Previous episode: The Biggest Loser Australia: Singles Season Seven – Weigh In & Elimination #8
The contestants are reeling after the shock elimination of Simon; but today will be the best time for them to let go of their anger by slugging it out in this week’s contest. Who will win? What will they win?
Simon has packed his bags, and is heading out. Lisa is with him as he leaves through the doors. There are obvious tears and plenty of hugs. It is very emotional. Very pure.
With that, Simon leaves, and Lisa is alone.
In the lounge, the contestants are waiting for the trainers and Lisa. Michelle thinks Lisa would be shattered- knowing what she may be going through. She asks them all to give her some space. Lisa then walks in and she has obviously been crying.
Margie didn’t realise she wanted to go home and Lisa says she wanted to go home ‘so badly’. She tears up when she realises that she doesn’t know if she can do much more. We reflect on her bad weight losses and she says she cannot cope with this anymore. Margie reminds her why she is here and Lydia feels as if Lisa should be given some space to realise what she wants to do.
Lydia does advise her to talk to Michelle. She finally smiles, and she looks committed to try to get her focus back.
Soon after, the contestants find a letter on a podium. Very staged. They are asked to ‘reach new heights’ for their next training session. Graham is told to stay back as the Commando has something planned for him. He’s in trouble; and we see his confrontation with the Commando in the weigh in.
For the rest of them, cars will take them to a secret location. With that, they wish Graham luck and head off.
The rain starts and Tiffiny and Michelle are waiting for the contestants. Michelle wants to see Lisa walk around the corner and to her relief, she is. She gives her a big hug.
Tiffiny and Michelle wants them to have a fun training session after all the emotions and politics of recent weeks.
Alex, Lydia and Kasey head off with Tiffiny with the other three going with Michelle.
Michelle rocks up to the trapeze school. Hmm, remind you of anything? This place looks similar to that used in Excess Baggage; but I understand that the Excess Baggage trapeze challenge actually took place in a regular gymnasium, and not this school. I could be wrong though.
Frank, the instructor, runs through what they will do today- a leap of faith- which is where you swing and then leap into the arms of another trapeze. Margie is happy to do it; but is very frightened by the experience.
She is first, and you can hear the fear in her voice. She doesn’t want to do this and thinks she will die. She doesn’t want to let go. Frank helps her through this, but she is very fearful. It looks high from there. She is about to go, and she asks to wait.
Opinion point: Are you surprised by Margie’s hesitance?
After the break, Margie is ready to go. She eventually falls and now comes the hard part- letting go. She does so and just lies in the mat. She is very emotional. She has done it! She can’t believe she is alive!
Michelle is next. She is more hesitant but less emotional. Finally she goes…oops, no she doesn’t. A third time is the charm, and she is off. She says it has been a year since she felt this happy about herself.
Meanwhile, Tiffiny takes her team off for some rock climbing- another height-based challenge. A man abseils down to give them a course and Lydia soon begins to climb. There are a lot of ‘I can’t’s but Tiffiny is there to help her along and soon she gets to the top.
Kasey is next and she says rock climbing is harder than it looks. Amen to that! She does make it to the top and she realises how much weight she has lost.
Back at the Trapeze school, Lisa gets to the top for her trapeze session. She is feeling really nervous about this, but Michelle says that is good. Michelle says this is the new Lisa and Lisa gets emotional. After this talk, Lisa gets ready for her trapeze. She just wants the bar, haha.
There’s not much hesitation shown here, as she flies off. There is hesitation with dropping from the bar, but she does it and uplifting music plays as she finishes her challenge.
Alex is last to rock climb back in Tiffiny’s group. He falls a few times, but Tiffiny is there to put him back up. Can he make it?
Opinion point: Rock climbing or trapeze; what would you pick?
After the break, Alex is continuing to moan about his lack of Spiderman skills on the rock climb. The guide comes up to give him more help, or does he? All he does is give him more chalk!
Soon enough though, Alex makes it to the top. Alex has more respect for rock climbers and Spiderman.
The team finishes off the session with a hands-in bond.
