Last week, one week after becoming one big unified Blue Team, the eleven contestants were split off once again into four random teams of three, one for each trainer, and to make the numbers even, Jennifer’s father Jay was allowed to return to the game. During a particularly brutal weigh-in during which many contestants put up surprisingly low numbers, the most emotion came from Kaylee, who was convinced, along with everyone else in the room, that she was going home (something she was actually looking forward to). However, her two teammates, Austin and Ken, made up for her zero pounds lost by putting up just enough to keep their team safe, placing Courtney and Justin on the hot seat. And being the stalwart leader that he is, Justin took one for the team for the final time, and he was sent home. And once again, eleven contestants remain.
Unless my count is off, I am anticipating six more episodes before the finale. And since four individuals usually make it to the finale, this means that seven people will have to be cut in those six episodes, so I am anticipating the return of the dreaded Red Line, which is an automatic sign that two people will be eliminated in the same episode. And I must reiterate my wonder about just how much more weight all of the ladies (except Courtney) have to lose… all five of them have officially reduced their BMI (Body Mass Index) to between 26% and 29%, which classifies them as “overweight” and no longer as “obese”. This tells me that none of them have that much further to go, and with six shows left before the finale, it might be all small numbers from here on out.
The episode begins with the contestants wordlessly taking their seats in their house’s dining room. Kaylee apologizes profusely at the unfortunate turn of events the weigh-in took, truly saddened that there was nothing she could do to save Justin from leaving. Everyone silently nods. Honestly, I don’t think there’s any resentment towards Kaylee, not from this group. It is a game, after all, the proverbial ball bounces funny no matter what game you play. I think they’re just sad that they had to send home maybe the most natural leader the show has ever seen. Moses then elaborates that Kaylee’s desire to leave stems from the fact that when the game enters its final stages, the stress gets ramped up, and she didn’t want to be there for that. So he tells the group to just forget the game, not worry about who’s on what side, and remain one unified group. Moses is awesome, in case you didn’t know that.
The next morning, the contestants walk into the gym only to find that the giant scale has not moved from the previous night, and Alison is standing sentinel beside it. This, as Olivia points out, is never a good sign. But Alison starts by recalling some good moments; specifically, the moments when the contestants were told that they were going to be on the show. Those specific moments led to this one, with the eleven of them losing a whopping 1,118 pounds in three months. After some video footage of the entire group getting the good news that they were going to be on the show, and the anticipated moments of reflection by the contestants on just how far they’ve come, Alison drops the bomb: there were twelve couples originally in line to be on the show, but one of them didn’t quite make it. Until now, that is.
After a commercial break and some dramatic music, we get the reveal: two people enter the gym, clad in the colors of the White Team. Their names are Leanne (52 years old) and Vance (19 years old), a mother/son team from Ogden, UT. There is a brief shot of Alison telling them that they wouldn’t be starting on the Ranch, but that there would be a chance to get there later. And this is that chance. The rules are simple: the person on the Ranch with the lowest percentage of weight lost is Kaylee, who has lost 25.32%. If either or both of them was able to lose at least that much at home, they would be allowed to join the game. Just that simple. Here’s how the weigh-in went:
Vance - His starting weight was 379 pounds, which meant that he needed to be at 283 or less to beat Kaylee. Unfortunately, he wasn’t even close, having only lost a total of 30 pounds, currently standing at 349. He says that he hasn’t been able to focus all of his attention on his weight-loss, because he’s in college and finding the time is often very tough. Leanne - Her starting weight was 315 pounds, which meant that her magic number was 235. And while her number was considerably better than that of her son, it wasn’t enough. Still, 45 pounds in three months is no mean feat. All of the other contestants were very classy in giving out the praise and applause (though I can’t help but think that they were relieved that neither one of them made it on to the show). So, after some hugs, the pair leave as quickly as they came, and I can’t but feel a little disappointed… damn, couldn’t the show have given them a couple of days with Bob and Jillian? Even just one damn workout? Guess not.
