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‘The Biggest Loser’: ‘It shouldn’t have been us’

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After a long, Olympics-induced break, ‘The Biggest Loser’ is back. It started with a bang -- and the elimination of our salt-and-pepper love bug, Darrell. Before all the smoke cleared, we had a dastardly temptation, Jillian had to apologize, the teams were split into black and blue, Jillian paid a compliment ... and Michael’s game playing blew up in his face.

Or did it?

Michael’s shenanigans started when he chowed down 2,310 calories during a temptation to gain control of black-and-blue teammaking. He used his powers to create a blue-shirted super team and a weaker black team. In doing so, he broke up Cheryl and her son, Daris, and cousins Koli and Sam. He actually kept a straight face as he claimed he was doing it for them -- and certainly not to stack the deck in his favor. (I wonder why he didn’t just put all the boys on blue and the girls on black?)

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Michael assumed that the black team would spend the next few weigh-ins falling below the yellow line, picking off one teammate after another. But he underestimated Jillian. She exploded when she saw the team divisions -- she knew she was up against it but also criticized him for not giving the black team a fair fight. Michael reminded her that it was a game, after all, and said it was time for him to look out for No. 1. Then he quickly ducked behind Bob: ‘I have to look out for myself. Isn’t that what you said, Bob?’

Jillian, doing that holding-her-fists-to-her-forehead thing, actually apologized for her outburst. More shocking? She drove the black team so hard in the gym this week, and they willingly complied with every sadistic demand, that she actually had to pay them several compliments: ‘Perfect you guys, that’s so perfect.’

When the weigh-in rolled around, it appeared the blue team would roll on to victory. Especially when Michael, who put himself on the blue team, lost 15 pounds this week, setting a ‘Biggest Loser’ record for losing 109 pounds in just seven weeks. Add to that the modest losses posted by the first few members of the black team. But little things add up. The power hitters this week? Stephanie, who lost eight, and Ashley, who lost 10.

And just like that, victory went to black.

And that’s when Michael started muttering, ‘It shouldn’t have been us. It shouldn’t have been us.’

The blue team, so confident that it would remain intact, had to send someone home. They chose Miggy, who happens to be Michael’s closest friend in the house. Makes sense. Miggy has grit, but she’s not going to win challenges. The blue team sacrificed her in favor of some of its younger and stronger players.

So, here is my question. Did this really backfire on Michael? Or is this just smoke and mirrors? If you just look at this week’s percentage-of-body-weight loss, Miggy would have been at or near the bottom, no matter what color her T-shirt. Moreover: Did Michael do the right thing? Is he justified in starting to look out for Numero Uno? Or is it still too soon to do that?

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A few observations:

Several of the players are really starting to take shape. Cheryl looks terrific, as does Sam. (Love that manly man Sam, as the sole male member of the black team, even painted his nails black in solidarity with his sisters.)

We need to find out Bob’s beauty secrets. He appears to be turning back the clock.

O’Neal is a beast. He had immunity this week and still lost nine pounds.

Lance might have a 300-pound monkey on his back.

So nice to see Miggy and Darrel continuing to do well at home. See you at the finale!

-- Rene Lynch

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