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Now that we’re down to nine contestants on this season, I’m feeling a bit nostalgic. Remember the days on The Biggest Loser when the contestants came to lose weight and get healthy and there wasn’t any scheming? Okay, in reality that was probably the moment before the season premiere of the very first episode of season one, but this group seems particularly scheme-y… Neil, I’m looking at you! Even with all the game-playing, our contestants are still getting healthy. So far, the remaining contestants have lost 946 pounds.
Our action this week resumes just after Ryan’s departure from the elimination room. They’ve been at this for nine weeks, Ali says. Those weeks have been full of emotion, sweat, tears and eliminations. Starting tonight, the game is changing again. Good gravy, didn’t she give this whole “game changing” talk last week? Whatever. Last week, the players were put into teams of two and it was made to sound like these pairs would affect everyone for the rest of their natural born lives. Yeah, not so much. The teams are gone and now everyone is on their own. Let the real back-stabbing begin!
The Morning After the Night Before
The next morning, Bob arrives to find that Ryan has been voted out. He asks Neil, Nicole and Kae how they voted. Neil admits that he and Nicole cast the vote that eliminated Ryan and gives Bob some line about how they wanted Ryan to go out with honor or something. Really, I’ve found that I rarely hear what Neil says. Bob calls Neil out on his b.s.. He’s sure Neil is running another scheme. Bob says he would never write a teammate’s name down at elimination. He then tells Neil to do whatever he wants, but Bob promises that he isn’t stupid. He walks out and, sadly, we hardly see Bob for the next 2 hours. Yes, two hours. Did I mention that this is another super-sized episode? Someone must have it in for me and my attention span. With very little Bob this episode, it was tough to focus.
Meanwhile, Jillian greets her team and is clearly amazed that Isabeau made it through another elimination. Isabeau is elated to have made it to this point and says she’s finally made a mental shift: now she’s in the zone. Amy, on the other hand, is out of the zone and still sitting apart from the rest of the Black Teamers while wearing her old Red Team shirt. She’s sure the team colors will always divide them. Something they can all agree on is that Kae, Neil and Bryan are the biggest threats. Now Bill thinks he’s going to be a target as well.
Extra Special Beatings!
It seems that no episode of The Biggest Loser this season is complete without some sort of emotional confrontation, Amy decides to meet with Kim and return her Red Team shirt. Amy begins by thanking Kim for everything and wishing her the best. Kim then pulls the “honesty card” and says that, when she gave Amy that shirt, she made a commitment to help her change her life. Forever. She wants Amy to keep the shirt. At this point it seems like this went pretty well, doesn’t it? Yeah, this is the moment when it turns. Kim then tells Amy that she abandoned her team and that she, and the rest of the team (so, what, that’s….Bryan?) are disappointed in the way that she turned her back on them. She doesn’t want the shirt back. She then tells us she was insulted when Amy tried to give the shirt back. Well, MEEE-YOW.
Amy must have done something with that red shirt because when she hits the gym, she’s wearing a new black t-shirt. Amy is so happy to be training with Jillian now: Jillian is just a better fit for her.
Donuts to Dollars
Is it just me or are there an awful lot of nasty temptation challenges this season? Once again, Alison appears to present yet another segment of food porn. They start us off with a few little glimpses of donuts. Everyone in the house can smell them. It’s like they have donut radar or something. The cameras pull back to reveal piles and piles of donuts. I’m talking Mount Everest in donuts. It’s revolting. Julie remarks that it smells like a little bit of heaven. Bryan admits he used to eat a whole dozen of those babies without a problem. Well, there was one little problem honey because you ended up on this show. Can you see how that’s true?
Ali greets everyone and welcomes them to this week’s temptation challenge. Inside one of these 8 billion (<----slight exaggeration) donuts is a token worth $5,000, Ali reveals. To play in this challenge, they’ll have to pay in calories. For every one minute round of searching through donuts, they must eat one donut. Kae takes one look at the donuts and decides to sit this one out: she’s a lot smaller than the others and the extra calories could hurt her. Everyone else is in and they all shovel the first donut in. Everyone commences with the donut mangling and, after watching them squish the donuts between their fingers and make a greasy, sugary pile of goo, I pretty much swear off donuts.
