5 become 4 on tonight's 'Survivor 2' Any bets?

Survivor 2" has fulfilled the expectations first set when its stylish, perky cast was unveiled late last year for the first time. This season is dumbed-down with less gusto and more empty smiles, less careening scheming and more inane leaning.
   But we still care about the survivors, five of whom are still marooned in the Outback - at least we care who goes home with the crown this second time around. Tonight's episode (7 p.m. on CBS) will take the Australian Outback competition down to its final four, and what follows is a quick-lowdown on the remaining contestants.
   The show, by far the most successful of its unscripted breed, is already scouting locations for the third and fourth seasons, but if this year is any indicator, casting directors and creator Mark Burnett should place more emphasis on wily smarts and less stress on alpha-type wannabe entertainers.
   But even with this season's less-interesting competitors, things are about to get dirty and highly watchable. As the number of survivors grows smaller, multiple factors skyrocket; risks, tempers and the quest for immunity are about to throw "Survivor 2" into a new gear.
   We're left with Colby, Elisabeth, Keith, Rodger and Tina. So who will be axed tonight? Are there really any accountable alliances in this shaky, indecisive group? Who has the endurance and stamina needed to make it to the end?
   Let's see.
   Colby
   Texas born and Texas proud, Colby just celebrated his 27th birthday on April Fools' Day. He started this game with a cliché-ridden speech about how proud he is to be a Texan and false alliances, but his former partners are out of the picture and Colby's a powerful threat.
   His strength now is in his physical prowess. Currently self-employed as a custom auto designer, Colby is an able, buff Dallas boy unafraid to show muscle in immunity challenges. He's won the last two, but his winning can't continue forever, and when he loses, Colby's in trouble.
   Remember: Colby was eating stew, homemade bread and sleeping in a cot while his fellow contestants were fighting a torrential rain storm and salvaging their camp and supplies. Anyone jealous?
   Elisabeth
   The only thing Elisabeth has going for her is a possible partnership with Rodger, Keith and Tina. She's been hurting lately, and when you're visibly hurting and complaining, you get voted out. Just ask Army-of-one himself, Nick (voted out in episode 10).
   She does contribute a lot to the tribe's well-being - she fishes and gathers wood as much as anybody - but her unsuspecting willingness to help could make her an easy target.
   Remember: Elisabeth has shown that she can be venomous, and, as surprising as it seems coming from her tiny frame and tame personality, she could launch a large-scale surprise invasion with the help of a properly-picked alliance.
   Keith
   It's a fluke that Keith, the silent chef, has made it this far. At first, his tribe-mates were excited to have a real, live chef cooking for them, but after their first taste, they learned that even Keith and his luxury item (a paella pan) couldn't brighten up the glum food choices.
   Keith, similar to last week's victim Amber, has been gliding along under the radar. He's not trying to make waves because he's well aware of the danger he's in.
   Remember: In episode 7 when the tribes merged, Keith asked Tina to give up for the good of the team; the so-far-faithful former tribe-mate Tina stepped down and awarded Keith immunity. His spoken weakness could haunt him, and considering that he's been out-played by everyone around him, if he's not voted off tonight, he will be soon.
   Rodger
   They call him "Kentucky Joe," but is Rodger the gullible, backwater hillbilly that everyone pegs him as? I think not. He plays the part well, but it's nothing but a successful, self-promoting façade.
   Sadly for Rodger and his family back in Crittenden, Ky., he won't be able to ride the nice grandfather-figure wave to the finish line.
   Remember: Rodger, 53, hasn't performed well in any of the immunity challenges, most of which are physical in some form.
   Tina
   Ooooh, Tina! Where did you come from with that sweet drawl, innocent demeanor and killer instinct?
   She belonged in the first "Survivor," where she would have masterminded and schemed with naked Richard Hatch. They would have downed Kelly and duped Rudy, and in the end, Tina could have hijacked Hatch's would-be crown and become the first ultimate survivor.
   But that was then; Tina's strength and strategy have carried her this far, and I don't see her stopping anytime soon.
   Remember: Tina was a driving force in retrieving the rice tin, the tribe's only food, after it was washed away in the flash flood in last week's episode. She's a keeper.
  

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