The Biggest Loser 4, November 6: It’s Not Easy Being Green!

Last week, Neil, Ryan, and Amy all followed up their cheating by posting nice numbers, and thus were able to aid their teams in avoiding elimination. As a result, David was sent home. There were probably challenges and workouts going on too, but the primary focus of the episode was really on various responses to Neil’s questionable game play of the previous week.

Mid-week, I learned that tonight is going to be a two-hour episode. Shockingly, as the show came on my local station tonight they aired the warning, “Due to some graphic and mature adult content, parental control is advised.”

What, on this show? Does Bill kill Neil? Over dinner, does the topic lurch toward religion or George Bush? Are clandestine lovers caught on a fuzzy night cam? Does Jillian cuss in the gym? Does Julie (sorry, Julie, I had to pick on someone) have a “Janet Jackson moment” during a challenge? And if so, why hasn’t NBC been promoting the heck out of it all week long?

The show begins with a series of cameos from the players. A sad Bryan is lamenting that with David gone, he is now alone in the game. He worries that if he is sent home, Kim won’t have anyone to train. Next, Neil tells us he welcomes the target on his back, and Isabeau informs us she’s “in it to win it.”

Accompanied by some of the most cheerful music this side of Sunnybrook Farm, series host Alison Sweeney tells the teams, “It’s Green Week!” Everyone will wear a green shirt with a recycle logo on the back. Alison tells them, “You are all going to be doing some recycling… starting with your teams.” The trios are now history, and new duos will be formed.

Alison uncovers a serving platter, and inside is a large meat pizza. Standing beside it all along has been an oversized soda that probably had not been overlooked by any of the participants. In a cameo, Bill describes the pizza as “a dream come true for anyone but us.”

The contestants will have to guess the combined caloric content of these two items, and the closest will win the right to pick their own partner. As a duo they will name the next duo, who will in turn select the third duo. That will be repeated once again, and by default, define the two remaining players that will comprise the fifth and final duo.

Guesses range from Bill’s guess of 2,145 calories up to Hollie’s idea of 4,079 calories.

Before we learn the answer, Bob has a “Green Tip” for us, suggesting we recycle used aluminum cans. Gosh, is it actually necessary to tell people that in this day and age? Maybe everyone doesn’t live in an area supported by a recycling center or collection process, but is it unknown that aluminum cans ought to be recycled wherever possible? Scary.

Back from an ensuing commercial spree, Alison finally tells us that the real answer was 3,253 calories… only 13 away from Nicole’s guess! That is broken down as 2,880 calories for the pizza and 373 calories for the soda. What, is there no double-cheese on that pizza? No dipping sauce? I had guessed 5,000, myself, so I wasn’t even close!

Winning the first pick, Nicole selects Neil as her partner. In an aside, Neil confides he’s not thrilled by this development, and Nicole has had trouble putting up big numbers. But it’s a done deal, and together, they partner up Ryan and Isabeau, who then name Julie and Bill as the third team. As the first team was all-Blue, Isabeau created this all-Black team by design.

The next team formed by Bill and Julie is comprised of their own teammate, Hollie, and the free agent, Bryan. That means Amy and a displeased Kae are left together. A flashback reminds us that Amy had a noisy moment over Kae while talking with the Black Team in the last episode, saying that she wanted her to go home. Kae knows this and figurers it will be an uncomfortable partnership.

Keeping the “green” theme going, Alison next informs the team that they will not be working out on electronic equipment this week. Julie knows she’s going to miss electricity, while Bill is afraid they are going back to the desert.

Kae wonders if Amy will work as hard as she can, or just try and ride Kae’s success. She fears that if they fall below the line, the others will oust Kae because she’s been losing so much weight. Sure enough, after returning from a run, Kae comes inside to discover Amy sleeping on a couch. She fears that Amy searches for “the easy path” and she does not want to be dragged below the yellow line.

It’s Jillian’s turn for a “Green Tip,” and it’s about the massive number of plastic shopping bags in the world. She suggests employing a reusable canvas bag instead. Me, I have a few almost-the-same-size boxes that I keep reusing, because they nest tightly together for storage in the trunk and they hold the cartons and cans better than a bag. Hey, any solution that isn’t generating more of those can’t-be-recycled plastic bags works for me!

The trainers stride up. Jillian confesses she expected to see Hollie gone. When they hear the news of the duos, Bob realizes Kae has been targeted and vows that he will make sure she has a good week.