After two rounds of donut squashing, everyone has now eaten two donuts and no one has found the token. Ali tells them there will be only one more round and this round will continue until someone finds the token. Still, Julie’s out: she set a calorie limit for herself and she’s hit it. Neil shovels in the donut with no problem. He knows Bob won’t be happy about the donuts, but since he’s already in the doghouse, who cares, right?
Eventually, Bob finds the token, I lose my appetite and another temptation challenge is in the books. Moving on….
Bike! Run! Swim for Your Lives!
After eating all those donuts, everyone needs a challenge to burn off some calories. Tonight’s challenge is in the gym where the contestants find Alison and a whole line ofmedieval torture devicesspin bikes. Ali tells them that for this week’s challenge they will be competing in a 24K indoor triathlon. Nicole isn’t so sure about the metric system, but 24 kilometers seems like a long way. Ali tells them that 24K is about 15 miles. The race will consist of three legs: 20K on the stationary bike; 3K on the treadmill and; 1K in the pool. The first six players to finish the bike leg will compete on the treadmill. The first three to finish the race on the treadmill will go on to the final leg in the pool.
The prize for the winner of the challenge is huge: a 24 hour trip home and, because they’ll lose time in the gym, they’ll also receive immunity at the next elimination. As if that isn’t enough, the winner will also have the power to make an important decision, but they’ll all have to wait until after the challenge to find out what that decision will be. The contestants all talk about how much they want to go home and see their loved ones….all except for Neil, who gabs about needing immunity. I pray that Neil doesn’t win this one.
Because a blow-by-blow of these challenges is neither interesting to read nor interesting to write, let’s just make this short and sweet. Kae wins the bike race and is joined on the treadmills by Nicole, Bill, Hollie, Bryan and Neil. Kae also beats everyone on the treadmills and swims against Hollie and Bill. In the end, Hollie, the swimming coach, pulls it out and wins the race. Hollie is so proud of herself and tells us that since coming on the show, she’s done things she never thought she could do.
Alison congratulates Hollie on her victory. Not only has she won the trip home and immunity from elimination this week, she also has the power to give the same prize to another player. Hollie has a tough time making the decision. Part of her wants to pick someone who really needs the trip home. The other part of her just wants to play the game and think strategically. Ali asks for her decision and Hollie begins with an apology: she knows they all want to see their families. Hollie picks Julie to share in her prize and everyone else stands there crying and looking dejected. Before Hollie and Julie can run off to get packed, Alison has one more little bit of info for them. When they come back from their little vacay, they will be participating in the weigh-in. If they’ve gained weight this week, their immunity will be null and void.
Going Home Again
Hollie arrives home to visit her friend, Antonella. What? She won this prize and she doesn’t even have any kids or family members to see? If I was one of the people left back at the campus missing my kids or my spouse, I might be a little annoyed right now. Anyway, Hollie sees her friend, who also has weight issues. Hollie has inspired Antonella (or I think that’s her name) to make changes in her life as well. Hollie promises her that they’ll be working out together while she’s home.
Hollie and Antonella meet another friend, Tara, for lunch. Tara is completely shocked at Hollie’s transformation. At the restaurant, Hollie tries to make smart choices, including ordering pizza without the cheese which looks like a big piece of flat bread with tomato sauce on it. Meh. Still, Hollie claims she didn’t miss the way she used to eat.
The next day Hollie takes Antonella to the gym and puts her through a twenty minute workout on the elliptical. It’s a tough workout for Antonella and Hollie tells her she can relate: she had a hard time with Jillian’s workouts in the beginning. She promises her friend that, when she gets home, they’ll work out together.
Meanwhile, Julie is home to see her husband and son. Her son’s expression upon seeing his mom is hard to read: he’s either shocked or he doesn’t recognize her. He tells her he missed her “too much.” Mike, Julie’s husband is surprised by her transformation as well. He’s also been making some changes in his life: he’s lost 28 pounds since Julie went to be on the show….and all without Jillian’s torture chamber work outs. Julie says that she and Mike used to eat out 5 or 6 times per week so they need to find healthy alternatives. Cue the plug for Subway! The whole family eats their Subway sandwiches and Julie talks about how nervous she is about leaving the Biggest Loser Campus for good and dealing with food in the real world.
