Michael’s personality is starting to grate on me.  I started feeling ambivalent about him during the last two episodes, but this one put me over the edge.   Is it the humor?  I used to love his fun expressions, especially the “I can see my abs” after the first weigh in.  The in-your-face jumping around after each win?  Not so much.  Looking out for yourself is much, much different then trying to SCREW the rest of the players.  Isn’t there a happy medium somewhere?

CLIFFHANGER:  LAST WEEK’S ELIMINATION

When we last left our Dynamic Duo, Cheryl and Darrell were balancing the faux Olympic torches on their heads.  Cheryl pulled a Tara.  Supreme confidence and focus.  After more than 10 minutes, Darrell’s torch tumbled, sending him home immediately.

HOW THE ELMINATED PLAYER LOOKS NOW

Broke my heart to see Drea so sad about her dad’s departure.  But when you meet Darrell’s wife, it’s clear that he has the support team at home to continue dropping the weight.

TEMPTATION CHALLENGE

Cookies!  And lots of ‘em, in addition to other calorie-laden treats!  It’s the time we deliciously anticipate all season:  Blue vs. Black.  Before announcing the actual challenge, Alison explains the prize – the winner will choose the teams AND the person who gets immunity this week.    Alison asks who will participate.  Some players don’t want the power because they know it will cause drama in the house.  Others, put off by the sheer volume and smell of the cookies, don’t see the wisdom in potentially eating thousands of calories.  Drea and Michael are the only two who decide to play.  The game is a big old Concentration board.  They’ll pick two boxes at a time, hoping to match the items behind the cards.  No match = picking player has to eat a cookie.  Match = opponent eats whatever’s inside the box.   They’re looking for the Golden Tickets.

Drea’s on an early roll, racking up matches while Michael stacks up the calories.  But as luck would have it, Michael ends up matching the Golden Tickets after eating over 2000 calories!!!  Michael takes the power very seriously, saying it’s the first time he’s put his own well-being ahead of others.  What that really means?  He wants to stay in the game as long as possible.  And boy does he stack the deck!  The smaller women (Cheryl, Stephanie, Drea, Ashley, Sherry) and Sam end up with Jillian on the Black Team; the larger men (Lance, Koli, Daris, Michael) join Miggy and Sunshine with Bob’s Blue Team.  Michael selects O’Neal for immunity and because there’s an uneven number of players, he’ll train alone this week.  After the weigh in, he’ll join the losing team the next week.

The Black Team players are really pissed.  They don’t like the perception that they are the weaker team.  They know Michael is playing the game.  He asked them who they wanted to train with, then did the opposite in most cases.   Stephanie feels betrayed, as seen in this confrontation that didn’t make it to air.  No one’s more angry than Jillian.  She calls Michael’s actions completely unfair and unprecedented, then apologizes, saying it resurrects her inner “fat kid” pain.    But remember:  no one does underdog like Jillian.

TRAINER TIP

Time to get out that Brita!  Bob reminds us that clean water is instrumental in weight loss.  Filter with the Brita pitcher to improve water quality, then put the water in a washable, reusable container to reduce waste.

TEAM CHALLENGE

The teams have to hoist their team banners up the side of a Burbank building.  The prize – letters from home!  With the exception of Sunshine and O’Neal, the players haven’t heard from home in almost two months.  The Black Team gives it their all, working handily as teammates but they are easily outmatched by the pulling strength of the Blue Team.

LAST CHANCE WORKOUT

Bob warns the Blue Team not to take anything for granted.  Yes, they have sheer size on their sides.  However, Bob knows that without complete mental and physical focus, anything can happen at the weigh in.   Meanwhile, Jillian is on edge.  She’s got to get the most out of her team to prevent disaster on the scale.   And a funny thing happens as her team starts working out.  They are completely in sync.  They seem to be channeling their anger at Michael into impressing Jillian with their determination.   It works.  Although she’s beating them up, she’s dishing out the praise after every workout segment.

WEIGH IN

O’Neal has immunity, so he’s the first to weigh in, followed by the Blue and Black Teams.

• O’Neal – 9 lbs
• Michael – 15 lbs
• Sunshine – 7 lbs
• Miggy – 4 lbs
• Koli – 10 lbs
• Lance – 5 lbs
• Daris – 7 lbs

Blue loses 2.7% and 48 lbs.  Black needs more than 39 lbs.   Is it possible for them to pull the upset?

