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!

Gotta hand it to that crack Biggest Loser editing team.  I was convinced that Michael would be the one carted off by ambulance in the middle of the night.   But no!  Dun da DAH!   What I really loved about this episode though?  Blue Team and Yellow Team showed the rest of the players what class looks like.  Gracious beyond belief!  A welcome break from the Red vs. Green drama.

AFTER ELIMINATION

Miggy suddenly realizes she’s all alone.  Her daughter’s gone.  She cries herself to sleep, only to awaken in a few hours with severe stomach pains.  A producer calls 911 and the ambulance arrives to take Miggy to the hospital.

THE RETURN OF BLUE AND YELLOW

Alison gathers the players and reminds them they’ve been free from the challenges of the outside world for 30 days.  Reality check!  The outside challenges have returned – in the form of the Blue and Yellow Teams who have been training at home for another shot on campus.  Since they never got past the first challenge, Blue and Yellow finally get to participate in a Biggest Loser rite-of-passage:  a Last Chance Workout with the trainers before their weigh in.

Welcome to the show, people!   Jillian smirks with satisfaction as O’Neal pushes the weights across the gym.   Cherita, surprised by intensity, partakes in another Biggest Loser tradition – puking.    The triple crown is at stake – winning team returns to the ranch, gets immunity AND the only vote at elimination.

PRELIMINARY WEIGH IN:  BLUE VS. YELLOW

Proving it can be done at home, the dueling parent-child teams shock the rest of the players.

• Cherita – 24 lbs
• Victoria – 39 lbs (only 6 pounds less than average on-campus player does in 30 days!)
• Sunshine -  25 lbs
• O’Neal – 51 lbs
  

Yellow Team is back!  Given all the sniping between Red and Green this season, it’s refreshing to hear O’Neal and Sunshine praise Cherita and Victoria’s accomplishments.   These two teams were worthy opponents.  Sad that we didn’t get more time to get to know the Blue Team.

IN THE GYM

Yellow Team has the only vote this week and beyond the first day, they’ve never seen the rest of the players in action.  Most of other players know they have to prove themselves.   However, Melissa can’t stop whining.  Bob knows she’s lost confidence in herself, but insists that she push outside of her comfort zone.  He admits that she gained his respect with the previous week’s 11 lbs loss.

Jillian reminds Daris that he can’t afford another week so close to the yellow line.  Focus, Daris.  FOCUS!  But only after Jillian breaks you down and makes you cry.

Bob crams four weeks of nutritional counseling for the Yellow Team in one Jennie O product placement.  Every single calorie counts, both going in and out.

CHALLENGE

Another football challenge!  The show loves them as much as the water challenges.  Each team has a dummy situated between two blocking pads.  One person from each team has to hit the dummy 1000 times, and it’s harder than it looks.  The pads swivel after each hit.   Winning team gets immunity, the losing team gets a 2 lbs penalty.

Red is so concerned with beating Gray, they are completely shocked when Michael ties up with them.  Michael pushes past Melissa and Lance, setting his sights on the Gray Team.  He goes head to head with Sam and manages to eke out a win!  Love that little Rocky moment as he realizes he’s got immunity.   Pink Team can’t keep up with the rest of the players, coming in last and locking in the 2 lbs penalty.

After the challenge, the group learns that Miggy’s back!  Michael’s been missing his mom, so he’s overjoyed to see Miggy.  The stomach pain was appendicitis.  She also had a cyst and another mass removed during surgery.   She is allowed to walk, no other exercise.   And that’s what she does, vowing to walk all the way to Puerto Rico if necessary.   When Dr. H visits Miggy, he can’t believe she walked 13 miles the day after surgery.   Now that Migdalia’s really gone, Miggy realizes that she wants to stay.  Desperately.   The doctor also has some news that might affect that desire though – they pumped loads of sodium into her system during surgery.   What will that mean for her weigh in?

