Episode list

The contestants will compete in a challenge and then get to make a game-changing decision in the order in which they finished. Host Alison Sweeney will offer the eleven family and friend teams of two the unprecedented opportunity to choose whether to work out with trainers Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels at the ranch - or work out at a secret location with two unknown trainers, whose identities will initially remain a mystery. If the contestants choose the new trainers, whom they know nothing about, they'll receive four weeks of immunity. If they choose to stay at the ranch and be trained by Bob and Jillian, they're at risk of going home after just one week.

The mystery trainers find out the weigh-in results from Bob and Jillian's teams and discover their teams are doing better.

The "unknown trainers" are finally revealed, and both will share their personal stories that led them to "The Biggest Loser." Their contestants, "the unknowns," confront one player they feel isn't working hard enough, and later, "the unknowns" and the ranch contestants square off for a pop challenge. The winning player from each group will get a delicious healthy dinner prepared by Chef Curtis Stone, and compete for a coveted 2 lb. advantage at this week's weigh-in. Later, Dr. Huizenga gives "the unknowns" startling news about their health, and one player is surprised to learn they have the highest percentage of body fat in the group. Meanwhile, trainers Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels single out a few of their contestants to find out what really led to their weight gain, and then the ranch contestants meet host Alison Sweeney for a water-carrying challenge that will give the winner the sole vote at this week's elimination. Later, a surprising weigh-in -- which results in shocking numbers for one team -- disappoints the trainers in a big way, leading to the elimination of one player they feel isn't ready to go home.

There is much discussion among all on the ranch after the last weigh-in when both Dan and Don gained nine pounds, and Dan was eventually voted off the ranch. Although Don denies that he and Dan threw the weigh-in as a sign of "giving up", Bob and Jillian are certain he and Dan did. The on-ranch contestants participate in the ultimate temptation challenge in facing the specific foods that are their individual weaknesses. The winner of the challenge gets to choose the team that will train with Cara and Brett for the week off the ranch. That team finds the off campus training has some good and not so good elements. That team returns to the ranch for a reward challenge, which combines knowledge of their weakness foods once again and a test of strength. The rewards end up having an emotional effect on the winners.

After four long weeks, the "unknowns" move to the ranch and are reunited with the other contestants, who get to meet the new trainers for the first time. Host Alison Sweeney explains that the ranch contestants will be safe this week if they collectively lose more than 48 pounds, but for the "unknowns," they will be facing their first elimination all season. And both teams only get to see their trainers once this week. The "unknowns" experience some surprises while settling into their new home, and a secret is revealed about how one contestant has lost so much weight. A challenge involving weights shows which team stacks up to be the best, and later, everyone weighs in and finds out whether one or two players will be going home.

After the latest two weigh-ins, when Don (by choice by throwing the weigh-in) and Larialmy are voted off the ranch, the remaining contestants learn that they are officially split into two teams: the red team who have and will be trained by Cara and Brett, and the black team who have and will be trained by Bob and Jillian. However, those teams may have a few changes based on a Valentine's Day related chocolate temptation challenge. The winner of the challenge has the opportunity to trade up to two members from each team, with the winner even remaining anonymous. However, the ultimate winner of the challenge does decide to reveal him/herself and the reason for the decision made, which results in much discussion on both sides and among the trainers. The two teams also compete in a reward challenge, with six different phases of the challenge to be completed by different contestants chosen based on the theme of that phase. However, they are thrown a loop when those themes end up not being quite what they envisioned. The winning team receives video messages from home. At the post weigh-in vote, the decision becomes one of loyalty versus commitment.

The two teams of contestants are all tied up this week - literally - in a rope challenge in which teamwork will determine which group of players will get to use the gym this week, and which team will have to be creative and find other places at the ranch to work out. One trainer moves into the house to try and get a contestant to open up, and later, one team wins the chance to block someone's weight on the scale at a wild physical and mental challenge that finds them pushing a train 800 feet while answering food fact questions along the way. Then one player reaches a milestone at the weigh-in before another contestant is eliminated and sent home.

