Bella

I, too, was happy for Rashad. He's been so helpful to the others and has a consistent level of high-quality work despite a misstep or two. Daran, OTOH, was overdue to go. When he said "I don't do robots," I sensed major burn-out, especially given last week's lousy job. He'd definitely checked out of the show mentally and emotionally, so it was time to send him home. Niko keeps skating by, which has to end soon.

I agree with you, Veruca. However, I'm wondering how much information the contestants have before they leave. They must know when they'll be taking off in order to inform their employers, but when do they find out the location. I could see them being told only to bring clothing for a temperature range of 50-80 degrees, for example, then following instructions to pick up a reserved ticket at the airport, at which point they finally learn where they're going. I could be wrong, but this example scenario could explain why they don't prepare better.

My impression of the Vegas airport is that it's decentralized - I haven't been there in a number of years, so I could be wrong or it could have changed, but I remember it as not having as many huge, open spaces as most airports. Also, what's meant by "night?" Did they arrive at 9 p.m. or 1 a.m.? Does anyone know what airline they took? That might lead to online photos of the space they'd have arrived in. The airport is situated so that the Strip, casinos, and much of the residential area are all in one direction. Once out of the airport, I don't think it would be that hard to get away unnoticed.

Great question, Kromm. I think this is particularly important after last season, when we finally had a winner go too far with the weight loss. If there's going to be a grand finale - and I suspect the producers and NBC want that - there has to be something measurable at that particular time. If not percentage of weight loss, then what? Is there a gauge of general fitness that can be used in addition to or instead of percentage of weight loss? The simplest change would be something like "greatest percentage of weight loss without going below a given BMI." BMI isn't hard to calculate; the contestants could do it at home as they weigh themselves each day. If there's a tie, TPTB can determine in advance if the prize is to be shared, if there's a tie-breaker, or what. Another option would be to have that plus another gender-neutral measurement or two - percentage of fat, ability to perform athletically against a baseline test given on the first day at the ranch, nutrition quiz, something. Logistically, I think there must be a grand finale in order to have suspense build through a given number of shows, with ratings highest during a grand finale that occurs during sweeps. TPTB and NBC are in the business of pulling in advertising revenue, which is done through ratings. So a "who reaches X first" gauge will not work if it can be reached in too few episodes. I get tired of Jillian and Bob, but it took the show a long time to find a "keeper" new trainer in Dolvett, so I'd rather keep Jillian and Bob than bring in another dud like Kim.