Welcome to what just might prove to be the most exhausting finals in franchise history. Our celebrities and their partners will be performing a total of four dances. That's ... a lot of dancing. Good thing these three are so are tough.

Also: 10 Best Dances of the Season | Photos: See performance pics | Twitter: MSN TV

Erin won the first round with a romantic samba and Nicole took top honors in the anything goes freestyle round. Evan and Anna turned in a wonderful Viennese waltz in round one but their freestyle routine was a miss with the judges.

The way things stand now Erin and Nicole are tied with 55 points each and Evan trails at 52. This is not the way anyone expected things to turn out. Erin has been a dark horse candidate since she broke out of the middle of the pack ... and now she's tied with golden girl Nicole.

Keep in mind that we're only halfway through the finals. Each couple will dance two more routines before the winners are handed that shiny, shiny disco ball. Here are all the dirty details on the first two rounds of competition:

Erin Andrews

She and Maks were more relaxed on the floor than I've ever seen them during their fun, romantic samba. It was one of those routines where the whole is greater than the sum of all its parts, even when the parts are pretty darn fantastic. At the beginning of the show, we saw some rehearsal footage where Erin basically laughed at herself for her nerves throughout the competition and resolved to toughen up. Well, she did it! She was all smiles, her extension was amazing and her footwork was right on. Carrie Ann said Erin "moved herself up three notches" and indeed this was Erin's best dance of the season.

It seems like Maks is looking to take the crazy choreography crown away from Derek. He and Erin spent most of their freestyle routine dancing on and around ... furniture. A loveseat and a bed to be specific. This is more than a little titillating when you consider that they're supposed to be dating. The routine itself was a sweet and yet acrobatic battle of wills and the audience loved it. The judges? Well, Len said he liked it but didn't love it. He said it was "a mix of emotion and commotion." Bruno and Carrie Ann were more positive, but neither was entirely enthusiastic. You win some, you lose some.

Samba: 29/30

Freestyle: 26/30

Total: 55/60

Evan Lysacek

The last time Evan and Anna waltzed I thought their routine was just a little too sweet. Not this time. They turned in a sweeping, larger than life Viennese waltz that was playful but didn't stray far enough from tradition to make the judges -- okay, Len -- complain. Evan and Anna had the crowd on their feet. His lines were great, he wasn't doing anything overtly figure skate-y and his frame was perfect.

Poor Anna was in nervous tears over the freestyle round, and she must have been imagining what the judges would say. She and Evan turned in a wild, crazy, totally '80s "Footloose" routine. (Evan even wore white high tops and gelled his hair up like Kevin Bacon did in the movie.) This routine was the perfect showcase for Evan's strength and range of motion and the crowd went wild. The judges, however, were not enthusiastic. Bruno said the routine's exuberance led to an overall lack of precision and Len pointed out that Evan and Anna's lines were not well-matched to each other. Ouch.

Viennese waltz: 28/30

Freestyle: 24/30

Total: 52/60

Nicole Scherzinger

Her rumba was gorgeous: emotional, perfectly paced and sexy in a lingering, understated way. Nicole is an amazing, amazing performer -- probably the best the show has ever seen -- and Derek's choreography was brilliant. The crowd was collectively holding its breath. Unfortunately the judges are paid to notice the things we mere mortals do not: Carrie Ann pointed out that Derek and Nicole's end hold started before the music had ended, making it illegal, and Len found Nicole's confidence and hip action less than perfect out on the floor.

Derek praised Nicole's dancing prowess as he admitted that he would be doing some holds he'd never done before in the freestyle round. Nervous energy must work for him. Rather than thinking outside the box for this one, Derek just created a really, really big box. This freestyle borrowed a little bit of jive, some quickstep, some salsa and even some swing moves. This could have been a disaster, but it was a triumph. Nicole and Derek were absolutely on fire and didn't hold anything in reserve. This dance was so challenging, in fact, that Nicole was too out of breath to answer Brooke's post-critique questions. Nicole and Derek did have a bit of a slip-up during their last lift, and if that hadn't happened I think they would have walked away with a perfect score.

