"Survivor:" Another Hero Bites the Dust

Things have not been easy for the fan-favorite heroes in this 20th season, which is now in its second week. So far, the two contestants voted out of "Survivor; "Heroes vs. Villains" have been heroes.

In the second episode, which aired Thursday night, it was Stephanie LaGrossa who ended her third stint in the the reality TV game.

The 29-year-old Philadelphia native was the third jury member in "Survivor: Palau" and a runner-up in "Survivor: Guatemala." Now, she is the second of the season to go.

20 Seasons of "Survivor"
Photos: "Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains"

This appears to demonstrate that even with 20 shows under their belt, the "Survivor" creators haven't lost their edge. As the heroes continue to lose immunity challenges, they are beginning to look more like the villains.

Last week, Colby looked crabby as he tried to shake Sugar and some early strategizing by Cirie and Tom Westman looked downright mean. After all, these aren't slackers or villains they're aiming for; these are our favorites.

This week provided more dark-side scenes for the white-hat tribe, ending with James' jaw-dropping comment to Stephanie at tribal council: "Shut your mouth." This from a hero?

Meanwhile, the villains may be getting, if not more likeable, at least more human. There's the budding romance that appears to have softened Coach and Jerri and an injury that made the aggressive Boston Rob less of a threat. He even seemed a bit endearing as he referred to his fainting spell as a case of "crybabyitis."

In an interview on the show's Web site, LaGrossa said, "I came back for the love of the game and because I'm such a serious competitor! I came very close to winning two times but still never won so I came back a third time to try to win it all this time."

She said the competitor she respects most is Jenn Lyon of "Survivor: Palau." Lyon died last month after a long battle with breast cancer, which was diagnosed shortly after she wrapped up filming for "Survivor".

The competitor she respects least, LaGrossa said, is "any female who plays the game for the wrong reasons."