Biggest Loser 4 - Ep. 02 - Black is Back, And Here To Stay!

[Brendan]

Black is Back, And Here To Stay!
Biggest Loser 4 - Episode 2 Recap

= Getting Started =
We start with black team, still off campus for another 7 days. Jillian is glad to have this privacy because she thinks her team needs it. The team walks up to a very old looking scale and are told it's time for their first official weigh in. I'm glad to see this because I was wondering if they were even being weighed at all and now I know that they are.

The Black Team - 1st Weigh In:
Isabeau - 298 > 290 (-8 pounds)
Julie - 218 > 216 (-2 pounds)
Hollie - 255 > 244 (-11 pounds)
Jez - 345 > 329 (-16 pounds)
Jim - 361 > 350 (-11 pounds)
Bill - 334 > 313 (-21 pounds)

As they are being weighed in, Isabeau mentions how good it feels see the lower number, Julie is disappointed but explains that she has B.P. issues, and that her weight is affecting her chances at getting pregnant. Jez thinks that losing 16 pounds is a week is ridiculous but that it's the first step to living his life the right way. Jez remarks to Jillian that "it's only up from here" and she corrects him by saying "it's only down!" Jim is happy to have his brother in the game and on his team. Bill wants the black team to stick together and give the red and blue teams something to worry about. The first weigh in is over and Jillian starts the next workout. (I think that Julie will be the first member of the black team to go home unless she starts to lose some serious weight.)

Back at campus, the red team talks with Kim about the first elimination. Lezlye thinks that it went pretty well but does not want to go back anytime soon. David tells us that looking over and seeing Amber's empty bed was a reminder that he and his team need to work harder. Kim tells the red team that while it's hard to lose a team member, they have to keep their spirits up and fight hard this week and every week. Before they start to work out, a few red team member think about their reasons for being here. Phil mentions that he wants to lose the weight so that he can pass the tests needed to join the fire department. Amy misses her children but feels that this time away from them is important because her weight is endangering her health. She mentions that her mother is overweight with diabetes and that her father died at 46 and also had diabetes.

= Working Out =
The blue team is outside hiking up a mountain. Bob says that his main goal right now is to make sure that the blue team wins the first two weigh ins. (Does he know about the twist already because I thought that was a secret?) Kae feels a rush of pride being here that pushes her to do the best she can and that it reminds her of when she was in the military. She says that something inside switched on and she wants to be like she was before - in fact, she wants to be better than she was before. (They showed a picture of her weighing much less and in her uniform - I must say that she looked very nice.)

During the hike, Neil begins to feel pain in his knee and Bob tells him that if it hurts too much he should turn back ahead of them. Neil responds that he will not give up even if the hike takes him all day. Bob feels proud that his team works so hard and says that they all did a great job on the hike. As they reach the top of the mountain, Patty hears birds chirping and reflects on her reasons for being there. She says she needs to lose the weight so that she can live longer and be there for all the big moments in her children's lives. As they start walking back down the mountain Bob makes an odd comment to Patty about doing everything he says and she responds that she will do everything that he says. (I understand that Bob is their trainer, but sometimes he gets a big ego and that bothers me.)

Miles away in the desert, the black team is in the middle of their workouts. They are using logs in their workout and chanting that they are the black team. Julie reminds us that they are outcasts and united because they were left crying as the other two teams drove away triumphant. She says they want to go back and prove that they were worthy. (How much weight did she lose again..?) Jillian said that most of the black team never worked out before and now they are working out four hours a day in 96-degree heat. She says the best warriors are forged in fire and when they get to the campus and the air conditioned gym will be a joke to them because "after you've walked a hundred miles through hell, that gym is gonna be like a walk in the park."

In the campus dining area, Bryan is sitting down to eat and Kim walks by in disbelief. She doesn't understand why she spent the last week teaching him how to eat if he's going to sit down and eat a Jell-O and string cheese. Bryan is allergic to fish and since they are trying to keep calories down, she suggests making tacos and using turkey. Phil is surprised that the turkey actually has good levels of protein. Kim is glad that Bryan and Phil like them because they are low in fat and calories but high in protein which is perfect for them.

