What season is the show in now? I don't even know. I remember watching the first season, liking the premise, and then just sort of drifting away from it. Like many shows, once it goes too much into the sob story and the crying, I get turned off. You want to work for it and show some determination, then you'll have my respect. But don't go crying about how hard it is, you're the one who got yourself into the situation in the first place.
In case you didn't see every single commercial, there's a twist thing time around. We start with the Blue team (led by Bob), and the Red team (led by Kim) in a demanding physical challenge. Both trainers are out in the desert (having parachuted there), and it's a simple footrace – be the first to touch one of them, and you're the team captain. Then you have to pick your team. This event could have been better, there were really no surprises. When one last woman (Amber?) was still way behind, all the other contestants went out to cheer her across the finish line. That was kind of cool, but at the same time I was like "You already quit. Leave."
There's 18 people, however, and each team only gets 6. That means that 6 are leaving right off the bat. Except, they're not. Jillian, trainer from past years, is back in secret to lead this "Black" team without anyone's knowledge, including the other trainers. In a week or so she's going to take her team back into the main game and shake things up a bit. Neat idea.
Now, and I think this is a standard thing they do, all the contestants are led into a room full of junk food for a brainwashing lecture on how bad it is. The trainers go from table to table talking about all the disgusting aspects of the food before ultimately dumping it on the floor. What I would have love to see here is a freakout by the trainers, rather than a lecture. Or even better, a freakout by the contestants. Just go nuts and trash the place. Don't just toss it on the floor, throw it up in the air and scream while you're doing it. Show that food who's boss.
At this stage of the show, with 18 people, it's too hard to track them all by name. So let's do the trainers. Bob is my favorite, because you really do believe that he wants you to do well and that he'll be disappointed in you if you don't do your best. What more can you ask? It was great to see him standing right there with the team during weigh-in (apparently a new thing on the show?) and cheering them on. A nice reminder that the trainers are part of the game, not really producers like, say, the host.
Kim doesn't do much for me. She even said it in her own bio when she said "I'm not the new kid anymore" or something like that. The problem is, yes, she is. She's still got that "Come on, do it for me" sort of attitude that just wouldn't do it for me.
Jillian's style, I don't love. I mean, I like it in a sort of "training montage at the end of a Rocky movie" way, but not as a motivational tactic for 400lb people. In her bio she says that her motivational tactic is, and I quote, "Beatings beatings beatings beatings, and then more beatings." Nah, not for me thanks. I understand why *I* need to get in shape, but what I need to understand is why *you* have earned the right to beat on me. As I said above, I really believe that Bob is personally invested in the contestants. With somebody like Jillian I think she's mostly in it for herself.
Anyway, that's the first week, they end up kicking off Amber, the one who walked across the first finish line. The captain of that team, the one who picked her, even acknowledges how pissed off he is that he could have selected someone that would try a little harder.
Good show, I'm looking forward to seeing more of it.