The Biggest Loser, Episode 6: The Incredible Shrinking Men… and Women!

I feel good tonight. This week’s show was pushed up an hour due to the Christmas tree lighting in Rockefeller Center, which I watched, of course. Reality alum, Clay Aiken and Jessica Simpson both performed on the show. Clay’s “Walking in a Winter Wonderland” was pleasant enough, but Jessica’s “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” was rather bizarre. She pronounced Claus, clows! Very strange indeed.

We open with a quick rundown of last week’s show, including the emotional reward that the Red team won where they had a chance to watch videos of their loved ones. But Team Blue prevailed at the weigh-in and Andrea lost the most weight. Dave was sent packing, much to the relief of everyone concerned.

Before the show begins, there is a brief clip of Matthew, who has lost 68 pounds since leaving the show. He’s still not smoking and his mother has quit as well. Win or lose, Matt’s a success story. Lizzeth is also doing well and looking great.

After eliminating Dave, Team Red files into the living room where the Blue team is waiting. Kelly Mac starts asking questions, accusing Ryan of plotting to get rid of the women. Gary finally lets loose and tells her to leave Ryan alone. Kelly is finding trouble where there is none. Give it a rest, lady. Certainly, tensions are elevated. What’s interesting is that the coffee table is laden with snack foods. No wonder they are tense.

Jillian is punishing Team Red by having them do 500 each of pushups, sit-ups, lunges and squats. They struggle, but manage to accomplish this feat, and Jillian is impressed and inspired by their growth. After a brief outburst, Lisa tells us that she is so proud of all of them for succeeding. Meanwhile,Team Blue is having breakfast. Kelly tries to reassure Gary that she is not “gunning” for him and says that Maurice is the one in jeopardy. He had the gall to eat two sausages for breakfast. For shame.

Mo tells us that he is not feeling well. His stomach is upset and he is aching all over. Trainer Bob arrives and tells the group that they are going to do a run. Mo says he can’t do it. Bob gets right on him, and Mo walks away. Bob tells him that he is choosing a path and not to ask him for anything. Mo slumps dejectedly back upstairs to his room, and the rest of the group hits the gym.

Good old Kelly Mac just has to get her nose into it and reassures Bob that he has a right to be upset. She spouts off a bunch of new-age mumbo jumbo, praising him for his goodness. He doesn’t react at first, but suddenly seems to have an awakening. He tells her that he feels as though he has failed Mo, and decides to go back and talk to him.

Mo is all pouty and feeling sorry for himself. He is still bugged about only having lost one pound at the weigh-in. Bob enters the room and apologizes. They have a heart to heart and Bob tells Mo that he will do anything to help him. “When you give to me, I will give everything to you.” Mo says that “communication is the key,” and the two hug.

Jillian has her team in the kitchen for a lesson in label reading. “When in doubt, read the ingredients,” she tells them. She makes a point to have Lisa read the label on a juice bottle. Although the label indicates 15 calories per serving, Jillian asks her to read the serving size. The 16 ounce bottle is actually two servings, not one. Education is an important part of the process in maintaining weight loss in the “real world.”

It’s time for the challenge. Caroline meets them at the beach in Malibu and tells them that they will be participating in mock lifeguard training program. The challenge involves running a course with medicine balls and life preservers. The reward? A complete makeover at Umberto’s in Beverly Hills. Plus, the winner gets to chose who sits out the weigh-in. Team Blue has to pick one player to sit out the game and, in a random draw, Kelly Mac’s name is picked. So, it’ll be Gary, Mo and Andrea for Team Blue.

The race begins. Gary is looking strong, but Mo is moving like a snail. Andrea is kicking some butt as well. As the race progresses, they are all huffing and puffing. Kelly is very frustrated watching, figuring she could have done better. Team Red pulls ahead. Ryan says he feels like David Hasselhof! Lisa finishes first and grabs the flag, securing a win for Team Red. And, of course, she cries.

Mo tells us that it wasn’t even close. Andrea says she is sick and tired of “losing f…ing challenges,” and Kelly tells us that it’s no secret that she will be voting Maurice off next. Kelly Mac would have done better, but how much better? I guess we’ll never know.

Team Red arrives at Umberto’s and are greeted by the “man” himself. They are all garbed in black “U” robes and the makeovers begin. They all get new cuts and Ryan has some highlights put in. It’s a nice, relaxing day, and a fine reward for a job well down. Meanwhile, Team Blue is working it out in the gym, resentful as is their wont!

Team Red returns, and Kelly Mac starts tossing barbs immediately. The other Kelly tells us that her team has gotten rid of the negative influences and she doesn’t appreciate this behavior. Kelly Mac makes a comment about Lisa having the “Rachel” haircut. This doesn’t go over well at all, and Lisa points out that the “Rachel” was from “like 1991.”

