By Buzz Byrne

If you’ve followed these pages on THE BIGGEST LOSER you know that I have been vexed continually by the deep voiced announcer. With Neil water loading last week and throwing strategy back into this feel-good love fest, my announcer buddy took the subdued route. Think hushed tones and music indicating “A Very Special BIGGEST LOSER,” and you get the idea. It was almost enough to make one hope for extra “BEE MOVIE” promos. But then I might be suffering from a Helsinki-type Syndrome and have fallen in love with my tormentor. On the other hand, based on the relentless ads from NBC I’m fully prepared to revoke Seinfeld title as comic genius.

Back to the show. Neil wasn’t the only one who was messing with the scales. Ryan remains suspect to me for gaining a pound and Amy confessed to Jillian that she had been “pressured” to throw last week’s weigh-in. “Who pressured you?” Jillian asked, with her over-dramatic after-school special emoting. Through a few extra forced tears, Amy confessed, “Neil.” I was expecting Jillian to ask her to show her on the doll where the bad thing happened.


Hollie took the opportunity of the gamesmanship to hit a mental block. Kae packed her things and almost left the game. Isabeau felt like the whole move targeted her but missed; she might be right. Neil took a lot of angry glares but little actual confrontation. He claimed to be justified in water loading and on purely strategic level it worked and carried over to this week. On a personal level, I think he felt the need to retract his righteous proclamations by the end.

The reward challenge made the new teams of three hold their collective body weight over a lake and the last team hanging on got a mystery prize. Bryan, Ryan and Nicole outlasted everyone and the prize was that each of them got individual votes at the next elimination.

Ziplock got the product placement award as being the most blatant by featuring Trainer Kim making glazed salmon in their microwavable pouches. I find this objectionable on so many levels. If I hadn’t been enjoying a delicious and satisfying bag of Cool Ranch Doritos, I would have been more annoyed. Thankfully I was able to wash the chips down with a few frosty, refreshing Heinekens in the new cool keg cans. (Frito-Lay and Heineken N.V. should send the checks to my editors at criticsrant.com. You’re welcome.)

At the weigh-in Neil dropped 33 pounds. His partner Isabeau took the week to heal up so she dropped zero. Bryan, Ryan and Nicole had to stay above the yellow line (not be the smallest losers) in order to keep their extra votes. They came close to blowing it but the team of Kae, David and Hollie lost the least amount of weight. For someone who ‘fessed up about screwing with the game, Amy had a lot of nerve urging everyone to vote off Kae. Kae is still my pick to be the first woman to win the game, by the way.


In the end, everyone sent David home as he still had the most weight to lose and therefore posed the biggest threat. In correcting the game to be what it is supposed to be, he told the remaining contestants he didn’t come to the show to win a game but to win back his life. Since his involvement with the show, David lost 105 pounds. Great job David, you got your life back. Keep it up.