Biggest Loser: And then there were 4

This was the last week on the Biggest Loser ranch. After the week is over, everyone will go home, so the vote after the weigh in was to determine who will be in the final four.

Liz, Danny, Rudy, Allen and Amanda were left at the beginning of the week. I had to laugh that Amanda is the only one of the "young" group. Remember that episode a few weeks ago where the contestants were talking about an "us vs. them" based on the "young vs. old?"

Of course, this episode started off with Amanda talking about that stupid "America voted for me."

When discussing last week's vote, Jillian tried to call Rudy on gameplay, but he wasn't having any of it. He swore he didn't vote off Rebecca because she was a threat, but because he couldn't trust her.

During the workout in the gym, each contestant compared him/herself to how they were in week one. Danny looked so much different! And Allen, running and pulling Jillian behind him, was a machine.

Liz looked the least transformed, though she had lost over 60 pounds. I could really see the difference in Amanda -- her face, especially.

Then in the "what the heck" category, finance guru Suze Orman showed up. What the heck was she doing on the Biggest Loser?! She swore that she would help people make the connection between wealth and health. And she did a decent job of it, even though I thought she was a little over dramatic.

Orman started out with "obesity is a very expensive disease." I'll buy that. Not just in health-related expenses -- drugs, life insurance, physician visits. But also in the expenses that make people fat -- Quarter Pounders, Maggie Moos, Hershey bars, etc. Of course, that's all conjecture on my part, not that I would know anything about that.

Suze met with each contestant individually. "Are you happily married?," she asked Liz. "We're working on it," was Liz's answer. A bit later, Liz said "I deserve all I can be for me." I'm sure it's not my place to say (but I'm gonna say it anyway), I don't think this is boding well for Liz and her husband.

One thing that Suze said struck a chord with me: "We spend more than when we feel less than." I'm gonna have to think on that one.

After the individual consultations, Suze joined Allison in giving the players a treadmill quiz. For each question each individual got right, he or she would get $1,000 put into a savings account for a rainy day fund. (There was an official "Suze" term for the fund, but I can't recall it.) For each question a player answered wrong, they had to set their treadmill one level higher and one level faster.

The questions all had to do with the costs related to obesity. Did you know that a person can save $1M over 4o years by going from obese to ideal weight?! Everyone but Amanda earned $4,000. Amanda earned $3,000.

After the treadmill quiz, Bob talked to the final 5 about how they're going to continue and maintain their weight loss at home. They all said they will never go back. I've said that too. I think I've lost and gained close to 100 pounds over the last 20 or so years.

Of course it wouldn't be the Biggest Loser this season without a creepy Bob and Amanda moment. Oh my gosh, she wrote him a note. A creepy, schoolgirl note. Bob said Amanda is his biggest success story -- Oh, puh-leaze. It was all I could do to not fast forward through that scene.

Then there were some moments when Danny and Liz were talking about their relationship and about how brown was the last team standing. If I were Danny's wife, I might feel a little threatened by Liz, especially in light of what she said about her own marriage. Maybe that's immature on my part.

The final challenge had the players carrying the weight they lost, shedding the number of pounds they lost each week by setting a football weighing the same number of pounds at markers along the field. The first one to knock out their old selves (standing at the end of the football field) won a trip for 2 to the 2010 NFL Pro Bowl, plus $5,000 of athletic equipment donated to the school of their choice.

Allen took an early lead and held on to it throughout the challenge, winning the Pro Bowl tickets.

Back in the house, Danny wrote a song that he played and sang for the others. It was more than a little cheesy. I wonder how long it is until that's recorded and available in boxes of Multigrain Cheerios. Inspirational vignettes of each player were shown while Danny's song played in the background.

One thing that Danny said in his moment of inspiration was "I've gone from hopeless to hopeful, from dream on to dream again." I like that.

Last chance workout. More of the same retrospective looks on how far they've each come.

Weigh in - Tonight's weigh in winner won an chance for Chef Curtis Stone to come into his or her home and give tips on healthy cooking.

Liz: -5 (Total -69)
Rudy: -12 (Total -146)
Allen: -8 (Total -95)
Danny: -16

At this point, I thought we need Amanda to fall below, because a vote between Liz and Allen will send Allen home.

Amanda: -7. That was enough to keep her safe. I knew that spelled disaster for Allen. Danny won't vote for Liz. So it came down to Rudy and Amanda. I think Rudy is tired of losing challenges to Allen. Amanda might vote for Liz because Liz voted for Amanda to leave 2 weeks ago.

Allen took Amanda aside to spell out a logical case for why she should eliminate Liz from the final four. Did it make any difference?

Danny voted for Allen. No surprise.
Rudy voted for Liz. Again, no surprise.

So it came down to Amanda. And she voted to send Allen home, saying that she wanted to be challenged and she wanted to support another woman.

I'm sorry to see Allen go, but I think he's had a great experience. This is probably the most disappointed and uninterested I've been in the finale of any Biggest Loser season. The only person I hope to see with the title Biggest Loser is Danny. I just really don't care for the other 3.

It's curious to see how some people almost end up in the finale as the result of just flying below the radar. I think one of the keys -- as the show is edited anyway, is to try not to stand out. Be even keeled in your temperment and steady, but not showy, in your weight loss. Think Helen last season, now Danny this season. They brought it every week, weren't too controversial and kept themselves in the game.

Before the transformation moment, Allen looked at the camera and said, "America, the next time you see me, I'm gonna be a smokin' hot firefighter on a calendar!" Love it!

Be sure to set your DVRs for 8pm EST tomorrow night for "Biggest Loser, where are they now?"