Last week, Arthur continued to take heat for his attitude and his mindset for sending Jay and Jennifer over to the Red Team in exchange for Deni and Sarah. However, when it came time for the weigh-in, it was Arthur himself that propelled his mostly-female team to victory once again. The Red Team, still a truly close-knit bunch, zeroed in on sending either Jay or Jennifer home. Jay, of course, begged them to vote for him instead of his daughter, and they obliged. Sixteen remain.
We join the episode mere moments after Jay makes his exit. Allison brings the Black Team in and reveals that there will be not one, but two eliminations this week. One will be eliminated by the votes of their team, and the other will fall below the dreaded “Red Line” and be automatically eliminated. Rulon is definitely concerned about losing two more members of his team, given that they have sent one of their own home for three straight weigh-ins. Kaylee is also concerned because she only lost three pounds last week, and a similar number could see her go home.
The next morning, Brett and Cara greet the Red Team, now minus Jay, and both of them say some really nice words about Jay and how open a person he was, and how it was never about the game. Rulon then tells the trainers about the Red Line and the double-elimination, and Brett vows then and there that their losing streak will come to an end this week.
Brett then announces that they will be working out off-campus today, and takes the Red Team to an MMA (mixed martial arts) gym founded by ultimate fighting champion Bas Rutten, who, as it happens, once trained Rulon for a prizefighting match back in 2004. So the Red Team proceeds to work out in Cara and Brett’s element. Brett is especially worried for Kaylee, who is getting close to her target weight, but doesn’t want to lose her because she is “the pulse of the team.” After a grueling workout, Cara tells Rulon that they have a surprise for him, and lo, it’s Bas Rutten himself. The rest of the team even gives the two some privacy so they can catch up, and Bas is impressed with the progress Rulon’s made in only seven weeks.
Back at The Ranch, Bob and Jillian are just as determined to keep the Black Team’s winning streak going, and promises the contestants that this will be the hardest week yet. Bob is still as resolute as ever about keeping Arthur there, the significance of which is not lost on Arthur. Jillian has most of the team doing wind sprints on the treadmills, going at speeds far beyond anything they’ve managed thus far (some had to do a 12.0 or 12 mph, for twenty seconds… I get winded just thinking about that).
This episode’s challenge takes place on a football field, and it looks like a really tough one. Both teams have to maneuver six giant inflatable “balls” from one end zone to the other and through the uprights, and must do so without a) catching it; b) letting it hit the ground; and c) letting it be hit by the same person twice in a row. Oh, and they’ll all be wearing boxing gloves. Wow, that is tough. The prize: the winning team gets a three-pound advantage at the weigh-in. Once they start, it takes both teams a while to get the technique down: the “balls” don’t appear to weigh that much, but they are very large (and of varying size), which makes them difficult to control. The Red Team masters the art of ball-maneuvering much quicker than the Black Team, and they win by a healthy 6-1 margin.
That night, the Black Team meets in the dining room. Given that they are at a clear disadvantage at this week’s weigh-in, Marci suggests that they determine themselves who falls below the Red Line. She says that she and Deni would be willing to go home to keep the young people there, especially Arthur, who their team cannot afford to lose right now. Jesse loses his cool for a little bit, saying that he will of course do whatever it takes to keep Arthur there, but doesn’t appreciate that the women feel that he should be forced to make that decision when he’s there as much for himself and his own health as he is for his son. He even uses an expletive, after which Hannah gets up and leaves the room. Whoa. Meeting adjourned, I guess. Seems to me like the Black Team’s already lost.
Not much to say about the Last Chance Workout, since it was at its usual level of intensity. Cara is determined to keep Kaylee there, so the two of them get in the boxing ring and really go at each other tooth and nail. And remember, Cara is a professional, but Kaylee really got some good shots in. Afterwards, the two are all smiles and tears, and Cara tells Kaylee just how proud she is of her.
