Watching Reality TV

Curious about last week’s episode? Check out this post right here for the details.

Here we are folks.  The last week before the finale.  I have to admit, I’m pretty excited about it.  For now, the blue team is down to one measly member and Bob is feeling the heat.  I have to admit, Neil is looking good.  He’s lost a TON of weight.  Out in the desert, Jillian is beating up the black team.  She’s so proud of her team, coming up from being outcasts to really dominating the game.  She walks them through a lot of the same exercises they did when they first encountered Jillian, and it’s amazing, they have no trouble with it now.  This is all really very inspiring.  Bob is also taking Neil back to day one and how far he has come.

We don’t waste any time, we get right to the final challenge.  It involves each contestant burying their weight that they lost.  They have to pick out how much weight they need to bury and then be the first to bury it all.  Winner wins $10,000.  Neil is determined to win at least one challenge in this game, but everyone else is just as determined to win as he is.  It involves a LOT of pulling weight around and dumping it in a pit.  Isabeau is a tank and pulls her 73 pounds lengths ahead of anyone else.  It’s incredible.  She wins the challenge easily and celebrates, everyone else buries their own weight as well.

We go right into the last last chance workout and Bob is determined to keep Neil in the game.  Jillian is just as aware of the importance of this weigh in.  She pushes everyone, especially Isabeau, to the point of breaking.  Everyone is feeling stressed out, but so appreciative of their trainer’s efforts.  And this is it.  We go right to weigh in.  I’m not used to these short episodes!  I’m not ready!  Heh.  Everyone looks absolutely amazing.  It makes my eyes tear up to look at them all.

Neil goes to the scale first and this week he lost 10 pounds which he’s very happy with.  That’s a 3.47% loss.  Hollie is up next and she lost 5 pounds this week.  She looks hopeful.  That’s a 2.55% loss.  Bill hits it next and he lost 9 pounds which is incredible.  That is a 4.23% loss.  Julie goes up she lost 8 pounds and dissolves into tears right away.  That is a 4.76% loss.  Hollie is officially below the line.  Isabeau hits the scales last and lost 8 pounds as well.  She cries too.  That is a 3.56% loss.

Neil is below the yellow line with Hollie and his departure is pretty much guaranteed.  Bill reflects on how crazy it is that Neil lost 10 pounds and it still wasn’t enough to save him.  That’s just nuts.  He’s a great competitor, but I just do not see the black team voting out their own.  They just won’t.  And Neil knows it.  He breaks the news to Bob the next day.  Neil is pragmatic about it.  Bob is upset, but he pumps Neil up instead of bringing him down (take notes, Kim).  It’s a tearful, emotional goodbye.  I’m sad Bob has no representation in the finale, but I’ve had beef with Neil since his whole water retention shenanigans.  So I can’t say I’m too upset that it’s him that is leaving.

The elimination is merely a formality and everyone knows it.   Everyone mentions Neil as a threat and that they feel loyalty to their team mates.   It is a backhanded insult to Hollie, in a way, that everyone would rather compete against her than Neil.  I mean, I would too.  Isabeau adds that her vote is for Jez.  HA!  That’s awesome.  I’m just amazed by how the black dominated the game.  No red team.  No blue team.  Just the “losers”.  That’s awesome.  Today Neil has lost a total of 165 since going on the show and looks absolutely incredible.  I cannot wait to see everyone at the finale.

We see each black team member meet with Jillian individually to say goodbye.  It’s pretty touching.  Jillian is obviously bursting with pride but something about her demeanor tells me she didn’t expect this to end any other way.   We get to see everyone travel home to their families.  Next week?  The homecomings and the live weigh in.  Squee!