'Biggest Loser' recap: Is Jillian Michaels being too tough?

‘Biggest Loser’ recap: Is Jillian Michaels being too tough?

By Rene Lynch

Jan. 8, 2013 12 AM PT

“The Biggest Loser” counts on Jillian Michaels being tough. Her no-nonsense, hands-off-the-treadmill, in-your-face antics make for exceptionally good TV! But is she being too tough, too no-nonsense as she returns to the show? (Put another way: Is she shooting herself in the stiletto?!?)

And is the white team paying the price?

Granted, the viewer at home is seeing just a sliver of the time that Michaels has spent with her team. And no doubt, we’re seeing far more of the screaming, bellowing and ranting side of Michaels because, again, that makes for good TV. But it seemed like Michaels had zero mercy for Nikki and, in the beginning, T.C. and Nathan. All three are no longer at the ranch.

Pediatrician and ‘Biggest Loser’ consultant talks: How to tackle your kid’s weight

Could they have benefited earlier on from one of Michaels’ patented pep talks -- like the kind she gave Nathan when he almost passed out? The competitors seem to thrive on positive trainer feedback. You get the idea that in the moment when Michaels held Nathan’s head in her hand, he would have happily lifted a school bus to impress her. (After he hoisted himself off the floor, where he’d fallen in a heap.)

So, assuming that we aren’t missing some key moment that wound up on the proverbial cutting-room floor, could Michaels have done more earlier on to inspire the team to work out harder in the gym? Do you think there’s anything that Michaels could have said or done to make Nikki rethink her jaw-dropping decision to quit, throwing away an opportunity desired by thousands of Americans (and thousands who have tried out for “The Biggest Loser” over the years)?

Or is it simply coincidence that three members of Michaels’ white team were the first to go?

Questions that remain unanswered ...

Stray thoughts:

--Did you cringe just a little bit when you saw Biingo’s busted-up leg? Are you concerned that perhaps he was driven to injury by the pressures of the show? Or, hey, is that’s just what happens when boys are playing basketball? (And good for him for playing hoops!!)

--Are you LOVING the red line? So cold. So cutting. So cruel. So awesome. I might get to the point where I miss the drama of teammates deciding who should go home. But not yet.

--How can you explain zero pounds lost by Jeff?

--Brilliant move to have the trainers construct their own individual torture chambers.

And finally:

--Arguably the single most powerful moment in “Biggest Loser” history: Dr. H ridding Michael (and America) of any excuses for not taking the time to work out, prepare healthy meals, etc.: “If I told you you were dying of lymphoma, would you take two hours out of a day for chemotherapy?”

We’re only eight days into a new year, people! Still plenty of time to take a tip from Dr. H and re-prioritize.

ALSO:

Turn the channel to Al Jazeera?

An appreciation: Huell Howser, the great adventurer

Review: “The Abolitionists” shows the people who led to Lincoln