At this writing I feel so much better about the black team for showing themselves that they can be winners – and Arthur has finally started to get in the game for more than mind games. That weigh-in was spectacular! TWENTY POUNDS?! Where has that been the last six weeks?! Arthur has been holding out on us I think…

After the previous week’s challenge with Arthur scrambling the teams, and Jay being voted off because of it, I am certain that Arthur wasn’t feeling the “love” of his teammates. And what did he expect? But, he is a schmoozer – you’ve gotta give him that. He’s figured out a way to bring himself back into the fold, and the loving arms, of his fellow female teammates. He’s become the team project. “Should I use cheese on my salad? Is chicken better than steak?” Oh Arthur, I can see right through you, and I am sure many others watching at home are thinking the same thing. But hey, if it works and it makes everyone pull together as a team I guess he does have an idea of how this game is played. My hat is off to him (if I wore a hat, but you get the idea)

The black team is still suffering from “underdog-itis” and they need to get over it. All the whining in the world is not going to make a better number show up on the scale, and they need to be reminded that it is by percentage (not pounds) lost that the winners are determined. Thus leveling the playing field. So…quit yer cryin’! Too many women in one team can turn ugly, as we’ve started to notice this past week. A bit of a cat-fight was beginning to brew…

And not that I am against an all-women team (definitely not!) but a team of whiny women is annoying. And a team of whiny, uncoordinated, unorganized women is a death sentence for that team! (not to mention more annoying) They couldn’t even figure out how to get themselves out of a rope without having a nervous breakdown. Personally, I am offended for all of the women who watched this debacle. Were you screaming at the TV like I was? It was worse than watching a toddler’s soccer game where there is no score and and they run around aimlessly for two hours. Aarrgghh!!

The red team keeps winning these challenges – the strength and strategic challenges – making the black team feel inferior, but they can’t seem to win a challenge that deals with the real life issue of what goes into their mouths. And that brings us back to the same question: when will the red team realize that Brett and Cara are not giving them ALL of the tools that they will need to not only lose the weight but keep it off? Eventually they have to leave the ranch and make their own food and eat in restaurants, but without knowing how to prepare it or shop for it they are doomed. And there is only so much boxing that one person can be expected to do on their own.

I’m hoping for a “where are they now?” episode, in about a year, to see which team is more successful in the longterm. THAT would make a great special program for BL!

And when will this “family” house of cards completely cave-in on itself? (are you ready to just puke every time you hear that phrase from the red team?!… or is it just me??) It’s not far down the road I am guessing, because soon enough they will be playing as single players and then it will be every man/woman for themselves. That’s when we see who has who’s back and who is low man on the totem pole. Let the inbred, infighting begin!

Tonight is a big night for both teams: double elimination. The previews lead us to believe that it will be parents put to the test of choosing themselves over their children, but I have to question why it would only be between a parent and a child? If it’s double elimination it could very well be between two unrelated people, right? At least that’s what I got out of my probabilities class in high school. So much drama to hook you into watching, and I ask: do we really need that? Wouldn’t you watch it anyway?

I would…if only to see if Arthur continues to pull double-digits like he should have been doing up until now.

Only time will tell, and that time is tonight.

NBC. 8pm Central/7pm Eastern

Can you feel it??

The tide is turning and the game is heating up…