Even Team Silver’s Joelle would admit that episode two of The Biggest Loser: Couples should have been called The Joelle Show–and not because she was a shining star.
First, she wanted cash; then she gave excuses. But in the end, she realized that she was spared the yellow line by the slimmest of margins, a one-pound differential in the form of a penalty that Team Orange’s Daniel Wright was stuck with after the land-and-sea challenge.
With the heaviest — and the oldest — man, Jerry Hayes, up for elimination, the rest of the contestants sent Jerry home to the support of his teammate and wife, Estella, and his grandkids. He left with no regrets and 26 lbs. shed in two weeks! Here is how the drama unfolded:
Your Money or Your Life: After an opening cross-country montage showed nine team members trying to lose weight at home (Carla boogeying around in her living room – good! David eating two hot dogs and fries with ketchup – bad!), the remaining contestants faced their first temptation, an incrementally rising amount of cash in lieu of continuing in the game. The award level started at $5,000. Joked Filipe, “I know exactly what I’ll do if I take the $5,000. I’d spend $4,000 on fried chicken, and $1,000 on my cable, so I can watch the show!” Host Alison then upped the ante to $10,000. No takers. But when the final offer reached $25,000, Joelle almost took the bait.
Surf and Turf: In their first individual challenge, the contestants raced in a sea kayak a ¼ mile to the shore, then hiked to the top of a mountain. Reward was immunity with the first four people getting phone calls home and the last person to the top getting socked with a one-pound penalty. Although Blaine showed early promise, ex-plus-size model Tara kicked it in the final steep stretch and won for Team Green. Blaine, Mandi and Helen followed to claim the calls. Proving that this season is so not last season, Tara then gave her phone call privilege to Filipe! Of her own free will!
Bob Goes Nuts: At the last-chance workout, Bob got frustrated that he was spending so much individual time with Joelle but not getting results. In a side interview, Joelle said watching others throwing up and sweating convinced her that she wasn’t ready to go there and would “fake it ’til I make it.”
After Joelle jumped off a treadmill before the rest of the Blue Team, Zen Bob transformed into Raging Bob. “WHAT IS IT?” Bob yelled in a way that can only be expressed in all caps. “WHAT THE F—, JOELLE?” he screamed. “YOU STOP AT 20 SECONDS EVERY F—ING TIME!” (Watch the clip.) Mouth agape, Jillian told her team, “I have never seen Bob that mad. Ever!” After two battles ending in Bob excoriating Joelle to “stop saying all these words,” Joelle finally completed a 30-second set on the treadmill.
White Weigh-In: Finally, at the first weigh-in that would result in a team’s elimination, Joelle realized she could be kicked out. She said, “I could either get redeemed, or look like a moron.” In the end, she fell somewhere in between, even as Bob laughed and said, “I was possessed by Jillian Michaels” about his exchanges with Joelle. Team Black continued to excel, winning the weigh-in. But Joelle escaped the yellow-line fate when Daniel only lost three pounds and Jerry lost one pound. In the end, the group chose youth to stay. Jerry said he was at peace with the decision, and Joelle goes in to week three properly humbled. – Cynthia Wang
Tell us: Should Jerry have stayed instead? Did you enjoy Bob breaking character and raging against Joelle?
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