The Biggest Loser- week 8- Mr. Harper Goes to Washington. . .

. . .and Jillian, and all the BL contestants too! But we'll get to that in a moment.

Last week's tear-filled episode of the Biggest Loser moved many people, but it was time for the BL train to get back on the happy track and give us some inspiration. Ali steps it up right away, and informs the BLers that they will be traveling to Washington DC to make a positive change.

Will we be meeting the President? The First Lady? WHO!?!

The contestants get on the plane (courtesy of Jet Blue, of course), and they are all astonished that they can comfortably fit into their seats and use the seat belts without extenders. It was moving to share this with my BL tweeties, who have had similar experiences and know how embarrassing it can be. It was nice to see the contestants have a little "Extra" room and a big smile.

The nine remaining BLers walk around the Jefferson Memorial to meet Ali at the reflecting pool with Bob and Jillian. Ali announces that the contestants will not only be working out here to help Americans lead happier and healthier lives, they will be traveling to the White House to talk about health issues to some Congressmen and women. But not the President. Darn.

The contestants are also given their original colored t-shirts and told they are now competing as INDIVIDUALS. Huzzah! This is when everyone really has to step it up. Now Dan has to lose weight or he is screwed. GAME PLAY.

Shay is singled out by Ali and told that she is the only contestant that is still over 400 pounds. I forget that she is still up there- she has been such a trooper up until this point. Will she break through the 400 zone?

Then it is time for the POP CHALLENGE: Each contestant has one hour to get as many people to the Washington Monument to workout with Bob and Jillian as they can. Whoever gets the most people wins a special prize and dinner for themselves and all their new friends at Subway.

Subway? For dinner? Now I'm wishing Curtis Stone was there to make a fancy meal. Subway is a lunch place.

The contestants run into the city to start collecting people. How are they going to get them to join? Danny starts propositioning tourists like a politician, promising that they can meet Bob and Jillian. Amanda uses her clout from being on the finale last season to get a group of teens to join her ranks. Rudy gets a big group of guys to start chanting "Rudy! Rudy! Rudy!" in opposition to the Amanda team. Trazy says how personable she is and threatens a group of teenagers to show up on time (or else). Country Liz uses the age card to make some guys feel guilty and perhaps call their mothers.

Dan totally one ups Amanda- since he was a previous contestant last season, he is more easily recognized and steals all of her supporters! He is sneaky one. GAME PLAY.

Allen uses his newly buff brawniness and rallies all his fellow firefighters to join him. He makes the grandest of entrances on a team of cherry red fire trucks to join his contestants and trainers in the shadow of the Washington Monument.

I figured that Allen had this IN THE BAG. Who doesn't love a firefighter?

Apparently, America. Country Liz manages to guilt enough cougar hungry boys to join her team of Brownies. She wins the pop challenge and the luxurious dinner at Subway. And a soon to be determined "Extra" special prize.

Now it is time for the mega last chance America for the love of all that is holy workout. Bob and Jillian team up to beat the stuffing (literally) out of all the people who showed up. One of my fellow tweet friends, DC based personal trainer Kimberly Linton (http://twitter.com/livinthefitlife) was actually there, working out behind all the firefighters. Sounds like a good seat!

We see a montage of Bob and Jillian sitting on people and screaming in their faces (makes me happy Jillian is on my TV and not in my living room). Bob is super excited, and Jillian can't wait to pick on total strangers. Poor Tangerine. You don't say can't to Jillian.

After the workout, Country Liz and friends go to Subway with Jillian for the weekly Subway plug. On second thought, Subway doesn't look THAT bad for dinner. . .

Then it's time for Mr. Harper to go to the White House. Or the Congress. They meet Sen. Kristen Gillibrand from New York and Sen. Robert Casey from Pennsylvania to talk about the obesity epidemic in America. The contestants cite the lack of information and education in our country as a reason why we are such a fat nation.

Dan tells a moving story about how being overweight made his grades drop and his self esteem drop even lower. Bob also points out that Dan is now the norm, and not the exception. Scary.

Rebecca shares her struggles as well, telling how she basically starved herself to fit in and be thin. I feel for her and know as a girl that was chubby, I tried some very extreme measures to lose weight and try to fit in with my thinner counterparts.

And Jillian states the best fact: The Biggest Loser is a MOVEMENT. Not just a reality show. This show is really changing peoples lives. And that is why I love watching and blogging about it.

After the congress with Congress, the BLers meet Ali at the Constitution Gardens to learn about the physical challenge for the week. There are 4 legs of the contest revolving around 4 tourist attractions. The person to survive all 4 sections will gain immunity at the weigh in. Immunity at this stage of the game is HUGE.

