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!

I reserve a special place in my heart for Washington, D.C.

I discovered the city as a high school junior when a friend enrolled at Catholic University.  Fell head over heels for one of my friend’s college buddies.   An older man!  (Okay, 4 years.  Just old enough to make Mom nervous.)  Walked around the Memorials, hand in hand.    After that fizzled out, I returned to D.C.  the next year as part of a Young Leaders Conference.  Met a girl from Michigan on that trip.  We ended up meeting again as randomly paired college roommates.    I spent a college semester there, working as an intern for the Senate, writing my thesis and house-sitting for a couple whom I still consider part of my family almost 18 years later.   I always thought I’d end up living there again.  Lots of personal history.   And now I can add one more fond memory – it was the site of my favorite BL elimination to date!

IN THE ELIMINATION ROOM

After Black sends Abby home, Alison invites the Blue Team to join the rest of the players.   Alison reminds them that America looks to them for inspiration.  They’re losing the weight.  All over the country, Americans are fighting the same battle against obesity.  The statistics are staggering.  Alison gives the teams a new mission:  help Americans lose those pounds.  And the best place to make it happen:  the nation’s capital!

TRAVEL

The last time they flew, no one could buckle their seatbelts without the extender. What a difference 8 weeks makes!  Black and Blue board their JetBlue flight to D.C. and settle themselves into their seats. No spillover, no discomfort, no embarrassment, plenty of room to stretch out!

Alison, a vision in another “Mad Men” inspired outfit, greets them at the Jefferson Memorial. Shay cannot believe she’s right down the street from the President. Everyone’s excited to play a role in helping Americans lead healthier lives. Who better to assist them? Bob and Jillian, of course! Both trainers marvel at how far the show has come in just eight seasons – it’s not a normal reality show. And when Alison tells the group they’ll be going to the White House, Bob nails it: if that doesn’t say that the show has had an impact on America, he doesn’t know what does.

As Jefferson was a proponent of individual rights, meeting at the memorial has special significance. The game is going back to singles! Each man or woman stands on his or her own, in his or her previous color shirt. The players are delighted to hear Alison say this, especially Daniel whose lower than expected weight loss has hampered the Black Team.

POP CHALLENGE

If you want to affect change on a national level, you need grassroots support to promote your cause. This becomes the cornerstone of the day’s Pop Challenge. Alison announces that in a few hours, Bob and Jillian will hold a public workout in front of the Washington monument. Each player has 60 minutes to get the most people assembled in front of the monument, ready to workout. The winner will get a huge advantage at the next challenge, but of course Alison keeps mum. She does reveal that the winner will also get to take his or her entire team to Subway for a post-workout dinner.

The contestants scurry and start working the streets around the National Mall. They start selling like crazy to corral as many people as possible. Color-coded stickers in hand, Danny tells a group that he’s proof The Biggest Loser works. He’s lost all this weight in 7 weeks. Amanda discovers her unique selling proposition: people start recognizing her from last season’s finale. She’s racking up the votes. Allen’s not messing around. He heads to the nearest fire station and issues a 911.

Oh Lord, Liz says as she approaches a group and they start chanting “Amanda, Amanda!” She searches for people who aren’t wearing pink stickers and finds some young boys. She bribes them with promises of cute younger female contestants, telling the camera, “I left cute behind 30 years ago. I’m relying on guilt and charm!” Shay and Rebecca try staking out their individual turf, as Rudy and the others taunt them with their growing numbers.

Getting the people turns out to be easier than keeping them. Talk about a political schooling! The D.C. tourists and residents turn out to be a fickle bunch. When Amanda’s groupies see Daniel, they have an immediate change of heart and start hooting, “Daniel, Daniel!” Rudy crosses party lines by slapping a Blue sticker on Daniel’s back. But Daniel refuses to move to the middle.

Time’s up! The fire trucks start rolling into the monument site as the teams assemble – it really looks like the Brotherhood will lock this up for Allen. Ali introduces the contestants and says that it came down to one vote separating the top two finalists, Allen and Liz. And Liz wins! Yes, you definitely go girl.

