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Biggest Loser 5: Couples, Episode 9 – Vegas, Baby… Vegas!by Brian Towers -- 02/27/2008
Last time: The players went home for the week, but had to face a weigh-in upon their return. Led by Jay, the Blue Team responded with terrific results, while some members of the Black Team barely held their own. In a Youth-versus-Yellow vote and with Kelly holding immunity, Paul was sent home. Following is a list of the players still remaining in the game. Teams now have four members each. This is trainer Bob’s Blue Team:
This is trainer Jillian’s Black Team:
Action begins shortly after the last vote, with Kelly feeling very sorry for herself. She notes that the original Blue and Black Teams are the only duos left in the game. Brittany says she hopes Kelly understands the team is stronger without Paul, which is complete cow-patties. Kelly knows she has to win immunity any time her team goes to elimination. I sort of thought that was the objective of every player every week, but let’s move on. 
Jay is the Biggest Loser of the Week and wins a prize. Dan and his brother Mark assume he’ll pick “Gameplay.” It turns out that this week, all the envelopes are labeled with question marks instead of the usual options of “Family,” “Luxury,” and “Gameplay.” Jay picks the third envelope and it says, “Vegas, Baby, Vegas.” I suspect the other two did as well. When a confused Jay returns to Alison, she tells him that it means that the whole team will be taking a sojourn to Las Vegas! Needless to say, the team is excited. But when they tell trainer Bob, he becomes trainer Buzzkill and says, “I don’t like it.” Bob assumes his team will go to Vegas and forget everything he’s taught them. Have a little confidence in your teaching skills, dude! He seems to assume this week is critical because he feels that whichever team wins takes control of the game. Is he privy to knowledge that the game is going “Individual” next week? Bob lays down the rules for his team. No buffets, no booze, and plenty of gym time. Dan reminds us that last week they went home and did just fine. To assuage Bob’s wounded feelings, he takes them to the gym for an extra-tough workout. Over with the Black Team, Jillian is getting upset with Brittany, who has only had two good weeks in the last eight. She knows Brittany gives up easily, and comments from Maggie confirm this view. Even Jillian’s usual threats don’t seem to help in several ensuing clips. As an aside, Brittany is in last place overall with a weight loss percentage of 16.29 percent, and even Maggie has pulled a percentage point ahead of her. And they voted out Paul?! The Blue Team decides to tell the Black Team of their prize. Jillian thinks it won’t have much effect on the Blue Team, and resumes beating up her squad. They’re off to Vegas. Dan is recording the highlights of the trip on video cam (referred to as “Dan Cam” in the show), and he has even composed a song about the trip. The team has decided to work out first and play later. After the workout, the boys are talking and Roger suggests they get “Pride” tattoos. Everyone likes the idea. When they get to the rooms, there is a surprise waiting for them. Bob supplied the boys with some sharp new suits! Very nice move. Back at the ranch, Maggie suggests sending them room service containing all fattening foods. Jillian, sitting right with then, thinks it’s funny, and they do it. When it’s received, the Blue Team is not tempted and they push it out into the hall. Congratulations to the Black Team for wasting food on a juvenile joke when so many go hungry. Instead, the boys go out on the town for some fun. First is a scary ride, and then they hit the tables. Meanwhile, Jillian is working her charges hard. Kelly figures that if they had won the trip, Jillian wouldn’t let them go. In Vegas, Jay and Mark go to bed at 3 AM so they can work out the next day. It doesn’t slow Dan and Roger down, though, and they party on until 6 AM. At 7:20, the brothers are working out while the other pair snore mightily. Mark tells us he knows they are adults and hopes they will do the right thing. By 10 AM, the brothers decide to wake up their teammates. Dan doesn’t appreciate being awakened, and Roger doesn’t appreciate being allowed to sleep late. Roger works out because he knows it’s the right thing, but Dan doesn’t rise until noon. With all four finally vertical, the boys go for their tattoos. They seem to be looking at variations of “Pride” that include family members or other symbols, but at the last minute Dan goes a different way, choosing a guitar-playing guardian angel (without the word pride). It’s big, covering his whole arm, but the other three are not subtle either. Dan thinks his mom will freak out initially, and then love it. I suspect only the first part of his expectations will come true. 
