(S09E19) Before the final weigh-in to see which of the final four was in, and who would have to face off for America's vote, the remaining contestants had to spend 30 days at home. This was to be the ultimate test to see if they could achieve weight-loss success at home in the long-term, or if they would balloon put it back on as so many former contestants do.

The other obstacle between the contestants and the grand finale was 'The Biggest Loser' marathon. Only this time the run wasn't for immunity, or for any reward for themselves. It was for $10,000 to be given to the charity of their choice. How the marathon played out wasn't a real surprise, but almost everything else this week was.

Of the Final Four, Koli and Daris have been consistent dominant forces on the Ranch. Both have had a heavy focus on the game, and have been striving to have that confetti rain down on them. Ashley and Michael, however, have been focusing on the real prize of losing weight and getting their lives back. As the respective largest woman and man on campus, that they've made it to this point is impressive enough.

That they succeeded at home was even more rewarding, and proved that the right attitude and the right focus is more important than anything. Michael's entire family embraced the new lifestyle he was encouraging, while Ashley began to change her focus away from socializing and partying every night.

Daris, on the other hand, experienced an almost heartbreaking depression and began to sink back into his old habits of using food for comfort. He was hard training for the marathon, and determined to shatter Tara's all-time record of 4:55 on it, but that was when he was thinking about the game. When he was alone with his thoughts, they were the thoughts of that poor lonely fat guy who is never going to find love, despite weighing 195 pounds and looking fantastic.

It was a soberingly real look at what so many of the contestants go through when they go home, and why so many of them fall off the wagon and put their weight back on. You can change the outside, and do so much work on them emotionally, but when they're at home and vulnerable it's so easy to fall back into the demons that packed on the pounds in the first place.

Koli's solution was just as dangerous, as he ran away from his home life to Las Vegas, where he could train at a mixed-martial arts facility with a friend of his. When Bob and Jillian visited all the contestants, Koli told Bob that he could deal with the stresses of life at home later; for now he was committed to and focused on that finale. Bob tried to tell him that this was a dangerous approach, and missed the point of this exercise entirely, but Koli was determined to do things his own way.

Both methods saw the expected front-runners falter on the scale. Daris dominated the marathon, as expected, and finishes in four hours and two minutes. Koli finishes second in six hours and some change, while Ashley and Michael slide in only 18 minutes behind him. Along the way, they are joined by contestants in the past, where we see further proof of the struggle it is to maintain the weight-loss.

Season 2 winner Matt Hoover and Season 7's Sione Fa definitely have put on weight since the finales, both appearing larger than the remaining contestants this season. Season 5 winner Ali Vincent has, of course, maintained her weight loss, while Season 7 Runner-Up Mike Morelli appeared to have put on muscle mass, looking healthier and stronger than ever. These were great reminders for the contestants that this is a life-long commitment, and they can go either direction when all is said and done.

For the first time all season, it was Ashley who had the highest percentage of weight-loss on the scale. Her 18-pound weight loss, equating to 7.79% of her remaining body weight lost, proved that she has the tools and commitment to finish her weight-loss journey. Michael actually shed more pounds, but as he started bigger, those 23 pounds came in behind Ashley at 7.14%. More significantly, though, the big number pushed Michael all the way to 299 pounds, an emotional milestone for him.

At this point you have to consider Michael and Ashley the front-runners to win this thing. At their larger size to begin with, both can lose a greater percentage of weight-loss than Koli and Daris might even be able to. Plus, their heads are in the right place, and as proven by Ashley's phone call to Michael in anticipation of the finale, they've come to lean on one another when things get rough.

Koli lost 13 pounds, which is good but it's also the same he lost the last week he was on campus. And, he'd run away from his problems for this weigh-in. Was he planning to do the same thing all the way to the finale? Daris, on the other hand, stayed and faced his demons and for his troubles found a two-pound weight gain waiting for him. The two pleaded their case to America, with Daris breaking down emotionally in shame.

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