?
Answer: Janice And everyone got it right, so they all cancel each other out.
 
Which camper, in America's opinion, is the Most Famous?
 
(Commercial Break)
 
Answer: John!
Holly and Stephen can add a strike. Holly's strike eliminates Janice. Stephen adds one for Sanjaya.
 
Which camper has the worst bed-head?
Answer: Sanjaya.
Torrie puts a strike on Stephen
Sanjaya puts a strike on Stephen
Holly Votes for herself
Stephen voted for Sanjaya (again)
 
Who is the smartest camp-mate?
Answer: JOHN! Another surprise!
Torrie adds a strike to Sanjaya, eliminating him
 
Which camp-mate does America think is the best team player?
Answer: John (again!)
John Puts Stephen out
Holly puts one on Torrie
 
Which camp-mate does America think has been sleeping the most?
The majority think it's Sanjaya, and America Agrees.
Patti eliminates Holly
Torrie adds a strike to herself.
 
Which camp-mate does America think eats the most?
Answer: Janice
Torrie eliminates herself. She doesn't want the responsibility.
John votes for Patti.
 
Which camp-mate does America think has the best strategy?
Answer: John
Patti now has two strikes.
 
Which camp-mate is the least vain?
Answer: Patti
John strikes out Patti and John is now Camp Leader!
 
Amazing, a trial without the gross-out title!
 
New Scroll, let's see how well John leads.
 
John receives pictures of his family as a reward for being the new leader. John calls it the best gift he's ever received. This will drive him to win, I think.
 
Now, the campfire discussion centers around the camp's opinion of who is the coolest to them.  Stephen says that it's Lou for him, and Lou reciprocates. John says his BF in camp is Patti for talking him off the bridge and away from quitting. She reciprocates for him being nice, gentle, funny and smart. Torrie says that Janice reminds her of her BF at home, and Stephen was her Guardian Angel. Holly confesses to being BFF's with Sanjaya, and she hopes it will be a life-long friendship. Sanjaya reciprocates.  Janice says she loves everyone, and that she's going to take el dumpo gigante.
 
Damien has decided to take the immunity trial on his own. Remember, this tropical storm is going on.
 
The trial is called "Up in Arms", and the rain may cancel the challenge....or will it?
 
After the break, Myleene is back at the original studio. And the rains have stopped. It looks like the immunity battle will be shown tomorrow, as the celebs can't make it to the clearing in time for the live feed.
 
I'm wondering if I am suffering from Stockholm syndrome, but this show is actually getting A bit better as the weeks progress. I am still enjoying seeing the mystery of Patti, and the reformation of Janice. Lou was a great leader, and I hope John lives up to it.
 
Unfortunately...The show still stinks.  I'm a game show reviewer, GET ME OUT OF HERE!!!