|
|
The Biggest Loser 4, November 13: Flying Soloby Brian Towers -- 11/15/2007
Last week, new duos were formed and several “Green Week” tips were issued. Bill and Julie won SUVs, and Ryan was sent home. This week, the show is not preceded by any warning messages, so I guess there won’t be any rude tee shirts this time out. Action begins right after the last elimination with series host Alison Sweeney reminding the players that after nine weeks, half of them are gone. She also reminds them of the $250,000 prize. I think Neil remembered the cash prize. Alison delivers the formal message that the teams are now dissolved, and every player is on their own. This is not much of a surprise, as a duo with only one person in it (Isabeau) doesn’t make a whole ton of sense. 
The next day, Bob catches up with his remaining trio and learns Ryan is gone. Bob becomes upset at Neil. He assumes Neil is playing games again and says he could never write down a teammate’s name. Neil defends himself by saying he talked to Ryan beforehand. Bob counters with, “You can do whatever you want, but I’m not stupid.” When Jillian meets her team, she is pleased to see Isabeau is still in the game. Jillian asks Amy to move in closer with the rest. Jillian calls Amy her “red-headed step child,” which Bill modifies to “red-shirted step child.” This makes the others laugh, and Amy slides up… about three inches closer than before. In a cameo, Amy confides she is worried about the game play ahead and thinks she is an easily discarded outsider. Jillian advises her team that now is the time one takes out the threats in the game. I’m thinking that would be her own Bill, plus Kae and then Neil from the Blue Team, who are all well ahead in the statistical race. Somehow Isabeau sees “Kae, Neil, and B” as the threats, and Jillian agrees. Privately, Bill tells us he knows he’s also a target and needs to keep himself above the yellow line. A little later, Amy waits in the Red Team’s dorm. Eventually Kim comes in. Amy returns her red shirt to Kim, but thanks her for what she did and wishes her the best. Kim responds by returning the shirt and hoping that it reminds her of the Amy who worked for the team, before she quit on them. Amy drops the shirt on the bed beside her and says she doesn’t think the Red Team members are mad at her. Kim says, “They’re not mad, they’re disappointed in you, absolutely disappointed. As they should be. As I am,” and then launches into a rant about teamwork. Real professional there, Kim. The chances of Amy wearing ANY red shirt over the next ten years or so are mighty slim, I think! Surprisingly, this does not motivate Amy to clutch the red shirt to her bosom and weep noisily for Kim’s forgiveness. In a cameo, Kim says she was insulted by the return of the shirt and thinks Amy will regret the decision for the rest of her life. I’m guessing that’s just not going to happen. The scene ends with Kim asking Amy not to give back the shirt, “because it’s a slap in the face to me,” and turns away. Amy leaves without the shirt. Amy comes up to Jillian in the gym wearing a black shirt for the first time. She gets a big hug, and Bill and Isabeau, who are also present, cheer their approval. Jillian promises Amy “extra-special beatings today.” It’s time for a Temptation Challenge. In the backyard are several tables piled high with donuts. Literally, there are thousands and thousands of donuts, which is actually more obscene than a “Disco Sucks” tee-shirt. Everyone is enjoying the aroma. Bryan says privately, “When I eat donuts, I can run through a dozen without a problem… a half dozen… no, a dozen… without a problem.” Alison tells the contestants that in one donut, there is a hidden token that is worth $5,000. They have to search the donuts by breaking them up until the token is found. However, there is a price to be paid: to play each 60-second round, one entire donut must be consumed. Bryan estimates the donuts are going to cost them at least 300 calories. 
Alison also explains that they will keep playing additional rounds until the token is found, with each round requiring consumption of another donut by those wishing to continue the hunt. Only Kae declines to participate. Good for you, Kae, you’re the smart one! Meanwhile, Neil insists this is the best donut he’s ever had. No one finds the token in round one, although they have great fun destroying as many of the donuts as they can. For round two, Nicole joins Kae on the sidelines, but all the rest decide it’s worth another try. In round two, again no one finds the token. Some consider dropping out at this point, but Alison entices them by saying that there will be no time limit in the third round. In fact, only Julie drops out at this point, leaving six in the hunt. Eventually, right where Isabeau had been hunting earlier, Bill finds the lucky donut and claims the prize. Now he has enough money to put gas in that SUV he won last week! A friendly food fight ensues with Bill as the main target. In a cameo, Bill tells us the money is going directly into college funds for his kids. Smart man, Bill! As the scene ends with a scan of the donut carnage, it’s apparent there’s a serious waste of food here. I wonder what they did with thousands of mostly smashed-up donuts? Maybe they gave them to some homeless people with great cholesterol numbers? Already it’s time to compete again! As they file into the gym they discover a line of spin bikes has been set up front and center. Alison explains that they will compete in what she calls “a 24K indoor triathlon.” Alison helpfully informs them that 24K is just shy of 15 miles. The first six who bike 20K will advance to the next stage, where they will run a 3K on a treadmill. The three who are ahead at that point continue to the pool, where they will swim the final kilometer. Sounds tough! What the winner gets is… a 24-hour trip home! If that’s not enough, the winner will also win immunity! Alison teases them by saying that they will also win “the power to make a very important decision.” That last part remains a secret for now, but Alison assures them that these are the highest stakes this season. Kai finishes the bike segment first, followed by Nicole, then Bill, Hollie, “B,” and Neil. This means Amy, Isabeau, and Julie are all eliminated. On the treadmills, everyone starts at the same time. I’m not sure that’s at all fair – Kae should have been able to retain her lead, just like in a real triathlon.