After the latest weigh-in, when Jay was voted off the ranch, Alison brings together all the contestants to tell them that for the next weigh-in, they will still weigh-in as teams where one person will be voted off, but that they will also weigh-in as individuals with the person with the lowest percentage of weight loss automatically leaving the ranch. That means that two people are leaving after the next weigh-in. As such, the trainers work the contestants especially hard this week. The black team ultimately discuss strategy to protect who they consider their most vulnerable team member, Arthur. The discussion ends up being a heated one. On the flip side, Brett and Cara focus their attention on Kaylee, the lightest person on the red team who is closest to reaching her goal weight and thus susceptible to lower percentage of weight loss. Brett and Cara take the red team off campus to work at a mixed-martial arts studio, where Rulon meets an old friend. The team challenge is a volleyball styled one, where the teams are hampered both by the size of the balls and the gear the team members must wear on their hands. The winning team gets a three pound advantage as a team at the weigh-in. At the weigh-in, obvious strategy comes into play which brings about tears from some, relief from others and cheers all around.

The contestants are excited to hear from host Alison Sweeney that they will all be going home for two weeks. Each player returns home to emotional reunions with friends and family, after which they navigate the challenges of being back in their real lives, facing the same temptations that brought them to the ranch and realizing all of the things they are capable of doing now that they couldn't do before. When they come back to the ranch, they'll compete in a 5K challenge on a treadmill just as they did in the first episode of the season, but this time, they're going to run the 5K all by themselves. And just as before, each will pick who they want to train them - Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels or Cara Castronuova and Brett Hoebel-in the order in which they finish the challenge. Then a few contestants reach milestones at the weigh-in, after which another player is sent packing.

Each team has to pick a team captain, who will have many responsibilities during the week, and only two players from each team can work out with a trainer. The teams first square off in a pop challenge involving 13 tiered cakes, and later, the contestants meet host Alison Sweeney at a mud pit where they have to make their way across the pit while balancing on a step - without touching the mud. Several contestants have heart-to-heart talks with their trainers, opening up more about the individual personal struggles they had before coming to the ranch, and later, another player is sent home following a weigh-in with some surprising weight loss numbers.

Host Alison Sweeney tells the remaining 12 contestants that they will all be on one team this week - the blue team - and they will all have immunity if they beat their weight loss from the previous week. But first, there's a pop challenge in which they have to prepare delicious, healthy, low-calorie meals in under 30 minutes. Chefs Curtis Stone and Lorena Garcia will decide who prepares the best dish, with the winner getting a coveted prize. Later the blue team meets at a rock quarry where they'll have to uncover a buried rope attached to signs with trivia questions. If they answer the questions incorrectly, they will be led in the wrong direction, something all the players want to avoid since the winners get a huge advantage at this week's weigh-in. Later, Dr. Huizenga drops by with impressive medical updates, including the news that one contestant has already reached their goal weight. Then it's time for the weigh-in, when players found out if they all get to stay at the ranch another week - or if they'll be sending one contestant home.

At the last weigh-in, the contestants in combination didn't meet the weight-loss target, meaning that they had to vote one contestant off the ranch, that being Marci. The remaining contestants learn that they will be split into four teams, each team under a different trainer: Bob's blue team, Jillian's black team, Cara's green team and Brett's red team. The teams are chosen by lot. With eleven contestants, there will be three contestants per team with one team consisting of only two players, or... The two contestant team learn that they will have the opportunity to choose any eliminated contestant to bring back to fill that team's complement of three. For their first workout, Bob takes the blue to his spin class at Crunch Gym. Jillian takes the black team to her Malibu beach house to work out on the beach. Brett takes the red team on a mountaintop hike to get them back to a zen mentality about their journey. And Cara takes the green team to the Trinity Boxing Club. The team challenge has each team holding onto the amount of weight they have lost for as long as possible, with the winning team receiving video chats with loved ones. The contestants learn that the members of the team losing the weigh-in will not vote to send one of their team members home, but rather members of the other teams will vote which of the two contestants up for elimination will be leaving the ranch. The weigh-in and vote are emotional, especially as one contestant's plan did not come to fruition.