Rumba: 28/30

Freestyle: 27/30

Total: 55/60

Who won over the judges: Erin and Nicole

Who won over the audience: Too close to call!

Who needs to step it up: Evan

 

     "I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaacck. Hehe. Earrings are shiny." (Photo: Steve Granitz/WireImage)

In Hollywood, things have a way of coming full circle. And there may be no better proof than the impending resurgence of Paula Abdul. The singer, dancer and former "American Idol" judge was embarrassed and left for celebrity roadkill after departing FOX's flagship ratings-buster. But fast forward a bunch of months, factor in a Season 9 that left audiences cold, and you've got an American viewing public that's ready to get weird... Paula style.

On the heels of several reports that she will make a guest appearance on this week's "Idol" finale to help send old sparring buddy Simon Cowell off to even "X Factor" riches, CBS announced that Abdul will be the head judge, executive producer and talent coach on their upcoming series, "Got to Dance."

One would have to expect that, if true, her "Idol" cameo will be fairly understated. But when "GTD" premieres this fall, it will be fascinating to see whether it refurbishes her professional credibility or self-consciously exploits her now-trademark loopiness while giving a platform to you young dancers.

Hopefully, she and her fellow producers will opt for a nimble tightrope between both approaches, making Abdul's comeback vehicle akin to "America's Best Dance Crew" with a goofy, "Gong Show" charm. And without accused child molesters as co-judges.

 

It only took me about a half an hour into the finale of "Lost" to realize what I really wanted. Not some big, bad ending, laced with profundities about life and death culminating in explosions and flood. Nah. It wasn't the meaning behind the island, some big curveball scene or appearance (although the appearances were aplenty and many quite unexpected -- Shannon and Sayid's reunion, in particular), and it stopped being the resolution of the Jack/Sawyer/Kate love triangle years ago (because that's when that stopped being a triangle). It was something character-driven that I wanted. It was, in essence, the final chapter in the Jack Shephard saga. To hell with Bauer, this is the Jack I care about, and Matthew Fox has turned in an Emmy-worthy performance if ever there was one.

 

Also: See the Geek TV 'Lost' archives | Video: See full episodes | Twitter: Follow MSN TV

 

Jack began as an apprehensive leader, equal parts frazzled and focused, and has, over the course of six seasons, become a numb, world-weary (island-weary, actually) warrior. Was he really supposed to die in the first episode? And be played by Michael Keaton?!? Destiny apparently plays as big a part behind the scenes of "Lost" as it does on screen.   

 

Now I don't want to throw all of my I told ya so's around (especially because there aren't all that many), but with Jack I did pull out a good one: I wrote here many recaps ago that his son in the parallel universe this final season would be a child he had with Juliet. I told ya so.

 

There. Done. And I guess it's important to note that it was just that anyway: a guess.

 

By the end of hour one I was both satisfied yet still stumped, the former thanks to seeing so many people find each other -- Daniel and Charlotte and Claire and Charlie and on and on. The sentiment of "what's meant to be is meant to be" has permeated many an episode of the series, if not informed it as a whole. Plus, it also proved a nice catalyst to work in footage from the past six seasons.

 

On to the latter: Why did some characters (re)connect with their recollections intact while others did not? While Widmore's memory-eradicating contraption is certainly key, it does not explain away the fact that Charlie, Shannon, Sayid, et al, would still have died.

 

None of this, of course, interfered with my enjoyment of this final installment, particularly due to what can only be referred to as a showdown between Jack and the Smoke Monster. When Jack stoically informed the Smoke Monster that he was going to kill him at the very place he was now to protect, and that how he was going to do so would be a surprise, I knew it was going to be good. But good is an understatement. The final confrontation was exhilarating, especially the sudden cut to commercial when Jack was midair. Shot with feature film finesse, mountainside and in the rain, "Lost" was at its best. That wasn't good versus evil either. It was evolution versus devolution, and that's just Jack I'm talking about. I could endeavor to explain how Desmond's folly lent itself to all bets being off, humanizing the Smoke Monster, blah blah blah. But in the end we had who we've come to recognize as Jack, Locke, and Kate, period.