It was awesome to see the crowd start working out. Bob grabs the headset and starts leading the crowd. He is pumped, it’s what he loves about his job…the ability to help people. Jillian’s also pretty happy, strolling through the crowd, picking on total strangers. Poor tangerine-suited woman tells Jillian she can’t and everyone else ends up doing 20 extra squats because of it. Tangerine gets in line pretty quickly after that! As the winner, Liz gets to take her team and Jillian to dinner at Subway. Jillian instructs them to order off the 9 gram menu, pick lean protein and load up on the veggies.

NEXT DAY

The Biggest Loser storms Capitol Hill! The trainers and players lobby two members of Congress on obesity issues and how they affect children specifically. The contestants all tear up a little talking about their own experiences. Jillian makes an empassioned plea for Congress to pay more attention to what’s in the food supply. Our bodies don’t recognize this Franken-food! The general consensus: reps need to hear the people on these issues.

CHALLENGE

Alison meets the team at Constitution Gardens and announces a 4 station challenge. Winner gets immunity! Liz’s advantage is that she can choose not to compete in a certain section. As every politician knows, you’ve got to run hard to make it to D.C. The first part is a one mile run around the Constitution Gardens. The first six finishers will go onto the second station and Liz decides to participate.

Tracey freezes when she hears Alison say “one mile run.” Amazing to see how much goodwill surrounded her during flashbacks to the first week…and how she squandered it over the next 6. But she’s game. Allen and Rebecca take an early lead, Shay and Tracey bring up the rear. Shay says the difference this time is that it’s a matter of when, not if she completes the race. The top six are Rebecca, Daniel, Allen, Amanda, Rudy and Liz. Tracey ends up finishing the race ahead of Shay, happy to have conquered the distance.

Fundraising time! Probably the worst part of being a politician. 17,954 pennies cover the steps of the Watergate Hotel. The amount of pennies equals the amount of pounds lost to date on the show. Each player has to scoop enough pennies to fill their tube. First four move on. Liz decides to sit this one out. I would have done the same thing! Rudy and Daniel secure the next two spots, with Rebecca beating Allen for the final position.

TRAINER TIP

Bob says that everyone asks how to handle workouts during vacations. With a flight of stairs and a little creativity, you can stay on track. Walk or run the stairs for 20-30 minutes for cardio. Then finish with chair dips, side squats and pushups on the stairs.

After another impromptu happy dance from Rebecca, the competitors move to the next station in front of Capitol Hill. Getting things done in Congress requires a certain amount of balance. The players have to stand on a pedestal, balancing on a narrow ledge as they hold a Pilates ball over their heads. What?! This one’s over pretty quickly. Daniel folds almost immediately, Rudy worries about his big feet but manages to beat out Liz before falling off. So it’s Rebecca and Rudy at the top of the ballots!

Or maybe just in front of the White House. They’ll have to take 206 steps, the amount of contestants in the show’s history. All the cable networks would have called this pretty quickly. Rebecca opens up a 30 step lead and never looks back. She’s an immunity-winning monster machine.

In the first open rebellion to excessive product placment, Twitter nation contemplates a Gumcott as Bob has a heart-to-heart with Amanda. (I think he wants to squeeze her as much as he wants to squeeze the Obamas.) If she wants to stay in the game, she has to focus on healthy snacks, like Extra gum. Sigh.

WHITE HOUSE TIME

The group gets to meet the White House personal chef, who takes them on a tour of the First Lady’s organic vegetable garden. They pick the produce for their lunch and then trot off to the White House kitchen to prepare their salads. Bob is very impressed to learn that the Obamas eat healthy every day. If it’s good enough for the President, it’s good enough for the country. I’m sure at this point, Secret Service was keeping a very close eye on Mr. Harper. You know he’d be leaping across the counter to squeeze those Obama kids! Jillian, slightly less huggy, admires the standard being set by the 1st Family.