After the latest weigh-in when Justin was voted off the ranch, Kaylee feels like she needs to clear the air about her own premeditated and failed attempt to be voted off. That emotional encounter is followed by another when the contestants revisit the day they found out that they were going to be on the show. Alison also makes them think about "team 12", the team that didn't quite make it on the show, or does this team make it on? The pop challenge has the contestants balancing balls on boards. The winning team of the pop challenge receives a one minute advantage at the team challenge, with the losing team leaving the ranch for the week with a $1,000 budget to be spent on predetermined "menu" items. That losing team has an emotional discussion with their trainer about their choices before leaving the ranch. Bob takes the blue team to the Ánimo Jefferson Charter Middle School to work out with the students there. The team challenge is an old fashioned Easter egg hunt with 5,000 eggs in total, with one golden egg as a special prize for the contestant who finds it. The winning team receives an invitation to the world premier of Hop (2011), with each team completing the challenge going to a private advanced screening. The golden egg special prize weighs heavily on the minds of all the contestants at the weigh-in. A few contestants are called out on behavior during the weigh-in.

With Jennifer being automatically evicted from the ranch after the latest weigh-in, Courtney is the only remaining red team member. She sees it both as a blessing and a curse, but also realizes that her recent weigh-ins have been less than impressive and needs to figure out why. The teams have a maximum 15 minute challenge to determine what they believe is a mile distance, with the winning team receiving a Hollywood night out, and the losing teams doing clean-up duty on the ranch, including in the sweat drenched gym. The night out ends up being more memorable for one of the contestants. During the week's training, the green team hits an obstacle. Jillian calls out Rulon on what she hears is his late-night junk food binges. At the weigh-in, the results end up being as emotional for the trainers as it does for the contestants.

After the latest weigh-in when Courtney was automatically evicted from the ranch (which also meant that with the demise of the red team, Brett was also asked to leave since he no longer had anyone to train), the remaining nine contestants learn that they will be spending the week in New Zealand. The trip ends up being an emotional one for Moses, whose father spent much time there as he was growing up. The start of their trip incorporates many adventure elements, two which include Auckland's Sky Tower, the tallest structure in the southern hemisphere. One of those adventures makes one contestant and one trainer face their ultimate fear. The team challenge - a 5 kilometer race - also incorporates adventure elements in that it is run across rugged mountain terrain, which includes running through a creek bed and climbing up a slippery sand dune. The first workout brings out a difference in opinion between Ken and Cara. During the last chance work-out where Bob leads everyone - including the other trainers - in a yoga session, Cara takes Ken aside to deal with his issues. Despite the spectacular nature of the setting, everyone is concerned about the week's weigh-in, especially due to the toll the travel may have taken on their bodies.

Following the latest weigh-in when Moses was voted the next eliminated contestant, the remaining eight head to Queentown, New Zealand, where they learn they are now competing as singles who have access to all the trainers, including Brett. The adventure nature of their stay in New Zealand continues with a few doing the canyon swing, a few doing a rock climb, and a few doing a bungee jump - including one who usually watches such things from the sidelines - where the activity originated. One contestant makes an admission about a previous near death experience which makes doing the adventure more poignant. The adventure challenge is one of river riding, the winner to receive two rewards, one being immunity at this week's weigh-in. The trainers work the contestants particularly hard because of the fact of them still traveling which takes its toll on the body, as well as the generally poor results from last week. Regardless of the weigh-in results, the contestants relish the spectacular nature of the weigh-in's setting.

The contestants return to the ranch from their adventures in New Zealand minus the last eliminated contestant, that being Ken. Austin sees this week as a challenge for himself personally as this marks the first time he will have not had immediate access to family, and thus he will have to stand or fall on his own two feet. The theme for the week is "favorites". Two of the past seasons' favorite contestants - Ali from season 5 and Sam from season 9 - return to lead a training session and provide nutritional advice. And one of the past favorite challenges is resurrected - the car pull - with that challenge's original sponsor, Clint Bowyer and the season 7 winner of this specific challenge, Tara, returning. Tara's return is as contestant, where she will compete in the challenge in the running for the rewards, including receiving a monetary prize and being featured on a collector's Wheaties box. Leading up to the weigh-in, Rulon and Irene express different views of where they are mentally. At the weigh-in, one contestant makes a surprising announcement.

