Biggest Loser: The kitchen is closed

Our Biggest Loser correspondent, The N&O's Michelle Aldrich, gives us her recap of last night's show.

After last week's elimination I was expecting a more melodramatic opener, but week four started with the orange and purple teams talking privately about what went down. In a nutshell, Shay isn't going to trust Raleigh native Tracey (she's a liar!) etc. etc.

When Jillian and Bob learn how the red team went home, they admonish the group that everyone needs to be here, no one should be sacrificing anyone, and they need to fight for themselves!

In the gym, Jillian's fighting to get to the bottom of Julio's issues, but he's not really giving her what she wants. (Tears, confession, self-loathing.) He insists that he's happy. (Jillian, "No you're not! 407 pounds is not happy!"). Julio does allow that he's "excellent at food ... obsessed with
it. Cheeseburgers are my drug of choice."

Tracey checks in with Dr. H and is devastated that he won't clear her for exercise yet. Not even walking! Something about CPK levels? She's crushed and cries to her stalwart teammate Coach Mo, who must essentially lose enough for both of them to stay above the yellow line. It goes without saying that if they face elimination, the house will be too happy to write down her name.

Alison arrives to announce the week's challenge: no kitchen privileges for the week -- complete with heavy chains and padlocks on the cupboards and fridge. This means they'll be eating out or ordering in for EVERY meal. I like this. Americans' obesity rates correlate with eating out and cooking less, and that is so often how pounds creep back on in the "real world."

For a quick pop challenge, Alison gives each team their choice of three restaurant meals and they must guess which has the least calories. The pink team wins free groceries for a YEAR. Which segues into a promo for "The Biggest Loser Simple Swaps" book. Mr. Tivo observes that the ever-growing Biggest Loser empire has got to be making a mint!

Next we see the crowd ordering lunch from takeout menus (No grapes, dressing on the side, the chicken should be grilled, no cheese, yada, yada.) And when the food arrives? It's not all exactly as they ordered it. They've been reminded that the best way to retain control over their calorie intake is to prepare their own food at home.

Bob and Jillian take the contestants to a Mexican restaurant and everyone is immediately busted for leaving their calorie counters behind. So no margaritas, no chips and salsa. Order like Bob and Jillian and you'll be fine.

The week's physical challenge has the players suspended over water. Whoever can hang on the longest wins IMMUNITY. And wouldn't you know, Daniel from Willow Spring won! He's especially psyched because he went home after four weeks last season. Yeah Daniel!

The last chance workout has Bob and Jillian united "in beating off all the calories they ate out this week." Coach Mo is working out intensely but strains his back. Bob chalks this up to stress and not having his head screwed on right. Mo comes around and heads back into the gym. Let's hope Mo can hang in there long enough to escape being Tracey's teammate!

Everyone is in agreement that this week's weigh-in is extra stressful. Having lost so much control over their food, no one is confident that they'll see a good number.

Orange = Shay lost 5 and Daniel lost 0 which smacks of gameplay, since they had immunity. (He denies this.)
Green = lost 10
Blue = lost 16 (Rudy continues to post double digits with 11)
Brown = lost 11
Purple = lost 12 (How did Tracey manage to lose 4 when she can't exercise?)
Julio = lost 4
Pink = lost 9

So either the Brown team of Danny and Liz will go home, or Julio. The deliberation was pretty even, with no consensus. None of these contestants put up big numbers, so there's no obvious "threat" to eliminate. But if Brown goes home, that's two competitors they can eliminate vs. just one.

No one revealed any strategy or reasoning during the elimination. The deciding vote came down to the purple team: Coach Mo considered Julio his best friend, Liz was Tracey's roommate -- so they were not in agreement. But in the end, they sent Julio home. I wonder how Tracey managed that one?!

When the cameras show Julio at home weeks later, he's happily working out, making salads with the family and continuing to lose weight.

Nice.

Next week, they break the group into the classic "blue vs. black" teams. Which is of course decided by one person -- will it be Tracey?