And, with that, it’s weigh-in time. Here’s how it went for the Red Team:
Red Team
Kaylee - lost 7 pounds, -3.74%, now stands at 180 (-53 overall).
Moses - lost 11 pounds, -3.30%, now stands at 322 (-118 overall).
Justin - lost 7 pounds, -2.53%, now stands at 270 (-95 overall).
Austin - lost 7 pounds, -2.29%, now stands at 299 (-97 overall).
Ken - lost 5 pounds, -1.69% now stands at 291 (-86 overall).
Rulon - lost 4 pounds, -1.08%,now stands at 367 (-107 overall).
Jennifer - gained 2 pounds, +0.95%, now stands at 213 (-65 overall).
Team Total (including 3-pound advantage): 42 pounds, 2.12%
Obviously, Jennifer is ashamed and downtrodden after putting up a positive number, bemoaning the fact that her dad isn’t even there to console her anymore. The Black Team now has the arduous task of losing at least 45 pounds to win the weigh-in.
Black Team
Arthur - lost 9 pounds, -2.17%, now stands at 406 (-101 overall).
Olivia - lost 4 pounds, -1.94%, now stands at 202 (-59 overall).
Sarah - lost 4 pounds, -1.92%, now stands at 204 (-57 overall).
Irene - lost 3 pounds, -1.52%, now stands at 195 (-60 overall).
Courtney lost 2 pounds, -0.78%, now stands at 256 (-67 overall).
Hannah - lost 1 pound, -0.52%, now stands at 193 (-55 overall).
Marci - gained 1 pound, +0.55%, now stands at 182 (-56 overall).
Jesse - gained 3 pounds, +1.26%, now stands at 241 (-52 overall).
Deni - gained 8 pounds, +4.08%, now stands at 204 (-52 overall).
Team Total: 11 pounds, 0.53%
Wow, I knew a reduction in numbers was inevitable, but this teeters on the brink of phoning it in, even if it was for the noblest of motives, as the three parents on the Black Team decided to throw themselves on the proverbial grenade. All three of them espouse that their actions were their own, and no one, not even the trainers, really get on them about it. But still, I feel bad for Deni, who not only fell below the Red Line, but went back ABOVE the 200 mark, which is just really sad to see. However, Deni is a real trooper on the scale, stating that it’s her poor habits that led to Sarah’s weight problem and numerous miscarriages, and that this is just another step into making amends. She also awesomely says that though she is not the Biggest Loser, she is the “biggest winner”, which elicits a round of applause.
Kudos. To Arthur, for going into triple digits lost; to Austin, for breaking through the 300-pound barrier; to Moses, for being the only person to lose double digits in Week 8; and to Kaylee, the lightest person on the ranch, for losing seven pounds and wearing the crown for highest percentage lost this week.
Elimination. Given that the theme of this week’s episode seems to be about the sacrifice of parents, it seemed clear that it would be either Marci or Jesse going home today. It might have gone either way, but Jesse’s rant apparently tipped the scales in Marci’s favor, and Jesse was unanimously voted out, though all of the ladies had nothing but nice things to say about him, which is sweet.
Update. Jesse has lost a further 14 pounds since returning home and now stands at a much-trimmer 227, and I gotta tell you, he looks so much better. His diabetes is under control, and he has started a weekly program called, simply, “Walkin’ With Jesse”, where he takes a group for a stroll along the beaches of Oregon every Saturday. (And hey! Irene’s mother Ana decided to join up! That’s wonderful!) Deni, astonishingly, has dropped an additional 34 pounds since leaving the Ranch and is now a svelte 170. She has replaced making sweets for her grandkids with making healthy smoothies and now has the energy required to keep up with them all, a fact for which her grandkids are extremely grateful. She also caught up with her newlywed daughter Lauren and got to watch the full video of her wedding. Nice.
Next week: the fourteen remaining players are given the challenge of losing weight in the most difficult of places… home, where they will be spending a full two weeks. And oh, yeah, the temptations that come with it. See you next week.