After the latest weigh-in when Rulon announced that he was leaving the show voluntarily for personal reasons and Kaylee was voted off the ranch, the remaining five contestants meet Tim Gunn who will act as their fairy godfather for makeover week. He promises them three wishes. The first wish is the fairytale makeover, with the end results making each contestant look and feel like a prince or princess. The second wish is sharing their madeover selves with a loved one while being serenaded by OneRepublic. The contestants then return to the reality of the game for their challenge where a key is buried under each of fifty car shaped sandcastles, two of the keys which will start two new Mazda 5's parked a quarter-mile away, the cars which will go to the two people who find the starting keys. At the week's weigh-in, Tim announces the third wish while all those attending the event are moved by a performance from one of their own.

After the latest weigh-in, Olivia and especially Jay - the two contestants under the yellow line - felt like they dodged a bullet when the week's fairy godfather, Tim Gunn, announced that the third "wish" for the week was that the yellow line would be removed and no contestant would be going home that week. Alison announces that this week is final exams. Each trainer will take a certain exam area - "novice" Bob being taught how to spin, "Professor" Brett testing on the science of healthy living, boxer Cara testing for the inner fighter, and "self-loathing" Jillian being counseled - each area worth one fifth of the total score. The second part of the exam is playing "The Biggest Loser Ultimate Workout" video game basically against an avatar of themselves. The contestant who matches the correct form the best of the four exercises gets the highest score, which comprises the last fifth of the exam mark. The contestant with the highest combined score wins $10,000. The next challenge has the contestants climbing a five level platform, needing to stack twenty-five sandbags - currently located at the bottom of the platform - on each of the four bottom levels to climb up to the next level. The first contestant to reach the fifth and top level wins the challenge and a one-pound advantage at this week's weigh-in. During the workouts, sisters Olivia and Hannah are determined not only to make it to the final four together but be standing hand in hand as the final two. And Jillian focuses her efforts on Jay, who she has felt hasn't had the same fighting spirit he had before leaving the ranch. At the weigh-in, Alison gives one final exam to the winners of the two challenges for the week.

After the latest weigh-in when Austin was voted off the ranch, the remaining contestants - Hannah, Irene, Jay and Olivia - have a moment to celebrate the fact of being "the final four". They are also lauded by Alison and the trainers for the achievement and hard work it took to make this milestone. They all realize that the journey is not yet over, and the longer the journey, the more difficult it becomes to remain in the quest for the big prize, hence the trainers vow to work the final four harder so that they can make the top three. The pop challenge for the week is a cooking challenge, to make the best tasting turkey burger for a group of judges with discerning palates: children. The pop challenge winner receives a food prize worth $5,000 and a two week stay at the Biggest Loser Resort for a loved one. The final challenge is the annual "shedding the pounds" challenge, this time held over the length of an eighteen-hole golf course, where the pounds are shed with each week on the ranch corresponding to each of the eighteen holes. The winner receives a home gym worth $15,000. After the final on-ranch weigh-in which determines the two finalists and the two who will vie for the third and final spot through votes by the American public, the four contestants head home, but not without a keepsake from their twenty-week on ranch journey.

As those that fell below the yellow line in the penultimate weigh-in, Irene and Jay find out which of the two the American public has voted for to join sisters Hannah and Olivia as one of the final three contestants. Bob, Jillian, Cara and Brett provide their thoughts about their roles and their favorite moments from this year, which will be the last for Jillian. Jillian's replacement trainer for season 12 is introduced: ex-professional tennis player Anna Kournikova. The at-home contestants are introduced and Alison describes a little of their journey on the show and after leaving the ranch before they each weigh-in for the final time to see the winner of the $100,000 at-home prize. Alison introduces a segment on the on-going pound for pound challenge. Sisters Hannah and Olivia are then introduced and weigh-in with the third finalist to see who is the winner of the $250,000 and the title of the Biggest Loser Season 11.

