Plot

With two couples asked to leave following the bicycling challenge and James being voted off after the first weigh-in, seventeen contestants remain on campus. Jillian and Bob are still feeling out the contestants and try to get to their core issues. Everyone in the gym is feeling the pressure of what is known on the show as the week 2 curse of an extreme drop in weight loss following the first week high. Dr. Huizenga takes each couple aside to demonstrate to them in meaningful ways how their weight issues are negatively affecting their lives. The reward challenge is one of balance and speed, with the ultimate reward for the winner, and the ultimate penalty for the last place team. Extreme fear takes hold of one contestant, which Jillian later helps try and conquer. Going into the weigh-in, the contestants weigh-in as teams, one person from the team with the lowest percentage of weight loss who will be eliminated. Bob calls out one contestant to admit to games playmanship.—Huggo

After beginning with John talking about still being on the show without his brother, we go right into a workout. Jillian and Bob tells us that keeping up the intensity is key during the often difficult Week 2. Bob appears to be taking a special interest in Michael. Jillian is doing the same with John, and we learn he has suffered a disproportionate amount of death within his family.

Dr. Rob Huizenga tells the group this is may be the sickest cast in series history. He hands out envelopes to each team and sends them on their way.

White is the first to open their envelope and they watch Bob drape the equivalent of Michael's extra weight (303 pounds) over the trainer's body. Purple's letter deals with the impact of their weight on their family. Huizenga goes to their home and speaks with Patti's husband and her other daughter about the danger to Patti and Stephanie's health.

The Red Team's letter concerns finance. Lance had eaten himself out of his job as a commercial diver. Huizenga backs up an armored truck and shows the couple their weight will cost them $3 million over the next 30 years. With Team Orange, Jillian has to eat the food either Cheryl or Daris might eat in a day. She complains about having to choke down a few fast food items and even spits out a bite of nachos at one point. (Sigh.)

Challenge time. With immunity on the line, each time must carry ten balls over a 3 ½ inch balance beam stretched across 40 feet of swimming pool. First to complete the task wins and the losing team gets a two-pound penalty at the weigh-in. Before beginning we see Maria is in tears because she is so scared of the water.

Orange takes an early lead, but is quickly overtaken by Red and then Black. White can't seem to get going. Red ends up winning, edging Black at the very end. Brown and White are left battling not finish last. Despite her fear, Maria takes a stab at trying to get across. It is a mistake and she falls and hits her face on the deck. Blood is everywhere and Maria is taken away by paramedics.

Maria ended up hitting her nose (giving herself a black eye) and breaking a finger. Also, the White team finished last and got the two-pound disadvantage. Bob talks to Michael about needing to focus on himself and not be overly concerned with his mother. At the next workout Jillian speaks with Maria about being tougher. Jillian ends up taking Maria to the ranch pool to help her get over the fear of water.

Huizenga comes back to talk to everybody about the health risks created by their weight. He shows Black Team's Andrea that she has three inches of fat in front of her organs. The doc tells Andrea's father, Darrell, he might be the sickest person on the show. Maria learns that she has a 33 percent of contracting diabetes in the next five years. Michael's body fat is in the mid-50s. Orange Team's Cheryl, 50, has an inner-age of 75. The Gray team is shown video of their sleep apnea. Ashley of the Pink Team, who is 27, has an inner-age of 57.

During Last Chance workout the Red Team tells us that they aren't overly concerned with weight loss this week since they have immunity. After losing 19 pounds last week, Melissa wants to hold back for a week. Pink Team's Ashley seems to have a breakthrough during the workout.

Weigh-in time. With immunity, Red goes first. Lance drops eight pounds, while Melissa actually added a pound.

The first at-risk team is Gray. They lose 17 pounds for a total percentage loss of 2.34. Pink Team needs to have lost more than 12 pounds to be above Gray. They just get it done, losing 13 for a percentage of 2.35. Green is next and they need to have lost at least 11 pounds to beat Gray and stay above the yellow line. They also eke it out, dropping a combined 12 pounds for a loss of 2.52.

Team Purple needs to have lost more than ten pounds to beat Team Gray. They come up well short, losing just seven combined pounds. The percentage (1.50) puts them in last and means Gray is safe. Team Orange has to have lost more than seven pounds to beat Purple. They end up dropping ten, seven of which comes from Daris. The 1.89 percetage is just enough to put them above Purple. Team Brown (now just John) he needs to have lost more than six pounds to be safe. He loses ten (461 to 451) and the 2.17 means he is safe.

Team Black has no trouble with the ten pounds they need to be safe, losing 15 pounds as a father/daughter combo. The 2.25 percent loss means they are fine. With only White left, it will be either them or Purple up for the vote this week. With the two-pound penalty, White has to have lost more than 13 pounds. They also have no trouble, dropping 21 pounds as a pair. The injured Maria lost ten pounds (268 to 258) and Michael has now lost 45 pounds in two weeks.

With Team Purple up for the vote, mother Patti throws herself under the bus. She thinks she has a better support system than her daughter and that Stephanie needs to be there. Stephanie agrees. This makes our vote a fait accompli. Everybody honors her wishes and sends Patti home.

The at-home vignette shows us that Patti has been working out with her other daughter and husband and has dropped 16 more pounds since leaving the show.