After getting rid of dead weight NaOnka and Purple Kelly -- or as Jeff Probst snidely called them "our two quitters" - we're left with seven contestants who are fiercely playing the game. (Well, scratch that. We have six contestants fiercely playing the game and one, Dan, who merely relaxes around camp when he's not failing miserably at challenges. Tell me again why he's still here?)

The battle lines seem clearly drawn between the trio of Dan, Fabio and Benry and the threesome of Holly and our two North Carolinians, Chase Rice and Jane Bright. The odd man out is Sash, but he's not dejected. He thinks he's in the position of kingmaker and that both factions need to cater to him. At one point, he even tells us he's already counting his $1 million in winnings. (You wonder whether Sash, a New York real estate agent, has actually tried to sell a client the Brooklyn Bridge at some point.)

Also, Chase continues the wishy-washy play he's exhibited all season -- making a decision, then immediately regretting it. Jane tears up as she loses a friend. And the final vote completely blindsides someone.

Fresh from last week's rather dull clip show, we get what may be the most bizarro episode of "Survivor" ever. No one is voted out, but by the end of the hour, two of the nine contestants have left the game.

There is no Immunity Challenge, but we get a tense Tribal Council in which host Jeff Probst sharply questions contestants like some sort of Island Judge Judy.

Swim coach Holly, who earlier this season was a nut job who threw a fellow contestant's shoes in the water and wanted to quit the game, somehow emerges as a motivational voice of reason.

Plus, there's a Reward Challenge that features what may be the single most blatant product placement in the 21 seasons of "Survivor."

For Thanksgiving Eve, CBS gives us one of those In-Case-You-Missed-It, Behind-the-Scenes Recap episodes of "Survivor." (Or, as we like to call them, "Lame Filler" episodes.)

Seriously, Mark Burnett, couldn't you maybe not have an episode earlier in the season where you vote off two people and instead spread out the Tribal Councils and avoid having one of these recap weeks? We want to see drama, backbiting and blindsiding! We want someone to go home!

We did learn a few new things, though, from this recap, particularly about our two North Carolinians who have made this season's final nine.

Check out photos from last night's episode of "Survivor: Nicaragua," which airs Wednesday nights on CBS. This season features North Carolinians Jane Bright and Chase Rice (Chase is a former UNC football player).

Click the photo at right to view the gallery.

And be sure to read our recap of last night's action!

This week's episode offers clear case studies of the various ways to act when you feel at risk on “Survivor.” You can flail about like a paranoid crazy person, driving everyone insane with your worrying. That’s the path taken by Chase Rice, one of two North Carolinians still in the game.  “Chase has been running around here like a chicken with his head cut off,” NaOnka notes.

Another strategy is to appear so strong and kick so much butt that the others dare not mess with you. That’s the method followed by our other Tar Heel, Jane Bright. Once again, she puts on a dominating display.

Then there’s Brenda’s strategy – positioning herself as someone who is just too calm, too cool and too collected to be voted out. What? Me, worry?

(We’ll refrain from going into too much depth about the Dan strategy – being so pathetic that no one will view you as a threat – or the “Purple Kelly” method – coming across as so boring that others forget you’re even in the game.)

Human Target (8pm, Fox) - In the Season 2 premiere, Chance and Guererro hatch a plant to rescue the kidnapped Winston. Meanwhile, a philanthropist (Indira Varma) fears her husband's death may be followed by her own, and a young thief sees a mentor in Guererro.

Dateline: William & Kate - A Royal Love Story (8pm, NBC) - NBC ditches one of the few remaining episodes of "Undercovers" to slap together a special on the engagement of Prince William and Kate Middleton. Everyone is trying hard to make me care about this. I just don't. I'll be watching "Human Target."

Survivor: Nicaragua (8pm, CBS) - The ten remaining castaways return to the Libertad camp only to discover that it is in ashes because of a fire.

Better with You (8:30pm, ABC) - Maddie scores Mia and Casey a meeting with an A-list wedding planner, played by Reba McEntire.

Modern Family (9pm, ABC) - A party at a restaurant for Manny's birthday makes the guest of honor anxious about his age. Cameron uses a shopping trip to the mall as a chance to meet new people. Norman Lloyd (Dr. Auschlander from "St. Elsewhere") guest stars.

Law & Order: SVU (9pm, NBC) - Stabler speaks at a Take Back the Night rally at his daughter's college campus, and the rally inspires a woman to accuse a fellow student of rape. Stabler and Benson investigate the case and ADA Paxton (Christine Lahti) is assigned to prosecute it.

Terriers (10pm, FX) - In an episode that includes flashbacks, Hank gets another chance to solve the rape case that got him fired from the police department.

This week's installment was one of the most entertaining of this somewhat sluggish season, thanks to a few key factors:

--a great central conflict between a true villain (arrogant Marty) and a folksy underdog (our North Carolinian Jane Bright).

--seething resentment from two puppet masters who want to make sure they get the credit they think they're due (Sash and Brenda).

--a seemingly good guy caught in the middle (our other North Carolinian, Chase Rice, trying to be loyal to his fellow Tar Heel and falling victim to his own paranoia).

--a total loon (the unrepentantly crazy NaOnka, who really should not verbalize every inane thought that pops into her head).

All this, plus a final vote that really has you holding your breath right up until the end.

Despite having a record three North Carolinians on this season's cast, we haven't been treated to any Tar Heel talk until the tribes merge this week. That's when Chase Rice, the former UNC football player, finally gets to spend time with Jane Bright, the Moore County dog groomer.

And boy, do they hit it off, quickly swapping stories about Southern accents, dogs and shotguns. It's like Tar Heel old home week right there on an island in Nicaragua.

The lovefest brings out the worst in Jane's nemesis -- the arrogant, detestable Marty, who openly campaigns against her. He even throws in some anti-Southern stereotyping, just in case we didn't hate him enough.

But Marty isn't the most awful person of the week. That honor goes -- once again -- to the angry, vindictive NaOnka. She's a rare combination of mean and clueless. Really, NaOnka, you thought stealing food and cookware was a good strategy?

All this, plus Dan still can't walk. And you won't believe who gets sent home.

It's one of those weeks when "Survivor" leaves you with more questions than answers. Questions like:

--how can Marty be both incredibly obnoxious and amazingly stupid?

--why would anyone try to mess with our North Carolina homegirl Jane?

--is Fabio really a Freudian scholar?

--why are there always snakes slithering around Tribal Council?

--and who exactly is "Purple Kelly" and where has she been all season?

Let's get right to it ...

What a difference a week makes! With this season beginning to drag, "Survivor" producers performed a drastic reboot last week, shuffling the tribes and jettisoning the creaky older vs. younger concept. That paid huge dividends this week, as we got what was easily the most entertaining episode of the season.

There was Machiavellian scheming aplenty on both tribes. There was lots of Tribal Council trash talk. There were two Tribal Councils, one of which ended in a tie that forced a revote. And there were moments that made you scream at the TV, "What the $#@*% are you people thinking?"

Alas, when all was said and done, one of our three North Carolinians went home. As that great chess master Guillermo Vilas might say, "Checkmate."