 

For the first time in years, I watched "Lost" not trying to piece things together, to glean some message, or recall if one line of dialogue was said by another character some eight episodes prior. Sure, there was confusion, ambiguity and mystery, but it was all so beside the point. "Lost" was ending and we were getting everything we needed, if not wanted -- seeing every single face (for the most part anyway; Vincent the dog was even back, albeit briefly!), enjoying footage from past seasons woven in, and action, action, action.

 

I got what I wanted. It was the Jack character that had me so captivated these past six seasons, and moreover his journey. His transformation was as subtle as it was understandable, and deftly acted to boot. Swapping I love you's with Kate proved a powerful moment and provided a closure that I thought wouldn't be necessary, or even possible for that matter. (Chalk it up to the actors, I guess). While I stopped wanting to see Jack and Kate get together, I never cared that Sawyer and Juliet ever were and their reunion was equally touching.

 

Yes, I'm still perplexed as to how any reunion can happen when one half has died, no matter what multiverse or flash-sideways we're talking about -- especially since upon touching one another they become acutely aware of that other universe wherein one of them died.

 

The final scene, too, was perplexing, and lends itself to more of that "Lost" speculation. Were they all in heaven, which has been suggested all along and a word the writers avoided at all cost. I can even dig deeper: Why was Kate in a different outfit once she was inside the funeral home? Why didn't Ben go in? Was he not able to? And, best of all, as the credits rolled, we saw the original wreckage, perhaps a suggestion that Jack died right there, six years ago, and all of these were his final, delirious thoughts. That would actually be worst of all, as "it was all a dream" is the ultimate in cop-outs.      

 

As a Jack Shephard fan I can go away from the series finale satisfied. I choose to.

 

Memo to ABC: Nothing is irreversible.

 

Ha. Yeah, I know. Wait. What? You're trying to kill me? Ha. (Photo: Gary Gershoff/Wire Image)

May sweeps is a hectic time of year for us TV critics. All those brooms and dustpans and extra garbage bags. And then there's the networks' late-season blitz of viewer-baiting finales and special episodes. Oy, it's almost too much to bear.

Fortunately for you all, Week in Review wraps up the previous several days in TV and related news, and allows us to step back from the hall of pop-culture mirrors, look at how we've spent our time and wallow in the deep, pitiable shame.

Fun, no?

So, without further "What's up, Doc? Oh, I'm sorry to hear about your loss," here are five of the most notable small-screen-pertinent happenings for the week of May17-21, 2010:


KELLY BENSIMON IS TWO SANDWICHES AND A BASKET SHORT OF A PICNIC
While the loathsome Garden State socialites on "Real Housewives of New Jersey" put on a display of general awfulness that was hard to beat, "New York" house spouse Kelly Bensimon took a valiant ride in the cuckoo cockpit this week. After making the questionable decision to join Ramona, Bethenny and the gang on a Caribbean vacation, the recent Playboy" model quickly descended into a five-star meltdown of hysterical outbursts, crying fits, wild accusations and seemingly intoxicated (at the least) non-sequitir ramblings. America hasn't seen a ball of crazy unravel like that since someone messed with Heidi Montag's shampoo.


'LOST' FINALLY FOUND ITS NEW JACOB
Or at least allegedly. At the climax of a typically silly, melodramatic scene in which Jacob gathered the remaining Oceanic Six around a fire to give some incredibly straightforward exposition about their purpose on the island (maybe they shouldn't spend so much time on cockamamey Biblical prequels next go-round), Jack volunteered for a baptism to take his place. So with Jacob out of the picture and Widmore dispatched, it seems this Sunday's finale will come down to Jack/Jacob vs. Locke/Smoke Monster. Which more or less makes sense, as they now both represent vessels for the island's original good-and-evil Genesian archetypes. Really, I just want to see how many more times Ben can get repeatedly punched in the face w minimal injury. He's like a WWE wrestler or something.

