So who's going to whine about wanting to go home this week? Cody, nine, from Ohio, tearfully tells Zach he can't handle the weather here. In an interview, Cody speaks of his desire to go home in the past tense, adding that he realizes if he goes home he won't see his Bonanza City friends again. Cody's the one who was hooting about how a man needs his root beer, like he's getting man lessons from his subscription to Maxim Jr.. So to see him crying because he got dirt in his eye is a little ironic. Then I realize I'm snickering at a homesick nine-year-old, and feel deeply ashamed of myself. Poor kid.

Mallory's another one wanting to hightail it home; she tells Divad she wants to go home. It's her birthday tomorrow, and she's never been away from home for her birthday before. Odds are, with thirty-nine kids, we'll see more than a couple of birthdays over the course of the show. Divad is great here; she basically tells Mallory to suck it up, but does it nicely: "Everybody has their moments that they miss, their friends and family. Especially at moments like this, when the wind blows your face off." And then there's Jared, in his bunkhouse, shaking the sand out of his blanket. "I hate that dust storm," he says. I don't imagine we're supposed to think Jared's going home. He clearly enjoys complaining too much.

All the kids are lined up outside the town council chambers, because, as Laurel explains, they want to make sure the kids know their voices are being heard when it's time to decide who gets the gold star. Points to the council for figuring out that people like to have a voice when it comes to decisions that involve them. Points deducted for not realizing that it's going to backfire when you listen to what the kids have to say and make the opposite decision anyway.

Blaine says, big surprise, that he thinks Greg should get it. Greg votes (and it's obviously not an actual vote, but I think some of the kids might have been under the impression it was) for himself. There are a couple of endorsements of Morgan, including from Michael, and Colton says Greg deserves the star. Morgan herself says all the kids deserve a star, so the council just needs to choose wisely. Ugh. Laurel, for one, completely falls for that crap. "I say she's our winner." "I say Greeeeg," sing-songs Taylor.