The Biggest Loser 3, Finale: Say What?

Kai finds the party life still has allure for her. After one party, she is badly hungover and makes a video entry to record her regrets over what she did. Well, we’ve all been there. Well, maybe not recording it, not that part. Me, I wish I could have seen Kim’s face as Kai was chugging down all those shots. Kai also finds he workout regime is compromised when she’s too faded to do it properly. Well, we’ve all been there, too.

Before the four come out, Caroline Rhea chats with the trainers. To Bob she says, “Everyone in the world would like to have you as their trainer.” Well, maybe not Wylie… or Jaron. Asked to give advice to the assembled masses, Bob says, “Don’t wait until January 1st when you can start today. It’s the first day of the rest of your life. You can do it, you can do it!” Gotta say, the first line was the most inspirational of the three.

Caroline asks Kim how the show changed her life. Kim says, “It’s all been overwhelming and crazy, but, they totally change my life. I’ve been a trainer for twelve years and I’ve always said, “I’m just a trainer.” Now, with these guys, it’s “I’m a trainer, I’m changing lives. And I didn’t realize that until I went through this journey with these guys.”

Our next series of final four at-home videos was made when there were two weeks to go. Wylie is down to size 32. He’s learned that when he falls off the program, he picks himself up and gets going again.

Kai is no longer the party girl, and now fits into a size eight. Seeing a single-digit number stuns Kai. She says, “I hope Erik is at home, speed-eating pastrami sandwiches.” Gee, did that need to be said?

Too bad Kai, but a clip of Erik shows a man who is working out hard. Not only that, but it’s evident he’s lost some serious weight since the last episode.

Back to Kai, she tells us she wants to be the first female Biggest Loser. But Erik has the date of this live show marked on his calendar with a simple “D-DAY $250,000.00” notation.

In this next sequence, Caroline Rhea introduces the foursome one at a time. They enter by running through a cutout of their larger self. Old video accompanies their introduction. The problem is, it all goes mute unless Caroline is actually on screen. Further, when the director selects her shot, Caroline is chattering excitedly in mid-sentence to the audience. This problem remains for pretty much the rest of the show. Why am I thinking the “Best Audio” Emmy is at risk here? Best Director, too.

At any rate, Wylie is looking really good. He says he’s beating his demons and, “I feel like I could fly.” Kai is next, and she looks good too. Caroline asks Kai about looking so good and she responds in a dorky party dialogue my ear doesn’t pick up so well, but seems there are no lingering ego issues.

Erik comes out third. After looking at him for about a second, I can identify him as the winner. No doubt about it, really. The three amaze over each other at length as Caroline Rhea is almost losing control of proceedings. Erik admits that people don’t even recognize him any more.

Last out is Heather. Heather’s profile is the most remarkable of them all – she’s very pregnant. This ought to be an interesting weigh-in! Seriously, we learn that she is, in fact, five months pregnant. Caroline warns her, “That’s what happens when you are irresistible.” Apparently someone is giving Heather “a dream nursery,” but again, without full sound, who knows? Maybe it’s a loaner?

Hold on here, I have some questions. Five months pregnant? Five months ago, wasn’t she at the ranch? I’m willing to assume a little rounding in Heather’s favor on that one, but why didn’t the show’s medical tests discover this at some point? Doesn’t there have to be a point in the game where she ought to have been pulled?

We must be a little early on the time chart, as some trivial interview questions follow. Wylie deflects the first one by using the now-senseless word, “Amazing.” Erik introduces a nervous Internet friend in the audience. I understand the guy was huge initially, and although he’s not small yet, he’s dropped well over a hundred pounds.

Caroline reminds us the fifty original contestants weighed 14,384 pounds and had a goal of losing four thousand pounds. Now at 10,103 pounds, the total loss of 4,281 pounds easily exceeds the two-ton objective.

During this segment, the sound actually gets fixed for a second. Then some idiot overrides the corrective action and we end up mute once again. Plus, a voiceover guy talks over Caroline as she sends us to commercial. This is poor, poor, poor.

Back live, Caroline Rhea tells us the third place finisher will get $25,000 and the second-place finisher, $50,000. Nice, but I’m betting they don’t beat Michael from Maine or Jaron, and they’re going home without a nickel.

Caroline Rhea tells Erik that since he lost the most weight at the ranch, he can set the order they weigh in. He asks Kai if she wants to go first, and she agrees. Erik also says he’s used to going last, so Wylie can go second.

The chart that follows shows the results in the sequence the competitors step on the big scale.

So our winner is… Erik !

In fact, he wins handily. Kai sets the record for losing the most weight for a female ever. She shouts out, “That’s right!” But no one has ever topped Erik’s numbers, either in gross weight or percentage.

Erik saves a bit of face for our trainers, as (only) his numbers top those of at-home ghost contestant Poppi. I guess there’s some redemption for Bob here.

Erik played the game hard to win it. Remember, the Blue Team kept Erik over Amy in a watershed vote, then he stabbed them all in the back. This included gaining weight on purpose one week. But, no one has ever lost an additional hundred pounds after leaving the ranch, either!

As the show ends, Caroline tells us, “Hang in, you can do it!”

In The Mail:

There was still more feedback on my campaign to eliminate the gaining of weight on purpose. One reader suggested using the “DYL” (“Dreaded Yellow Line”) concept right from the beginning. I like this idea, as it means the one going home is one of those most responsible for the team facing elimination in the first place.

In Conclusion:

Wow, great finish, despite the sound issues! I’m very proud of all our competitors.

I want to thank the many readers who have emailed me through the duration of this season. Some interesting and intelligent correspondence has resulted. If you have any final thoughts you’d like to share about this week’s finale (or pretty much any topic), let me know at the eAddress below. Otherwise, join me here in a few months for a recap of the next season, sprinkled as usual with my own observations and opinions.

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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