The first leg is a one mile run. We see Trazy's eyes go wild, remembering how the first mile run put her in the hospital. If only we could be that lucky again, but I'm sure that Trazy is healthier now.

Ali tells Country Liz that since she won the pop challenge, she will get a get out of jail free card for one section of the contest.

Only 6 contestants can go to the next round. We watch the contestants running around the Constitution Gardens lake with a rather annoying and insulting Miley Cyrus tune that says something about mountains. Fat people do not want to be compared to mountains.

The six continuing on are Rebecca, Allen, Amanda, Dan, Rudy, and Country Liz. That means Shay, Danny, and Trazy are out.

Trazy then explains the mechanics of walking- one foot in front of the other. She is brilliant.

The next stage of the competition is at the Watergate steps in front of the Lincoln Memorial. Lincoln? It is a clue! The contestants have to pick up pennies. Lotsa pennies. 17,954 to be exact, representing how many pounds have been lost to date on the show. The first four players that pick up enough pennies to fill their funnel will get to continue to the next stage.

Country Liz uses her card to get out of this stage of the contest. Smart move! Picking up pennies and running up stairs in the middle of summer heat does not sound like any fun.

Rudy's "banana hands" were made for penny pinching. He can scoop far more pennies than the rest of the team, and has a clear advantage. He easily finishes before anyone else, and is joined by Dan and Rebecca. That means that Allen and Amanda are out.

The third round is at the US Capital. Ali says the key to our government's success is balance- and that is what the contestants are going to have to do. On a very narrow beam with a pilates ball over their heads. I've never seen anyone at the Capital do that.

Dan is the first out, followed by Country Liz.

It is now between Rudy and Rebecca. They have to take 206 steps on a step bench, representing the 206 contestants that have been on BL so far. Rebecca creams Rudy and his size 15 feet, becoming the victor and winner of the immunity challenge! Happy dance.

Ali then announces that finally, finally! the contestants will get to go to the White House.

Then it is product placement time. Bob takes Amanda out on a date to talk about her break down with Jillian last week and to chew some "Extra" sugar free gum. Oh, NBC. So sneaky.

AND the White House. The contestants take the back entrance- scaling a fence and then walking all the way across the great lawn . They meet Sam Kass, the head chef of the White House. They get to pick vegetables in the White House garden for a salad, and Bob gets to avoid the secret service after he threatens to squeeze the first family.

If I was a heavy drinker, I would have suggested a drinking game: every time one of the contestants said "The White House", you would have to take a drink. I would have been WASTED.

We are shown that the first family are healthy eaters and the ultimate role models. Now, if we could do something about that universal health care plan. . .

Then it is time for Last Chance Workout, DC style. Which entails walking on your hands and carrying Jillian up the stairs. It is equal opportunity beatings for everyone! Beatings and "Extra" gum.

Jillian focuses her mind bullets this week on Trazy, who Jillian as been waiting to throttle since week one. She wants to show Trazy that the BL isn't about game play. It is about changing your life. She breaks her down until she is crying. Sweet, sweet victory.

Now it is time for the weigh in at the Lincoln Memorial. No post flight weight gain!

Rebecca weighs in first, since she had immunity. She weighs in at 219, losing 4 pounds. She is in the teens! Shay weighs in next. Will she get past 400? All she needs is 3 pounds to do it. She loses an impressive 9 pounds, reaching her goal of getting out of the 400s. She vows she will never see that number again.

Then it is Trazy time. Will she be able to save herself? She loses 3 pounds, to reach 194. No amount of GAME PLAY can save her now. Fellow GAME PLAYER Dan steps up next. Is he pulling out the big guns to save himself? Absolutely, ripping out 11 pounds to reach 261. He is 7 pounds away from losing 200 pounds. WOW.

Then Allen gets up, and he already looks like he is an after photo. He still loses an impressive 9 pounds, bringing him to 253. Then it is my fellow Okie Danny. He pulls out the double digits again, losing 12 pounds. Down to 333! Then weight loss monster Rudy loses 9 pounds, bringing him to 332. Beating Danny by one pound! Country Liz weighs in- losing only 3 pounds. Bringing her to 218. Amanda weighs in last, filled with "Extra" confidence. She has to lose more than 3 pounds to stay out of the bottom. She loses 7, reaching 207.

So, Country Liz vs. Trazy. Who to go, who to go? Each lady pleads her case to the fellow BLers, but the group chooses Trazy to leave.

FINALLY! But who am I going to write about now?

At the reveal, Trazy looks good. I'll give her that. And she got to be on The Jay Leno Show after the BL was over. But I hear that 15 minutes ticking away. See ya, Trazy. Or not.