Hollie tells us that she has an extensive swimming background, but she’s not comfortable she can handle the running stage. Kae and Bill finish first and sure enough, it comes down to Hollie and “B” for third… and Hollie prevails. So, “B,” Neil, and Nicole are out. The third leg is swimming. A “mere” 40 lengths of the pool separates one of them from a trip home and immunity. Again, Kae gets no advantage from winning the previous leg. There’s not much suspense as Hollie (who Kae tells us is a swim coach) wins easily. It is a taxing effort, though. Bill finishes six laps behind, and Kae (who, I suspect, was mostly joyful that she did not drown), a dozen. From Alison’s blog, I learn that this segment didn’t finish until 3 AM! Alison informs Hollie that her third reward (besides the trip and immunity) is to award a second trip home and immunity to another person! Despite Alison insisting that Hollie make a choice, she has trouble doing so. She can’t decide if she should reward the person who misses home the most, or make a strategic move. How about Kae, the person who won two of the three legs? Eventually, we learn that Hollie has selected her teammate Julie. Julie is happy to be selected, but the others, notably Amy, are disappointed. Alison has one final warning for the two. They will weigh in along with the rest when they return and if they have gained weight, their immunity is revoked and they are at risk of elimination. Hollie hopes that won’t be an issue for her and that she can actually enjoy her time at home. I gotta say, if one day home overrides the week’s effort in the gym and nine weeks of nutritional and lifestyle training, I’m not optimistic about the chances of long-term success. Home time for both is rejuvenating. We first see clips of Hollie in Tucson, where she visits with a girlfriend, Antoinetta, who is impressed with the changes in Hollie. Next we see Julie (in Jacksonville, Florida) sneaking up on her husband and son. Her husband is very proud of Julie’s accomplishments. We find out that he’s lost 28 pounds on his own! Later, Julie helps order a proper meal for her family. She finds it a little scary to be making her own food choices after so long, but her supportive husband suggests to her that she has to put into practice the things she has learned. Back in Arizona, the girlfriends meet up with another friend, Tara. Tara is surprised how different Hollie looks. They have a meal together, and Hollie shows restraint by ordering a relatively responsible meal. But a no-cheese pizza? Ick! Meanwhile back at the Campus, Jillian meets with her team to hear the results of the challenge. Newly-black-shirted Amy is weeping because she wasn’t chosen for the reward. Huh? Jillian tells Amy she needs to focus on her workouts. Apparently, Amy has talked of leaving before, and Jillian can sense that this is a real crisis going on. Amy fears that she and Isabeau will be the ones below the yellow line. Jillian calls that “highly unlikely.” I can interject that she and Isabeau plus the two who are immune are the four who are currently below 20% of weight loss, so historically, that’s a valid assumption. Additionally, as the newcomer, she is less likely to be saved by the Black Team than Isabeau. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Back in Florida and at the beach, Julie enjoys working out her husband into submission. He takes it well.
Hollie takes her girlfriend Antoinetta to the gym. Now, Antoinetta is a big gal and I’m betting she’s not real familiar with the inside of a gym. To her credit, she gamely does as much as she can. Antoinetta asks Hollie how she made it through her first day and Hollie confesses, “I didn’t. I cried all day, and Jillian pushed me and yelled at me, and made me do it.” As her friend hovers over a barf bucket, Hollie continues to be very encouraging. It’s time for our wandering duo to get back to Campus. Julie has an especially tearful farewell with her family. Meanwhile, it’s the last-chance workouts, and the trainers are working them hard. Amy bemoans that with only three of them there, she’s getting Jillian’s full attention. And did you know that “B” is the last Red Team member in the game and represents Kim’s sole hope? If you didn’t, it’s the same spiel as last time and the time before that and the time before that, so you can get the gist of it from my last couple of articles. I try and stay neutral toward the participants, but just a small part of me wants “B” gone so this storyline can mercifully be put to bed! Over with the Blue Team, Neil is amazed that every week, Bob seems to be able to make his last-chance workouts harder than before. At the weigh-in, Alison reminds Julie and Hollie that if they gained weight they will not be immune to eviction. Based on their results, I’m going to guess that every meal they had wasn’t a diet special. But they survived. As everyone is weighed in, we see split-screen “before and after” pictures of them. The losses are now accumulating to the point where some of the differences are quite striking. Including this week, there have been over a thousand pounds lost at the Campus. Below, contestants are listed in the order they were weighed in. Here are all the results:
Congrats to Bill for making the hundred pounds barrier! As Alison tells “B” and Amy that they are the ones up for elimination, the other seven breathe a collective sigh of relief. The next day, the trainers come to meet their teams. Jillian learns Amy is at risk but counts noses and knows (sorry, bad pun) that Amy ought to be safe. However, Isabeau indicates she’s not so sure, because Amy keeps saying she wants to go home. Jillian turns to Amy and asks, “You want to be here, correct?” and Amy is just a second too slow in responding, “…Yes.”
