'The Biggest Loser: Couples': "This kid doesn't get it!"

We had a heartbreaker of an elimination this week on The Biggest Loser: Couples. Was the decision swayed by an emotional plea, a boneheaded remark, or an opportunity for revenge?

This spoiler recommends using the rosemary skewer trick with lamb, too.

We open with a helpful little recap on the screen: "At elimination, Jillian's team promised they would vote for Joelle. They didn't." Thanks, show! Team Bob is pissed, especially when Blaine walks in and commiserates. Blaine isn't sorry at all: "It's a game and we're playing it," he interviews. "[We had to think about] what would be the best for our team and, [laughing] honestly, what would be the worst for theirs." Fine, I get that -- but why have the meeting before the elimination where you said you'd respect Team Jillian's decision? You can "play the game" without playing with people's minds! Grrr.

The strategy may have backfired, because even Joelle is fired up now. Team Bob is out for blood. Of course, bits of Team Bob need to vent a bit about how awful Joelle is before they set about striking back at Team Jillian -- Kristin and Helen in particular take him aside so they can complain. I understand, I'm with you, now get over it, Bob says.

The challenges
 The contestants test their knowledge of Superbowl-party munchies, guessing the calorie counts of popular football-watching treats. To sum up: Buffalo wings, chili in a bread bowl, and seven-layer dip aren't that good for you. The three winners who came closest to guessing the calorie counts without going over get a lesson with "celebrity chef" Curtis Stone, who makes grilled chicken on rosemary skewers. That sounds highly yummy, but it's nothing like buffalo wings. Don't get me wrong -- I'd prefer the rosemary-skewered chicken, but Alison said he'd be making healthier versions of the snack foods. Seems like a bait and switch to me.

After the cooking class, Kristin, Helen and Dan guess the calorie count of the new dish -- and Dan wins. That means Curtis will give David a cooking lesson -- and a two-pound pass. David is nonplussed when Curtis shows up -- "There's this tall guy with pointy hair standing there..." -- and he confesses that he hasn't really been doing the whole diet thing. (He's also smoking, which isn't exactly compatible with health and exercise.) I have a feeling that one cooking lesson isn't going to change much for this guy...

Football challenge number two is hosted by Kurt Warner. It involves running up and down the field and putting footballs in opposing players' bins. People who get five footballs in their bins are out. Tara tears off and targets Filipe. With Mandi's help, he's the first one out. But Tara gets booted next -- the rest of the competitors don't want her to win another challenge. Dan is the sixth one booted, which he thinks is a good thing-- Look how long I lasted! Sorry, sweetie, but that means that others didn't see you as a threat. It comes down to Helen and Joelle, with Helen placing the last football. She wins immunity for herself and her daughter.

Workouts and weigh-ins
Bob's team is on fire -- even Joelle. This time, it's Dan who's fulfilling the trainer-frustration role. He just can't get it through his head that he can run for 5 minutes (and I sympathize -- I'd be terrified about my kneecaps popping off and skidding across the room, too). After much cajoling, threatening, psychoanalyzing, and flat-out yelling, Jillian gets him to run the full five minutes.

At the weigh-in, all the home competitors are back to watch their partners take to the scale. No pressure...

Filipe, Tara and Mandi do crazy good, each losing more than 4 percent. Team Black and Kristin are in the 3-percent range -- as is Joelle, who actually had a better percentage than Kristin. Go, Joelle!

That leaves Dan going up against Team Brown. Everyone is horrified. Ron begs everyone not to kick off his son -- he needs this! Save him! Dan says that they all deserve to be here, and that he wants to keep inspiring people with his story. Then it's David's turn to speak... and he blows it. "If we went home, I would be ok with that." What? Dan is aghast, and the rest of the competitors can't believe what they're hearing.

Tara tears David a new one at voting time: A gazillion people tried out, Dan has been working his ass off, and you say you're cool with going home? Well, screw you, buddy -- I'm going to make sure you stay!

Sorry, Tara -- that's not the way the voting goes. It's three votes for Team Brown, four for Team Orange. And looky here -- it breaks down on team lines. All of Jillian's charges vote to boot (Bob's) Team Brown, while Bob's folks vote to kick off (Jillian's) Team Orange. I wonder if things might have been different if Jillian's team hadn't pulled the keep-Joelle-on stunt last week...

At the look-at-me-now interview, Dan is looking a lot better -- he's running for almost 20 minutes a day, he's off his diabetes meds, and he's lost 101 pounds. Wow! David... well, he's not doing as well. He's lost 46 pounds, which is great, but he doesn't have the same fire that Dan does. I have to wonder if David wanted to do this in the first place.

Highlights, thoughts and odds and ends

• A couple of you called it last week -- Joelle seeing her whole team vote against her lit a fire under her. I hope she keeps it up. (I still wish she wouldn't parrot platitudes quite so much, but bravo for making the actions match the words now.)
• Filipe looks about ready to rip Blaine's arm off when he comes in to comfort him on losing Damien. He pounds on the table, and Mike is looking like he's a little scared of Filipe.
• Dave, Dave, Dave... you really didn't get it. It's hard, it's really hard, but you can't say you didn't know what you were getting into. If you weren't committed, you shouldn't have gotten in the game.
• David defends his elimination remarks: "The truth is, my commitment is here, my heart is not. Being on the ranch is the best opportunity of your life but you're trapped, you're trapped in, and that's hard for me." It's hard for everyone, David -- but they're doing it. If you didn't want it, you shouldn't have tried out.
• Blaine gets a break and goes home because his wife is delivering their fourth child. Now that, my friends, is a workout!
• Blaine brings his squalling new son out to the cameras: "It's a boy! And he's mad!" Yeah -- he just found out about your voting double-cross, Blaine, so of course he's mad!
• Dear editors: You want to dial it back on the "inspirational" or stirring music? Yes, it was impressive that Dan finally ran for 5 minutes. But it was hardly the Battle of Stalingrad, you know?

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