BMN Superfan - episode 7, season 2

The show begins with a stunning development: there are seven contestants, not six, and Brandon McLamb comes out to address the contestants.  McLamb explains that, overnight, the judges reconsidered their decision to eliminate Deb.  "Deb should not be blamed for having Pam turn Deb's original idea into her own personal playground for her own destruction.  Therefore, we are letting her back in the game."  Deb walks back in and the reaction is surprise from all and happiness from most; as Meredith explains, "[Deb] is a burst of sunshine and this game is better with her in it."

But this leads to a dilemma: Since the main challenge is designed to be played by only six contestants, one has to be eliminated first.  How this happens is this: As the show was being taped, viewers went online and on Twitter to determine their favorite contestants, based on their bios and audition tapes.  Of the seven contestants left, it's announced that Deb has won the fan vote and that Meredith had the fewest.  Despite her protests, as backed by some of the other contestants, Meredith leaves the competition immediately.

The six who are left go to the main challenge, and the first individual contest of the season.  In the spirit of the Western-movie poster that graces Bryson's wall in the treehouse, they have to create a movie treatment based on their own lives.  What's more, they had to fit in one of six genres.  Deb was first and picked romance.  The rest picked in this random order:

• ButtaFly: Mystery ("so Bobbington wouldn't have it")
• Bobbington: Comedy
• Tim: Fantasy
• Adam: Science fiction
• Casey: Musical

Following selection, each contestant had 30 minutes to consult with Brandon and the guest judge, character actress Marianne Muellerleile, to refine their treatments.

The next day, a pitch meeting is held at the conference center.  Each contestant had only five minutes to explain why their concept should be selected.  It is then announced that the winning idea will be displayed on a poster similar to what Bryson has in his room, and which is also sold at the Barefoot family's retail stores.  Of course, the losing ideas will be up for elimination.

Deb and ButtaFly emerge as the leaders, showing poise and grace under the obvious pressures of the competition.  On the other hand, Bobbington seems flustered as he struggles with the consequences of ButtaFly's strategic decision.  Also in the bottom three are Adam, who asks to leave the room for a "timeout" which is granted, and Casey, who can't carry a tune as he tries to sing "Friends in Low Places."

At panel, Brandon acknowledges that the competition was close, but hands the victory of Deb: "Your combination of passion for the subject matter and ability to return to competitive mode at such a high level impressed all of us."  Deb's "movie" to be placed on the poster is ironically called "Butterfly Kisses," after the song by one-hit wonder Bob Carlisle.

Meanwhile, on the bottom, Adam was spared for his "nice recovery" (according to Muellerleile) after the brief pause, leaving Bobbington and Casey as the bottom two.  During panel, Brandon points out huge holes in each:

• Bobbington's cop-by-day, comedy-writer-at-night routine was "uninspired and sounded stupid"; he adds, "I know this is not the challenge you wanted, but you still should have owned it."  
• Casey's out-of-tune rendition of one of the greatest country music songs of all time was noted as supreme irony: "You're from Nashville and that's the best you can come up with?"  Casey joked, "Not everyone in Nashville can sing, so take it easy on me!"  "It doesn't matter.  It says musical, meaning you should have sang well this time!"  Brandon shoots back.

By the time panel is over, the decision is clear: Former NASCAR driver Casey Atwood is the latest to be sent home, leaving only five contestants.