The Biggest Loser 2, Finale: The Final Weigh-In

Welcome to the two-hour finale of The Biggest Loser 2. This is the series that features overweight contestants in a competitive struggle to lose weight and, in the process, regain control of their lives. Challenges and temptations bar their way to a nice prize.

Last week, Matt was rejuvenated by a visit from his old wrestling coach, and Andrea won another reward challenge after changing the rules in the middle. Suzy and Andrea were the ones below the yellow line, and in a non-strategic move, it was soccer mom Andrea who was eliminated.

As a reference, the contestants in this year’s show are listed below. We’re down to the final four!

• Suzy, the single girl
• Matt, the ex-athlete
• Seth, the new dad

Eliminated, in order:

1. Reuben, the arrogant single guy
2. Kathryn, the loner attorney
3. Nick, the disruptive comedian
4. Ryan, the preacher’s daughter
5. Suzanne, the pushy bride to be
6. Jen, the med student
7. Pete, the devoted husband
8. Mark, cop and dirtbag associater
9. Shannon, the likeable diva
10. Jeff, the selfless doctor
11. Andrea, the soccer mom

Before we get going with the recap, I thought I’d share the results of my little poll with you. The results of almost 200 respondents were pretty clear. 58% of you are rooting for Suzy to win, with Matt second at 30% and Seth trailing. As to who you think will actually win, it was Matt leading with 81%, with Seth at 13%.

Leading opinions for the $100,000 consolation prize were Dr. Jeff at 55% and Pete, with about half that. Of the others, Mark had 7.5% of your vote; Suzanne had 6.5% and the rest are splitting up about 7% (I’ve rounded a little). We’ll see how those predictions work out. There were also some nice comments written. Too bad you didn’t email them to me so I could respond, but thanks anyway.

Now, on with the show!

This episode begins with some of flashbacks. I’m not recapping that; you’ve seen all these scenes before.

Voice-over guy tells us of the troubles our finalists are having. The former comforts of home are now obstacles. Suzy is having trouble working out in a vacuum. Matt is getting drawn into his old life. Seth finds he’s stretched too far and can’t work out and maintain the other aspects of his life.

Yes, it’s tough in the real world, that’s why so many of us battle weight issues. But our finalists are superstars in so many ways, you know they will find a way to overcome these obstacles.

Series host Caroline Rhea welcomes us to the live finale. The audience is enthusiastic. It’s obvious to me that Caroline has herself shed a few pounds herself. She looks great! Her hair is all big wavy, loose curls as well, not sure where I stand on that but it does make her look younger. She tells us it’s been five months since our trio left the ranch and went home.

Caroline also reminds us that this show “is not about surgery or quick fix gimmicks. This show is all about losing weight the old-school way, by diet and exercise only.” I believe that’s a dig at the Extreme Makeover and The Swan shows!

The eleven eliminated contestants are brought out. Ruben, Jen, and Mark look good. Suzanne, Shannon, Andrea, and Pete are not even recognizable, they look so much better! Almost everyone looks noticeably younger.

Comedian Nick is missing. That’s no surprise, as he never really bought into the process, fought with his trainer, and didn’t leave the ranch a happy man.

Caroline speaks to several of the eleven. Suzanne’s wedding dress fits very nicely. Humble Dr. Jeff is trying to practice what he preaches, and tries to be a model to his patients. Single-mother Shannon (who looks even younger than her real age) is now the kind of mom she always wanted to be.

Next we see our trio of finalists arriving home. Matt and Suzy are a bit scared that returning home, outside of the protective environment of the ranch. Seth is not as worried.

First we see Matt come home. He finds screaming family and friends in his back yard, and he is mobbed. He’s glad to be home. He tells them that he has changed his life, but needs their help to keep going.

Suzy is next, and the scene is similar. Her fists are clenched so tightly you can see the white knuckles. Suzy cries out, “I want to hug everyone here.”

Seth, too, is met by a rabid and supportive crowd, but indoors. He has a big, tender hug for his young son. Hearing him talk, his self-confidence is way up there. I’m such a softie for these homecomings!

Back in the studio, our gang-of-eleven have changed into their red and blue tank tops. That can only mean the weigh-in is coming! But first, Caroline brings out trainers Jillian and Bob amid much applause. I must humbly report: Jillian is a downright hottie! Tall Dr. Jeff picks little Jillian about a foot off the ground to hug her.

And in a total momentum-killer, Caroline goes into flashbacks about the scale, and some of the weigh-ins. Jeepers, it’s not even a real scale!

Finally that ends and Caroline uses it to segue into an explanation of the $100,000 prize. The eliminated contestant who has lost the greatest percentage of weight (from day one at the ranch until now) will win the money.

The contestants step on the scale in the order they were eliminated. A film montage (that I also will not be recapping) is shown before each contestant weighs in. Nothing new there, but suffice to say, comparing everyone on tape to the live person is truly inspirational.