Pop Challenge. In this challenge, two members of each team will carry between them a wooden board with a hole in the middle. They must place team-colored balls on top of the board while they are carrying it about ten paces to a basket, taking care to not let the balls fall off the board or through the hole until they are over the basket. Teams may try to carry as many balls as they can manage, and the last team to get ten balls in their basket will have the disadvantage of having to spend the entire week away from The Ranch. The winning team, on the other hand, will win a one-minute advantage at the second challenge of the week. Kaylee and Austin smoke the challenge and get a win for the Green Team, while the smallest team left, the Red Team, ends up with the loss, which sucks for Courtney and Jennifer.
Of course, not being on the Ranch doesn’t mean that the Red Team will end up going wherever. They are given $1,000 in fictional money and a menu of options that they can choose to purchase during their time off. Figuring that they ought to know how to work out by now, they decide NOT to get help from Brett (which would have cost $200/day). They also decided to shop for and prepare their own food ($300) instead of having a private chef; they also bought a week’s gym membership ($300), an hour worth of phone calls home ($200), a massage at a local spa ($100) and a night out at a nice restaurant ($50). Alison asks them whether not having Brett was a team decision, and Courtney admits in interview that she deferred that choice to Jennifer. That might come back to haunt them. Brett catches them packing their bags, and he is dumbfounded that they opted for phone calls, a restaurant and a massage over even one day with him. Yeah, I’d probably take that personally too. Courtney can only hang her head. Shaking his head, Brett does what he can for them by having them write in a notebook all the things they need to do while they’re away.
Speaking of which, when we get to see just where the Red Team will be staying, I am shocked, and so are they. The duo will be bunking in a truly luxurious private home in nearby Ojai, California. And while they soak their feet in rose petals, the other three teams are drowning in their own sweat. Cara is pissed off at her team for trying to throw the weigh-in, and she rides Kaylee like a prize stallion. Kaylee, for her part, seems to have done a 180 about wanting to leave. Her dad, meanwhile, bonds with Jillian after admitting that he misses boxing with Cara, and so she just smiles, laces him up and boxes with him. I am so going to miss Jillian after this season. She’s tough as a leather boot, but you gotta love her.
After the break, Bob takes the Blue Team to a middle school in L.A. and proceeds to put a few dozen students through a typical BL workout, citing the problem that childhood obesity has become in America, and that if “these kids don’t learn something now, I’ll be seeing them in Season 25.” Hee. They also hand out some literature about nutrition, and a giant TV-sized check for $10,000 to the school sponsored by Subway. Very nice gesture, show. (Having given up burgers and pizza for Subway subs, I can tell you, it WORKS.)
In a whirlwind montage, we see the rest of the Red Team’s week. They do indeed stick to their guns about pushing each other without having Brett around. They work out at a local Ojai gym, prepare some sensible meals for themselves, and demonstrate their knowledge about the proper way to order food at a restaurant. But… is… it… enough?
Challenge. This episode’s second challenge, taking place in a green, hilly region of California, is another monument to shameless plugs. Even though this bit was actually filmed months ago, we are made to pretend that it took place today, which coincides with the beginning of Easter season and the release of the movie Hop, a family comedy about the Easter Bunny that I will probably wait until DVD to see, and only then because it has Hugh Laurie in it. Why am I not surprised? Last summer the show couldn’t go two minutes without plugging Despicable Me, the creators of which also spawned Hop. Sigh. Well, this show is necessary for America, and if takes a heap of corporate shilling to keep it on the air, I can live with that.
Anyway, the challenge is described by Alison as “the mother of all Easter egg hunts”, wherein the teams have to find and retrieve 600 eggs painted with their team color (though the Red Team only has to find 400 because they’re a person down). Every team that finishes gets to watch an advance screening of Hop, and each member of the winning team gets two tickets to the world premiere, where they presumably get to rub elbows with James Marsden and Russell Brand. Wait, that’s a reward? (Kidding.) And finally, among the 5,000 fake (yes, fake) eggs in the area is one Golden Egg, inside which is a mystery prize. The Green Team uses their minute head start to build a huge lead, but they end up edging out the Red Team by only seconds. Every team ends up finishing, and Olivia snags the Golden Egg. The prize? Well, it’s not all that great… she will have the one and only vote at the elimination. Ouch.