LAST CHANCE WORKOUT

Back to singles means back to joint training. Torture, sings Jillian! Especially for Tracey. She’s been dying to beat the gameplay out that girl. Jillian barely gets a sumo squat out of her before Tracey turns on the waterworks. Don’t fall for it Jillian! Everyone else is happy to be back on track, especially Amanda who is getting her groove back with Bob.

WEIGH-IN

A spectacular site as the scale sits underneath the Lincoln memorial. The usual amount of panic sets in, but as Danny says, no one knows what a week away from the ranch will mean. Shay is set on getting below 400. Daniel hasn’t lost much in the last two weeks, so he’s hoping for big numbers. And Amanda wants to see results from her renewed Bob connection.

Results are:

• Rebecca – 4   Immunity
• Shay – 9  Bye bye 400!
• Tracey -  3  Jillian didn’t make a dent.
• Daniel – 11  Just 7 short of 200 lbs lost since last season!
• Allen – 9
• Danny – 12
• Rudy – 9
• Liz -  3  Needed 4 to stay above yellow line.
• Amanda – 7  All that “extra” attention from Bob!

ELIMINATION

It’s Liz v. Tracey!  Mentally kicking Liz, who better be kicking her own ass for not taking it Tracey when she had the chance.   I mistakenly cue the Rocky song, thinking they’ll go a few rounds in a last ditch effort to keep themselves safe.   Liz doesn’t fight at all.  AGAIN, just like she failed to stand up for herself a few weeks back.  And Shay points this out, noting that her vote will never be based on strategy.  Now I want to do the punching.  Room starts to get hazy and I’m having trouble tweeting.  Alison isn’t helping me with her repeated banana hands tweets.    Can’t breathe.  Tracey may pull this out again!!!

Luckily, it’s pretty cut and dried.   Shay casts the lone vote against Liz; Amanda, Danny, Daniel and Rebecca give the four needed to cut Tracey loose!

HOW THE ELIMINATED PLAYER LOOKS NOW

24 hours later, Tracey departs for home…in a helicopter just like the one she needed the first day on the ranch.  Her family is delighted to see her and even cheer her on when she returns to Malibu for another go at the “Miracle Mile.”    Safe to say Tracey inspired a lot of people across America, maybe not in the usual way other players have.  Ultimately, she fought hard to stay, she played the game and the choices came back to bite her.  She says she’s a new person, a happier person.  Definitely a leaner person as we saw on Leno. I  believe her.   But that doesn’t mean I have to like her!

NEXT WEEK

Nervous squabbling, treadmill user error (Rudy!) and heated outbursts as players learn two will be eliminated!

TEMPTATION

Quick start to the week!  Ali informs the players that the game is on.  It’s Blue vs. Black and one player will win control over the rest of the game.  NBC built a nice replica of the Wheel of Fortune for this temptation.  The circle has 36 spaces holding silver trays – one has the golden ticket and the other 35 have bonuses or penalties.  Winner of the golden ticket?  You select your trainer and determine the teams.

Opportunity is in the air!  Rebecca sees this a chance to control her own destiny.   Everyone agrees, except for Abby who asserts that what she wants isn’t going to be found by participating in this temptation.   The order is determined by highest percentage of weight loss so Rudy spins first.  He gets a slice of cake – 1000 calories!  Ugh.  Rebecca’s silver tray contains a 280 calorie donut.   Allen’s third up to spin.  No cash prize or ticket, just a mini chocolate cupcake, worth 100 calories.  Will the power rest with Danny?  No.  His silver tray yields a monster cupcake, full of sprinkles and frosting…and 780 calories.

A collective hush rolls over the group.  Tracey is next to spin.  Heck yeah, she wants this.  And as Mo tells us, the woman has the power to channel whatever she desires.   And then, an eerie win blows across the playing area, like a poltergeist.  Yes.  Seriously.   Any guesses on how this turns out?

Tracey wins!  As she contemplates her team selections, the rest of the group is dismayed.  Amanda is worried, she needs Bob.   Lots of fear and tears from Orange.  Dina can’t grasp being separated from her Blue Team partner Rudy, but he reminds her that she can depend on herself.   Ultimately, it will be okay.

