(S09E17) Can you believe we've reached the end of the contestants' journeys on 'The Biggest Loser' ranch? After coming so far and working so hard, one of those faces above won't be making it into the "Final Four." It was a tough episode to watch, because I think all five are deserving of their shot at the top prize for their efforts.

Ashely, just like she said, has been a dark horse contender almost since day one (and she fell off a treadmill). Daris has been this season's workhorse, while Koli has more drive and dedication than anyone else. Sunshine is all heart, putting everything she has into everything she does.

And then there's Michael. He was 526 pounds at the beginning of the competition; none of the contestants who've worn the moniker of "the heaviest contestant ever" have made the final four in the past few seasons. None have come anywhere as close as Michael has.

This week was a struggle for him, though, as at 334 pounds he's still obese. He's leaving the 'Biggest Loser' house a fat guy, just like he came in. The problem was that he was so wrapped up inside his own head that he couldn't see how far away he was from that 526-pound miserable fat guy he was. Sure, he's still fat, but he's a fat guy who's making changes in his life. He's a fat guy who's more fit and healthy right now than most guys much smaller than he is. Most importantly, he's a fat guy who's getting thin.

Two seasons ago, they did a cathartic challenge where the contestants had to drag sacks full of the weight they'd lost so far in the competition up hills. At each hill, they shed a week's worth of weight, and at the end they get to chuck the final pounds off the side of a precipice. Tara, the machine of season seven, dominated that competition. After a viewer vote, the challenge returned this season. I fully expected Daris to dominate this time, and he didn't let me down, cutting Tara's time of completion by ten minutes, finishing in 15 minutes flat.

With 192 pounds to drag, I threw in the towel for Michael right off the bat. Ashley wasn't faring much better with the 136 pounds she was dragging, but in a show of true sportsmanship, the remaining contestants all went back and helped them complete the challenge. For his efforts, Daris got a choice between $10,000 and a one-pound advantage.

He should have taken the cash.

There was something about the way the episode was framed, and the contestants were spotlighted, that told me Sunshine's time was up. Maybe it's because I've seen a lot of reality television, but a lot of times you can tell when they're manipulating you emotionally throughout an episode, to ensure the biggest positive response by the results.

With Michael's emotional breakdown, and Bob pumping him up and pushing him to believe in himself, they were preparing us to root for him. Then, they had him go first so we could sweat it out until Ashley slipped below him. But Ashley got a lot of emotional face time as well, and we learned about her confidence. Things were far quieter with Sunshine this week.

Ashely dropped seven pounds this week, which wasn't great but it was enough. All the boys pulled double-digits. Of course, at 334 pounds, Michael had to pull double-digits just to stay competitive, and he still fell below Koli and Daris. Sunshine, however, had a huge week last week with nine pounds. It was inevitable she couldn't match that feat, and dropped a deuce.

With no yellow line this week, there was no deliberation and Sunshine was sent packing. Daris' deal with Michael and Ashley last week (where they promised to not write his name down) just became completely pointless. Will he come to regret it now that he's in the final four with Ashley, Michael and Koli, when he could have been rid of Michael?

Based solely on the size they were to start the competition, I think Ashley and Michael have the best shot of taking home the prize. If they can actually drop the bulk of their remaining weight, they can achieve total percentage of weight losses the other contestants could never hope for. If Michael were to get down to 220 pounds, that would be a 58% loss. Most of the contestants would die if they tried to lose more than half their body weight.

I don't have much to say about the segment with Tony Romo, because there wasn't much to it. He met them at Wal-Mart and they went for a hike. But the return of season seven winner Helen, and season three winner Erik was a different story. Both were there to talk to the contestants, and help keep them motivated, but with very different stories.

Helen still looks great, but as we saw on the "Where Are They Now?" special last year, Erik had put back on almost all the weight he'd lost. He announced here that he'd lost about 70 of those pounds again, but he was there as a warning that it's not over at the finale. These are lifestyle changes that must be maintained, even when the going gets rough.

According to that special, Erik has been invited to come back for this season's finale to check back in with us. He looked well on his way to regaining his life back and losing the weight a second time. Also returning in two weeks for that live finale is last season's "biggest contestant ever," Shay Sorrells. She's on a Subway challenge wherein she'll earn $1,000 for every pound she's lost since last season's finale.

[Look back at all their accomplishments with clips and full episodes of 'The Biggest Loser' on SlashControl.]



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