= The Warm Up =
They move on to the campus gym and Kim gets the red team ready for the next challenge. Kim tells them that the key to winning challenge is wanting it bad enough; it's mind over matter. We then get a nice example of someone who does not really want it bad enough to win. Amy is working out and leaning on the machine, so Kim tells her not to lean on it. Amy responds that she doesn't want to fall off. Kim then says that she won't fall off unless she wants to and then adds that she can just quit right now and join Amber. (ouch! that's a bit harsh.) Amy then asks how much longer she has to work out and says that the machine doesn't count down for her. Kim says that she should work out until she wants to stop. Amy replies with "f--- this!" Kim says that she should just quit and Amy replies that she doesn't want to quit but that "this f---ing hurts". Kim then responds "Good! Let it f----ing hurt!" and Amy shoots her a dirty look but continues working out.

Over in outcasts-ville, the black team continues their unique workouts. Jillian has one person falling forward with the other person catching them and pushing them upwards. They also get another big helping of nobody-loves-you pie and are reminded that the red and blue teams did not want them. Jez likes that they had time out here because they got to focus on building a strong team without having to worry about challenges and temptations. Hollie has a brief lapse in the workout and is reminded that she only has two options - to do three more or to do nothing. Jillian asks her what would change if she did nothing and Hollie says "Ok, let's do three more." (Way to go Hollie!)

The challenge is about to begin and back at the campus, the blue team discusses what they need to do. Bob says that it will most likely involve stairs and that they need to go at them with full force. Nicole says that they lost the last challenge and that they need to work their butts off this time. Bob comments that Jerry picked strong people and that they can easily win a challenge if they work hard.

= The Challenge =
Day turns to night (ooh how dramatic) and the red and blue teams meet with Alison for their next challenge. Alison says that it's been amazing watching them take their first steps toward a healthy new life. She adds that tonight they will be taking some more steps - a lot more steps. The camera then pans to a ten story building and the teams looks scared. (Bob was right again, does he has the script for the show or what?!) Alison says that someone has left the lights on and each team will need to take care of them. The top four floors each have a light switch that when flipped off will turn that floor red or blue. One at a time, each team member will run up the stairs and turn the lights on one floor to their team color. The first team to turn their half of the building either red or blue and get back to the starting line will win the challenge.

The reward for the winning team involves immunity for one team member at the next weigh in. Neil comments that whenever immunity is involved it raises the stakes because everyone is fighting to stay. Alison then announces that Ryan and Neil are injured and cannot participate in the challenge. The red team must sit out once person and they chose Lezlye - although Lezlye tells us that she sat out because "she just didn't want to do it." (Was she not listening to Kim earlier?) The teams are ready to get started.

First round is Kae and David. Kae takes an early lead and gets to the seventh floor switch first. But she slows down a little to a walk and whimpers a little then. David gets to his switch and heads back down as well. As Kae heads down she picks up a lot of speed and crosses the finish line with David still on the third floor. Patty heads out for the Blue team and Amy is next out for the red team. Patty seems to be struggling somewhat and Amy is catching up to her. Patty digs deep and keeps the blue team's lead as she turns the eighth floor blue but Amy is right behind and evens the score. Both women head back to the finish line.

Patty gets there first and Nicole heads out for the blue team. Alison comments that Amy has slowed down a little bit but still crosses the finish line. The red team sends out Bryan and is determined to catch up to the blue team. Nicole is slowing down and Bryan is only one floor behind her. Nicole turns the ninth floor blue and Bryan is now very close to passing her as he turns his floor red. Nicole manages to keep the blue team's lead and tags in Jerry. Right afterwards, Bryan reaches the finish line as well and tags in Phil as the final member for the red team.

The team captains are last for their teams and they both are feeling the pain but Phil manages to catch up to Jerry. As both men head to turn on their lights, Phil manages to turn the red lights on before the blue team for the first time this challenge. But the blue lights come on only three seconds afterwards! Jerry and Phil both head back down the stairs and their teams are yelling and screaming for them. For the first time, the blue team looks nervous and the red team looks happy. As they race down the stairs they both exit the building at the same time, and it comes down to mere seconds but Phil crosses the finish line first.

The red team wins their second challenge and Phil is glad because he didn't want to lose "to that old guy again" (The score is actually 2 to 2 because while Phil won both challenges, Jerry lost more in the first weigh in and got to Bob before he got to Kim. Big accomplishment though... beating a man more than twice your age in physical challenges.) Alison then says that one person on the red team will be assigned immunity. There are five switches and the one that turns the lights red is the one that grants immunity. (Not sure if they are actually connected and how because I see no wires, but I will just trust that the show is not rigging this. That last season of Big Brother really has damaged my faith in reality shows now I guess.)

