The Biggest Loser 4, September 11 – The Selection and Rejection

It’s going to take two or three trips to get the baggage loaded. The Blue Team leads initially, and gains even more time loading the plane. With two people trying to get the wheels rolling while the others pull the ropes, the Red Team gets their plane rolling, if I dare use this word, easily, and they take over the lead. Lezlye and Amber seem to have a superior technique on the wheels that the Blue team ladies haven’t discovered. Sure enough, the Red Team crosses the finish line while the Blue Team never really gets untracked on this part of the challenge.

I notice the Blue Team does not complete the task – that was a major issue with the newly-returning Gray Team last season that seems to escape detection tonight.

Predictably, the Red Team is elated while the Blue Team members are discouraged. Everyone on the Red Team is a weepy mess over their letters from home.

It’s time for the last-chance workouts. Both teams work hard in this sprint to the finish. Patti works so hard that she needs to make purposeful use of the barf bucket, which actually impresses Bob no end. Bob’s a weird guy, ya know?

It is time for the Elimination Weigh-In. The trainers are present again. I guess that’s the way it will be this season, although I always felt it was good TV when the teams had to relay the results to their trainer the next morning.

Carolyn calls upon the Red Team first. When they finished, the Blues needed to lose more than 83 pounds to win.

Jillian was completely stunned by the big loss by Kae – the dropped-jaw look on her face just would not go away! But the best reaction was from Jerry. After Alison informed Jerry he has lost more weight than any previous contestant has in a single week, he said, “This is for all the people who get into the shows on a senior citizens’ pass!”

In a later cameo, Bryan of the Red Team says that he hates to lose, but cannot deny that the Blue Team earned his respect this week.

The scene ends with Alison telling the Red Team that they have an elimination meeting ahead. As the biggest loser on the losing team, Phil is exempt from the vote. Alison says, “You have until tomorrow night to determine which team member is weighing you down.

The Red Team and Kim discuss the elimination. After Bryan nobly tries to take some of the blame, Lezlye suddenly puts the blame squarely on Amber, saying she has repeatedly let the team down. Pretty much everyone piles on to some degree once the topic has been breached, with captain Phil saying he’s embarrassed that he chose her for his team.

However, trainer Kim says, “This is your life. You get one body, you get one chance. I’m not going to let you quit!” I think the point is moot, based on the looks on the faces of Amber’s teammates.

The players are next show filing into the elimination room. Votes are written on cards hidden in classy silver serving dishes with lids, and are revealed in turn as Alison calls upon them.

Lezlye votes first, for Amber. Amber has the next seat, and she returns the favor. But then Amy, David, and Paul all quickly do the expected thing and Amber is eliminated, 4-1 with one vote (that of Bryan) unread. Amber says, “Bye” and leaves the table.

In her funeral video Amber tells us she still intends to pursue weight loss on her own. More current video shows us that Amber has now lost 65 pounds and can now run on a treadmill. She has dropped from a size 28 dress to an 18, and wants to fit into a ten by the finale. She can do her job more effectively, too. Good for you, Amber!

In Conclusion
Since I’m always in the mood for charts, here are the original weights for the Black Team that are only available on the NBC website. They start off at a slightly lower number, having two of the smallest women (including the smallest), and three of the five smallest guys.

Next week, The Biggest Loser 4 has another two-hour episode slated on Wednesday, 8PM ET/PT, featuring the return of the Black Team to the campus. Can you wait for the stare-down? Join me here Thursday for a recap of all the action, sprinkled with my own reactions and opinions. And let me know what you think about it all at the eAddress below!

Born and raised in Toronto, Brian can be reached at uncle_bto@rogers.com. He’d like to hear your opinions and promises to respond to all serious email.