The Biggest Loser, Episode 4: Stairway to Heaven

The next morning, both teams are driven to downtown L.A. The bus drops them off in front of a skyscraper where Caroline greets them. She tells them that, not only is this is the tallest building in L.A., it is the tallest one west of the Mississippi. After they all have a chance to appreciate this tidbit of information, Caroline explains today's challenge. They are going to have a race to the top of the building. The first team to climb all 1500 stairs will win "the ride of a lifetime."

Because the teams are uneven, the Red team will have to sit one person out when it comes time for the weigh-in. If the Blue team wins, they will decide who that person will be, but if the Red team wins, it is up to them. The advantage, of course, will be that the Red team can pick the person who they feel has lost the least amount of weight, while the Blue team would go for the individual who they think has lost the most.

Because Maurice and Gary are injured, they are not medically cleared to do this challenge. That means that Kelly Mac and Andrea will represent the Blue Crew in this challenge. On team Red, Kelly and Dave are also injured, so Lisa will pick two people to do the task. She picks Ryan's name but tricky Caroline tells her that Ryan's not in. It will be Lisa and Matt to challenge Kelly Mac and Andrea.

"On your mark. Get set. Go." Matt seems to be doing okay, but Lisa is lagging behind. Andrea begins to have problems as well and starts crawling. Matt stops and says he won't go another step without Lisa. They are all panting and ready for water. Mo and Gary are in the elevator, convinced that the girls will pull it off. Plucky Matt is just cruising along while Lisa seems to be struggling.

Andrea and Kelly are still looking good, but on the 34th floor, Lisa starts freaking out. She says that she needs air. Matt thinks it is an anxiety attack. She gets out of the stairwell and doesn't seem to be doing any better. She is really having a hard time with this. Andrea says Kelly inspires her and they talk each other up the final flights. Meanwhile, Lisa is being examined by a doctor, and, is finally taken out in an ambulance.

Andrea and Kelly Mac arrive at the top of the building and celebrate their victory. I am mightily impressed. Andrea says this is a huge turning point for the Blue team and a personal victory. Sadly, Lisa never has a chance to finish and is driven off to the hospital.

By winning, the Blue team gets two rewards. Along with being able to select the person who will sit out the weigh-in for Team Red, they are also going to enjoy a helicopter ride for a tour of the city. Maurice tells us that, although he is an accountant for a travel agency, he hasn't done much traveling and he isn't going to start now. I think he is afraid to go, but the rest of them have a great ride. Andrea is thrilled to see the Dodgers. It's nice for them to have a chance to relax and enjoy the moment.

The helicopter lands at the house, and Bob is right there to greet them. He is concerned that they lost again but, when they burst out of the chopper, smiling and laughing, he knows that they have won. He really is invested in this group and is very proud of them. Andrea tells him that it was just like doing intervals and that, "all of a sudden, it just became easier." You know, I really like Andrea. She's levelheaded, committed, and serious about this endeavor.

They tell Bob that the Red team "has issues." Meanwhile, Jillian cross-examines Matt about what happened. He describes Lisa's freak-out, and when he tells Jillian that Lisa went out in an ambulance, she puts her hands on her face. Lisa returns and is okay, although she feels guilty about disappointing the team. They are not blaming her, but that really doesn't help. She starts blaming Matt for going too fast. Ryan points out that Matt is in a no-win situation. I thought Matt did great and am a little puzzled over the reaction of the team.

Lisa says that the doctor told her to go home and go to bed. She gets all snotty, and, finally, Jillian can't take it anymore. She doesn't want to hear her whining, and tells her that if she wants to stop, she should stop. Lisa tells us that she sees the game is changing and that people are starting to get sick of one another. Kelly points out that Matt wants to be the center of the universe and that this isn't the place for that. They are all becoming highly annoyed by his behavior, which is not a good thing when elimination may loom right around the corner.

In the morning, both teams are back in the gym. Both of Dave's ankles are bothering him now, and Jillian thinks he is getting lazier and lazier. Everyone else on the team is working, but Dave is not. Dave confronts Jillian. Essentially, he tells her that he is aware of his body and knows when to stop. Jillian tells him that he is hurting the team when he doesn't work out. Kelly wonders why he can't work with weights and Jillian points out that there are other things that he can do. The confrontation heats up. Dave says that Jillian has crossed the line and calls an end to the conversation.