Lezlye's name is pulled first but she lights up a blue floor. She says she didn't want immunity because she sat out and it's only fair that one of the other win get the prize. Phil is next and he pulls the right most switch which lights up another blue floor. David is next and says that the first four switches are his children and the last must be his loving and supportive wife. He pulls the switch on the far left and all the red floors light up. David has won immunity and says that it's always nice to have safety, but that you can never really relax here because you will fall behind if you do that.

= Cool Down =
Back at the campus, Bob walks outside and talks to the blue team. They inform him that they lost the challenge only because Phil poked in at the last moment. And then Bob once again seems to know everything and comments that "Phil had something to prove. He wasn't gonna let the old man beat him." Then Bob reveals the real reason why he wants them to win the first two weigh ins - it's never been done before. (Ok, so he doesn't know about the secret black team.) Bob says that he has pushed them harder than he has ever done in the second week because he wants them to be the first team to win it.

Meanwhile the red team is discussing the 'BodyBugs' that they are wearing. Kim loves the gadget because they wear it on their arm and it tracks their activity levels even when she is not there. She says that when she is not there, the levels are low and they get higher only when she is there. Amy feels that Kim doesn't think she is giving a hundred percent and that her fight to lose weight will never end. Amy comments to Kim that she doesn't need to hear that she's not trying because she has been working hard. Kim knows that Amy is working hard but the nature of the game is to not let someone else work harder.

It's now time for another outcast update and it's only two days until they return to the campus. Jillian says that the black team was feeling pretty down when she first arrived but that they are now empowered. She thinks they are mentally and physically ready to return to campus. The black team is told that they are returning soon and they are anxious but ready for it. (Well, as ready as a team of outcasts can be anyway.) Jez and Julie both comment on how ready they are to prove them wrong and wipe them all out.

Back in the campus dining room, Bob and Neil are discussing his problem with keeping food down. Neil says that he keeps throwing everything up and that he can only stomach a shake. Bob then says that he can't go back to choking things down or else he will never be able to lose weight. Bob wants to help Neil with his metabolism but thinks he is dragging his feet. Neil says that he's trying his best and appreciates that Bob is trying to help him. Bob wants Neil to just get through the next weigh in and then they will deal with his food issues next week.

= Last Chance =
In the campus gym, Bob and the blue team are having their last chance work out. The girls are all doing well and Bob comments that Jerry lost 31 pounds last week so he could lose nothing this week. Ryan pushes out extra reps and comments that the last chance workout is more about tapping into the mental and working through how tired they all feel. Every single member of the blue team seems to pushing extra hard and Bob is very pleased with their efforts. He comments that they have done every single thing that he's asked them to do and pushed them to more extremes than ever before. As Patty finishes a tough set, she is visibly exhausted and Bob congratulates her "There she is. Mother, Wife, Friend, Teammate." Patty breaks down crying and feels so proud to have pushed through. Patty says that Bob was so encouraging that it was really emotional for her. She realized that she was indeed all of those things and that she had a lot of strengths.

Later on in the gym, the red team is working out and Kim is encouraging them to make the best of their last chance. Phil struggles but pushes through as the guys are all on the stair climbing machines. But Lezlye is supposed to be running and when Kim sees that she is not, Lezlye says "well you know I hate runnin'" Kim says that she hates losing weigh-ins and that if they do she will be the one to blame and the one that feels bad. She adds that she let them have it easy all week long (Didn't she do that last season as well. I guess she figures that's the way to get her team to like her...) and that she is tired of the complaining from the girls on her team. Lezlye mocks Kim as she shows her the right ways to work out.

Kim says that she wants this so badly for the team, but they have to want it more. Right on cue, Amy rolls her eyes and walks out of the gym. Never missing the chance to makes others look bad, Lezlye comments that "Amy didn't just walk out on herself. She walked out on the team." (Give me a break! Lezlye may be in the gym still but by ignoring Kim and making fun of her behind her back it's just as wasteful. And didn't the red team suffer from a major morale problem last season too. Hmm...) David is disappointed that Amy left and did not complete the work out with her team. Amy knows that staying here is what's best for her, but is having trouble convincing her heart of that since something feels like it's missing.

Meanwhile, Jillian is putting the black team through their last chance workout but it's almost a broken record at this point so I won't repeat it all again. However, she does mention that they won't be happy to see them again (which is probably true) and that it's not going to be a walk in the park (wait? didn't she just say that it would be...) The black team members are all ready to get back in the house and send a shock wave through the game.