LAST CHANCE WORKOUT

Stress at the gym!  The players are even telling the trainers to shut up.  Oooh.  No one likes a trash talker at the gym if it’s not Bob or Jillian.  Miggy’s wondering if this week will be her last.  John’s doing cardio sprints in the gym, working his butt off.  Jillian works on Ashley, trying to get her to up her intensity.  Ashley’s resistant, but Jillian continues to press, telling Ashley that what she’s been thinking/doing hasn’t worked.  Get on that treadmill!  Ashley admits a lot of regret over watching her dad die of cancer.  Tears start flowing.  Jillian’s work is done here, so she rounds up Drea, Stephanie and Sunshine to join Ashley on the treadmills.  Sunshine is not sure about a five minute jog at 5.5 mph but Stephanie and Andrea count it down with her…HELL YEAH!   Nice energy and attitude coming from these four girls.  Loving them more each week.

Decision time for Yellow.  O’Neal reminds Sunshine that they have to get serious.  If they have to crush the opposition to stay, that’s what they’ll do.   While they’re deciding, producers ask the rest of the contestants to finish the sentence “This weigh in is…”  Unpredictable, scary, the usual!

WEIGH IN

Alison announces that there will be no vote if one of the single team players falls below the yellow line, so say what you want to say before stepping on the scale.  Miggy walked 18 miles 2 days after surgery.  Will it be enough to keep her there, in a week when Yellow and White both have immunity?

• Sunshine – 5 lbs
  
• O’Neal – 5 lbs
  
• Michael – 13 lbs
  
• Ashley – 9 lbs
  
• Sherry – 6 lbs
  
• Melissa – 5 lbs
  
• Lance – 4 lbs
  
• Cheryl – 3 lbs
• Daris – 12 lbs
  
• Stephanie – 5 lbs
  
• Koli – 6 lbs
  
• Sam – 10 lbs
  
• Andrea – 5 lbs
  
• Darrell – 8 lbs
  
• Miggy – 5 lbs
  
• John – 6 lbs
  

We don’t get any insight on who Yellow thinks is a threat, because John doesn’t get the 7 lbs he needs to stay.  6 lbs for John and that sends him home immediately.

HOW THE ELIMINATED PLAYER LOOKS NOW

After a disappointing first week at home, John hit his groove!  He discovers he loves doing martial arts.  The results?  You be the judge.

NEXT WEEK

Going for the Gold!  The players head to the U.S Olympics training center in Colorado.  They’ll weigh in as individuals and two players will be eliminated.  Let the games begin!

AFTER THE ELIMINATION

Michael is the first to return to the house after the players send Maria home.  The rest of the players roll in and waste little time in reminding Michael how lucky he is to be there, since he wasted a good portion of the previous week.

POP CHALLENGE

The next day, Alison meets the group and announces the next Pop Challenge.  Immunity is up for grabs, along with three decisions that will affect the entire game.  The players have to run the Presidential Mile, grab a key card from the 100 on the board, and run back to Alison to try the key in the machine.  If it’s a green check, the team gets one point.  If it’s a red x, they have to try again.  First team to get three checks wins.

Stephanie’s working hard to win the challenge, lapping players in her quest to to get the three checks.  But the first player to get a green check is Melissa.  Orange and Pink Teams are nipping at the Red Team’s heels.   The momentum sticks and Red Team is the first to get the three green checks.   In addition to immunity, Melissa and Lance have three envelopes with penalties to distribute to the players of their choice.   They must decide:  game play or try and curry favor?

They opt for game play for two of the three decisions.   John receives the “no gym for a week” envelope.   Works in his favor as his knee injury keeps him in the pool for most of the time.   Red Team gives “no vote at elimination” to Michael, since the players were pretty harsh with him after the previous week’s elimination.   The 2 lbs penalty at the weigh in goes to Green Team.   Miggy and Migdalia are pissed.

CONFRONTATION WITH RED TEAM

Heads are about to explode!  The trainers are not happy when they learn about the results of the day’s Pop Challenge.  Bob notes how crazy it’s been in the house.   Jillian knows Miggy’s at the breaking point.   Time to confront Red Team, and again the trainers opt for the “tag team” approach.

