The Biggest Loser 5 Episode 3

Curtis & Mallory, who seemed like one of the stronger teams, were eliminated in The Biggest Loser 5 Episode 2, in what was really a rather bad showing by most people considering it was only the second week.

Paul & Kelly, the other team below the yellow line last week, have an interesting relationship. She left the marriage and wants no part of him. He still wants her back, though, or so we’re hearing from the other contestants.

Jay & Mark and Jackie & Dan openly acknowledge that they’re there to play the game.

Jackie & Dan are The Biggest Loser team of the week. To earn their reward, they must perform the first challenge again, hiking up to the top of the hill. At the top, they must choose between luxury, family, and gameplay as their prize. Jackie’s initial worry was just about surviving, but now she’s focusing on how they can win. Dan thinks they’re due for some luxury. Jackie goes with gameplay because she’s concerned that since they had such good weeks they’re both going to have a target on their back and may hit a wall this week. It’s not extra pounds like she’d hoped. However, it is an extra vote at the next elimination. With only seven votes now available, this gives them a good amount of power. The family choice would have been a visit from the family member of their choice for 24 hours, a lot better than the letters they were expecting. The luxury choice was free massages for them and another team of their choice for the week, potentially very good but also very dangerous.

Neill & Amanda are trying to convince us Neill’s not lazy any more. Jenn’s not buying it.

Ali eats because she has a fear of abandonment. Following her parents’ divorce, she can now use being fat as the excuse for people leaving her. Jillian wants her to confront Bette-Sue about this.

The challenge is a dirty one, in more than one sense. Alison hopes by now they’ve formed friendships and hopefully some alliances. One team member will race through muddy water, grab a medicine ball, race back, and put the ball in another team’s rack. When a team’s rack is full, they’re out of the game. A little early to be playing the pecking order challenge, but it’s normally pretty revealing. One player will run, while the other player will help decide where to put the balls. In addition to all this, the reward will be immunity.

Mark & Jay, concerned people will target them first, start plotting. They go to Ali & Bette-Sue for an alliance, and decide to make it a three-way alliance with Roger & Trent. They want to target Bernie & Brittany. Bernie & Brittany are looking at targetting Mark & Jay, as are Jackie & Dan, and the next target for these two teams is Roger & Trent. These alliances are strange. People are pretty much just joining up with whoever’s standing next to them. Beyond that, they’re being overly vocal about their plans, and it’s no secret what’s going on.

Elimination order:
Jackie & Dan
Neill & Amanda (odd… do people just want Neill gone?)
Mark & Jay (their elimination causes an argument… between each other)
Paul & Kelly
Bette-Sue & Ali
Bernie & Brittany (Maggie chooses she’d rather see Roger & Trent be safe than these two)
Maggie & Jenn

Roger & Trent win the challenge and immunity.

Amanda’s worried that Neill’s personality is getting them in trouble.

Unlike the others, Jackie & Dan don’t want to go back to their room to discuss what happened at the challenge. They’ve decided instead that they’re going to discuss things but will do so on the treadmill.

All the teams are getting more concerned about the black team (mainly Mark because he yelled at his brother). Mark couldn’t care less. He just wants to stay above the yellow line and says he acts obnoxious like that at home, too, so it’s okay. But he apologizes anyway, quite reluctantly. Not that it matters since this meeting that’s supposed to be them getting in everybody’s good graces just blows up into a big argument between everybody.

During the workout, Neill’s warned not to touch the treadmill, or the entire group will be punished by an additional 5 minutes on the treadmill. With less than 10 seconds left, he just can’t resist the temptation, hoping Jillian’s looking at her watch instead of at him. She catches him, and the group is angered that they have to keep going. This is how Neill operates. If he thinks someone’s not looking, he’ll try to take the lazy route. He does it again but doesn’t get caught.

After the workout, Jillian pulls Bette-Sue aside to tell her about what she discussed with Ali. Following their chat, she goes to get Ali and helps the two of them talk and start to get over the past.

Bob hopes this week sucks less worse than last week.

Roger: 331 (-9)
Trent: 388 (-13)
Total: -22 pounds, 2.97%

Jackie: 216 (-7)
Dan: 265 (-12)
Total: -19 pounds, 3.80%

Maggie: 221 (-6)
Jenn: 236 (-4)
Total: -10 pounds, 2.14%

Mark: 249 (-12)
Jay: 268 (-7)
Total: -19 pounds, 3.54%

Bette-Sue: 231 (-8)
Ali: 206 (-6)
Total: -14 pounds, 3.10%

Bernie: 248 (-13)
Brittany: 203 (-7)
Total: -20 pounds, 4.25%

Neill: 292 (-6)
Amanda: 185 (-5)
Total: -11 pounds, 2.25%

Paul: 269 (-14)
Kelly: 248 (-9)
Total: -23 pounds, 4.26%

By .01%, Paul & Kelly are the team of the week. Not so good news for Neill & Amanda or Maggie & Jenn, though, as they are below the yellow line, Maggie & Jenn for the second time. The thing the girls have going for them is that nobody likes Neill, and nobody really sees them as a threat either. Amanda’s very emotional about staying, but Neill can’t muster the same level of concern. At the voting table, he tells one of his jokes that Amanda warned us about, saying she spoke because she can turn on the tears, which draws looks of shock/disgust/nothing good from others.

Votes
Mark & Jay: Neill & Amanda
Bernie & Brittany: Neill & Amanda
Roger & Trent: Neill & Amanda
Jackie: Neill & Amanda

It’s unanimous. People like Amanda, but Neill’s gotta go. We saw this week one as well with Lynn. It doesn’t end there, though. Alison poses the question: if you could vote off one more team, right now, who would it be? Let’s hope this isn’t a lame twist, but we’ll find out the answer next week.

Neill has lost a total of 48 pounds. Amanda, meanwhile, has lost a total of 43 pounds. Despite being half his size, she continues to kick his butt.

Stay tuned to dingoRUE for another recap of The Biggest Loser: Couples episode 4, which airs Tuesday at 8/7c on NBC.