Julie and Mike and their son go to the gym. Julie wants the chance to show Mike how hard one of Jillian’s workouts is. Later, they hit the beach for more Jillian-style punishment. Mike admits that his wife whipped his butt and wore him out…..like a sixth grade girl, Julie adds. *snort*
Back at the campus, Jillian greets Bill, Isabeau and Amy and comments on the absence of Hollie and Julie. Amy is still moping over not being chosen to share in Hollie’s prize. Jillian praises Hollie’s choice of Julie, saying she made a smart choice. Jillian sees that Amy is really upset and does her best to help Amy put things into perspective. Amy came here to do something and needs to stay focused, Jill urges.
With Hollie and Julie gone for the day, Jillian can focus her energies on only 3 people. Kim works out with Bryan. He’s her last hope to stay on the ranch. Even if Bryan does go home this week, Kim says, she couldn’t have asked for anything more from him. Do you get the feeling that Kim is going to give a little “exit speech” every week until Bryan finally gets eliminated?
So seriously, can you believe how little we’ve seen of Bob this episode? I am not happy about it. Bob promises that this last chance work out will be brutal. He says he’ll be riding them harder than they ever thought possible and, again, I am jealous.
The Math Portion of the Show
Leading up to the weigh-in, Neil admits he’s a bit nervous: he’s felt sluggish all week. Although there are apparently no more teams, everyone is still wearing their former team colors and standing on the risers by “color.”
At the weigh-in, Alison asks Julie and Hollie about their trips home. Hollie says it was good to get away and come back refocused. Julie’s trip home made her remember why she was there in the first place. It was also really great that her son could hug her and put his arms all the way around her waste. So, did Hollie and Julie manage to NOT gain weight this week? Let’s take a look and see!
Julie: 180 (0 lbs / 38 lbs total)
Hollie: 212 (0 lbs /43 lbs total)
Both of them are thanking their lucky stars that they still have immunity.
Bill: 234 (8 lbs / 100 lbs total) 3.31%
Bill begins to cry. He says that, only a few months ago, it was hard to even go up the stairs. He never thought he would be able to do the things he can do now.
Nicole: 222 (7 lbs / 57 lbs total) 3.06%
Neil: 311 (10 lbs / 110 lbs total) 3.12%
Amy: 242 (3 lbs / 55 lbs total) 1.22%
Isabeau: 241 (5 lbs / 57 lbs total) 2.03%
Bryan: 276 (2 lbs / 70 lbs total) 0.72%
Kae: 159 (4 lbs / 66 lbs total) 2.45%
Both Amy and Bryan are below the yellow line and, so, are up for elimination.
More Lobbying Than a Political Convention
After the weigh-in, Jillian arrives to find out the results. She’s immediately confident that Amy will be safe. After all, the four Black Teamers will be voting for Bryan, right? Isabeau seems doubtful and questions Amy’s commitment. Jillian argues that Bryan is a huge threat compared to Amy. Man, Amy has gotten dissed by her trainers. Jillian asks Isabeau not to vote for Amy, repeating her assertion that Bryan is a huge threat. Bill says he considers both Amy and Bryan a threat, as Jill lobbies to keep Amy. In a private conversation, Bill tells Jillian that Isabeau is already planning to vote for Amy.
Meanwhile, Kim arrives to learn that Bryan is also up for elimination. Kim claims she’s an emotional wreck. Bryan says that, if he’s voted out, he can leave knowing that never quit. Kim is sure that Bryan will continue to lose weight, even if he is eliminated. Still, she thinks people will realize Bryan deserves to stay.
Neil tells us that the house is divided. He also thinks Amy deserves to go home and that Bryan deserves to stay. Neil lobbies the Black Team girls, saying that Amy would stab any of them in the back. He urges everyone to let Bryan stay.
You know, everyone seems just as conflicted about the situation as I am. While I really don’t like Amy all that much, I really want Bryan to go so I don’t have to listen to Kim any more.
Isabeau and Bryan talk. She tells Bryan that, while her heart is with him, the other girls are relying on her and it might hurt her more to know that the girls couldn’t trust her. She knows Bryan wants to be there but she just isn’t sure whether she should follow her head of her heart. Isabeau then tells Bryan that, if she votes for him, it’s not what she wants to do.