Bob takes Melissa and Lance aside.  He doesn’t make any headway with them.  Melissa is upset that Bob called her a liar on national television.   Lance says he lost a lot of respect for Bob during the last weigh ins.  They insist Melissa is telling the truth.   Bob hesitates, then decides to let Jillian call the Red Team’s bluff.

Jillian asks Lance to come clean about the game play.   Lance refuses and says he’s not going to work with Jillian.  “Okay,” she says.  “Such is life.”    She trots over to tell Bob what happened – in front of everyone.   The teams split off, one of each pair goes to box with Jillian.  First up, Melissa.  She looks Jillian straight in the face and repeats that she’s not involved in game play.   Ridiculous!  Jillian’s only been doing this for 18 years and 8 seasons on the show.   No fooling the one who knows the science.   Jilllian looks straight at the camera and says, “She’s lying!”

Later, Melissa asks Lance to continue to work with Jillian.  He agrees.  She smiles, noting that she gets what she wants.  I hope it’s a good kick in the rear.

CHALLENGE

Hardhats on deck!  Each team has to hoist themselves one hundred feet in the air to the top of a crane.  And the prize is good – phone calls home for the winning team and the three other teams the winners choose.   Koli and Sam are channeling some kind of super human strength.  We hear a few catty remarks about steroids.   Jealous, Red Team?  It’s a photo finish, but the boys hold off Melissa and Lance for the win.  Koli and Sam’s hearts match their size.  They share the phone calls from home with Melissa and Lance (second place), Migdalia and Miggy (family birthday) and John (because he’s without family on campus).

TRAINER TIP

Jillian has a lo-cal treat to curb your sweet tooth.  Microwave an apple in a small bowl of water for 3 minutes.  Sprinkle with cinnamon and enjoy!

REWARD PHONE CALLS HOME

Gray Team is delighted to talk with family!  It’s the first time that Sam’s Dad has ever said how proud he is of his son.  Koli’s mom tells him she loves him and his aunt promises that she’ll never make fun of either guy for eating organic.

John’s wife tells him that their son is talking!  She puts baby Nicholas on to say hi to Dad.

Lance and Melissa are both excited and sad to speak with their kids.  They really miss them!

Both members of the Green feel like they want to go home.  Miggy speaks to her fiance who’s lost 20 lbs!  Migdalia’s daughter says, “Where are you Mommy?”  Her husband tells her to hang in there.

LAST CHANCE WORKOUT

It’s plug time!  Fill the Brita and head over to Subway.   Bob coaches the players on how to fill up with lean protein and healthy carbs.   Good thing they replenished their energy reserves.    Last Chance Workout moves out of the gym into the great outdoors!

Bob has hill duty.  The teams hike up the mountain, alternating walking with running intervals.   That hill is steep!  It’s John’s first official Last Chance Workout and he’s glad to be with the group.   Daris is running like a machine!  Just when the players reach the top and think they’re done for the day, Jillian’s waiting for them.  With kettlebells.  Wheelbarrows.  And rocks!   Jillian’s gleeful as she pounds the calories out of the players.  She taunts Koli and Sam as they try to push themselves up the hill in the wheelbarrow.   “It can’t be done,” she says.   The Gray Team proves her wrong.

WEIGH IN

Ali reviews the Red Team’s escapades for the week:  John couldn’t go to the gym, Michael can’t vote at elmination and the Green Team has a 2 lbs disadvantage.  Melissa and Lance stand by their decisions as Green Team fumes over the game play strategy.   With immunity, Red Team kicks off the weigh in.  Jillian is absolutely sure that “peer pressure” will cure Melissa’s amazing struggle to lose weight on campus.   And what have we learned thus far?  Don’t.  Doubt.  Miss Jill!

• Melissa – 11 lbs
• Lance – 6 lbs
• Michael – 15  lbs
• Andrea – 5 lbs
• Darrell – 10
• Cheryl – 6 lbs
• Daris – 6 lbs
• Ashley – 7 lbs
• Sherry – 4 lbs
• John – 10 lbs
• Sam – 14 lbs
• Koli – 12 lbs
• Stephanie – 6 lbs
• Migdalia – 5 lbs
• Miggy – 1 lbs
  

The high points:  Michael, Sam, Koli and John lose double digits; Cheryl and Daris hit milestones, dropping below 200 and 300 respectively.

