Amanda, Danny, Liz and Rudy. The final four!
FLASHBACK
Pasty, gray images as the contestants recall the last three months. It’s as if the death knell is sounding! Slowly the images change from torture in the gym (Jillian: “Rudy, it’s never going to stop until you die!”) to the ever-smaller players hoisting weights (and trainers) they struggled to move during the first few weeks. They’ve lost pounds and gained strength, both physically and mentally. The achievement is amazing.
GOING GOING GONE
Ali surprises the fab four by telling them they’re going home for 60 days. They’ll have to face the same things that got them to the ranch in the first place. Their only support: the lessons they’ve learned from Bob and Jillian. After two months, they’ll return to the ranch to face the scale one last time before the finale.
The limos drop them off at home and reality sets in. Rudy’s missed his family and is grateful to his wife for holding it together while he’s been away. But he’s worried that he won’t be able to mix family life with his rigorous diet and exercise schedule. Danny thanks his wife for her support and tells family that he wants to renew their vows. Liz remembers how she threw a fit to go home the first week. But every week it got easier. This version of Liz is very different than the one who left family behind 12 weeks ago. She’s made changes and she’s expecting her family to do the same, especially her husband. Amanda’s broken the pattern of giving up when things got difficult. She hopes her friends and family will be able to see her as a changed person.
Watching the players trying to integrate into their previous lives is like putting a jigsaw puzzle together. Eventually with a little time, the pieces all fit together. Rudy, Danny and Amanda settle in more easily than Liz. She and her husband are uncomfortable discussing her journey at the ranch. As Liz herself admits, they have had difficulties in their marriage, leading to bitterness and resentment on both sides. Feels as if we’re eavesdropping on marriage counseling!
SPECIAL DELIVERY
The players receive video messages from Bob and Jillian, asking them to embrace the people they’ve become. Neither of the trainers ever want to see the individuals they met at the ranch on Day 1 again. Instead, they ask Liz, Rudy, Amanda and Danny to live life fully and with happiness…without losing sight of themselves. The trainers follow up with a phone call, informing each contestant they’ll be running a marathon! Surprise factor seems to be wearing off here. Wonder if the Season 9 contestants will do a triathlon!
AT HOME VISITS
We’ve grumbled quite a bit on Twitter each Tuesday night about the insufferable amounts of product plugs this season. The only time I thought it worked seamlessly and seemed completely appropriate was tonight when Danny’s kids were playing The Biggest Loser game
Curtis Stone makes good on the last week’s prize and teaches Danny’s family how to make lighten up favorite recipes. He revamps a classic potato skins dish by stuffing the skins with turkey vegetable chili. MMMMmmm! The trainers are also on the move, sneaking up on the players at home. Bob goes one-on-one with Rudy and Amanda, while Jillian does mini family interventions with Liz and Danny (a pretty good promo for her show actually). Everybody agrees that it’s stressful to be home, but the trainers keep the players on course with helpful tips.
RACE DAY
Ali meets the players at the starting line to wish them luck. She also tells them that they have a chance to pay it forward. Each player who finishes will receive $10,000 to donate to the charity of his/her choice. The starting gun fires and the players start running. Rudy and Amanda settle into a comfortable pace, each running alone. Danny and Liz decide that teamwork got them to this point – and teamwork will carry them through to the finish line.
Motivation comes in the form of running partners. Tara Costa surprises the Brown Team and Liz is overjoyed, telling Tara that she watched her run the marathon last season! The trio is later joined by Danny’s wife and Liz’s husband, and another former Brown Team member, Season 7’s Mike Morelli. Meanwhile, Dina joins her former Blue Team partner at the halfway point. Amanda scoops up her friend Brian around mile 15. Everyone keeps running (or walking/jogging), despite the serious pain they’re all feeling…knees, hips, everywhere! Tara moves up to run with Amanda, giving her small goals – “walk to the post, then run.” Rudy puts it best: “Who puts the finish line 26.2 miles away from the starting line?!” Mile 25 has significance – they’ve been there before on Day 1! It was the first mile they ran. Now it’s the last.
One by one, they roll through the finish line. Rudy’s first, followed by Amanda, then Danny and Liz cement their partnership by finishing together. No time to savor the achievement; they’ve got one last weigh in!
WEIGH-IN
Ali outlines the ground rules – the two players with the highest percentage of weight loss automatically make it to the finale. The last two will ask America to decide which one will compete for the grand prize. The announcement will be made live at the finale.
- Liz, 16 lbs
- Amanda, 16 lbs
- Danny, 54 lbs ASTONISHING!
- Rudy, 43 lbs WOW!
America will decide between Amanda and Liz.
NEXT WEEK
The live 2- hour finale!