As the meeting breaks up, they try to make the vote suspenseful by showing several people who seem to be undecided. Isabeau admits to Jillian that “B” is a bigger threat. Bill sees both of them as a threat, and quotes some numbers to Jillian without formally making a point. Some of it was that “B” has been heavy forever, whereas with Amy it’s only the last couple of years. Kim comes to the dorm to see “B” packing, but asks him if he was above or below the line anyway. I’d have thought that was obvious. Both are concerned about the complete elimination of the Red Te… naw, I can’t type all that out again, and I doubt you want to read it, either. Talking with the three un-nominated ladies of the Black Team (Julie, Isabeau, and Hollie), Neil says that Amy has tried to stab them all in the back at some point. We didn’t see all of that, I don’t think, but all immediately nod their agreement with him. Neil then finds “B” and tells him that Isabeau is an undecided voter and that “B” needs to fight to stay. “B” seeks Isabeau out and finds her in her dorm. Isabeau confirms she is still undecided and although she doubts Amy’s desire to stay at the Campus, she worries that voting against Amy sends a worrisome message to Hollie and Julie. “B” tells her that he’s not sure he can keep up the effort level at home yet. The scene ends with Isabeau saying that if she writes his name down, it’s not what she wants to do. All nine players file into the Elimination Room with seven of them carrying voting trays. Alison asks “B” about the pressure of being the last Red Team member. Just. Shoot. Me. Now. “B” concludes by saying that he wants to stay and he needs to stay. Alison asks Amy what she said to the seven voters tonight. She replies that she didn’t say much, because “B” is her friend and she wouldn’t campaign against him. With that, they vote. Nicole votes first, against Amy. Kae is next, and says she could not vote against someone who is hard-working, honest, fair and uncomplaining… and with that, she votes for Amy. Ouch. Neil is next – we know his vote is also for Amy. Julie, sitting in the fourth seat, votes out the threat that is Bryan, and so do Hollie and Bill. That ties it up and Isabeau has the deciding vote. Citing reasons of integrity over loyalty, Isabeau says, “One decision I can’t sleep with, but the other I can’t live with,” and sends Amy home. Ouch, again. Alison notes a lot of strong words were said tonight. A tearful Amy says she feels like she was stabbed in the back. She thanks Julie, Hollie, and Bill for their loyalty and suggests to them that there’s someone on the team they cannot trust. Isabeau says it was a last-minute change for her, because she could not live with her first decision.
“B” squeezes her arm, but we don’t see hugs for anybody as Amy leaves. Alison has a little surprise for everyone still in the game, and she distributes a manila envelope with the players’ name on it. Alas, we won’t find out what’s inside until next week. Everyone seems very happy about it, so I’m guessing it might be letters from home. In her funeral video, Amy says she’s proud of what she accomplished. We see her arrive home and see her two young daughters. In more current video, Amy tells us she’s lost 100 pounds and feels great. My Opinion: They sent the wrong one home. This vote was as silly as getting rid of Jean-Robert before James on Survivor: China. Hollie and Julie need to step it up since statistically they are lagging behind the rest by more than a full percent point. Next Time: One of my ever-astute readers has informed me that during the sweeps period, Biggest Loser will be two hours long every week. Drag your cursor between the square brackets to see the scoop on next week’s show. Don’t do it if you don’t want to be spoiled! [Competitors are pampered on the set of a popular daytime TV show, and later there’s a visit from friends and family.] Join me here next week for a recap of all the action, sprinkled with my own reactions and opinions. And let me know what you think about it all at the eAddress below! Born and raised in Toronto, Brian can be reached at uncle_bto@rogers.com. He’d like to hear your opinions and promises to respond to all serious email. Be sure to sign up for our e-mail update so you can stay informed about new articles on the site! And take a look at the rest of the site. You can find out about some other popular shows at our Survivor: China and our Dancing with the Stars page; and don't miss The Reality TV Hall of Shame. You can even buy reality show stuff at our Reality TV Store! For more news about this show, be sure to check out SirLinksALot: The Biggest Loser! |