They return from Vegas later that day, sharing the stories of the unwanted food and the tattoos. Bernie wonders if “Pride” will still be important to them when they have to vote each other out. Series host Alison Sweeney makes her first appearance of the episode. She assembles the teams on an obstacle course and tells them teamwork will be key. Heavy stuff has to be carried about, and it all ends in a footrace. The first team to get all four members across the finish line is the winner. The winners each get a nice vacation for two to Puerto Rico. First is a huge tire they flip down a hill, which Team Blue handles easily. Second, many sandbags must be toted from one point to another, and the Black Team sets up a relay pass to make it easier for the weaker members. Medicine balls pushed under ropes are next. Kelly lags badly. The final leg is a half-mile run, and the Blue Team jog four abreast across the line way ahead of the Black Team. Kelly appreciates that the rest of her team waited on her to cross the line together. Back at the ranch, the teams discuss the challenge. The Blue Team is extremely cocky and oblivious how rubbing salt in the Black Team’s wounds is only firing them up. Trainer Bob returns and asks his team how it went in Vegas. He suspects Mark is holding back, but Mark won’t spill the tale of Dan and Roger slept in. At the same time, Jillian speaks with her team. She also seems to know that this is a pivotal weigh-in. Brittany’s negativism about how that will play out frustrates Jillian “beyond sleeplessness.” It’s last-chance workout time. Bernie seems reluctant to hit the heavy bag with much effort when Brittany is holding it, which also annoys Jillian. Jillian sets the treadmill at 14 miles per hour for Brittany, looking for a 15-second sprint from her. Brittany tries, but cannot get there. Once, with two seconds left, she pulls out. Finally, she gets it… and to be honest, Jillian is right… the problems were in her head, not her feet.
Alison meets the teams in front of the big scale to announce the weigh-in results. Jillian thinks her people need to lose eight pounds each if they are to be successful. Dan, however, feels “unstoppable.” We see the usual “day one” shots of each player as they mount the scale, and it’s clearly evident how far everyone has come since then. Before Bob’s team stepped on the scale, he expresses the opinion, “…with all four of them, after the week that we had, I would not be surprised if these guys lost… one or three pounds.” Nice, Bob, really supportive! Here’s how the weigh-in went:
Most everyone is amazed that Mark only lost a pound. Bernie tells us he sees this result as “justice being served.” That could be taken a few ways and I’m not sure exactly what his point is. Does he mean their win, or Mark’s failure? A couple of the guys are close to losing 100 pounds – Dan needs another nine pounds; Roger needs five. As the weigh-in is complete, Alison runs through her announcements. Bernie is the Biggest Loser of the week and will get a prize next week. Members of the Blue Team are the ones up for elimination, and, as the biggest loser on the losing team, Dan is immune from elimination. The trainers are sent home and as usual, the teams have an hour to talk before voting. Two weeks ago Mark promised to take a bullet when his time came, but aided by a defective memory, he’s now resisting it. Luckily for us, that old tape is aired now, and it supports Roger’s view. Roger is sure he’s about to be tossed under the bus. The brothers talk. Mark feels he’s giving up on himself. He’s also afraid to leave his baby brother alone in the game. Jay reminds him that he’s now 31. In a cameo, Mark realizes he’s the smallest member of the team and if he stays in the game and doesn’t do well next week, he’ll feel bad for Roger. They (especially Mark) break down completely. The team meets again and while all bawl to the point of me having no clue what is being said, Mark throws himself on his sword. It’s agreed that even Jay must vote for Mark. To his credit, Mark finally apologizes to Roger for making this an issue. The boys weep like Mark is being executed by scorpions. The last chance strategy hour (never more mis-named than this week) is over, and Alison assembles the Black Team in the elimination room. All votes are for Mark. Even Alison gets on the border of being weepy after Jay finishes!
The do the “Pride” chant one last time, and Mark is gone. In post-elimination video, Mark admits he’s going to miss working out with his brother. He says he came wearing size 44 pants and now fits into a 32. He feels better than ever and is targeting the eliminated-player prize. Arriving home the next day, Mark sees most of his family, then takes his daughter to surprise his wife at work. Nice. Mark admits he’s happy to be home and resuming his life. In more current video, we find out that Mark now weighs 195 pounds, a loss of 90 pounds from his first day at the ranch. Only ten pounds away from his goal weight, he now exercises daily. I must say, that image of them ice-skating on curling ice is mighty disturbing. Wait, it’s a combination hockey/curling facility… which is even MORE disturbing! My Opinion: I will admit to being surprised at how well the Black Team has done, I really did expect them to be almost extinct by now. I don’t know if they are going to the “Individual” phase of the game or not next week. If so, to be able to use the advantage they have, they need to run some good weeks together. I’m sure Jillian will keep them hopping! What do you think? Join me here next week for a recap of all the latest action, sprinkled with my own reactions and opinions. And let me know what you think about it all at the eAddress below! More at home with popcorn than push-ups, Brian can be reached at uncle_bto@rogers.com. He’d like to hear your opinions and promises to respond to all serious email! More at home with popcorn than push-ups, 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! |