CRYSTAL AND LEE FINALLY.... EH, WAKE ME WHEN IT'S OVER
At least Casey James was sent back to his local old-man tavern in Texas. Of course, it came at the expense of actually talented Michael Lynche having one more chance to do something dynamic. But now we get the showdown everyone was hoping for: Talented-but-generic Crystal Bowersox facing off against generic-but-mildly talented Lee DeWyze. Continuing the WWE theme, I propose that if Crystal wins, Lee has to shave off his chin-dip goatee, and if Lee comes out the victor, Crystal has to chop off her goldi-locks.

ANDY, DUDE, WHY DID YOU TELL APRIL YOU KISSED ANN?
And more to the point, how could Ann pass up new "Parks and Recreation" beefcake Rob Lowe for the familiar dolt-drums of Andy? I'm not even attracted to incredibly gorgeous people who wear skin-tight athletic wear and only exude positive energy, and I'd still wanna give some sweetness to go with that Lowe.

HERE'S TO HOPING BRET MICHAELS BOWS OUT OF "APPRENTICE"
We love ya Bret, and judging by all of our "Celebrity Apprentice" exit interviews, so do your castmates. So do us a favor: Now that you've had another setback with this latest "warning" stroke and diagnosis of a hole in your heart, just take a couple weeks off. We respect your constant hustle and business savvy, but not if it's at the risk of being unable to blog about you ever again. Besides, with the way Holly Robinson Peete is throwing people under the bus, you'd only be risking further injury by competing in this Sunday's live finale

 

Yes, the typically reclusive Larry David provided recent interviews to the likes of PopEater and Golf.com, as opposed to TV Buzz, but unlike his semi-fictional "Curb" alter ego, we don't hold a grudge.

Frankly, we're just happy to have the guy back around, discussing the upcoming "Enthusiasm" season and providing his usual erudite insight into pop-culture and his own place in the machinery. It's like manna raining down from the TV heavens after toiling for months in cable-reality purgatory.

Among his epic quotes, as published by PopEater, was the following response to viewers who were offended by a Season 7 episode in which Larry inadvertently splashed urine on a painting of Jesus: "None of the criticism came from anyone who actually gets HBO and watches the show as fans. The controversy came from people who probably didn't even watch the episode and just heard I p***ed on Jesus, which of course I didn't do. I'm glad that people were offended -- I don't mind it. I don't care."

It's as if the guy has achieved some quasi-spiritual level of comfort with his self-awareness where he's transcended neuroses, bypassed curmudgeon and zoomed straight to senior-citizen kiss-my-ass-dom.

But more shocking was that David conceded to watching "American Idol," and while his favorite, unnamed contestant was apparently already booted, he offered that his vote would go to dreadlocked Janis Joplin acolyte Crystal Bowersox.

It's hard to say whether Larry's endorsement will swing all those Lee DeWyze lovers Crystal's way, and it may even potentially hurt her chances with uptight audiences on the fence. But if it means Larry will keep giving acerbic, unfiltered interviews, we'll vote for Travis Garland to emerge triumphant.


 

 

We're now down to two on "American Idol" with the elimination of Casey James Wednesday night. The 27-year-old Texan had ridden a wave of popularity in recent weeks, managing to buck the odds and avoid elimination in the aftermath of some disappointing vocal showings. But after two more underwhelming performances Tuesday night, his luck with (female) "Idol" voters finally ran out. He garnered the fewest of the over 47 million total votes cast and landed just short of reaching the show's finale. His departure now leaves Crystal Bowersox and Lee DeWyze to battle it out next week for the Season 9 crown. It's a showdown that many pundits have long expected. And it marks the first finale in the show's history pitting two singers who perform regularly with musical instruments.