The low point:  Melissa’s smirking response to Green’s less than impressive weight loss.   She actually says out loud, “Ali, just so we’re clear, 2 lbs wouldn’t have made a difference here.”

Migdalia starts to cry and Miggy instantly admonishes her, telling her to stop.  Jillian points out the inherent sadness in this command.  The Green Team is constantly swallowing their emotions, refusing to show stress to anyone.

The pre-elimination conference rapidly goes downhill.  Migdalia flat out says she’ll make it easy for the group.  Someone has to go home.  Pick her.  Melissa, not content to let it play out without drama, cautions the group to remember that the majority of attitude has come from Miggy.

ELIMINATION

The group is clearly conflicted.   I can’t remember another elimination like this one.  The two up for elimination are ARGUING and talking trash before the voting is complete.   Last season, Rebecca and Rudy went at it but that was after she had been eliminated.    The players refuse to honor Green’s request to go lockstep for Migdalia, with Red, Gray and Brown voting for Miggy.   Ultimately, the majority of votes go to Migdalia.

HOW THE ELIMINATED PLAYER LOOKS NOW

Startling to hear Migdalia say she’s opened up and learned to deal with her emotions during the final interview at the ranch!  After a brief period of uncertainty at home, Migdalia gets back on track.

NEXT WEEK

They’re baaaaaaack!  After battling it out at home for 30 days, who will get to return to the ranch – the Blue or Yellow team?

This family lives in Minneapolis, MN.  O’Neal, 51 works as a USPS station manager.   He loves sports, especially football, having been both a player and a coach.   His brother’s recent death at 57 shocked O’Neal.  It also forced him to realize that his extra pounds could get in the way of living a long, healthy life.

O’Neal’s daughter Sunshine is 24 and is a restaurant server.  Like her dad, Sunshine is a former athlete, having competed in synchronized swimming.   She’s always been on the heavier side and has never made weight loss a priority.  Surrounded by unhealthy food at work and at home, Sunshine is unable to resist the temptations and has continued to gain weight.   She hopes that by teaming up with her dad, they’ll be able to tap into the competitive spirit that brought them success as athletes – and dump the unwanted pounds for good.

GREEN TEAM – Mother and Daughter

Mother Miggy is 48 and a chef from Pemberton, NJ.  She moved from NYC to Puerto Rico in her teens and was married, then divorced by 17.   She tries hard not to feel sorry for herself or her kids.  Her weight has fluctuated as many times as her careers.   Heaviness is prominent in her culture, but Miggy wants to prove to the Hispanic community that it’s possible to be lean and healthy.

Her daughter Migdalia is 28 and a homemaker living in Sanford, NC.  She says what’s on her mind, even when it causes disagreements with her mother.  Her family lacked the basic essentials when she was growing up and continued to struggle when they moved back to the U.S.  from Puerto Rico.   She attributes most of her weight gain to overeating as result of stress and the birth of her second child.  Her husband, a soldier, returned from Iraq and may be redeployed shortly.  Migdalia worries that her medical problems will continue to worsen if she doesn’t lose the extra pounds.

BLUE TEAM – Mother and Daughter

Cherita is 50 and is a homemaker in Houston, TX.  She feels great on the inside, but her body doesn’t show it.   Focused on her marriage, children and career for many years, she now realizes that it’s time to take care of herself.  She’s beaten cancer and wants to improve her health by losing weight.  Her goal:  to spend the next 50 years fulfilling the dreams she set aside in her first 50 years.

Daughter Victoria “Vicky” is a 22 year old student in Houston.   Always encouraged to dream big and achieve, the goal of a thinner body eludes her.  Vicky wants her outside to finally match her inside, so that she can impress the world with her beauty and brains.   In addition to cancer, her family has a history of diabetes, obsesity, stroke and heart disease.   Vicky and Cherita want to change their family’s medical legacy by embracing a life of fitness.