Pirate Master: Episode 13

With a sudden upsurge in the amount of airtime given to Louie, it wasn't hard to guess who would be eliminated from the latest episode of Pirate Master.

Captain Christa and Jay made up this week's Black Crew, vying for treasure against Ben and Louie. To make sure that Christa stayed in power, Ben was told to throw the challenge -- which he did, without Louie ever suspecting a thing.

The captain claimed another $40,000 in treasure. Christa and Jay split $23,000, giving Ben $12,000 for his troubles and Louie $5,000 for being such a good dupe. Louie was so effusive in his thanks for the gold that Jay and Christa almost felt guilty.

Christa was left with probably the most difficult decision any captain has had to make. As in past weeks, she still had to assign two Black Spots. That meant leaving one pirate with the power to eliminate one of the Black Spotted pirates or mutiny against her.

She didn't trust Ben, so it was all but assured that he'd get a Black Spot. Louie, while being completely trustworthy, wasn't part of her original alliance.

That left Jay. On some level, Christa knew that Jay would just as soon mutiny against her if he thought it would put him in a better position to win. But she chose to rely on her friendship with him and the bond they shared as the only parents on the ship, and she gave Jay the power to determine everyone's fates.

At Pirates Court, in a fit of guilt, Ben told Louie that he'd thrown the challenge the day before. Louie was so stunned that he couldn't even speak.

Even if Ben made his declaration just to make himself feel better, it was a superb way to make sure he didn't get voted off. How could Jay and Christa bear to look Louie in the eye knowing they'd convinced Ben to throw the challenge, and then sat there as Louie nearly wept with joy over being given a measly $5,000?

Jay gave a speech about how nobody -- not even the captain -- should trust him, but then he voted to give Louie the boot anyway. Thanks to footage of Louie standing in front of a rainbow and waxing nostalgic about his pirate life earlier in the show, I had a feeling that he was the one going home.

Next week on the Pirate Master finale, Jay, Ben, and Christa compete for the remaining $500,000 prize, and it looks like the ghosts of pirates past return to pass judgment. Of the final three, Ben's been the best in challenges, and he probably has the fewest enemies of the eliminated pirates. If he doesn't win, he's an idiot.