Since the theme for the year is battle of the ages, the fifteen contestants, who are dropped in the middle of the California desert on their first meeting, are separated into three teams based on age: under thirty, over fifty, and those in-between. Each team will run a mile race across the desert as a team to be able to choose their team trainer: Anna's blue team, Bob's black team, and Dolvett's red team. At the end of the race, they learn that they will all be back to that spot just before the finale to run a marathon, the winner of that race to become an automatic finalist no matter if he/she has already been eliminated. The first workout is an eye opening experience for most, but especially for an ex-professional athlete who ended up being in worse shape than he ever imagined. In the middle of the week, one contestant receives some bad news from home, which ends up being a focusing experience. The first weigh-in yields mixed results, which in turn leads to the first eliminated contestant of the season.

There are fourteen contestants remaining after Debbie is voted off the campus after the first weigh-in. The fourteen return somewhat to the real world in that for the next week, they will only have access as a team to the gym and their trainer at one of three two-hour prescribed times per day: early morning, midday and late night. The winning team of a temptation challenge - eating the most donuts - will assign the gym times for all three teams. They find that training at a specific time not only affects them, but also their trainers, who have different energies at different times of the day. Beyond individual issues of training, one team faces an internal back stabbing issue. Each contestant with his/her trainer meets with Dr. Huizenga, who gives them the bad news about their health. One of the youngest, who has previously resisted visiting a doctor if only in the want not to know, has one of the worst results. The teams compete in a reward challenge - maneuvering a ball through a maze using only their body weight - with the winning team receiving a two pound advantage at the weigh-in, and the second place team receiving a one pound advantage. At each of the challenges and the weigh-in, the black team is the one which the others are gunning for as the black team has thus far established itself as the leading team.

With Johnny being voted off the campus after the latest weigh-in, the blue team is feeling desperate having lost the first two weigh-ins and thus the only team to have lost members. The remaining thirteen contestants enter into NFL week, where the challenges are football oriented - one which will be done in competition with pro players - the prizes are football oriented, and the last chance workout is assisted by pro players. The first individual challenge, with the winner to receive $5,000, tests both speed and football throwing accuracy. The team challenge, styled after a football game, is a workout consisting of four fifteen minute quarters, the winning team, who will receive a spa day, being that that burned the most calories per team member. The winning team ends up making a unique decision. And the contestants learn that the one person who wins the weigh-in for the week will receive two tickets to the Super Bowl, a prize coveted especially by the many ex-football players, Antone who is an ex-NFL player himself, and Mike who is a long time football coach. Jennifer faces a set-back with an injury which limits the use of one of her legs for the next three weeks. Antone expresses his insecurities being in an environment where he is no longer seen as being in the elite class with the visiting NFL players. And Vinnie opens up about the abusive reason which led to his weight gain.

The red team's emotional elimination vote after the last weigh-in resulted in Patrick being the third contestant eliminated. Each team starts the week with some inspirational words and assistance from a Big Loser alumnus, each chosen to fit the appropriate age category of the specific team and each who has maintained their weight loss after their time on the show. The reward challenge is a relay where only the "baton" can move from person to person, while the person at the back on the chain moves to the front and so on. The relay takes the teams through extreme weather conditions, from heat to wind to snow to monsoon rains. The "baton" for each team is actually a box filled with the winners' rewards: letters from home. Alison announces bonus rewards at the race's end. The last chance workout takes each team to a different part of the ranch and a different activity, which especially for Anna feels like home.

After the latest weigh-in when Coach Mike was voted off campus, the blue team is left with only two contestants. A game of Plinko - a game of total chance - provides the winning contestant a multitude of rewards. One, the contestant gets to go home for the week. Two, their trainer will go with them. And three, they receive immunity from elimination for this week. But these rewards come with much pressure as that winner will be the only person from his/her team whose weight will count for their team at this week's weigh-in. Many of the contestants voice their concern about possibly winning this reward, but the contestant who does ultimately win is excited, which is the exact opposite feeling of their trainer, who doesn't want that person to feel like this week will be a vacation, especially as their teammates are totally relying on them. The departure of that contestant and the trainer brings about a different vibe on the ranch. Cracks start to appear in all three teams, two based on relationships with the trainer, and the third based on not having the trainer around to be the team's glue. The team challenge - whose goal is to fill a glass cylinder with liquid the fastest - is one of speed, endurance and balance. Each winning team member gets to send one person of their choice for a two week stay at the Biggest Loser Resort. The weigh-in brings back the Plinko winning contestant and the trainer from their week away, with that contestant the last to step on the scale. There is much anticipation if that trip home was a boon or a burden.