 

More: Watch "Idol" highlights | The best of "American Idol" | View the Season 9 gallery

 

Casey James was one of the breakout personalities from the Denver auditions, where Kara DioGuardi famously asked him to take off his shirt on camera. Since that time, however, the Texas rocker worked hard to stave off notions that he was more than just Kara's "eye candy" and ultimately proved during the course of his run that he had the talent to match his front-man looks. But as much as Casey asserted a John Mayer, Jonny Lang-like sound on the stage, he was just never able to look comfortable in front of the camera. Whereas his other guitar-totin' final three competitors appeared to relish their time under the lights, Casey often looked overwhelmed by the enormity of it all. As a result, his overall performances suffered in comparison. Tuesday night, Casey found himself bringing up the rear with two seemingly uninspired turns on stage. His first effort, Eric Hutchinson's "OK, It's Alright With Me," was pleasant enough, but didn't connect with the audience. His second song, "Daughters" by John Mayer (which Kara and Randy selected), was an accurate interpretation of the original, but lacked originality and excitement. Casey's performance prompted an unimpressed Simon to remark, "It was a bit of a lazy arrangement."

 

Casey James now joins the likes of Danny Gokey, Syesha Mercado, Melinda Doolittle and Elliott Yamin among the ranks of third-place "Idol" finishers. Depending on where your tastes lie, this is either a formidable or frightful group. As for next Tuesday, get ready for a strummer showdown. Will it be Crystal, the season-long favorite? Or can Lee make the most of his recent surge in momentum? And what will Simon have to say about it all? We shall see.

 

Until then, here's a breakdown of the remaining contestants:

• Sitting pretty: It can't be any coincidence that Simon himself had a hand in Lee DeWyze's second song choice Tuesday night. The Brit pulled out all the stops, picking a song (Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah") that matched Lee's voice well and making sure the Illinois rocker had the most tricked out arrangement of the night. For his part, Lee came through like he needed to and delivered a soulful, throaty vocal performance that simply outshone the others and got the audience on their feet. It's the combination of these factors that lead you to believe that Lee has the inside track heading into next week. At the very least, he must feel confident that the judges believe he's someone worthy of the top prize. But it's still a close footrace, and in a season where we've seen Lee offer up some perplexingly unsteady and pitchy vocals (think "Kiss From a Rose" last week) right after impressing the judges with a virtuoso performance (like "That's Life" two weeks ago), it's still not a foregone conclusion that he'll continue to outdo Crystal from behind the mic. If there's anything to be learned from this week, Lee needs to keep things simple, select songs that he knows well (like "Simple Man") and pay particular attention to whatever Simon chooses to tell him. The Brit, apparently keen on making things as interesting as possible, certainly pointed Lee in the right direction Tuesday night.
• Under the gun: If Crystal Bowersox has suffered any disadvantage these last few weeks, it's that she's been, ironically enough, just too darned consistent. And as a result, it might be easy to overlook just how reliably good she's been. This much is true: No contestant was as polished or more ready to be a front-runner at the outset of the race; as such, she's been a deserving season-long favorite. But given how long this season has been, viewers have understandably shifted their attentions to those singers whose peaks and ebbs have been more prominent. I suspect that's what's happened with Lee, who has shown dramatic growth in the last month. It's not as if Crystal's served up clunkers in recent episodes. It's just that fans have already grown accustomed to and are now prone to be less surprised by what she can do (even though what she does, she does pretty darned well). She's the victim of her own success. But, then again, all of this should come as no shock: One need only to look at Adam Lambert to remember that it's difficult for the favorite from day one to run the table and take the whole shebang. Next Tuesday, all eyes will be on Crystal to see if she can recapture viewers' imaginations with a fresh musical take. I, for one, would love to see her stray from her Melissa Etheridge cruise control (which we saw in action this week) and show us the dogged fighter we grew to love in the first few weeks of the semifinals. It was then, when she inspired folks with a gutsy performance after an emergency hospital stay, that we all became instant fans.

 

In the meantime, watch out for MSN TV's preview of next week's "American Idol" finale in the coming days, where we look back at the best and worst performances of the season, break down the two singers more completely and even predict a winner.

 

It's time for you to chime in. Did America get it right? What do you think of our final two contestants?