• Andrea – 5 lbs
• Cheryl – 4 lbs
• Sherry – 6 lbs
• Sam – 8 lbs (the power of the black nail polish!)
• Stephanie – 8 lbs
• Ashley – 10 lbs

CELEBRATION!!!  Wow.  Congratulations to the Black Team.  Michael laments “It should have been us.”  Good realization for him, since he’s got the highest percentage of weight loss on the Blue Team, ensuring his own immunity.    When Blue Team gathers to discuss their elimination decision, the obvious choice is Lance or Miggy, simply based on the numbers.  Lance can’t vote for himself and most of the others question whether Miggy’s stress level will hurt or help the team in the long run.  Survey says, “HURT!”  Miggy gets the boot.

HOW THE ELIMINATED PLAYER LOOKS NOW

Miggy looks refreshed and happy!   The power of meditation.  And an at home visit from your new Biggest Loser family.

NEXT WEEK

The Black Team may have won the weigh in….but they didn’t make any friends on the Blue Team.  Goliath’s out to get them with a vengeance!

Married with two young children, Lance and Melissa live in Aspermont, TX.  Lance, 38 is a rancher and Melissa, 39 an attorney.   Lance loves to eat and has a hard time leaving food on his plate.  His increasing weight caused him to lose his job as a commercial diver.  Quite active in her teens and twenties, Melissa began to gain weight after she married and had the kids.

Health and fitness have taken a back seat to the stresses of everyday life.  Strong in their career lives, Lance and Melissa admit they need help in getting the weight off.  They also want to set a better example for their kids, as their nightly routine consists of takeout, lots of television and hours of video games.

PINK TEAM – Mother and Daughter

Sherry and her daughter Ashley hail from Knoxville, TN.   Sherry, 51 is an administrator for a non-profit organization.  Her most significant weight gain occurred after the sudden death of her husband.  Embarrassed to meet new work colleagues and worried that she will not be around to see her grandchildren, Sherry is ready to make immediate changes in her life.

Ashley, 27 has battled weight for most of her life.  After having her tonsils and adenoids removed in early childhood, her weight increased quickly.  She wore a size 14-16 in high school and has gained more than 100 pounds since her teens.   Ashley dreads running into old friends, shocking them with her size.  But it’s her manager job at a spa that causes her the most anxiety.  She knows her body contradicts the health/wellness image of the spa.

Full of cheer – and determination – mother and daughter hope to change their own lives, as well as impact the lives of friends and family.    Reminds me of another Pink Team, Helen Phillips and Shanon Thomas!

ORANGE TEAM – Mother and Son

Cheryl and her son Daris reside in Ardmore, OK. Cheryl, 50  is the owner of Sears Hometown Store.  The pounds piled on after she had three kids in three years.   Her family loves to socialize frequently around food, another contributing factor to her weight gain.  As many mothers are, she’s always the last priority on her list.   Is it too late for Cheryl to put herself first?

Daris, 25 is a deliveryman/salesman.  Always the biggest member of his athletic teams, Daris’ size was an asset in football, the shot put and discus.   His outgoing, humorous demeanor and wild curly hair bring him plenty of attention, but he’s self conscious about his size.  Never having had a girlfriend, he wants to lose the weight, fall in love and live a long, happy life.

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 No stilted setup or dialog,  just kids having fun while exercising.  So darn it, I’ll take the cue and plug it myself!

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!

BLACK SENDS DINA HOME

Rudy is sad to learn Dina’s fate, but the rest of the Blue Team knows it was the obvious choice.   As Liz notes it wasn’t difficult.  Black knew the outcome when they left the weigh in.  Danny had immunity and strong ties have developed among Amanda, Abby and Daniel.   The real test:  if Danny wins immunity this week.  Then Liz hopes to see tears!

POP CHALLENGE

New day and a sudden realization – we’re halfway through this competition!  Alison meets the group and reminds them that Rudy is only 13 lbs from losing 100 lbs.  Will he beat the record set by Dane last season in week 8?

She also announces face off week is officially underway.   “Bring it,” says Shay remembering how Season 7’s Kristin had a picture of Filipe on her treadmill.    The winner of the Pop Challenge will choose the face-to-face matchups.   Two discs are strung overhead on opposite sides of a limbo-type pole.  Players have to touch one disc, then duck under the pole to touch the other disc.  First team to touch 500 times wins.  The rules – only one player competes at a time for each team and the players can only take one turn.

