Biggest Loser 5: Couples, Episode 15 – Another Sign of the Upcoming Apocalypse

Last time: A trip to Australia threw all our players into a tizzy. Schedules were disrupted and despite the lessons of twelve weeks of prior training, results tanked across the board. Brothers Jay and Mark actually gained weight. When it came to elimination, Jay fell on his sword and the others let him.

Following is a list of the players still remaining in the game.

• Roger, seemingly unstoppable for the big win
• Mark, an emotional brotherless wreck
• Ali, trying to win for the ladies
• Kelly, outsider in the house and outsider to win

Right off the top, voiceover guy spills the “secret” about the big twist at the end of this episode – that America will decide who makes it to the finale. In my mind, this is a really bad idea. More on this later.

This week’s action begins some time after the last elimination ceremony. Mark vows to do his best for his brother Jay. Roger, however, is focused on getting past the final weigh-in and making the finale. Kelly speaks of how tough it has been and how proud she is to be keeping the Black Team from going extinct. As for Ali, her goal is unchanged – she just wants to be the first female biggest loser.

Series host Alison welcomes the four back from Australia. She reminds them of the prize at stake, and that they are here this week without a trainer. Actually, I think the players remembered both those things. Alison sends them to get changed into workout gear after their 14-hour flight to “meet an old friend.” Kelly moans; she wanted some recuperation time.

A little later, all are reassembled in the yard. Alison is standing behind a table that’s holding four silver platters, each labeled with a player’s name. She tells them there’s something special for each of them, but someone else can explain things better… and from just off-screen, celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito pops out. You probably remember that Rocco was on hand to judge a competition back in Episode 6.

Rocco tells the contestants that he spoke to their loved ones to find out what their favorite foods used to be, and based on the recipes he was given, Rocco has made each. Roger likes his mom’s pepper steak, Kelly’s weakness is chicken Alfredo, Mark likes ice cream, and Ali goes for a big steak and potatoes. The calorie counts of each are enormous.

Rocco tells them that he’s going to make healthy versions of their favorite meals. Alison says, “This time, Rocco is going to be cooking for you guys!” Everyone is excited by the prospects of learning from Rocco.

In a cameo, Rocco recommends using very hot pans. With hot pans, less fat is required to cook the food.

It’s time to start cooking, and Rocco makes Roger’s meal first. It looks wonderful, with a nice, thick sauce. By substituting items such as balsamic vinegar for red wine, Roger’s meal has changed from over 1700 calories to a mere 385 calories!

One of the changes to Kelly’s chicken meal is to replace white flour with chickpea flour. The result is an improvement from almost 1500 calories to a mere 500.

Ali’s Mexican meat-and-potatoes has been improved from 1500 calories to just 511. Lean tenderloin is replacing her prime rib, which Rocco assures her it will taste just as good.

For Mark, Rocco is making ice cream. Using skim milk and fat-free yogurt are among the changes to the normal recipe that reduces his calorie count from 810 calories for three scoops to only 270.

As they sit down to dinner together, the competitors are appreciative of their feast. Mark toasts both Rocco and his fellow competitors. Rocco’s recipes are here on the NBC website if you’re interested in further details.

The next day, contestants are shown in the gym adjusting to life without a trainer. We see video evidence of their first workouts interspersed with today’s efforts, and the advances they’ve made are stupendous. As Kelly works out, she marvels how far she’s come and tells us, “I might, one day, even enjoy running!”

As he’s working out, Mark asks himself, “W. W. B. D.?” which stands for, “What Would Bob Do?” He thinks he has the knowledge from Bob to be successful and hopes he can get through this week without him.

Time has advanced, though we’re not told how far. At a beach, the teams meet hostess Ali, who is looking sharp in a soft leather cowboy-inspired hat. Nearby, a wooden box big enough to comfortably hold the trainers stands beside her. Kelly thinks it’s big enough to hold “a really nice gift.”

Alison tells the players that it’s time for the fifteenth and final challenge, and that today, they must battle their greatest adversary. As the huge box falls open, a garish fat suit is revealed! Everyone moans. The picture that accompanies this article shows Alison standing behind the suit. Thanks God it’s a rear view, though that’s bad enough. Fortunately, they don’t make the players wear the boots!

Alison tells them that a body suit has been prepared for each, tailored to recreate their body shapes from day one and loaded with equivalent weight to what they’ve subsequently lost. Ali asks us, “I spent fifteen weeks getting it [her weight] off, and you’re going to make me to put it back on?” Apparently, yes.