Web Exclusive: 'Biggest Loser' Weekly Weigh in
Missed last night's episode? Kristen Rajczak keeps you up to speed.
This week was one of the most adventurous "The Biggest Loser" contestants have ever had. From rock climbing and bungee jumping to helicopter rides through the Mulford Sound, the remaining eight were challenged to face their fears—and translate those experiences to their real lives.
In their second week in New Zealand, the contestants got two surprises. First, they found out they had made it to the point in the competition where they would be competing as singles. Considering how many times they have switched teams and changed colors, I bet that was a relief for more than just the viewers. Then, a parachute descended on the scene—carrying Brett. As I said last week, who really thought he wasn't coming back? Well, I guess some of the contestants were surprised about it anyway.
While the adventures the trainers took the contestants on were cool, the best was Cara taking Hannah and Kaylee cliff jumping. The three of them jumped off a 358-foot cliff! Cara was terrified. Just like when Bob jumped off the tower last week, we finally got to see Cara be a person. The footage of the trainers is often so fierce, it's easy to forget they are real people, as real as the fearful contestants they work with. It sure was fun to hear her scream bloody murder as she swung around the canyon!
Kaylee and Hannah faced weight-loss fears this week since the jump didn't seem to faze either one of them. Kaylee, coming off a poor showing last week, was hoping that with her dad gone, she'd be able to keep her diet on track better. Wait. So Kaylee blamed Moses for her weight last week? It just seems that Kaylee continues to tread the water of emotionally growth. She keeps saying she is more confident and then goes back to her old thinking.
Hannah was also worried about going home. She felt she would be too alone in her journey at home. After the challenge, she revisited these negative thoughts.
The producers must have heard me complaining about challenges because this week actually mattered! It was also a pretty cool idea. The contestants had to river board a half-mile through rapids. The first one across the finish line would win immunity. Talk about incentive—especially for the girls who are really close to their goal weights. I'm still favoring Rulon to win it all because he's such a big guy and can still lose a lot of weight. Irene, Olivia, and Kaylee all said in their personal interviews that they couldn't let Rulon win for exactly that reason. He also seems a little devious and had he been on last season, might have been able to take Fredo out.
Olivia led the pack on the river from the get go. She won with no one challenging her too much. In addition to immunity, she won a helicopter ride to the majestic Mulford Sound. And she decided to bring Hannah with her.
As one of the two pairs still intact from the beginning of the seasons, it only makes sense that Olivia would choose her sister to take the trip with. But Hannah had a hard time being happy about it. Understandably, she was worried about missing time in the gym. Their moment together in the sound really drove home this week's theme: Olivia told Hannah how important it was to have the adventure together because the game was just that. They weren't going to be afraid of the yellow line forever and they shouldn't avoid making memories because of it. I would love to see these girls in the final four. They've got so much heart, dedication to each other and the process, and spunk to spare!
In other adventure news, when Bob took Rulon and Irene bungee jumping, we find out that Rulon was in a plane crash four years ago. Um, what? How did this story not come out yet? Rulon didn't want to do anything that might threaten his life, which, after that experience, is understandable. But he doesn't have to say it with the self-satisfied look of a teenager used to getting his way. I'm glad Bob made him do it anyway.
At the weigh in, the contestants—and the trainers—had a lot to prove. Last week, two people gained and the others didn't have much to show on the scale. This week, no one lost fewer than three pounds. Even Kaylee bounced back with a five-pound weight loss after gaining four last week. Rulon put up 10 pounds, proving that the girls should be scared he's going to sneak up on them and win. The most surprising moment was learning that Irene is the biggest loser so far—she's so small now, it seems unlikely that her lead will last.
Ken and Hannah ended up at the bottom. Olivia's vote was obviously for Ken. Austin, while he did vote for Hannah to leave, said something so adorable, it made me hope he would stick around a while longer: "Hannah, you're the big sister I never knew I needed." Sweet. He then told his dad he loved him when Ken was voted out. That means Olivia and Hannah are still intact, the only pair to make it to the final seven.
Now I just want them to make it to makeover week!