The tall players are at a clear disadvantage.  Allen and Rudy would be better off jumping the middle pole instead of weaving underneath.   Abby, in her first official pop challenge, does the first leg for Black while Tracey starts for Blue.  Abby has to swap out after only 20 touches, aggravating her injuries.  Shay goes in and gets over 100, leaving Tracey in her wake.  But as soon as Allen swaps in for Tracey, Blue starts cranking.  Black team’s best chances are Amanda and Daniel, who narrow Blue’s lead to under 5.   Ultimately, Rebecca wins it for Blue when she passes the 490 mark and never looks back.

Power!  And Rebecca is LOVING it.  The Blue Team realizes that they only need to win 3 of 5 matchups at the weigh in.  They choose carefully:

• Rebecca v. Amanda
• Tracey v. Abby
• Allen v. Danny
• Rudy v. Shay
• Liz v. Daniel

Blue plays it strategically.  Only surprising pairing:  former partners Rebecca and Amanda.  They are famous for their Pink Shirt happy dance.  How could it go so wrong?  Apparently, both are competitive…and both are jealous.   Black team takes it in stride, especially Shay who knows she’s at a disadvantage against “lumberjack” Rudy.  But she’s got courage and heart, “and that can get your further than your head and the numbers.”

It’s on, baby!  DING!

TRAINER TIP

Jillian says that swimming is a great addition to any cardio routine.  Mix up laps with intervals of treading water or pushups on the side edge of the pool.

WORKOUTS BEGIN

Bob’s taking Jillian’s advice on swimming.  He’s got the entire Blue Team in the pool, splishing and splashing.  As Rudy says, it’s sink or swim, literally.

Meanwhile, Black’s also getting wet, only they’re dripping with Jillian-induced sweat in the gym.   Amanda has a complete meltdown on the treadmill as Jillian tries to break her out of her comfort zone.  Rather than manage her stress in a safe controlled evironment, Amanda begins whining and ends up in tears, unwilling or unable to complete her routine.  An exasperated Jillian questions why these contestants are so difficult.

CHALLENGE

It’s baseball!  Black and Blue march into the field wearing baseball jerseys.  Danny is ecstatic to be wearing number 73, as it evokes championships he’s won as a former athlete.  The group is startled to confront life-size blowup pictures of themselves 7 weeks earlier.  Talk about morphing into different people!

The Jumbotron begins to flicker as Alison announces a surprise message from a mystery guest.  Both teams are happy to see NY Yankees star Derek Jeter (pains me to type that as a Red Sox fan.  And Kevin Youklis would have done it live.  Just sayin!).  He cheers them on by name and actually chides the Black Team for not winning a challenge.  Nothing like being called out by a baseball star on national television, says Abby.  The important takeaway from Jeter – you have to work as a team in order to win.

The rules:  In order to eliminate the opposing team’s players, each team collects and throws balls at the pictures of the players they want to “bench” for the game.  It takes 316 balls (Jeter’s batting average) to eliminate a player.  The team who eliminates the other team first wins.  The prize:  Curtis Stone whipping up lunch.  Awww!  PLUS, a 2 lbs advantage at the weigh in.   Nice.

Abby has to sit out due to injuries and Blue selects Tracey to even up the teams.   The strategy is clear:  take out the strongest player first!  Black gangs up on Allen, while Blue opts to strike randomly.  We discover Danny’s got tremendous aim, a human pitching machine.   And Blue begins trash talking!   Shay blocks it all out with a determined strut.    It comes down to Liz against Danny and Shay.  After more than 90 minutes, Danny sinks the 316th ball in Liz’s column to get Black Team’s first win!

Curtis prepares a backyard BBQ for the Black Team – Mediterrean Burgers featuring lean Jennie-O turkey breast.  He combines thyme, garlic, cherry tomatoes, onion and red wine vinegar with the ground turkey and replaces the bun with a portabello mushroom cap.   Throw the burgers onto the grill or sandwich press for a delicious 244 calories.

COOKING TIP

Curtis favors stocks and broth to enhance flavor, but points out that most are high in sodium.  A quick homemade version of vegetable broth:  boil onion, celery and carrots for 30 minutes, scoop out the veggies and you’ve got stock.

