‘Biggest Loser’ recap: Out of saves as double elimination looms?

Jillian apologized, and all her team cared about was getting back into the gym. Ruben returned, and there didn’t seem to be a big rush to get him back into the gym, despite his less-than-stellar weight-loss numbers.

Instead, the rush seemed to be on to remind us that the “American Idol” winner also sings, you know. And, in fact, he is now working on an inspirational song that -- whaddya know? -- mirrors the struggles of his weight loss. Close your eyes and you can see him conveniently belting it out at the finale, and if you listen closely you might be able to hear the credit cards swiping and the cash registers ringing.

Question is, do you still want answers about the mysterious and seemingly coincidental way in which Ruben managed to get back onto the ranch? Has the so-called caffeine pills “cheating scandal” undermined the show in your eyes?

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Back at the ranch, the players were surprised with videos from home. However, the videos were culled from earlier interviews, before the competitors were at the ranch. Many said they could barely recognize their plumper forms, or their defeated-by-life attitudes.

“I don’t recognize that girl,” Rachel said. Bobby, meanwhile, revealed that his hidden heartbreak over the need to hide his sexuality from his parents had left him alone and adrift in the world. “This is the most lost I have ever been in my life,” he said, adding that he “couldn’t tell my parents what was wrong with me.”

We are only getting little glimpses of back story (after all, the show is only an hour) but it’s all setting the stage for a lot more heartache next week if, indeed, there’s a double elimination.

The shares are gone; Bob used his last save to keep Matt on board. Because Bob had the luxury of steamrolling through the earlier weigh-ins, he also had the luxury of mulling over how best to use his trainer save. In his mind, the person most vulnerable on his team was Chelsea, whose teammates are big, burly guys with lots of weight to lose and Olympian Holley Mangold, clearly no slouch in the gym.

But Bob couldn’t say no to Matt. Do you think he will regret it?

Finally: How. Amazing. Does Craig look?

And it’s not just his weight loss. He has even more of a sparkle in his eye, more of a bounce in his step. His willingness to do the work of dealing with the death of his father has helped transform him from the inside out.

And, as we learned from last week’s conference call with Craig, he’s gunning to be the at-home winner. If he follows through on his goals, getting down to 190 lbs., that will be over 50% of his body weight lost. That would put him in the running for the winner’s circle.

It’s so, so early to make any such predictions, but Craig has three powerful motivations to make it happen (his two girls and a wife), and let’s not forget that Jillian saw a special something in him from the very beginning.

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