The trainers arrive as the players regroup and prepare to be divvied up.  People are about to go crazy.  When Bob hears what’s unfolded, he deadpans, “Shocker!”  Tracey’s first decision is her own fate.  She professes to have a kinship with Bob and makes herself the first member of the Blue Team.  In reality, she probably didn’t want to face Jillian, who’s been gearing up to give her an “ass-whipping” for four weeks.  Will Jillian ever get her chance?

Tracey keeps only two teams intact, Purple and Orange.  At least she finally did something nice for Shay! She selects Mo, Allen, Liz, Rudy and Rebecca for the Blue Team.    Daniel, Shay, Abby, Danny, Amanda and Dina form the Black Team.   Silent discontent, marred by tears from Liz (who begged Tracey to keep her with Danny) and Amanda (who has formed a true connection with Bob).  Danny’s looking for blood on his new Black shirt, since he feels as if he’s been stabbed in the back.  And Dina, last to be picked, is just disgusted.

But the ultimate injustice:  Tracey bursting into tears as she gets to Amanda and Dina, saying that it’s time that she stopped trying to please people.   Excuse me?  When did she start?  Did we all miss the people pleasing over the last four weeks?

World War 3 has begun.  No more two-faced players, says Danny.  Everyone’s four-faced!  Dina, Danny and Liz agree that Tracey has no integrity.   Miss Liz decides to throw down – her mission this week is to send Tracey home.  Uh oh!  Advice to Tracey?  Don’t eat anything Liz whips up for you!

IN THE GYM

Frazzled nerves need soothing.  Only thing that can do it?  A collective beat down from the trainers.  Nothing like a good session on the treadmills and weight training to beat the drama out of the newly formed teams.

Liz is so intent on sending Tracey packing, she completely overworks herself and passes out on the treadmill.  After she recovers, Jillian asks, “What happens to Southern women when they get mad?”  Liz replies, “We get even.”  I just love her!

Jillian’s cracking into everyone except Dina.  She can’t get Dina to block out her fear and jump onto a stool.  Finally, she issues the ultimatim – get to what’s blocking you, figure it out, write a new story or you’re wasting my time!  Dina goes outside to pull it together.  Rudy, no doubt pulling from all of his football training, gives her a pep talk.   He coaxes Dina back in and in a strange hey-he’s-out-Jillianing- Jillian moment, he tries his best to get Dina on the stool.  But not even the blue crash mat will ease Dina’s fears.   Not happening.

TRAINER TIP

Jillian demos deadlifts to sculpt glutes and hamstrings.  Grab a bar or dumbbells, lean forward with slight bend in knees until back is parallel to ground.  Then return to starting position in a slow fluid motion.  For more of a challenge, stand on one leg for one set.  Switch legs and repeat on other side.

BLUE TEAM BUILDING/PRODUCT PLACEMENT

Field trip!  The Blue Team heads out to the local grocery store to learn about healthy, on-the-go food choices.  Bob suggests substituting leaner Jennie O Turkey Breast for whole roast chicken.   A few bags of vegetables later, the group is back on campus, creating wraps at the house picnic tables.

CHALLENGE – TEAMWORK

The teams evaluate themselves and competition on the way to the first team challenge.  Black perceives Blue as the stronger team, but Dina says  “Black has heart!”  And Jillian!

Ali lays out the hillside challenge.  Good players help themselves, great players help others.  Sometimes you carry yourself, sometimes they carry you.  Literally.   The objective:  each team carries one teammate on a board up the hill, splashing through a mud patch and ending on top of the hill.  One person has to be on the board at all times.  Reward:  Video from home!  Always a motivator.

Tracey and Abby sit out again this week.   Blue decides to carry Rebecca, who unhappily discovers she is unable to channel her inner Cleopatra.  Black choose Dina.  Blue takes the early lead as both teams navigate through the narrow path.  Black struggles to work cohesively, with Shay having trouble maintaining her grip as Daniel pushes to catch up.  The mud patch stalls the Black Team.  Amanda loses her shoe (PLOY! says FosterFitness) and takes Dina’s place.  Dina’s thrilled, she’s finally helping herself.   But Black Team tempers flare – everyone’s out of sync.