 

In our final "Survivor: Heroes Vs. Villains" exit interview, second-time "Survivor" player -- and second-time "Survivor" winner -- Sandra Diaz-Twine, a mom of two, paused to chat with MSN about her strategy, all that drama and being cast as a villain.

So two-time player and a two-time winner. How are you feeling?

I feel really, really, really good. I mean, Russell's upset but I'm really, really happy.

Are you happy because he's upset, or are you happy despite the fact that he's upset?

Both. Because the more it eats him up, the more entertaining it is. He's all like, "That just shows you that the game is flawed." No, Russell, that shows you that it’s a social game. That just shows that you don't know what "Survivor" is all about. Just because you saw Micronesia on DVD and you played in Samoa doesn't make you an expert.  I've been here since day one.

Do you think Russell's learned his lesson, making it to the final three twice and not taking any votes from the jury?

Russell could play "Survivor" a 100 times and he will never win. Especially now that we've seen "Samoa" and "Heroes Vs. Villains." People might attach themselves to him for a while, but when its said and done, they think, "I don't know if I should get rid of him. I don't know what he's got cooked up with other people. Is he talking behind my back and making me look stupid?" They know he can't be trusted so he'll never win "Survivor." And if he loses, it's everybody else's fault.

Were you surprised that you won? It seems like Parvati had a strong following on the jury as well.

She was good, she was good. But she didn't win. And I have no regrets. I deserved to win. I thought that she had five and I had four. But I thought that I lost by one vote. But I knew I had a chance because the Heroes knew I was after Russell. But they didn't believe me. So I was shocked that I got all five Hero votes and Courtney. So I got six out of the nine.

Rupert was really pushing the Heroes to show that you were being authentic, but they didn't seem to buy it.

At the beginning, no. And then at the end, too, when Rupert went home. That day I decided to give him my idol and he messed it up by telling Russell on me. Because when I said to him, "we can still get rid of Russell," he said, "Me, you and Colby?" And I said, "No, me and you." So to him it didn't add up. But the truth was that I had planned to give him my idol. Nobody needed to know because every time I had a plan, somebody told on me.

It seems like you weren't quite a Villain or quite a Hero. Were you surprised about how you were categorized?

Yeah, I was, because I was like, "What did I do?" And Jeff was like, "You have villainous characteristics because you take out whoever you have to – you cut their throat and you stab them in the back to stay in the game." So I was like, "Okay, if that makes me a villain, then I’m a villain." But that's just self-preservation. That's playing the game. I;ve got to put myself first in "Survivor," otherwise why bother playing? So when I was put on the Villains, I was like, "Okay, of all the Villains, I'll be the nicest one." I like to be easy to be around.

When you were offered the chance to come back, did you automatically want to?

Yeah, I jumped on it. My family was vacationing in Disney because my husband was about to deploy to Afghanistan. And they called me and said, "If you want to do this you have to leave now. We've got two weeks to move on it." So I was like, "Oh my God, either they'll pick me or they won't." And they picked me, so he left for Afghanistan and I left for "Survivor."

Do your kids watch?

I have two girls, eight and 12. They do. They're proud of me and they love "Survivor" and they've got all the autographs and pictures. But to them it's just mommy. And I've won before, so they've already gone through this. I'm just mommy and I'll always just be mommy, no matter what.

Do people think you’re all set with the money? A million doesn’t go as far as it used to.

You know what, I live a simple life. I live in North Carolina, where it's not as expensive. It's not like I live in New York City. So my money has gone far. It's plenty for us.

Is it hard seeing your husband going to Afghanistan?

I'm strong – I spent five years in the army. That's how we met. So I understand how it is. And it's important. Plus, the army actually prepared me for "Survivor."

On the show, they kept saying you’re the weakest physical player. Does that piss you off?

That's actually true. But it's a strategy. And it's a strategy that Colby actually used this go round. And it worked for him. Look, he came off as a weak link, but he was the last Hero standing. Because it made him not seem like a threat. He’s won the most challenges as a player. So in the Outback, he got voted off because he was such a threat. So this time he underplayed it. And it worked for him. Because they were like, "We've got to get rid of Amanda and Candice and Rupert, he's really strong. Colby's weak, so we can get him later." People totally bought it and it worked. He was the last Hero. It was all strategy. But in the end he was outnumbered.