Meanwhile, back at CBL, the rainclouds roll in as Commando begins his training session with Graham. He asks if he has ever been so angry as he was in the weigh in and Graham confirms that he hasn’t. He said he wanted to show Commando that he could be the week’s Biggest Loser, something that obviously didn’t happen.
The Commando tells him that he will train him today to get him to the top. It’s a muddy and severe training session, and pushing is definitely what is going on today. Commando still seems concerned by the lack of emotion Graham is showing.
He reminds Graham that he has lost 45kg, but has another 55kg, so he needs to fire up and lose around 8kg a week. The Commando gets angry as he tells Graham to begin to get angry in training sessions. He is very brutal, but hopefully it sinks in.
Opinion point: Is this Graham’s week?
After the break, the contestants reunite for the contest and what awaits them is a rotating platform with two yellow noodles- one near the top and one near the bottom, sticking out of it.
Hayley welcomes them to ‘ducking for cover’. The rotating platform rotates! The contestants have to duck under the high noodle and jump over the low noodle. Each time they clear a noodle, the platform spins faster.
The twist today is that only four contestants will get to compete. Lydia doesn’t find this to be fair. As biggest loser, Michelle gets to choose. She chooses herself, Graham, Lisa and Kasey. Lydia is very annoyed. She feels as if she didn’t pick Lydia due to the threat she poses.
Yeah, she doesn’t want Margie or Lydia to win anything else. With that, they choose their opponents. Kasey will go up against Michelle with Lisa and Graham matching up in round two. The winner overall will go on the walk.
With that, they get ready for round one.
The first girl to break a noodle will be out. The winner will progress to the final.
After a slow and steady start, the speed is upped, but they are both doing really well. Margie is backing Kasey, who looks to be the underdog. Soon enough, the speed is upped again, giving Kasey a run for her money! She keeps clipping the bar. Michelle is going OK, but even she is now struggling.
Even still, they crank the machine up faster. Kasey is trying to hold out, and it pays off with Michelle breaking both noodles and sending Kasey to round three.
Kasey is so surprised she beat Michelle. It is now time for Graham and Lisa to take to the podium.
The machine goes, and it is now on!
It isn’t long before Graham begins to tempt fate.
Opinion point: Which three contestants would you choose to compete against you in this challenge?
After the break, Lisa tells Margie who is giving no helpful support, to shut up, and the contestants joke about alliances being broken. Margie is telling them that she has the ‘need for speed’ and on that note, we crank it up a bit higher.
Graham surprises everyone by continuing to touch the arms without breaking them. Graham makes me recoil every time that noodle comes round. They turn the machine up again. Soon enough, he gives up, but he gave it his all, that’s for sure. As Lisa celebrates a win, contestants also congratulate Graham.
Lisa will now face off against Kasey in round three. Hayley tells them that they have not yet reached max speed on the machine, a hint that they should make the most of this. Speaking of making the most of this, Lisa is obviously trying to make sure Simon’s elimination was not in vain.
At the end of the challenge, Lisa triumphs, giving herself the power of the walk. Kasey says she lost concentration in the end, which led to her loss. Lisa says she was a rhythm. With that, the contestants leave with Lisa going on the walk.
Lisa then heads off down the tunnel for the second week in a row. Hopefully she will have better success! To end the episode, she chooses the mystery box. We don’t see the entire twist- but it seems that one contestant will get exclusive access to something until the next weigh in; and I have a feeling it is trainer (but why it is in the mystery section is a complete surprise).
I must say- THIS is really how an episode is done. Eventful, emotional, well balanced, nice ending, nice beginning, no major product placement, engaging, eye-opening. This episode further tested the viewer’s perception on certain characters, and left no stone unexpectedly unturned. It’s a day late, but I think we have a winner!
The Biggest Loser Australia: Singles next airs Mar 21 at 7PM on TEN.
Production Values (visual and audio techniques, overall ‘bling’ of the show):5/5
‘Sell-out’ factor (Cross-promotion and product placement free?): 2/2
Entertainment Value (emotional feel, storyline, eventful?): 3/3
Courtney’s Verdict: 10/10
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