The contestants arrive in Shanghai and then into rural China. Leslie is upset by a Buddhist welcoming ritual. Ashley gets sick after a night of storms. The Fei Long tribe wins immunity. Steve "Chicken" Morris is voted out of the competition.
Jean-Robert's laziness bothers the tribe. Leslie starts to get sick and depressed. Fei Long wins the reward challenge and get to kidnap Jamie from the other tribe. Fei Long wins the immunity challenge. Ashley Massaro is voted out of the game.
The Zhan Hu wins the right to steal Leslie during the reward challenge. David fails the challenges when he is too exhausted. Sherea pulls out a second victory to get immunity. During the tribal vote, Leslie Nease is voted off.
Dave and Sherea's tribe tire of his overbearing leadership and her laziness. During the rewards challenge, the teams must use giant chopsticks to carry a fireball. Fei-Long wins and they kidnap Dave Cruser. Fei-Long wins the immunity challenge and Dave returns to his team only to be voted out.
Two members from each tribe are shifted to another tribe. Frosti is relieved to see that their new tribe has problems with Jean-Robert. Todd searches for the immunity idol. Jaime and P.G. agree to lose immunity challenges so they can vote off the others. Aaron Reisberger is voted off.
James is about to be kicked out of his tribe, but after the reward challenge is kidnapped by his old tribe. During the immunity challenge Denise fails to eat the chicken fetus, which ruins James and his teammates' plans to throw the game. Sherea Lloyd is voted out of the competition.
James finds the second immunity idol. Jaime Dugan believes she has found the Hidden Immunity Idol. The two tribes are merged and treated to a feast. Frosti wins individual immunity. Jaime Dugan is voted off when her idol is proven fake.
While everyone is asleep, Jean-Robert searches for the Hidden Immunity Idol, collecting random items in the desperate hope that one of them might be it. James, Jean-Robert, Amanda and Todd win the Reward Challenge. Courtney wins the Immunity Challenge. Jean-Robert Bellande is voted off.
Courtney's loyalty is tested as she flirts with with Frosti. Peih-Gee and James argue after losing the drum roll rewards challenge. Only half of the contestants participate in the immunity challenge while the others choose to eat cheeseburgers. Peih-Gee wins the immunity necklace. Michael "Frosti" Zernow is voted off.
A recap with clips and highlights from the first nine episodes of the season included never before seen footage.
Peih-Gee wins a reward challenge that allows her to visit a temple along with Erik and Denise. Erik approaches James to ask him to join with Peih-Gee and Erik in an alliance, but James refuses. Erik wins the immunity challenge. The survivors convince James Clement that they are voting Peih-Gee out, so James doesn't use his Hidden Immunity Idols and is voted off.
The remaining six are reunited with loved ones for the rewards challenge. Denise wins the challenge and picks two teammates to join her. For the immunity challenge contestants must make it through an obstacle course while attached to a rope. Peih-Gee wins immunity. Erik Huffman is voted off.
For the rewards challenge the remaining contestants must compete at Zen Archery. Denise wins and takes Todd and Courtney with her on her reward excursion to the Great Wall. Amanda and Peih-Gee make up. Amanda wins the immunity challenge. Peih-Gee Law is voted off.
The castaways reunite for the first time since leaving China.
The final four contestants, Todd, Denise, Amanda, and Courtney, vie for the million dollar prize with the first reward challenge. Amanda wins reward and has Todd join her. Amanda wins the final immunity challenge against Denise, which later results in Denise Martin going home. Todd Herzog beats out Courtney Yates and Amanda Kimmel to win the title of "Survivor."