Bob notices that Amy is feeling down and takes a moment to encourage her. Amy feels better after hearing that getting healthy will give her so much more to look forward to once she does get back home. Later on, Amy finds Lezlye in the laundry room and they take a moment to prepare for what happens if they lose again. They agree that they need to stick together and find out which guy would be willing to switch to their side. (I'm hoping that all three guys stick together because neither of these women have the same level of commitment that they do.)

= The Weigh In =
Day once again turns to night and that means it's time for some real drama. It's getting close to the weigh in but before that happens, the black team sneaks on campus and meets Alison in front of the big scale. Bill is happy to be there with a real gym now and thinks that the other teams are gonna be sorry. The red team thinks that the blue team is tough but that they can be beaten. The blue team is worried that because they had such strong numbers the first week that they may not do well tonight. The black team is standing on the big scale and tries their best to look like tough guys. (It's really funny to look at honestly.)

The big doors open and the two teams are shocked at what they see. Lezlye cannot believe it and Kae did not think it was entirely fair. Bob is very happy to see Jillian because he's worked with her for so long. But Kim and Jillian have an awkward moment and all three trainers realize that the game is changed forever. Phil says that they are the black sheep; that they've been a family for two weeks and he's pissed off that they are here now. Jerry says that sending those six home had been weigh in in on him this whole time, but that doesn't mean he's going to go easy on them. Jez stares Phil in the eyes and causes him to look away first. Lezlye is not concerned with the black team because she doesn't know where they have been but thinks that they have not been working as hard as the rest of them.

The first team to weigh in was the Blue team. There results were as follows:
Jerry - 266 > 256 (-10 pounds)
Nicole - 271 > 265 (-6 pounds)
Patty - 267 > 265 (-2 pounds)
Ryan - 359 > 349 (-10 pounds)
Kae - 205 > 200 (-5 pounds)
Neil - 399 > 389 (-10 pounds)
~ Total Weight Loss - 43 pounds
~ Percentage - 2.43%

Jillian found Jerry's weight loss this week to be shocking considering that he lost so much weight last week. Patty was disappointed that she didn't lose that much weight this week. Bryan was glad to see that she didn't lose that much because it means his team has a chance to "snuff 'em out" this week. Jillian knew that the blue team was going to be tough to beat after seeing Ryan's weight loss. Bob told Kae that after such an amazing weight loss last week she should not expect that much, but she still lost weight. Hollie said that the blue team's numbers were impressive but she doesn't think they are going to be a match for the black team. Neil had an injury and tried to stay positive, so he was happy to see that he still lost weight and that he can overcome some of the obstacles in his way.

The red team was next and they needed to lose more than 38 pounds. Here's how they did:
Bryan - 331 > 325 (-6 pounds)
Amy - 287 > 285 (-2 pounds)
Lezlye - 246 > 243 (-3 pounds)
David - 348 > 344 (-4 pounds)

Bryan was not surprised to see a lower number this week because it's a given in weight loss that a small number follows a big one. Kim wanted Amy to have the happy ending to a very sad week but it just didn't happen. Lezlye says that three pounds in the real world would be great but that in the biggest loser campus three pounds in nothing. (Both girls did work hard but they did not push themselves as hard as the others did and that shows here I think.) Isabeau knows that the blue and red teams have been playing this game the past two weeks and she is waiting for the ball to drop.

...but how did their team captain do?

Spoiler for

Phil - 377 > 372 (-5 pounds)
~ Total Weight Loss - 20 pounds
~ Percentage - 1.26%

Phil felt his number was a slap in the face. (I have to wonder if the comment about "letting them have an easy week" is coming back to bite Kim on the butt now. The numbers don't lie; something is wrong here.) Alison says that the blue team has beaten the red team two weeks in a row and they are safe from elimination. Bob is happy that nobody from his team will be leaving, but knows Jillian could take the top spot away from his team. The red team is nervous but still has hope that they might be safe.

The black team is last to weigh in. In order to beat the red team and stay away from elimination, they needed to lose 22 pounds. They need 42 pounds to beat both teams and win the weigh-in.

After stepping on the big scale for the first time, the black team's results were:
Hollie - 244 > 242 (-2 pounds)
Isabeau - 290 > 285 (-5 pounds)
Jez - 329 > 320 (-9 pounds)
Julie - 216 > 213 (-3 pounds)

Hollie said it felt like she lost a lot more and Lezlye laughed. Jez thinks it would be much closer than he realized. Isabeau thinks the other teams underestimated them. Jez is proud of his weight loss in the past two weeks. Julie feels extra pressure because she wants to lose the weight for herself but also to prove she belongs there.