So what’s next for you?

The first time around I bought my house cash-money, so we're set with that. We still have money in the bank and this check will go in the bank, too. And I’m going to take a trip in the summer with my kids to meet my husband's side of the family, they're in Germany. But other than that, we live a simple life. I’m smart with my money. I clip coupons. I don't care about the money. It just makes things comfortable for us, gives me time to spend with my kids.

Will you play again?

If they called me back, I would play again – if I was missing the game. I'd have to defend my title. But right now I'm not missing the game. I'm ready to be home and spend time with my family.

 

Always a charmer, "Survivor: Micronesia" winner Parvati Shallow is a master at the social game. While Russell might claim he dragged her to the "Survivor: Heroes Vs. Villains" final three "kicking and screaming," she really had the sinister Texas businessman wrapped around her little finger. We caught up with the L.A. transplant to chat strategy, playing the villain, that Russell alliance and why, when it comes to "Survivor," she's calling it a day.

So you almost had it this go-round, too. Were you surprised when they called Sandra's name?

I was really bummed. I knew it was a long-shot for me to win because of everyone's speeches on the jury. Noone was really even asking me a question. Nobody really had anything positive to say about me -- I was just lumped in with Russell. But when it came to Sandra, they were like, "Oh my God, you're an angel. We don't know what we would have done without you. We think you might be the mother of sweet baby Jesus." So it was completely obvious to me that it wasn't going to be me. The jury was campaigning really really hard on behalf of Sandra at that point. So it was pretty obvious that Jeff wasn't going to call my name.

Do you think it was solely because of your alliance with Russell that you didn't win?

I don't think it was just Russell. It was a lot of things -- previous agendas, previous alliances, a couple of the girls who didn't like me and would have voted for anyone but me. But I do think that there was a lot of resentment and animosity towards Russell that spilled over on to me. I was his major alliance right from the beginning. So it makes sense. But some of the other players, they just didn't want to see me win again, I'm sure.

But for a villain, you were pretty well-liked. Do you think you were put on the right team?

I'd much rather be a villain. I enjoyed myself on the villains. I'm really glad they made that call. I think I would have slit my wrists on the heroes. They were so depressing. But in the beginning I was like, 'Why am I a villain when Candice is a hero and Amanda is a hero?' They did the same things as me. But in the end, looking back, I was so happy that they put me on the villains side. Plus, I am pretty crafty and I like to play as hard as I can. It's freeing to be a villain. There's noone looking up to you like you're a role model. You're a villain, you can do whatever you want. You can run a muck.

So what's next for you?

I'm starting a business. I'm becoming a businesswoman! I'm opening up a wellness center in Santa Monica, Calif. It's going to be yoga, pilates, fitness, nutrition. It's going to be pretty much everything you need to be healthy on the inside and out. "Survivor" has really inspired me to focus on developing my own internal health, my spiritual health. And I want to help other people, too, so I think it will be a positive way to put my energy into something.

Do you think you'd play "Survivor" again if they called you back?

I will not play "Survivor" again, I'm hanging up my jersey. I'm going to be focused on building up my business and making my millions through other avenues.

Do you get recognized a lot more since playing on "Heroes Vs. Villains"?

I do. It's weird. I went skiing with my family and I was wearing a snowsuit, a hat, skiing goggles and I still got recognized! People were coming up to me, "Parvati, Parvati, Parvati!" How can they even tell? All you could see was my lips. Maybe it's my voice.

So now that the game's over, will you keep in touch with Russell?

I don't know. I don't really keep in touch with Russell. Really, the first time I've seen him since the show was at the finale. I don't hold any ill-will towards anyone, because really, it's just a game. But I don't think I'd really want to be friends with anyone either. It's kind of a warped foundation on which to build a friendship. We came in and we played a game based on distress and deceit and elimination, so I don't think that's a strong basis for friendship.