Biggest Loser: Couples
on NBC
By Ally Matteodo
NBC aired the penultimate
episode of The Biggest Loser: Couples Tuesday, May 18th at
8:00 p.m. ET. This inspiring program earns the honor of Best TV Show of
the Week. In this reality series, trainers Jillian Michaels and Bob
Harper whip overweight contestants into shape over the course of four months.
At the end of each episode, the contestants ”weigh in,” and whichever two
contestants lose the least percentage of body weight are up for elimination.
With their final weigh-in on the ranch, both Daris and Koli recorded the lowest
percentages of weight loss, Koli losing only 13 pounds, and Daris actually
gaining two. Viewers then selected which one should be eliminated from the game,
the remaining contestant will be in the “final three” for the season finale.
Whoever loses the most weight will be declared “The Biggest Loser,” and win a
prize of $250,000. The remaining contestants, made up of Ashley, Michael, Koli,
and Daris, watched highlights from their time at the ranch at the beginning of
this episode. Following this, they journey home for thirty days before weighing
in for a final time. Host Alison Sweeney reveals to the contestants that their
final challenge will be a marathon, and whoever completes the race will receive
$10,000 for the charity of their choice. Daris wins the marathon, earning an
incredible time of 4:03, the fastest time in which any Biggest Loser contestant
has ever completed the marathon. After the final weigh in, it is clear that in
next week’s finale either Daris or Koli will be competing against Michael and
Ashley for the title of “The Biggest Loser.”
The contestants on The
Biggest Loser first arrive on the ranch dejected and dangerously
overweight. Many suffer from diabetes, high cholesterol, and respiratory
problems due to their size. Yet in just a few short weeks, viewers begin to see
the difference. Through good old-fashioned eating right and working out, the
contestants shed the pounds and prior bad habits, including emotional eating,
fatty foods, and binging. A truly transforming experience, the contestants
become more confident and stronger right in front of our very eyes. During one
moment in this episode Koli explains his previous life: he weighed 400 pounds
and could not have contemplated running a 26-mile marathon, but now in the span
of four months, he has done it -- and if he can do it, Koli says, anyone can.
In another instance, Ashley’s mother looked at her proudly with tears in her
eyes when Ashley commented on how even the thought of drinking makes her feel
sick. After her father died, Ashley explains, she partied a lot, drinking and
smoking cigarettes. The fact she lives a healthy life now and doesn’t crave
these former vices clearly shows how far she’s come. This is testimony to the
wondrous lifestyle changes The Biggest Loser brings about. While back at
home with his family, contestant Michael makes a large Italian dinner with his
family, but this time they use Jennie-O turkey instead of red meat, and bake the
meatballs instead of frying everything. With just a couple of tweaks, a dinner
can be delicious and healthy. This program gives hope to those who lie on the
couch and lament their weight: the contestants on The Biggest Loser used
to be such people themselves…and they insist that it’s time to stop making
excuses and start changing your life.
Best TV Show
of the Week
The Parents
Television Council -
www.parentstv.org