...the black team needed to lose 3 more pounds to stay safe.
But would they be able to beat the blue team?

Spoiler for

Bill - 313 > 301 (-12 pounds)
Jim - 350 > 334 (-16 pounds)
~ Total Weight Loss - 47 pounds
~ Percentage - 2.70%

The black team has won the weigh in! After Bill lost his big number, Alison tells the red team that they are in last place and will be going to the elimination room tomorrow night. (Cue snotty comment...) Lezlye blurts out "hey, we're pros at it!" Bob comments that he just figured out how to beat Kim and now he's got Jillian to deal with again. Jez feels proud that the black team came back and defeated the other two teams on their own turf.

Alison informs the losing team that they have until tomorrow night to make their decision. She says that Bryan is the biggest loser on his team and cannot be voted off. David won immunity at the reward challenge and he also cannot be voted off. But Phil, Lezlye and Amy are at risk. The girls do not look happy right now.

= The Elimination =
Back in the campus kitchen, David and Phil discuss who should go home. It seems that Phil is split between the two girls, and Davis is unsure of what to do. David tells us that the hardest part about being here is the game play because he wants everyone to achieve his goal but also wants to win. Amy approaches him and asks why he doesn't see Phil as a threat. When David says that he does, Amy tries to get him to switch sides but he counters by saying that they need to keep their team strong somehow. Amy realizes that she can't get Phil out so she instead says she can put up a bigger number than Lezlye. We are shown the conversation that Amy and Lezlye had about sticking together before Amy comments "if you want a stronger team, it's me. I have more body fat and I'm better at challenges."

Amy wants to stay because she needs to learn how to eat right and love exercise. Amy wants to be a role model for her children and says that her weight is endangering her health. Lezlye wants to stay because there is too much going on at home for her to focus on losing weight. In the aftermath of Katrina, she lost her home and needs to find a job; the battle with her weight is one she can't win on her own. Phil says that the isolation of the campus and the support of his teammates is the sole reason why he's lost the weight.

The five members of the red team head into the elimination room and take their seats. Alison says that they have all lost weight and should be proud, but that it's unfortunately time to say goodbye to one of them. Alison asks Amy if she feels that the blue team works out harder. Amy responds that everyone here puts a lot of effort into their workouts and she's proud of them all. Lezlye is asked how the game affects her decisions and she responds that her vote tonight is strictly part of the game. Alison reminds them all that David and Bryan cannot be voted for this time.

Phil says that it's hard to vote for anyone on his team since they all want to be here, but he has to look out for himself now since he's got a target on his back. Phil voted for Lezlye. Lezlye responded by saying that she too is playing the game and made a long term decision to vote out the person with the least amount of body fat. Lezlye voted for Phil. Amy is next and says that she voted for the person she felt would still be successful if they went home. Amy voted for Phil. The next person to vote was David and he said that it was stressful to have to vote for someone again so soon. David voted for Lezlye.

That means there is a tie and the last vote will determine who goes home this week. The last vote came from Bryan and he felt that this week was much harder than last week because nobody wants to go home this time. Bryan said that he considers the person he voted for a friend and will be there for them if they ever need him. The person going home tonight is ...

Spoiler for

Lezlye.

She is somewhat surprised, but thinks that the red team will be four strong and be able to do great things. Alison is amazed to see that they really are friends, but tells Lezlye that it's time to say goodbye to her team. They all hug and she leaves. We see the update on her and despite the fact that she was sorta annoying to me, I'm hoping that she did well on her own. When she first started she weighed 255 pounds and today she weighs 200 pounds. Lezlye thinks that being on the show helped her realize that Katrina was her past and that it's time to let it go and start living again. She plans to stay active and works out regularly with her son. Good for you, Lezlye! =)

What did you think of the black team's return? Does the red team stand a chance?
Let me know what you think! Send your comments to Brendan@TVFunSpot.com.

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[Davis]

Fantastic Biggest Loser Recap, Brendan!

I actually missed the Black team weighing in onwards, so I was thouroughly filled in on the action! I would say that 'I can't believe the Black team won', but I actually can being that the Blue and Red team did so well in Week 1 (lost a lot of weight) where as the Black team pulled pitiful numbers, I think it's realistic that the other teams would plateau, and Black could take the win.

[Erika]

Great recap Brendan! I totally agree about Lezlye and Amy! It's hard not to 'like' people on this show, but you do get some that aren't as committed it seems and I think both of them are not as dedicated as the males on the red team.

Loved it though - great work!