The Biggest Loser 8, Episode 5: The Wheel of Morality

Normally the episode begins where the previous one left off, but this week, we start with the dawning of a new day and the remaining contestants gathered at a large circle of covered dishes. Basically, it looks like Wheel of Fortune with plates.

Alison is there waiting for them, and she sets up the manufactured dramatic bombshell. While the competition began with 16 strangers, they formed eight couples. Today, those duos may be dissolved, as it’s time to split the remaining 12 into Blue vs. Black. Basically, all that nice happiness we had for the last four weeks with Bob and Jillian working together is about to go by the wayside in favor of the always unnecessary trainer competition.

Of course, this competition now qualifies as a Temptation Challenge. There are 36 spaces with covered dishes on the wheel (all colored Blue and Black, just in case these people are as stupid as the producers think we are). Each person who chooses to participate will spin the wheel and reveal what’s under the lid. One space has a “golden ticket” with the ultimate prize – the power to choose who will be on each team, and who will train each team. As Danny astutely points out, whoever wins this challenge can basically dictate how the rest of the show will turn out. The other spaces are a bit risky. Some have cash prizes, while others have high-calorie desserts and other foods that are, of course, counter-intuitive to this entire process.

So the question stands: Who wants to play? One by one, almost everyone steps forward, signifying they will participate. Tracey intentionally hesitates, and then commits to play. In confessional, she admits it was just a ploy to piss them off, and at least with Danny, it worked. Only Abby abstains from this exercise.

The order of spinners is determined by the total percentage of weight loss to date. Basically, if you don’t already know these people are threats to win, you will now. Up first is Rudy, which surprises no one, as he’s pulled double digit losses every week. Rudy takes his spin and reveals a piece of two layer yellow cake with chocolate frosting (for some reason Alison says it’s chocolate cake), totaling exactly 1,000 calories. He is forced to chow down.

Up next is Rebecca, who really wants the power. Her dish is a 280 calorie donut. Allen earns himself a cupcake, valued at 100 calories. Danny is fourth, and he gets a bigger cupcake, worth 780 calories.

Tracey steps up (and can I just say “What the hell?” She’s in fifth place overall and she hasn’t even worked out yet?) and Coach Mo notes that an ominous wind is blowing. Everyone dreads her winning, so naturally, that’s exactly what happens. Once again, the person who has done absolutely nothing in this game gets all the power, not just for the week, but potentially for the rest of the game. Seriously, what the hell?

There needs to be some sort of rule against this. She hasn’t even set foot in the gym thanks to her injury, an injury she got because of her greed in the first challenge. There’s got to be some sort of prerequisite to qualify to take part in Temptations, or any challenge for that matter, that can affect the outcome of the game. For starters, how about actually WORKING OUT on a show supposedly centered on that concept. For four weeks, she hasn’t worked out once, and yet she got to orchestrate the Red team’s ouster, and now she gets to decide who works out with whom for the rest of the game. Bull.

Every single person (save Coach Mo) is justifiably pissed. Rebecca makes the most vocal display of her consternation. If I were there, I’d be turning over every single lid to make sure there was only that one ticket. Tracey is happier than a pig in manure that she won, especially at everyone else’s expense (seriously, she squeals with delight in confessional about how angry everyone is), and Coach Mo waxes philosophical, thinking there was some sort of supernatural force at work. Alison then informs Tracey that she will make her decision entirely on her own, without help from her partner, causing Mo to join the ranks of the perturbed, because at least with her previous undeserved powers, he got some say in her actions.

Tracey takes a scripted walk to reflect on her decision, while the others wait back at the house. The Pink and Orange teams (who I guess have some sort of alliance), combine their thoughts to attempt to anticipate what Tracey will do. Daniel is convinced that Tracey, being the game player that she is, will stack whatever team she’s on to make sure they win each week, ensuring she continues to stay without doing anything. Amanda is the most distraught of the quartet, saying through tears that she needs Bob’s guidance to survive. Shay tries to reassure them that they will all be fine because they will work their butts off to stay in the game.

Upstairs, the Blue team commiserates and Dina mentions to Rudy that if they are split up, it will kill her in this competition. She says that Rudy has been her rock, that he’s always supported her and had her back, no matter what. When she stressed out about her numbers, not only was Rudy there for moral support, but he also stepped up his workouts to make sure they were safe as a team.

Rudy tries to comfort her, telling her that if they are split up, they won’t be teammates anymore, but they’ll still be friends. It also might help her see that she can rely on herself to get through this on her own.

The players gather outside where Alison and Tracey are waiting. If I’m on the ranch at this moment, I’m playing hardball. I’ve had more than enough of her scheming and not working, that I’d tell whoever ends up on a team with her (especially if it’s me), to throw the Weigh-In. Basically do what she’s done all season, which is nothing, and force her team below the Yellow Line. Unless she has Immunity (and watch her magically get that later in the show), she’s unanimously gone. It would piss off Bob and Jillian, but it would be worth it to get rid of her.

Still, I doubt the others are as ruthless, and that’s to their credit from a moral standpoint. So with that, it’s time for Tracey to pick the teams. Though Dina says in private that there’s no telling what she’ll do, I think it’s fairly obvious. Leading up to this bit, we saw one theory that she’ll stack the deck for her team, we saw Amanda worry about losing Bob as a trainer, and we saw Dina worry about losing Rudy as a teammate. Bet dollars to donuts that Rudy and Dina will be split up, Amanda will have to train with Jillian, and Tracey’s team will be stacked.

Before the decision is announced, Bob and Jillian emerge from their hiding place to join the action. Jillian notices the Blue and Black shirts, and immediately realizes what’s about to happen. Needless to say, she’s not happy that the workout plans she and Bob have worked on for the last month are about to be thrown out the window for the sake of manufactured drama. Both trainers are also severely pissed that Tracey has the power. She laps it up like the bitch she is. Sorry, I know this is a family site, but it needs to be said.