Okay, if it wasn’t enough that the producers of NBC’s “The Biggest Loser” decided to go back to blue vs. black, Bob vs. Jillian, and two big teams instead of seven or eight little ones, they then decided to mess with the outcome. And for that, I call bullshit. We can all see the manipulation for ratings a mile away, and it’s reached epic proportions this season already. Here is how it went down last night…
Host Alison Sweeney started by giving her “so tonight, the game is going to change” speech that she gives three or four times every season. So it would be blue vs. black, but first the contestants would spin a giant roulette wheel. Under each dome was either a high calorie snack, cash, or a golden ticket that would allow one person to control the game by choosing the teams. Alison did not require everyone to play, but they all did with the exception of Abby. The first four went–Rudy, Rebecca, Allen and Danny, and each had a high calorie snack, including Rudy’s piece of cake that was (gulp) 1000 calories. Then it was Tracey’s turn, the person who collapsed in the first episode yet has managed to totally control the game to this point and make enemies everywhere. So guess what she got? The dang golden ticket. Come on people. Do you really think she spun that on her own? I think the producers stopped rolling tape, inserted golden tickets under every dome and told all the contestants to shut up. I mean, what were the chances? Something like 1 in 50? No freaking way do I believe that. But more on the evil producers in a bit.
So Tracey had control and that made Jillian and Bob laugh a bit too…yeah, they know it’s bullshit. Or Tracey is a witch, which I would definitely believe as well. So of course all of the teams wanted to stick together–Liz and Danny, Shay and Daniel, Rudy and Dina, Amanda and Rebecca. To be honest, it’s somewhat incestuous how much they seem to rely on each other and borders on creepy. And Amanda could not hide her crush on Bob, saying it would be awful if she had Jillian as her trainer while she looked longingly at Bob from across the room. Please.
So naturally Tracey chose her teammate Mo first, and then picked both Daniel and Shay for the black team, saying she respected them both and needed to do that because she believed they were destined to help each other. Then she totally turned on everyone else, breaking up the remaining teams. The blue team would be Tracey, Mo, Allen, Liz, Rudy and Rebecca; and the black team Daniel, Shay, Abby, Danny, Amanda and Dina. They were all pissed, but no one as much as Liz, who vowed she would play the game and then eliminate Tracey the first chance she got. And I thought she meant it, didn’t you? Especially when during the first workout Liz collapsed. Also, Amanda was worked so hard by Jillian that she puked. Awesome.
Bob then took his team on a grocery store trip and cooked them a nice picnic lunch featuring today’s sponsor, Jennie-O turkey! Then came the main challenge, in which the two teams would race through water and mud and rough terrain carrying one of their teammates on a platform. The winning team would receive videos from home. The blue team won, but Rebecca tried to give her prize to Dina and Dina appreciated it but did not accept. Then Liz invited Danny to watch her video but it was his video she put in! How touching.
Then came the weigh in, and the blue team went first, but not before Tracey started mouthing off about how everyone needed to get over the fact she had control. Bitch! She went first and lost 7 pounds. Seven. This woman has just started to be allowed to walk on a treadmill and she’s dropping weight like that the first few weeks? Again, I call bullshit. She’s taking pills or something. Anyway, Mo lost 6, Allen 7, Rudy 8, Rebecca 7 and Liz 8. So it was a good week for the blue team, losing 43 pounds, or 2.09%.
The black team went next, and Abby lost 5, Dina 6 and Amanda 6. Uh-oh. But then came the double digits. Danny lost 10, Daniel 11 and Shay a whopping 16 pounds. Good for them…they lost 54 pounds or 3.05%, almost a full percentage point more than the blue team. So the black team was all safe, as was Liz, who had the highest percentage of weight loss on her team, giving her immunity.
So here we go, right? The blue team had to eliminate one player and that player would surely be Tracey. But wait…..Coach Mo stood up in front of everyone and while I understand his weird allegiance to Tracey, he stated that he should be the one going home because he had the lowest percentage of weight loss. As a coach, he felt this was the right way to play the game. Meanwhile, remember how Liz was seething? Rebecca seemed to also be seething for a bit, and then all of a sudden they started talking about how Coach Mo was right, and that if they kept Tracey around it would make their team stronger and put them in a better position to eliminate her later when she wasn’t expecting it? Uh, come again?
This is where Mrs. Mike and I nearly threw something through the TV. Would they really keep Tracey around after all that venom directed at her? If they did, this was clearly the producers talking and not the contestants. Sure enough, everyone voted for Coach Mo and he was sent home.
At this point, I would stop watching the show if I didn’t have an obligation to blog about it. That’s how pissed I am about the manipulation. More Tracey means more ratings, and that’s what this is all about. It’s no longer about weight loss and getting people healthy, at least not first and foremost. I can even live with a bit of gameplay, but last night was just too much. Producers, you had better earn back my respect somehow or I’m going to personally boycott your advertisers and tell everyone I know to do the same.
As for the contestants who went along with this, you will get yours. Don’t think Tracey won’t eliminate you, Liz and Rebecca, the first chance she gets. I have one word for you: Vicky. Because like Vicky, Tracey is all about the game and you know it. You just let the producers strong arm you.
Okay, I’ve said what I have to say. The good news? Coach Mo has lost 76 pounds, down from 355 to 279. Good for you, coach….keep up the good work!
I apologize to you readers for my fury here, but I’m curious if you’re as pissed off as Mrs. Mike and I are. Let me know in the space below and see you next week….