Courtney being voted off the ranch after the latest weigh-in brings the remaining ten contestants into "all-for-one" Halloween week. They learn that they will be competing as one group, all with common goals. They will be aiming for a 100 pound total weight loss goal, which if met will mean that no one will be eliminated after the weigh-in. If they don't reach that goal, one person will be voted off, with only the biggest loser of the week having immunity. Their week long temptation challenge has a ten pound bowlful of candy in the middle of their kitchen. For every pound of candy they eat collectively, they will receive a one pound advantage at the weigh-in. And the team challenge has them collecting apples hidden throughout a maze over a ten minute time period. They will receive additional weight advantages at the weigh-in if they collect certain weight amounts of apples, but if any contestant is in the maze at the ten minute time limit, they will have a weight disadvantage at the weigh-in. Most of the trainers and contestants see this week as the first real opportunity to get to know everyone on the ranch, and to experience working out with different people. There is one, however, who makes no bones about the fact of missing their regular trainer. And a romance blossoms on the ranch between two of the contestants. Although most are happy for them, one trainer also cautions them on not losing focus on the healthier lifestyle goal.

With Jennifer's elimination after the latest weigh-in, there are nine contestants remaining. With three trainers and nine contestants, it is a perfect time for a team realignment with three contestants per team. The new teams will be based on each individual's knowledge of their favorite foods before coming to the ranch. There is much apprehension among the nine, as they know under the rules of the pop quiz, there is no way any of the teams will remain in their current state, which is especially difficult for couple Jessica and Ramon. The contestants also learn that whoever their new trainer, that person will be their trainer for the duration of their time on the ranch. The resulting teams have some rough moments, both because of contestants missing their old teammates, but also because of some animosity between some contestants and their new trainers. The trainers themselves are determined to get over these issues. The team challenge is a race using water slides and unscrambling a puzzle. The winning team is the first to unscramble the puzzle, which has three possible outcomes, each outcome spelling out the prize to be won. The winning team finds that their prize is a mixed blessing. The trainers take their respective teams each to a different part of the great outdoors of Southern California for the last chance workout. By the time of the weigh-in, there is a sense that the new black team will not dominate like the old black team did in the past.

Jessica being voted off the ranch after the latest weigh-in causes some hard feelings by Ramon, especially against his blue team mates Joe and Sunny, both who voted for Jessica. This animosity is just the most blatant manifestation that the old team alliances are still stronger than the current team alliances. The fate of the contestants is in the hands of the trainers more this week as each trainer must pick only one person on their team for this week's weigh-in. Some contestants relish the opportunity to be chosen to have symbolically the confidence of their trainer, while others fear the responsibility. Beyond the week's training, the trainers also have to factor in history, especially in that most of the biggest losers of the season had huge weight loss last week which may not bode well for a huge weight loss this week. The week's team challenge is a cooking one, where the winning team will have its meal featured in the latest Biggest Loser cookbook, has a one-on-one session with season 11 winner Olivia, and gain a one pound advantage at the weigh-in. Dr. Huizenga brings in a medical colleague who speaks about the issue of brain chemistry and eating. At the weigh-in, the trainers begin to second guess their choice as their other team members get on the scale.

Alliances are perceived to be breaking as Joe is voted off the ranch after the latest weigh-in. Those alliances take on new meaning for the remaining seven as they move into competing as singles, with this week's weigh-in being the first for the season with a yellow line. The challenge for the week is modeled on a pentathlon, with each of the five events garnering the contestants scores of up to 7. Events test athletic prowess (whether it be in the form of speed, strength, agility and/or balance), knowledge or pure luck. The contestant with the highest score by the end of the fifth event receives immunity for the week. The contestant with the lowest score receives a one pound disadvantage at the weigh-in. With those events where strategy comes into play, some contestants remain true to their alliances while others play solely for their own benefit. Dolvett uses the week to bond with the two he is training, most specifically John who he wants to open up more both to himself and to his training methods. Bob remarks on a Biggest Loser first, where the last chance workout for the week is not true to its name as the the last event for the pentathlon, an athletic one, occurs after the workout. The contestants are provided assistance in that event by multiple Olympic medalist Apolo Ohno.

