Random thoughts on Week 2:

• It’s a sobering experience when Dr. Huizenga gives the contestants the results of their medical testing.  Quite a wakeup call to see decades tacked onto your chronological age.
• Why is anyone with a fear of water applying to be on the show?  You’re going to be in the drink within the first three weeks.  Poor Maria.
• Red is the new Purple.  Tracey passes the crazy game play hat to Melissa.
• Highs and lows – Patti sets the weight loss record for women during week 1, ends up going home.
• Week 2 curse – now officially a myth?

Understandable for Patti to sacrifice her time on the ranch for Stephanie, but I was sad to see her go.  She’s doing well at home though, aided by her strong family support system.  Daily workouts with her daughter, dancing with her husband and family running sessions have helped her lose 43 lbs. Patti’s also made huge progress in her battle against diabetes.  Looking good Momma!

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.

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.

Okay, it’s taken me a bit longer to do this recap than I originally promised.  How dare life interfere with my blogging?! :0)

I’ve only been watching The Biggest Loser regularly since Season 3.  (Yes, the only season without Jillian!  I caught up quickly so by the Season 4 premiere, I had a pretty good idea who was on that motorcycle.) And as far as I can remember,  there have been two basic constants throughout the show:  The Week 2 Curse and Weekly Elimination.

WEEK 2

Safe to say that viewers, players and trainers have grown to detest Week 2.  Traditionally, contestants pull double-digit weight loss numbers during Week 1…only to lose single digits, zero weight or in fact gain pounds during Week 2.  So bad enough to have that hanging over their heads.   Week 2 starts with a flashback to what happened after Alexandra was eliminated.  Alison Sweeney tells the team that if they can collectively lose 150 pounds, NO ONE goes home this week.  If they fall short, two people go home.  (Aside from a few Couples episodes, I think Pam and Brian were the only double elimination during Season 3)

Initially, the players are optimistic.  Plus Coach Mo gives them a great pep talk back at the ranch and Julio thanks the group for keeping him for another week.  Then reality starts to sink in.  Tracey is still in the hospital and if she gets out, she’s definitely limited in terms of exercise.  That leaves 15 players, meaning an average of 10 lbs each.  Bob and Jillian are immediately cautious when they hear about the challenge.  My heart sank as I saw all the pictures of previous players losing little or no weight…or worse gaining, like LT did in Season 6.   So the trainers decide to meet the challenge head on by giving everyone critical pointers on the eating front, then beating the crap out of the players in the gym.  They split the group.

Personally, I think one of the reasons that Jillian has always had the winning advantage is that she truly has mastered not only their metabolismsbut also what she calls the universal truth calculation:  calories in vs. calories out.  She explains the ins and outs of what they need to put in their body, when and how much.

Meanwhile, the other group head to the gym with Bob.  Lots of anxiety and stress as they start the workout.  Shay voices what a lot of the others, even the trainers, are noticing.  Julio seems to be slacking off and he doesn’t do himself any favors.  At this point, he should be showing an attitude of gratitude for even being there another week!

Coach Mo gets a chance to visit Tracey, the other part of the Purple Team,  in the hospital.  He is exactly the calming, joyful presence she needed to see.  It’s a little scary to be reminded of what happened during that first day on the beach.  And poor Tracey – she wasn’t sure if she was actually going to join the game again.   But, she gets the clearance to head back to the ranch and put on that purple shirt.  Nice to see her beaming from ear to ear.

CHALLENGE 1

Alison announces that there’s a way to lower the 150 lb number that needs to be lost.  Pop quiz time!  But seriously, who can concentrate when the teacher is none other than Aussie chef Curtis Stone?!  The accent.  The blonde hair and twinkly eyes.  But I digress.  Curtis gives the group a nutritional tutorial on portion control,hidden calories in sugar and usually healthy foods like salad; then if the group answers 5 out of 8 questions correctly, they only have to lose 135 pounds.   I thought the best part of this segment, aside from Curtis, was Sean professing his undying love for soda.  He was drinking 2 liters each day!  Seeing that amount translated into actual sugar was a bit startling.  Yick.