Karma, Meet Amy. Amy, This is Karma
At the elimination ceremony, Alison looks faboo on a wine colored blouse. Honestly, she’s giving me no material to work with (pun intended). She looks cute in everything *throws up hands in defeat* Ali reminds Bryan that he’s the last member of the Red Team. He definitely doesn’t want to be the reason the Red Team becomes extinct. More like he doesn’t want to get on Kim’s bad side. That little thing has a nasty side. Ali asks Amy what she said to the seven contestants who will be casting votes tonight. Amy says Bryan is her closest friend in the house: she wouldn’t say anything against him. Plus, he really deserves to be there.
Nicole prefaces her vote by saying that elimination votes are always tough and this one is even more difficult because no one really deserves to go home. Well, except for Kim. Okay, I added that last part. There has been one person who has really helped her since the beginning and Nicole really felt an allegiance to that person. For that reason, she voted for Amy.
Kae pulls no punches and says that of the two people up for elimination, one is hard-working, honest and fair and hasn’t complained at all: this person deserves to stay. That’s why she voted for Amy. Oh, snap! Alison asks Amy if Kae’s words are surprising. Amy admits she finds Kae’s opinions a little harsh, especially since they were a team. She also says Kae is entitled to her opinion.
Neil says that he’s always the first person to say that the decision of who to eliminate is harder every week. This week, however, it was an easy decision: he votes Amy
Julie claims to have been was conflicted about her decision: she’s been torn between following her head or her heart. She arrived knowing she would have to play a game, but not realizing she’d make such good friends. Julie voted for the person who is the biggest threat: Bryan.
Hollie says that, from beginning, she has always held to a strategy of voting for the biggest threat because she wants to stay as long as she can. Originally, she didn’t see the person she voted for as a threat. But now she does. She admires him, but she still voted for Bryan.
Bill is also sticking to a strategy of voting for the biggest threat. This week, it just so happens that the biggest threat is also a person who has played the game with integrity. That’s one more vote for Bryan.
It’s down to Isabeau and her shaky loyalty to break the tie. Isabeau claims that she came to the game wanting the title of The Biggest Loser. Whatever happens from this point on, she wants to leave the game still playing it fairly and honestly. Her decision came down to a choice between loyalty and integrity. She promised herself she would play the game with integrity. She might not be able to compete as long after this decision, Isabeau says, but she couldn’t live with the other decision. With that, Isabeau casts the deciding vote and eliminates Amy.
Sour Grapes and the Sweet Taste of Success
Does Amy have response to strong words of her fellow players? Amy tells Alison she feels as if she was stabbed in the back. She worked really hard these past few weeks, Amy says. She then promises them all that karma is a bitch. Seems to me like she’s tasting a bit of her own karma right now, don’t you think? Amy thanks Bill, Julie and Hollie for their loyalty and cautions them that they have a backstabber on their team. Isabeau tells Amy that she changed her vote after crying and realizing she couldn’t live with herself if she voted for Bryan. Amy leaves lots of tension in her wake.
Alison comments on the close vote and the fact that it has given them all a lot to think about. She tells them it might help them to think about how far they’ve come: they’ve all survived 3 months on the campus. Because of that, she thinks they all deserve a little reward. She’s planned a surprise for them in the morning and we’ll just have to wait until next week to find out what that surprise is.
Amy tells us she feels successful and can walk away with her head held high. She’s ready to go home and re-enter her life. Amy’s husband and daughters wait for her at home and that all have a happy reunion. Amy says she wants to live a healthy life now and be with her kids as long as she can. Since starting on the show, Amy has lost 100 pounds and she looks really great. Before the show, she was facing the dangers of heart disease and diabetes, both of which run in her family. She now works out a lot with her husband and is able to do more with her kids as well. Amy feels like she’s gotten her life back and that she show is a gift she will always cherish. After that little pronouncement, I’m going to have to go watch an episode of I Love New York 2 to help regain my cynicism.
Next Week: Looks like it’s makeover time. The contestants will also be reunited with the people the love the most. Plus, there will be a live weigh-in with the eliminated player.
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Originally Posted by JulieAnn;2669970; 
I completely forgot about that. I feel like an insensitive clod. Still, I wonder why she didn't see any other family members 
That cracked me up. Great job, Critical! 