After Bonnie's eviction from the campus after the latest weigh-in, the remaining six contestants enter into Thanksgiving week. Their temptation challenge has one hundred plates of Thanksgiving types of food in front of them, each plate with an unknown value from one to one hundred. In five minutes, each contestant is allowed to eat as many plates of food as he/she wants. The contestants who draw the lowest three numbers have their choice of the three prizes available (with one contestant conceivably winning all three prizes): $500 for each pound lost at this week's weigh-in, a $25,000 home gym, and a three pound advantage at this week's weigh-in. The latter is seen as almost a guarantee of immunity. The contestants get a Thanksgiving dinner of another sort: a healthier version cooked for them by their trainers. At dinner, Bob opens up about his own family for the first time. Much of the week's focus is on the one with that three pound advantage, and John, for who some have dire predictions for his post-Biggest Loser life. As the only red team member left standing, John realizes that not only is his Biggest Loser life on the line, but Dolvett's is as well. The reward challenge - a one mile climb on Jacob's ladder - results in prizes for the top three finishers: a one pound advantage and assignment of a one pound disadvantage to another contestant, a 6 month supply of the Biggest Loser meal plan and assignment of that same prize to an eliminated contestant, and $2,500 cash prize for that contestant and another contestant of that winner's choice. The winner of the one pound draws ire from the other contestants which intensifies during the post weigh-in vote.

There are five contestant left at the ranch after Ramon is voted off at the latest weigh-in. The five hit two annual Biggest Loser milestone events. The first is the shedding the pounds challenge, where they symbolically place on all the weight they have lost to date, and shed that weight based on weight lost during each week of their stay on the ranch at markers along a race course, which this year is on a steep uphill trail. The challenge, which will award the winner a one pound advantage at this week's weigh-in, is an emotional one for most if only because of the memories associated with that extra weight. The second is makeover week, which includes their made-over selves walking the red carpet to attend a special presentation of "Iris" by Cirque du Soleil, and attending that event with a loved one. The loved ones also accompany the contestants back to the ranch, where the trainers take the opportunity to prepare them for their collective post-ranch life after this week, as this week marks the last for all on the ranch. But before everyone heads home, they must find out who will be in the final four, a difficult task if only because of the historically low weight loss numbers associated with makeover week.

Sunny, the latest eliminated contestant, is not the only one going home, as life on the ranch has also finished for the four remaining contestants. Although all four go home to hero's welcomes and deal with how they will handle life off the ranch, Vinnie in particular deals with a painful part of his past, and makes an important decision about his future. Each of those four also receives not only a video visit from their trainer, but a real life visit from them as well, plus a video visit from an important person from their past who will hopefully be a reminder to keep them on their new life path. But their life at home is short lived as the four, plus all the eleven eliminated contestants are finally at the stage of competing in the Biggest Loser marathon. Alison tells them that the winner will not only be an automatic finalist, but that the top five finishers will also receive cash prizes, the winner receiving $25,000. One contestant opts out of the race due to medical reasons. The remaining fourteen are all determined to finish the race, but Dr. Huizenga may have a different opinion for a few based on his diagnosis for their long term healthy life. Regardless of the race outcome, the final four (or three if the marathon winner is one of the four) enter into the week's weigh-in to determine the finalists, who are automatically the ones with the highest percentage of weight loss.

Alison first introduces the band Train, who perform their new song, "Brand New Book", which they wrote specifically as the new theme song for the show. After doing a retrospective of the season, Alison introduces the three trainers - Bob, Anna and Dolvett - who provide their perspective of the season, for Anna and Dolvett their first. She then introduces the twelve eliminated contestants in three groups of four. One person in each of those three groups have the highest percentage of weight loss of the at-home contestants, those three who will step on the scale for one last time to determine the winner of the $100,000 at-home prize. She provides some glimpses into season 13 which she mentions has some Biggest Loser firsts and new twists. She then introduces the three finalists - Antone, John and Ramon - who too will step on the scale for the final time to see who is the winner of the $250,000 and the title of the Biggest Loser Season 12.