WORKOUTS CONTINUE

And Jillian continues to make her contestants fold like card players.   She asks Abby:  what’s it like to lose everything you love?  A heart-stopping question.   It’s no secret that Jillian’s utilizes many therapeutic techniques with her contestants, techniques that she no doubt picked up from her mother, a licensed therapist.   Jillian’s very effective at forcing players to confront their issues in a safe zone.  It’s always tough to watch, but this is the only time in BL history when I wondered if she had gone over the line.  As Abby recounts how she lost her husband and children, she tells Jillian that being at the ranch is the hardest thing she’s ever done.  But she’s strong and getting stronger.  Jillian admits that she could not have handled it herself if she’d been in that situation.  She tells Abby that she’s made a choice to survive, to continue to love and it’s working.

COMMERCIAL BREAK

The new Biggest Loser Interactive Fitness game!  If it’s half as good as the commercial…loved seeing Bob break into that couple’s house.   Is that the same one Ali Vincent plugged in earlier episodes?

PRODUCT PLACEMENT

Amanda changes the Brita filter in the kitchen and has an epiphany!  She admits to Jillian that she hated being the fat girl and now she hates feeling like a failure.  She apologizes to Jillian, who responds by telling her not to be afraid!  It’s learning from your mistakes.  It’s how you grow.

LAST CHANCE WORKOUT

Bob presides over an amazing feat – Allen jumping 3 feet into the air at 270 lbs and landing on a box.  And he made it look EASY!  Mind over matter.  If only Dina had watched that!

Shay and Jillian have a heart-to-heart.  Shay says the stupid ladder, as painful as it is, mirrors the pain of her life.  She chose food before.  Now she’s choosing something else.   Jillian asks, have you figured out how not to die?  She takes Shay off the treadmill and puts her on the floor with a bar on her chest.   She truly breaks her down, forcing the bar into Shay’s chest.   Jillian tells her to listen:  it wasn’t your fault.  You were a child.  You couldn’t save your mom.  Be angry.  But deal with it.

Jillian succeeds in her mission to break down the Black Team’s emotional barriers.  Is it enough to supercharge their weight loss for the week?

WEIGH-IN

Black decides to give entire 2 lbs to Amanda.   Did it pay off?

• Rebecca 9 Amanda 4 (6 with advantage) 
• Tracey 5 Abby 3
• Allen 8 Danny 12
• Liz 7 Daniel 5 (nice upset for Granny!)
• Rudy 14 Shay 9

Nope.  And Jillian is dismayed by Amanda and Daniel’s numbers.  She’s not getting though to them.  Or maybe it’s too much emotion.   Either way, Liz gets her wish.  Danny has immunity and the Black Team will be crying over a tough decision.   Great individual week for Danny – double digits!   Shay had a solid week too, but up against Rudy, not enough.    In fact, Rudy sets a new Biggest Loser record losing 101 lbs in 7 weeks!  Classy that Dane came back to witness it, even though he was doing a triathlon the next day – he looked fantastic!

ELIMINATION

Devastating!  Abby makes the case – for the team to send her home!  She knows who she is.  Her journey isn’t like the others.  This perturbed me, as I think Daniel should have fallen on the sword here.   But Abby has asked them all prior to this night – if I ask you to send me home, abide by my request.

They go to meet Alison.  Abby selects Amanda, because she thought she’d be the one player not to get a vote, she doesn’t want to vote for Daniel and she can’t vote for herself.  Shay is sobbing as she tells Abby she’s the mother she never had and reveals Abby’s name on the placard.  Amanda also picks Abby.  Danny has second thoughts, he votes his conscience (another reason he’s my guy this season) and chooses Daniel.  The final vote is Daniel’s and he does as Abby asked – he sends her home.  Alison says they’ll see her at the finale and Abby hugs Shay, saying she better win!

WRAP-UP

Personally crushed by this outcome.  But Abby is okay with it.  She has proven to herself that she’s where she wants to be.  It’s working.  She started on the ranch after the lowest point in her life.  Abby doesn’t know what the next chapter is, but she’s ready to fly again.

HOW THE ELIMINATED PLAYER LOOKS NOW

Abby reveals that she started dreaming since the ranch.  She’s discovered her mission:  to help others who are hurting change their lives.

NEXT WEEK

The Biggest Loser show travels to the nation’s capital!  Dining in the White House kitchen and maybe a Last Chance Workout on the National Mall?  Tracey wonders whether some of her choices will come back to bite her.  I hope so – with very big teeth!