Team Red is debating over which member of the Blue Crew they should pick to sit out the weigh in. Because this week’s show is only an hour, it seems that we will be getting right to it. The teams march in to the giant scale room with dramatic music playing in the background. Caroline greets them and asks Team Red which member of the Blue team they have chosen to sit out the weigh-in. Kelly tells her they have chosen Mo, figuring he goes back and forth and poses the biggest threat. She say’s he’s due for a big week.

Maurice gets to step up anyway. He’s still not slender, but Kelly was right. He has had a big week and lost 11 pounds. Mo is finally under 300 pounds and has lost a total of 47 pounds to date. Now for the “official” weigh-in. Kelly Mac is first. She has lost nine pounds! Her total so far is 42 pounds. Red team’s Ryan is next. He’s dropped 16 pounds, for a total of 68 pounds. Wow! The before and after shots really tell the story. They are all shrinking away before our eyes!

Andrea has slimmed down dramatically. Her total this week, seven pounds. She’s lost 37 pounds since she started. Lisa lost nine pounds this week and is under 200. To date, she lost a total of 40 pounds. They each have one person left to be weighed. Gary carries the burden for the Blue team. His current weight… we break for commercial.

Back to the action. Rewind to Gary getting on the scale. He has to have lost at least nine pounds to maintain the lead. The pressure is on. And his loss for the week… four pounds. They are screwed. Kelly tells us that she is pretty sure that Mo will be going home this week. Red team’s Kelly has lost 14 pounds and is under 200 pounds at last.

Caroline tells the Blue team that they have a day to decide who is “weighing them down.” Team Red has a little chat with Gary who, is conflicted. They suggest that a tie would be a neat little solution. If there is a tie, then, it seems as though the Red team would pick to leave.

Bob and the Blue Crew get together and commiserate. They are certainly looking downtrodden. Bob tries to cheer them up and fails miserably. He encourages them to continue their work. I like Bob’s approach. He knows when to back off and when to push.

We have the “memorial” film clip of each member of the team, and watch as they go through their paces. They have all done so well. I am particularly impressed by Andrea. She has really done incredibly well and, in the process has transformed, not just her body, but her self-esteem as well. I wouldn’t be surprised to see her go all the way. But first, she has to survive tonight’s elimination. I don’t think she has to worry. I would be willing to bet that Maurice will be leaving tonight.

The moment of truth is upon us. Caroline greets the Blue team as they gather for the elimination. What is up with her hair, anyway? She’s got it all piled up in an updo that looks about three days old. And don’t get me started on her top, a filmy, peasant number in a particularly appalling shade of lime green.

The team members are able to avert their eyes from Caroline’s hideous garb and reveal their votes. Kelly Mac loses it and starts crying as she reveals her vote. She apologizes to Maurice for voting for him. Mo votes for Kelly who then gives him a kiss. Andrea says she had to look at what’s best for the team and starts crying too. This is hard.

Andrea votes Maurice as well and he responds by rubbing her back understandingly. Gary is also having a hard time with all of this, but points out that this is a game. He says that he knows that voting for the person he voted for will cause a tie, but feels this is good strategy. Kelly Mac lashes out at him, saying that she is amazed that he fooled her.

The Red team will now decide who will go home. They can choose any one of them, not just Kelly or Mo. Wow, this is intense. Caroline gives them the lowdown, and Ryan speaks for the team. He says that living so close with all these people gives them the opportunity to get to know one another very well. The team has picked Kelly, figuring she has he potential to lose a lot of weight. Plus, she’s a pain in the butt, although he doesn’t come right out and say this.

Kelly says she is feeling kind of “loserish, and not in a good way.” She wishes that her own team had voted her off. Caroline bids her farewell. Kelly’s parting words are, “Dre, kick some ass.” Calling this a “path to self-discovery,” she says that “knowing that you can” do this is the big bonus. Since leaving the show, she has lost an additional 63 pounds and looks like an entirely different person. Her favorite pastime now? Shopping for clothes, of course! You go Kelly.

Incidentally, Dave and Aaron were on Access Hollywood Tuesday night talking about their experiences on the show. They have both continued to lose weight and look great. I hope they will have a reunion show as part of the finale so that we can see them all together once again. For all the criticism this show had up front, it is really turning out to be quite compelling.

Next week, the teams merge and Gary has an emotional reunion with his wife and children. The show returns to its normal time, 8:00 p.m. EST.

Donna Reynolds is an Assistant Editor for the RealityNewsOnline family of websites and a freelance writer based in Syracuse, NY. She is also the creator of “That’s Entertainment,” a weblog on syracuse.com. Whether you agree or disagree, Donna welcomes your comments, and you can email her at foxydonna@earthlink.net.

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