The Biggest Loser 2, Episode 7: The Twist

Welcome to Week Seven of The Biggest Loser 2. This is the series that pits two teams of 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. This week, we have an extra-long episode, 90 minutes worth.

Last week, the women won a challenge that had Andrea and Mark running up and down a big escalator. Led by Dr. Jeff and Pete, the men won the weigh-in for the third week in a row and spunky med student Jen was eliminated. Most surprisingly, the ladies seem to be acting more like a team and less like a collection of individuals.

As a reference, these are the contestants in this year’s show are:

THE WOMEN (Blue Team, coach Bob):

• Andrea, the soccer mom
• Shannon, the diva
• Suzy, the single girl

THE MEN (Red Team, coach Jillian):

• Jeff, the doctor
• Mark, the cop
• Matt, the ex-athlete leader
• Pete, the devoted husband
• 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

Before we get rolling, we catch-up with Aaron from last season’s show. He’s down 60 pounds and looks super!

This episode begins for real with the women coming into the room where the men await to learn who was just eliminated. There’s a massive pile of cakes on the coffee table that everyone steadfastly ignores. I feel sorry for the chefs who prepare a nice spread like that and find out that no one was enticed to sample it.

Seeing that it was his (perhaps not so) new ally Jen who is gone, Mark abruptly walks out. Foolishly, Andrea goes after him, and is told, “Don’t ever talk to me again, you’re the stupidest people I know.” Andrea is incredulous. He calls the girls, “The hairdresser crowd.” Wow. Suzy’s going to be surprised to hear Mark thinks her sweaty straw-hair is H-O-T!

Andrea shares with the other gals that Mark thinks, “We’re stupid people.” In an aside, Andrea recognizes that Mark is upset because he lost his potential alliance buddy.

In case there’s any doubt of his game playing skills, later that day Mark seems to feel the need to confront Shannon about their lack of comfort together. From his way of speaking, it’s clearly her fault! “I don’t want to be uncomfortable living in the house,” says Shannon. Mark tosses it back to her in a contrived, smarmy manner. In an aside, Shannon tells us, “You don’t need to be disrespectful, we share a common bond.”

Really, Mark has brought this on himself and he’s made himself a target. Does he have so many votes in his favor he can throw away all the rest with such little disregard?

The teams are assembled again, this time it’s Caroline’s doing it. She reminds us that the biggest losers on each team in 55 days have been Pete, having lost 76 pounds, and Suzy, at 41.

And after further blather, she announces the dissolution of the teams! They will be divided into teams of two, and weigh-ins will be based on the team-of-two’s results. Elimination voting will be done by the other six players. This makes Suzy nervous.

Ex-athlete Matt doubts he can be buddies with a former competitor so easily, but Mark caps it with, “I don’t like anybody on the Girls’ team!” Myself, I’m betting it’s mutual!

Caroline, who unlike Julie Chen can sense drama, gets Mark to say, “I deal with dirtbags at work and I don’t feel like dealing with them here. And now you’re telling me I’m going to be paired up with one of them, it makes me sick.” Suzy is getting weepy and all the women are looking down. There’s only one dirtbag here Mark… it’s YOU!

I must comment. I don’t see any of the other men disagreeing with Mark, either. Personal foul on the Red Team! Unlike most reality shows, which are frequented with “Type-A” personalities, this show is populated with folks who are a tad low on self-esteem already.

The ladies are mute until prompted by Caroline. Andrea responds in one word – “Disgusted.” In a cameo, Matt is certain the ladies can’t motivate him.

Caroline then reveals the last part of the twist – the players will decide the teams themselves! She sends them down the hall, and it’s temptation time.

This week, platters are set forth on a table. Our band of eight is told that under one platter is a confirmation that they will be the one to control the setting of the new teams. The rest contains food that must be eaten. Who will eat and who will take a passive role? And, a question that never gets answered, what happens if no one chooses the platter with the confirmation on it?

Matt and Suzy claim a platter right away. Then, Pete. Then, reluctantly, Andrea. When the dust has settled (aka. after the next commercial) only Shannon (who didn’t want the power) and Dr. Jeff (who promised his family he would never take a temptation) stand behind and have not claimed a platter. Everyone else is in!

Several of the players admit, they claimed platters to get control of the game without thinking of the consequences of losing. Well, it’s time to uncover the platters. Seth opens his first – it’s two donuts. Suzy gets a pair of Twinkies, which she says she doesn’t even like. Then, Pete gets the “Control Card.” He wins!

The rest open their platters to see what they have to eat. It looks like Andrea and Mark have pizza, and Matt has carrots.

So, Pete has control. In two hours, he has to announce his decision of how the players will be paired off. In a group meeting, he asks everyone for their input. Matt speaks up right away and asks for Seth as his partner. Dr. Jeff has no preference. Shannon gets weepy that the guys have made the women so uncomfortable. “I don’t like the tension,” she says. Boy, they miscast her as “the diva,” didn’t they?