We get a few minutes of the contestants at their private screening, which includes meeting James Marsden, who is in attendance. Both Kaylee and Jennifer think he’s hawt, but he seems like a nice guy, and is truly impressed when they all rattle off their weight loss numbers. Then they watch the movie, and it’s impossible to tell whether the contestants are smiling because they actually like the movie or are trying to keep the bile down. Until I see the film myself, I’ll lean towards the former.
I’m running a bit long this week, so, after the last chance workout, it’s time for the weigh-in. Here’s how it went:
Green Team (Cara):
Kaylee - lost 5 pounds, -2.87%, now stands at 169 (-64 overall).
Austin - lost 7 pounds, -2.57%, now stands at 265 (-131 overall).
Ken - lost 6 pounds, -2.28%, now stands at 257 (-120 overall).
Team Total: 18 pounds lost, -2.54%
Blue Team (Bob):
Moses - lost 7 pounds, -2.33%, now stands at 293 (-147 overall).
Olivia - lost 4 pounds, -2.22%, now stands at 176 (-85 overall).
Irene - lost 3 pounds, -1.73%, now stands at 170 (-85 overall).
Team Total: 14 pounds lost, -2.14%
Black Team (Jillian):
Jay - lost 6 pounds, -2.13%, now stands at 276 (-124 overall).
Rulon - lost 5 pounds, -1.52%, now stands at 325 (-149 overall).
Hannah - lost 0 pounds, -0.00%, now stands at 172 (-76 overall).
Team Total: 11 pounds lost, -1.40%
Red Team (Brett):
Courtney lost 2 pounds, -0.85%, now stands at 232 (-87 overall).
Jennifer - lost 0 pounds, -0.00%, now stands at 187 (-91 overall).
Team Total: 2 pounds lost, -0.48%
Well, the Red Team was confident in their abilities to do it on their own, but confidence doesn’t always equal a high number. If they’d had Brett all week, would it have made any difference? Perhaps, perhaps not. Guess we’ll never know. What we do know now is that Rulon is apparently a midnight snacker, and Jillian begs him to let her help him. Called out, Rulon promises to do better in the future.
Kudos. To Kaylee, for breaking through perhaps her final barrier; to the Blue Team, for losing more collectively this week than they did last week, and especially to Moses for dipping below 300 for the first time in many, many years.
Elimination. Because of the rules, there was no need for a vote. The rules clearly state that whoever has the highest percentage lost on the losing team gets immunity, even if that team only has two players. Therefore, without debate, hang-wringing or consternation, Jennifer is eliminated. Ironic, that she had to watch her dad go at one point and now Jay has to watch her go, which has got to be a Biggest Loser first. At least Olivia didn’t have to use her one vote, so that burden was off of her.
Standings. Moses retakes the lead and is now at 33.4% weight lost, just a hair’s breadth ahead of Irene (33.3%) and Austin (33.1%). A little further behind are Olivia (32.6%), Ken (31.8%) and Rulon (31.4%).
Update. Since returning home, Jennifer has lost an additional 14 pounds (bringing her total to over 100), and now stands at a very trim-looking 173. She now works out with her very-ripped younger brother, who outweighs her for the first time ever. She also fulfilled a childhood dream by buying clothes at the same store that her much-skinnier girlfriends shop at. I know how big a deal that is for women.
Next week: Jillian comes down hard on Rulon, and Courtney is scared not just for herself, but for Brett, whose time on the Ranch will also be done if she loses another weigh-in.
Personal journey. Against all odds, I was able to drop two more pounds in the past week despite a nagging ankle injury, and now stand at 237 pounds, a full 25 less than I started at when the year began. I have only lost six pounds in March, which, after dropping ten in January and nine in February, tells me that the road is going to be tougher from here on out. As long as I keep my regimen consistent, I’m confident that I can keep lowering that number. My goal is to try to be down to 232 by the end of April, though I am really hoping to be out of the 230’s entirely. Wish me luck!
