Contestants have gone home before, but never quite like this. It's as if the producers of "The Biggest Loser" (Tue., 8 p.m. EST on NBC) are determined to have these contestants spend as much time away from their trainers as possible this season. The Red Team lost Dolvett two weeks in a row, and the Black Team has had to go without Bob. This week, everyone was going to be without any trainers, or the gym, or the Ranch ... for an unprecedented 18 days.
For some inexplicable reason, Alison Sweeney and the team decided they needed a break from the contestants, so they sent everyone home for more than two weeks. Their challenge while at home was to lose 5% of their body weight. Each person who could accomplish that would earn Immunity, no matter how their team fared at the Weigh-In.
The drawback to this is that if most of any one team gets Immunity, there could be few or no choices on who to eliminate should anyone fall short. As it turned out, three people did fall short. Ironically, it was the same three people who came in at the top of the leaderboard in the $10,000 rowing challenge. And, as it turned out, the person who won that challenge was also the person who would have to use that money as solace on their way back home, this time for good.
Apparently, Mark and Chism struggled at home, as neither of them hit their goal weight loss. Mark missed his by a pound, while Chism missed his by four. Even harder for him, though, was because of how the rest of his team had done, he only needed to lose twelve pounds for the Black Team to win the weigh-in, and then him missing his personal mark wouldn't have mattered. He missed that by one pound.
And he was the only member of the Black Team to miss the 5% threshold. So there was no deliberation, and Chism was eliminated right there on the scale. It was a particularly harsh moment for his dad Mark, who was standing there at 215 pounds and basically done with his own weight-loss journey. Chism was still pushing 300 pounds. Not to mention that they'd both just proven they still couldn't really do what needed to be done at home.
But Mark's pleas to go home instead of his son wouldn't go answered, and Chism took his defeat like a man, talking his father down and saying that he did this to himself. For the integrity of the game, all he could do was walk out with his head held high and continue his journey at home. A journey fans can apparently now follow with video updates at the show's website. This was the teaser in place of a follow-up look at how Chism is doing now.
Is this how it's going to be for every eliminated contestant from this point on -- as a way to encourage people to jump on their website -- or is it a special case for Chism? Next week will have that answer, as well as a likely return to all the frustrating drama and in-fighting that has plagued this season now that everyone is back together. The trainer switch should certainly ratchet up the tension.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this post said that contestants had to lose 10% of their body weight to gain immunity. The correct number was 5%.
Find out what happens next on "The Biggest Loser," Tuesdays at 8 p.m. EST on NBC.
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Contestants have gone home before, but never quite like this. It's as if the producers of "The Biggest Loser" (Tue., 8 p.m. EST on NBC) are determined to have these contestants spend as much time away...
Contestants have gone home before, but never quite like this. It's as if the producers of "The Biggest Loser" (Tue., 8 p.m. EST on NBC) are determined to have these contestants spend as much time away...
Contestants have gone home before, but never quite like this. It's as if the producers of "The Biggest Loser" (Tue., 8 p.m. EST on NBC) are determined to have these contestants spend as much time away...
Contestants have gone home before, but never quite like this. It's as if the producers of "The Biggest Loser" (Tue., 8 p.m. EST on NBC) are determined to have these contestants spend as much time away...
TORONTO - Harley Pasternak works behind the scenes helping to transform the physiques of Hollywood A-listers, but the Canadian fitness guru was initially reluctant to...
Much of the theatricality associated with the televised weight loss competition, "The Biggest Loser" can make its contestants' weight loss seem as impossibly dramatic as...
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What a joke last night was, next year they should make sure the contract states if they leave the show they pay. If it wasn't for the show, they would all still be at home getting bigger by the moment. There are all kinds of people who would do almost anything to be able to lose weight, these ungrateful people for chosing to go home, they should have sent them all home last night and let some of the ones they had voted off, come back. Boo to Kim and Conda.
colal5936: What a joke last night was, next year they should
The show lost it with me in a previous season when the Rulon situation happened. I'd have left too! I watched a couple episodes to laugh at (seriously, their main sponsor is a gym that kicks out people for doing lesser workouts than what they're doing on the show!) but haven't seen much of any of it this season...
hhf34: The show lost it with me in a previous season
I also have watched past seasons and I must admit there is way more drama than before and I agree with most on Anacondas snobbish, self-centered, and manipulative attitude, but keep in mind that this is a reality show and that people like this do exist. I for one am very intrigued to see what will happend next.
wadrespect: I also have watched past seasons and I must admit
I used to love this show, but this season is unbearable. As others have mentioned this Conda girl is one of those people you do not want to know in real live much less watch her hindhanded plotting on TV. How dare she treat other people like that. I also do not like the interaction of the two trainers. This show used to be geared towards the contestants losing weight, now it is an uncomfortable brawl to watch. The new trainer seems to have a "beef" about being better then Bob - how unprofessional is that? Sorry, but this season is not even worth watching.
Pferdefreund: I used to love this show, but this season is
I love this show, but this season has the biggest bunch of snarky babies I've seen yet. don't like Kim on the Red Team, don't like conda, the biggest joke of all and a racist troublemaker. The brother/sister duo brought back was treated like they were a pile of sh$$ dumped in the middle of the room. Pretty disgraceful for the show to let that go on. Bawl Babies, all of them.
Sharon_Jurgensen: I love this show, but this season has the biggest
I think Conda must be short for anaconda because she sure is a mean snake!! Her and Kim are the nastiest people ever featured on this show. If this was a marketing ploy, it's backfired, I won't watch it anymore. There is enough meanness in the world without giving up two hours to watch this nasty bunch!!
Glasgowgers: I think Conda must be short for anaconda because she
I didn't watch the episode last night .. After Conda the snake convinced all her team to throw the weigh in last week just to get rid of Daphne I got disgusted with the whole thing .
happyone6470: I didn't watch the episode last night .. After Conda
I totally agree with you - this season even the trainers are against each other. I have stopped watching. this is suppose to be about weight loss not the Watch the Bully Win!!!
nancyncd: I totally agree with you - this season even the
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First Posted: 02/29/2012 4:25 am Updated: 02/29/2012 5:35 pm