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

We’re back in the studio and Caroline is finally ready to bring out the final three. Seth is first. He busts through a wall-size picture of the old him, and he looks great! Seth is enthusiastic and says he feels great too, and has a passion for life again.

There is a little loose skin over Seth’s beltline. I suspect that’s true of several of them, and as I remember from my work on The Swan, there’s a tummy tuck in his future to get rid of that loose skin. That’s not abnormal with large weight losses, the skin is an organ with great elasticity, but there are limits!

Suzy comes out next. She has a little trouble getting through the wall, but she’s looking great too. In fact – yummy, and with guns! She’s so hyped up she’s almost out of control. She admits to Caroline that she now shops in the petite department.

Both Seth and Suzy think the other one looks terrific. Caroline begins, “There’s one more finalist to bring out…” and Suzy interjects, “Who’s that?” Seth suggests, “Let’s just call it a day.” They congratulate each other as Caroline laughs.

Finally, Matt is unleashed. He also looks fantastic. Caroline says, “I have never seen a haircut make such a difference, it’s unbelievable.” Matt knew he had to push himself hard at home and constantly find new challenges. Caroline says, “Even your scar is smaller.”

Caroline asks Suzy about the honor of “carrying the game for the women.” She was honored to do so.

There’s a quick flash to the audience and – hello, from season one, that’s Dave and Gary and I dunno, is it Kelly, Min, or Lisa? I should have been watching closer, I bet I missed others earlier in the show. But why weren’t they shown more formally?

It’s almost time for that final weigh-in, but Caroline brings out trainers Bob and Jillian first. Many hugs are shared. Caroline asks them how they motivated their charges. Bob tells us that Suzy needed to know she couldn’t go back to her old life, she was the new, improved version of Suzy. Jillian gets all tongue-tied on the same question. She finally says they did everything she ever asked of them.

Caroline announces they have a surprise for them – thanks to the folks at Jell-O, the runner up will get $50,000, and the third-place finisher will get $25,000!

As the biggest loser at the ranch, Matt gets to pick the order they will be weighed. It’s the order they’re standing – Seth, Suzy, Matt.

It seems that this year, the “percentage of body fat lost” factor has been eliminated from consideration.

Seth gets up first, and his weight has gone from the 291 pounds he was on day one at the ranch, to 168. That’s a 123-pound loss, or 42.27%. Seth is emotional at seeing those numbers and says, “I’m so proud!” He gets a big hug from Jillian.

Suzy is next. She needs to lose 96 pounds to pass Seth. Her weight has gone from 227 pounds to 132. That’s a 95-pound loss – one pound short! As a percentage, that’s 41.85%. Suzy mock-attacks Seth… three times… and screeches, “Oh my gosh!”

This sets up the possibility of another one pound victory – and the possibility that the person who lost the most weight will not wear the title of “The Biggest Loser!”

It’s Matt’s turn. Caroline notes that Matt is so competitive and asks, will he be OK no matter how it turns out? He says he will be, because he did everything he could to win, and if Seth wins, he deserves it. Matt also announces he’s been sober for nine months tonight. Outstanding!

OK, the final moment has arrived. Starting at 339 pounds, Matt needs to lose 144 pounds to win. And… his weight is only 182 pounds and his loss is an astounding 157 pounds! Percentage-wise, that’s 46.31% .

Confetti fills the stage as all rush to congratulate Matt. Caroline’s voice is so high-pitched that Suzy is jealous. Matt roars his approval with a huge grin on his face.

Caroline and voiceover-guy tell us about the specials that will be on in January. The shows will feature competitions between two couples, two families (of three), and four members of the Navy versus the Marines. We’ll see how that plays out!

My Own Thoughts:

This was a terrific ending to a great season! Matt turned out to be truly “The Biggest Loser” and well as the show prizewinner. It was nice that Seth and Suzy got something for their efforts, and that Pete was rewarded for his close victory over Mark.

Fully half of the contestants ended up with weight loss percentages of over 40%, which is astounding. The fact that only two of them were women indicates that they may need to make adjustments to their formulas to even the playing field, gender-wise. I’ve read a lot of suggestions, including many from readers, but nothing that is both simple and fair.

I note that the 185 pounds Pete lost is more than six of the women and three of the men now weigh!

Well, that’s the show. Join me here next January for recaps of the specials, sprinkled with my own opinions. Thank you again to those readers who gave me feedback last week, including those who completed the poll. I’m still very interested in your opinions, so let me know what you think at the eAddress below.

Brian lives in Toronto where he can be reached at Uncle_bto@rogers.com. He’d like to hear your opinions and promises to respond to all serious email.

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