Blue Team is excited to get the first team win.  Liz still has her eye on the real prize – giving Tracey the boot.  In a surprising move, Rebecca wants to give up her video so that Dina can watch hers…as long as Dina promises to get on the stool.  Dina passes.  Still not happening!

REWARD

Video time!  Families are adorable, with singing sisters, pets and crawling babies.  Tracey’s husband seems to be her perfect match.  He’s sweet, telling her how much she misses her, then pretends to end the video.  He returns and launches into a hard-hitting, win-this-game speech:  “Pain is temporary, pride is forever.”  IMHO, it’s all about the $250K.

Best part – Liz goes to Danny’s room and asks him to watch her family video with her.  He agrees and is surprised when Liz starts the tape.  It’s HIS family!  Nice fakeout on Liz’s part.  Let’s hope her acting ability holds up with other players.

LAST CHANCE WORKOUT

Best described as Bob’s Disco Circuits at 24 Hour Fitness vs. Jillian’s Get Your Teammates’ Ass on the Stool!

Bob finally gets Tracey on the treadmill.  She’s impressed with herself, but Bob and Rudy…not so much.  While Bob’s got Blue working out together, Jillian’s taking team-building to a whole new level outside.  Black Team members are using each other as weights, carrying each other around.  She’s building trust and Amanda’s finally able to focus without Bob’s team working alongside.   Mo’s on the recumbent bike and Liz is looking strong.  With one more plea for Black to get Dina’s ass on the platform,  Jillian calls snack break and then they’ll do 5 miles “because it’s fun!”

TRAINER TIP

Bob explains that wall push-ups are a good option if you can’t do regular push-ups.  Face the wall with arms shoulder width apart, then lower and press up.  As your strength improves, choose a lower resting spot – a desk, chair, step then eventually the ground.

WEIGH-IN

“It’s going to be hard,” whines Tracey.  As the winner of the temptation, she goes first.  Everyone’s looking for double digits, especially Rudy since he’s been on a streak.    Blue Team nets an impressive 43 lbs loss, losing 2.56%.

• Tracey:7 lbs, Mo:6 lbs, Allen:7 lbs,Rudy:8 lbs, Rebecca:7 lbs, Liz:8 lbs

Black will have to lose more than 45 lbs to avoid elimination.  Abby, Dina and Amanda all lose mid-single digits, leaving the last three team members to lose 28 lbs.   Can they do it?  Of course.  Remember…this is the Black Team.

• Abby: 5 lbs,Dina: 6 lbs,Amanda: 6 lbs,Danny: 10 lbs,Daniel: 11 lbs,Shay: 16 lbs

Way to go Shay!  54 lbs and 3.05% lost for the Black Team. Danny’s the first to say it out loud – they’re committing themselves to choosing new paths.

ELIMINATION

Rebecca says that before they arrived at the house, a unified Blue Team had decided to boot Tracey.  That ill wind must have been blowing across campus again.  By the time they sit down to discuss the vote, the team members have lost their minds!!!  After Mo serves himself up as the weaker player and Tracey says that she’s proven how much she wants to be there (oh yes, we’ve noticed!), the team actually considers eliminating Coach Mo.  EVEN LIZ and REBECCA, the most ardent Tracey foes!  The discord:  keep the stronger player OR the more motivational player.   Physical prowess or harmonious unity?

I actually wailed “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” as Liz started to lift the cover to reveal Mo’s name.  Everyone caves in a slow motion horror show.  And then snap, it’s done.  Mo’s out.  Tracey stays to wreak more havoc.   Does this really benefit Blue Team?  Bob’s.  Gonna.  FLIP OUT!

HOW THE ELIMINATED PLAYERS LOOK NOW

Mo rediscovered himself at the ranch.  He’s all about family and can’t wait to share what he’s learned about healthy weight loss and character with his community.   And he keeps his vow to get off the sidelines and back in the game.

NEXT WEEK

Home for one week. Scary. Halloween’s coming early.