The dictionary defines anticlimactic as “a decline viewed in disappointing contrast with a previous rise.” That about sums up this edition of The Biggest Loser. Don waterloaded again to insure that he was below the yellow line and got sent home. Yup. The Barn people moved onto the Ranch, better known as the Biggest Loser Campus, with some fanfare. Whee. The Barnies boxed, Jillian yelled, Bob was zen. Yada yada yada.
Frankly the most compelling part of this whole episode was what Allison Sweeney was wearing for the weigh-ins. Her first outfit looked like something that would have been part of Kate Capshaw’s wardrobe in that Indiana Jones movie she did. You know, the second one where she met Steven Spielberg, they fell in love, became Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson’s best friends and lived happily ever after. Yeah. That one. Ali’s take on that ensemble was very Singapore Gangster chic, circa 1931. The second weigh-in outfit fully classified her as a member of Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation. Without the military hat. Which kind of disappointed me.
Seriously though — you know it’s a snooze-worthy episode when the most interesting thing was what the host was wearing. I even leveled up a couple of times in Angry Birds while I was watching. Shhhh. Don’t tell.
I will say that I am firmly on Team Ranch in this team versus team showdown. Those folks just seem much more likable to me – and I do prefer a likable reality show contestant. Team Barn is a mouthy bunch, as evidenced by that effort intervention they ran on Red Team Q. All things aside, I cannot take a guy seriously who calls himself Q, like he’s a Bond sidekick. And it seems like his teammates are having a hard time taking him seriously as well. The Yellow Team, composed of former Olympic wrestler Rulon and his pseudo-menacing pal Justin, are the self-appointed leaders of this group. They don’t think twice about getting in someone’s face when they feel it’s warranted nor do they not think twice about telling you that they are the leaders of the Barn gang. During the hour before the big vote-off, after Team Red fell below the yellow line, most of the time was spent with these two making Red Q practically take a blood oath swearing he would do what he needed to do in honor of his wife, Red Larialmy and assuring his doubting teammates (who would have sent him home if they’d had their druthers) he would pull his weight if allowed to stay on the show. So to speak.
At least the other elimination was easy, with Tweedle Don throwing his second consecutive weigh-in, convincing sunny Orange Irene to do the same to insure that his tuchus was the one sent home. Trainer Bob is nonplussed by this, acknowledging that “this place isn’t for everyone.” Gotta appreciate that bit of self-awareness from one of this show’s stalwarts. The producers didn’t even bother with the ritual of the elimination vote on the room service delivery plates – a show of hands right there at the weigh-in site sent Don home to reunite with his brother and to do a pretty good job of losing weight on his own.
The Ranch people were spared sending someone else packing, thanks to meeting a challenge to beat their weight loss total of the most recent weigh-in. Overall, their numbers are good and solid. Blue Arthur still isn’t impressing with his loss amounts, given how much weight he still has to lose. Makes me wonder what would happen if he was given an effort intervention by the Team Yellow enforcers. …
Random randomness:
Clacked by Jane Graves 
on Feb 02, 2011 @ 11:30 EST5EDT
Haha! I totally agree that Alison’s outfits were the highlight of the show for me (I especially liked the yellow puffy vest with colorful scarf…provided much contrast to her morbid weigh-in corsets).
Also, did you kinda wish Irene would have just thrown Don under the bus and lost weight herself? She doesn’t seem like a game player, and was obviously roped into doing this because she would have felt guilty about Don being the only one on her team to be yelled at. And even if she lost, his 6-pound gain would have been enough to pit them below the yellow line. He would have still gotten what he wanted–to go home–and she would have actually lost weight like she came there to do. Dummies.
. . . . .
With No Ordinary Family on rerun status this week, I put The Biggest Loser on. And quickly relegated it to background noise while I did something else. It was rather the snoozefest, wasn’t it?
On the spiffy side, I took notice of Rulon Gardner’s get-up-and-go attitude and forthrightness. Dig it.
*POST AUTHOR*
I think Irene did it to insure that Don would indeed go home — kind of like an insurance policy. Take no chances, that sort of thing. My ire at the twins being such party poopers is erased by the fact that they are actually gone and I can concentrate on being irritated by another team (most likely team pink or yellow)