CHALLENGE 2

The team ends up getting the 15 lb advantage, so Alison introduces the next challenge. 20 lbs at stake! Abby made me laugh when she says they KNOW they’re getting wet.   And she was right!  The challenge involved more teamwork, water and a whole lot of balance.  The group had to to cross a baseball diamond-style array of planks over water, with each plank getting narrower.  First plank = 5 lbs off the weight to lose.  Second plank = another 5 lbs.  Third plank = phone calls home!!!  Fourth plank or home base = 10lbs.   Once someone falls, the challenge is over for everyone.

Can you imagine the stress?  No one wants to be that first person in the water.  Clumsy by nature, I can’t picture myself making it past the first plank.   Everyone’s freaking out, but the group hangs together and makes it past the third beam.   They are overjoyed knowing they’ll be able to call home!   Coach Mo reminds them that they’re still not done…10 lbs are still at stake.   Energy still high, the team makes it over the fourth plank.   Only 115 lbs to lose for the week!

REWARD

Emotionally, I find this season to be a constant tug on my heartstrings.  And we’re only in Week 2!  The BL fans on Twitter completely lost it during the family phone calls.  The players are crying, the fans are crying.  Everyone needs Kleenex.  Badly.  Especially when Abby tells her parents she climbed a mountain with two little butterflies alongside her.  These contestants collectively have more pain than we’ve really seen in previous seasons.   They’ve already cried enough tears on the ranch to last a lifetime.

LAST CHANCE WORKOUT

Jillian and Bob pull out all the stops for the last chance workout.  Jillian challenges Rudy to a tug-o-war and can barely keep her footing.  Bob tells us that it’s him and Jillian vs. all of the players, and he jumps in to help Jillian.  Rudy’s blue shirt is drenched, but he emerges victorious against the trainers.  As Jillian says, beating them up  at the gym is a truth serum.  Everything comes out.  Shay dissolves in tears and tells Bob that she hasn’t been happy for 30 years.  3 DECADES!!!  Bob assures her that he’ll help her find her happiness.  He also reminds her not to let the chaos take over.

WEIGH-IN

Finally…time for the weigh-in!  115 is not as hard as 150 but the trainers both think it’s a really difficult goal for week 2.   Pink Team starts.  Rebecca loses 6 and Amanda loses 4…second week in a row.   She’s not thrilled.  Purple Team pulls AMAZING numbers, 10 for Tracey and 9 for Coach Mo, who pulled a 19 all by himself in the first week.  The almost double digits continue with Antoine and Sean.  Red Team loses 19 lbs too!  Green Team Allen and Abby kick it up a notch by losing 22 lbs.  Liz and Danny also lose 22 lbs for the Brown Team.  Holy crap!  Week 3 might end up being the new cursed week if the numbers continue.   Blue team weighs in – Rudy takes off 14 lbs while Dina loses 8.

Next up is Julio!  Everyone’s wondering what his number will be.   The producers are really driving the story this season with clever editing.  The last pre-commercial shot is Antoine mouthing, “shiiiiiii…”  We come back – what a fakeout.  Julio sheds 19 lbs as the sole remaining member of the Black Team!

So the entire team is safe.  With only the Orange Team left to weigh in, the contestants shoot for making the original goal of 150 lbs.   Daniel loses 7 and Shay, an amazing16 lbs, clearly telling Week 2 where to shove it.  :0)

WRAP UP

Summary – a successful obliteration of the Week 2 curse and everyone stays on the ranch!  More strong editing from producers, continuing the emotional rollercoaster and keeping us guessing on the contestants.  Looking ahead, I hope we see more of Liz next week.  She’s the only player I feel we don’t really know all that well.  Of course, I have to ask.  Is that deliberate on the part of the producers?!  Maybe she’s the sleeper, just like Helen on Season 7.

NEXT WEEK ON THE BIGGEST LOSER

Crazy begins anew on Week 3.  The players can choose to train by themselves or with the trainers, with the potential outcome being control of the weigh in.  I can hear Jillian and Bob swearing from here!