Week of choices, ha!  This is the week of crazy.  Let’s admit it:  We’re all thinking it, aren’t we?  It’s too early in the game for this kind of nonsensical game play.  The methods we saw in this episode didn’t do much to engender support from either players or trainers towards a certain individual.

TEMPTATION 1

Fresh start, new day and the crew heads up to the gym.  Alison meets them and announces the temptation.  Each team has to stand behind a railroad tie and the first one to step over the line will win a 2 pound advantage at the weigh in.  The catch – the team will not be able to work out with Bob and Jillian for the entire week.   If no one steps over the line, then the pound advantages will continue to grow.

Now strategy-wise, does it make sense to sell out a week with the trainers for 2 lousy pounds on Week 3?  As one of the Fit Bottomed Girls commented last night during the live Twitter stream tough to predict what any of us would do when confronted with these types of challenges.  I’d never EVER trade Bob and Jillian’s expertise, not even for 20 lbs.  If I could do it myself, I wouldn’t be on the show.

The players weigh the benefits and everyone takes a pass…except for Tracey who leaps over the line without consulting Coach Mo.   And it pretty much goes downhill from there.  The group heads to the kitchen and the trainers start rapid-fire questioning in effort to determine who ditched them for the week.   Can you imagine having to explain this decision to Bob and Jillian?  They tell the group it’s an insane choice and finally, Tracy gives her first “crazy eyed” look of the episode and admits it was her.

Although the trainers were upset and admonished Tracey for her decision-making in times of stress, they also gave her great advice on ignoring the little imaginary guy on her shoulder telling her to react, react NOW!  Tracy seemed to take this in stride, even asking herself, “What have I done?”

Green Team Abby’s discovered she has a stress fracture, so Bob steers her towards the pool while the rest start gym workouts.  Mo is concerned about losing time with the trainers this week and in lieu of individual time with Bob and Jillian, he watches what they do with the other teams and copies accordingly.  He is determined to make the best of the bad situation Tracey has created for the Purple Team.

TEMPTATION 2

At nightfall, the next temptation begins.  Eat the most 100 calorie cupcakes within 10 minutes and get control of the weigh-in.  The winner will select which member of each team weighs in.   Not knowing what others will eat, most players decide not to eat anything.  But as the cupcakes get more decadent, two decide it’s good strategy to eat…Red Team Antoine and Tracey.

Sean’s face when he found out his partner had eaten the cupcakes – priceless!  Love that kid.  Mo couldn’t believe Tracey had done it again.  Jillian flips out when she and Bob discover what’s happened.  She tells Tracey that she and Bob took time away from other players to help her – what a waste of time!  Only moment of levity was Bob imitating Jillian having a fit!

TRAINER TIP

Half-Bosu balls are great for building strength and balance.  Jillian creates an at home version using a stuffed sofa cushion.

CHALLENGE

Each team has to move 500 lbs. of paint buckets up a ramp and into a bin.  Each bucket dropped in raises the team’s colored flag.  Players can decide between piles of heavier weights or lighter weights which are placed at different distances from the ramp.   At stake?  Immunity.  Due to injuries, Abby and Tracey sit out.  Allen and Coach Mo represent the Purple and Green Teams and Julio is the sole remaining member of the Black Team.   Determined and focused, Allen wins the challenge over the Pink Team, giving the Green Team immunity.

LAST CHANCE WORKOUT

The tenacity shown by these players in the Last Chance Workout.  Trainers ran them ragged, with Dina and Amanda really getting the brunt of it.  Shay says what most of them are probably feeling:  “I can’t go back to the old me.”   They know that Tracey holds the cards, so everyone’s feeling the stress.

Nervous, various teams approach Tracey trying to influence her weigh in decision.   After an edgy discussion with Pink Team Rebecca and Amanda, it’s clear that Tracey has opted for “absolute power corrupts absolutely.”  No deals with anyone unless they promise not to vote her off.  If there were any doubts, they evaporate.  Game play is officially on…and it is UGLY.

WEIGH-IN

As the weigh-in begins, Coach Mo tries to defend Tracey’s actions and Jillian shuts him down quickly.  She is livid that Mo has given Tracey a pass for making her choices without any regard for how it would affect him.   She tells him he can’t support bad choices and again reiterates her displeasure with Tracey.   The teams get on the scale and after Green Team weighs in, Tracey ignores the pleas of the other teams, selecting the weakest players to represent their respective teams.

With bold showing weight that counts, the pound results are:

• Green – Allen 4, Abby 5
• Black – Julio 7
• Brown – Liz 4, Danny 4
• Blue – Rudy 12, Nina 3
• Pink – Rebecca 7, Amanda 5 (Oh Amanda, Tracy’s definitely picking you with that serene-yet-insane smile on her face.)
• Red – Antoine 11, Sean 6
• Orange – Shay 6, Daniel 6
• And SURPRISE, Tracey picks herself.  Purple – Tracy 11 (+2 lbs advantage), Coach Mo 1

How on earth did Tracey pull that kind of weight loss?  Normally, the house would be ecstatic.  Not this time.  Silence and stony faces.  The players, deeply distrustful, are united against Tracey.  The worst part is that the Red and Orange Teams are both on the chopping block.  The teams move to the kitchen to discuss and Shay is upset.  She knows she needs to be there more than anyone.  And in the classiest move yet this season, the Red Team agrees and asks the others to eliminate them.  Antoine and Sean insist they have the support at home.  Respecting their wishes, the first three teams vote them off.  Purple Team has the fourth vote and Tracey finally does as she promised to Shay earlier – she votes for the Red Team.  Shay and Daniel are staying one more week.

HOW THEY LOOK TODAY:

Antoine and Sean – what amazing people!  A great cameo in clip 1 and baby names in clip 2.

NEXT WEEK

“That trust was broken!” says Shay to Tracy.   Coincidence or karma?  Tracy’s injured.  I’d say KARMA.