Jan 16 2008
THE MORNING AFTER
Bob and Jillian arrive to find that the Brown team (Curtis and Mallory) have been eliminated. Although outwardly Bob gives both Paul and Kelly (Yellow team) a big hug, he interviews “Are you kidding me! Everyone knew that Curtis and Mallory would have gone all the way, so they eliminated the threat.” Jillian, more blatant in her response, says that this season she is invested in all of the teams equally instead of the regular competition between she and Bob as trainers, so it’s “Game On!” She doesn’t care who leaves, the remaining players need to hit the gym. Maggie (Purple) interviews that Paul is obviously still in love with Kelly, and is there not only to lose weight, but to get her back, while Kelly is just trying to be supportive of him while they work out. Uh huh. We see it too.
We finally find out what Dan and Jackie (Orange) win for being the Biggest Losers of the Week last week: they get to hike up a mountain and pick one of three envelopes to choose their prize. They are told ahead of time the envelopes are labeled: Family, Luxury, and Game Play. Jennifer (my Green pseudo-partner) and I are screaming “Game Play!” at the television set. On the way up the hill, the two discuss the options, and although Jackie misses her husband terribly, they wisely choose Game Play. The prize reveals that they will have two votes after the next weigh in, if they aren’t in the bottom two, which of course they won’t be. Just for kicks, they open the other two envelopes. Family was a 24-hour visit from one family member, which brings Jackie to tears. The Luxury prize was free massages each week for the remainder of the competition for them and one other team. I’m glad they took Game Play, even though the massages sound nice. They descend the mountain and tell everyone what they’ve won. The Black team (brothers Jay & Mark) are worried since thus far they are the biggest threat. Which I don’t understand, since although they’ve won challenges, Dan and Jackie have won the weigh-ins. They, themselves, are the biggest threat.
ANOTHER SHAMELESS PLUG
Back at the house, Bob sits with both the Pink and Purple teams. He talks to them about their prior eating habits. He shows them footage, again, of how they previously described their snack attacks, and tells them that instead of reaching for chips, they can grab some gum. But, alas, not just any gum. It’s Wriggly’s, and he has a strategically placed basket to prove it. Okay, okay we get it. Although I have every intention of finishing the bacon cheddar cheese fries I’m eating and pedaling off simultaneously, I’m going to get me some Wriggly’s gum tomorrow.
NOW WALK IT OUT…then work it out!
Back at the gym, Bette-Sue is having a rough time of it. Bob doesn’t care. He cares about last week’s numbers, I mean, he cares about Bette-Sue’s overall health. He tells her that another bad week can send her and her daughter, Ali, home. Then he tells her to grab two 10 lb. weights and walk a mile. Off on her journey, Bette-Sue struggles to maintain her composure for the cameras. When she gets back, she collapses to the ground in tears, but they are tears of joy. She realizes she just carried the amount of weight she’s lost for one mile and it didn’t break her. She previously worried about her 22 year old competitors, but now she realizes she just may be able to kick ass in this game and she feels good about it. So good, in fact, Bob puts her back on the treadmill. Hugs can come later.
THE CHALLENGE
All we see is water, dirt, and balls on a hot afternoon. Each team will have one member walk through a mud pond to get a medicine ball, return through the mud pond, and place their medicine ball in the holding rack of one of the other teams. Teams with full racks will be eliminated. The last team will win immunity, like on Survivor. (…my own shameless plug…) Immediately, alliances start forming as the Black, Gray, and Pink teams align against Orange and Purple. No one cares about the White team. When the Blue, Black, and Gray teams are the last three standing, Black team brother Jay tells Blue team member Bernie to just place his ball in their last slot. This angers Black team brother Mark. Of course, Bernie gives them his last ball. The Gray team wins immunity as Mark stuns the other players with a well-deserved tongue lashing for his brother, Jay. There is some twisted reason Jay thought telling Bernie to give them the last ball would gain trust, but we’ll never understand it. Allison asks Gray team members Roger and Trent how the win feels. Again, we get football footage and hear how great it feels to win. Knowing they are in jeopardy, Amanda (White team) interviews that she doesn’t understand why she and her husband, Neil, aren’t very well liked.
APOLOGY THE BEST STRATEGY?
Dan and Jackie head straight back to the gym to work out, even though they get to cast two votes at the next elimination. Surprisingly, the rest of the teams head back to their rooms to discuss…whatever. Mark and Jay argue over Mark’s outburst, which I didn’t think was that bad. Anyhoooooo, they assemble everyone to apologize for Mark’s behavior, hoping they will be in their good graces should they fall below the yellow line. Eventually, everyone weighs in on the whole alliance thing, and the bickering just gets on my nerves.
