STRATEGIC MOVE: MYCHAEL OUSTED
Following an Outdoor challenge in which her elaborate menu was praised by the judges, Mychael, the 33-year-old professional caterer from San Francisco, was eliminated from the Crafty Beavers team. Although her menu choices and skilled food preparation were consistently strong, her team members unanimously ousted her to protect their own futures in the game.

Day seven at the Estate begins with some organization by Dawn, who labels everything in the kitchen (including the microwave) with printed stickers. Soon after, host Joan Lunden arrives with an announcement about their next challenge: "You're going camping." The Perfectionists must create and decorate a high-end overnight camping environment and cook a meal for the judges. Aesthetics and functionality are key, along with taste and presentation of the food. For individual projects, the players are given a simple map and asked to create something out of it using items around them.

The teams will pay a visit to Sears, where they'll have an hour to shop with a budget of $5000, plus another $500 for groceries. Lumber and electricity will be provided at the campsite. Joan then drops a bomb on the teams: Denise has been selected at random to join Team Artisan, balancing the numbers. Denise is unnerved, as are Kimberly and Dawn, who each look hesitant as they hear the news. Darlene, on the other hand, is very pleased. Mitch watches Denise as she chats with her new team, and looks forward to finding out what she's really made of.

PLANNING TO MAKE PLANS
The Crafty Beavers put together their plans, deciding on their food and Sears purchases. At the grocery store, they work as a unit to find what they need, and on their visit to Sears, they confidently split up to shop, keeping it well under budget.

Meanwhile, the Artisans start organizing, but they can't seem to focus on a common goal. While grocery shopping, tensions flare when Kimberly's original idea of serving Cornish game hen is overruled in favor of Margo's burgers and potato salad, and Denise only hopes that Margo can keep it together for the challenge. The trip to Sears doesn't go smoothly either: the Artisans don't work well as a team and come close to the time limit. Miraculously, they manage to come in 30 seconds under the time limit and four dollars under budget. Everyone breathes a sigh of relief.

THAT'S ONE FOXY BATHROOM
With 24 hours to go, the teams arrive at their respective campgrounds and get started. On the Crafty Beavers' end, Mychael continues to dominate in the cooking arena, and Amy remarks that "the judges would like to see her out of the kitchen." Tim and Amy struggle with setting up the tents, while Heather constructs a dance floor for the evening's entertainment. Mitch's bossy streak continues, as he takes the lead on the display table and manages to annoy Heather at the same time.

The Artisans spend some of their time building and decorating an outhouse, since, as Darlene points out, "That's why women don't go camping--because there's no bathroom." Kimberly sets up the sleeping area with inflatable mattresses and approves of Darlene's landscaping of the entire campsite.

Finally, everyone gets some shut-eye and awakens the next morning bright and early to make their final preparations and individual projects. As the finishing touches are placed on the Crafty Beavers' Moroccan-themed group project, Mychael cooks up a storm, asking the group if anyone wants to help (as others have requested to do in the past.) No one steps up, however, and she completes most of the cooking on her own, although Mitch does whip up some trout and tartar sauce.

As the Artisans continue their work on Camp Rustic Elegance, Margo struggles to get the grill lit, and the pressure gets to her, since she is the sole provider for herself and her three children. "I really, really need to win," she confesses.

CAMPING, FASHIONISTA STYLE
The judges arrive at Camp Beaver first, and The Perfectionists offer up some champagne to start the day off right. Right away, Mitch takes up hosting duties, listing everything that Mychael cooked. Amy explains that Mitch built the benches, while Heather put the dance floor together. Although the judges seem to appreciate the set-up, they are less than impressed with the sleeping quarters, packed with untidy cots and unmade sleeping bags.

The meal is served, and as usual, Mychael's cooking goes over well with all three experts. Bobby nails each of the Crafty Beavers' specialties, calling out Mitch for his "big picture" mentality, though he can't figure out what Amy's deal is quite yet. When Bobby says, "You have to be able to delve into more than one thing" to win the competition, all the Crafty Beavers except Mitch seem a little unnerved. The entertainment soon follows-- a jig performed by the Perfectionists on Heather's dance floor. When the judges take their leave, Heather is convinced that her team has the challenge "in the bag."

The judges make their way to Team Artisan's site, where chilled champagne is served, and matching jackets are given out. The Perfectionists show off the comfy sleeping quarters, the dining area and, of course, Darlene's bathroom. They serve up the meal, but the burgers come into question when David wonders if they're done enough. Still smarting over the loss of her Cornish game hen idea, Kimberly wishes she could have seen her ideas come to fruition. The Artisans do a little campfire song for the judges' entertainment, and pass out personalized camping blankets for them to take away as gifts.

THE SKINNY
Back at the Estate, the teams assemble with the judges to get the lowdown on their projects. Both teams are praised for their style choices, but two problems are noted: visible electrical tape on the Crafty Beavers' display, and the simplistic menu for the Artisans. Margo hides her devastation well when she finds out that Mychael cooked up an elaborate Cornish game hen menu, while Kimberly nods knowingly in the background.

Following a brief deliberation, the judges make their call, and both teams are stunned to hear that the Artisans have finally pulled off a win. Of the Crafty Beavers' individual projects, Mychael's survival kit and Heather's photo album are chosen as the worst efforts, so they are the two Perfectionists up for elimination.

The Crafty Beavers make their way to the Rock Garden for the first time, where Mychael and Heather plead their cases to their teammates. Mychael focuses on the sense of team unity they've created, while Heather brings up her strong leadership skills as an individual. Unfortunately for Mychael, the Crafty Beavers are united in their choice, and for strategic reasons, they unanimously vote her out of the game. back