Review of the Biggest Loser: Couples

This season's contestants on the Biggest Loser reality series must compete together with a partner. Nine teams are made up of individuals who came to the Biggest Loser Ranch together (mother/daughter, father/daughter, mother/son, married couples, brothers, and friends), while the members of the tenth couple were total strangers to each other, meeting for the first time at the ranch.

Shortly after arriving, contestants were stunned when their host, Alison Sweeney, announced that the first challenge was about to begin. The challenge was an uphill hike requiring each team member to touch a flag at the top of the hill then race back to pick their desired trainer, Jillian Michaels or Bob Harper. It was only slightly sad that just 2 couples chose Bob. The remaining teams were assigned to him by default after 5 teams chose Jillian.

For their second challenge, the teams had to drag a balloon, slightly smaller than a parade balloon, one lap around a course and back to the finish line. The first team to make it to the finish line would have 2 lbs shaved from their combined weight. The last team to make it to the finish line would have 2 lbs tacked on to their combined weight. The black team, brothers Mark and Jay, were the first team to finish while the purple team, friends Maggie and Jenn, came in last place.

Apparently, having a workout partner has an impact on the amount of weight an individual loses. During their workouts and challenges, members poked and prodded their partners, begged, bargained, and cried with them even in an effort to push their partners to workout as hard as possible. For most couples, the member's efforts paid off. During the first weigh in, the individual contestant's weight loss was almost unbelievable as all contestants except one lost double digits.