TVSquad

(S08E07) These eliminations just aren't getting any easier, which is frustrating because there are people there that I wouldn't mind seeing booted off of the ranch. They just keep staying there. You could read that as a spoiler if you want, saying that I just revealed at least that Tracey wasn't eliminated, but not so.

Maybe I've come to respect her competitive spirit. Maybe she showed some real growth as a person this week, or maybe I just enjoy the heavy dose of crazy that she brings to the house. Maybe I don't want Tracey going anywhere. Have we ever had a crazy winner of The Biggest Loser?

Regardless of who went home, though, this was a huge week for emotional breakthroughs, as well as emotional turmoil for me watching at home. Every time Abby goes into the story of what happened to her family, it just breaks my heart and I want to wrap my arms around my own family to keep them safe.

Abby has had such a wonderful journey on the show so far. I remember in the first week when she talked about how working out wasn't hard, getting up in the morning to face the day was hard. Not killing herself was hard. What a broken and shattered woman she was still, two years after the loss of her husband and two children. Nothing and no one in her life was able to give her what she needed to find the will to live again.

It was a beautiful thing when she said that she was brave enough to love again. I can imagine wanting to close your heart from love after having it shattered so suddenly and brutally. And opening it up and finding that there can still be joy in her life is an inspirational thing for anyone who's been through any kind of struggles.

Shay is finally coming to terms with her own demons. I can relate to taking on a sense of guilt and responsibility over your parents as a child. It's a natural thing to do because you can't help but love that person and you want them to be healthy and happy and well. You want it so bad, that if they're not, you find yourself wondering why. If I want them to be happy, why can't I make them happy? If I want them to love me, why can't I make that happen?

As an adult you rationally know that no child is responsible for anything at that age. They are just victims of their circumstances, and victims of the circumstances their messed up parents are putting them in. You know that in your mind, but the heart is slower to take the lesson. The problem is that when you're a child, you aren't capable of rationalizing the fact that you're a child. You don't feel like you were any different a person then than you are now, so you hold on to that guilt and shame.

I was so glad to see Shay start to break through that wall, because Jillian was right. At 476 pounds, Shay was killing herself ... and doing a damn good job of it. Jillian is dealing with a lot of deep emotions from the Black team. You had Daniel's remorse over how he treated his mother, Shay's guilt over how her mother's life turned out, and Abby's tremendous loss of her family. And Amanda ...

I can't bring myself to connect with Amanda. I didn't care for her as America's choice, and I haven't been able to care for her journey so far. She's yet to have a great week, and her head still isn't in the game. She quit on Jillian and just keeps standing in her way.

I was ready for Amanda or Daniel to go home tonight. Probably Daniel would have been the better choice, except that he's suddenly hit this wall in his tremendous progress over two seasons. Something is holding him back, and maybe Jillian needs to beat him down into another emotional breakdown for him to get past it. I'm really not sure what it is.

I just know that I wasn't ready for Abby to send herself home. As much as I can appreciate why these contestants keep doing it, for the sake of the other people who need to be there, I'm getting tired of self-sacrifice. It's costing me good people that I care about at the ranch.

I know Abby got what she wanted out of her time on the show, and she's moving on to a better phase of her life, but this was our chance to get rid of Amanda. And Coach Mo's ouster was our chance to get rid of Tracey! Stop throwing yourself under the boss and let your team get rid of the people who really deserve the boot.

On a more positive note, what a tremendous showing by Rudy to break a new record by dropping 101 pounds in seven weeks. That's just a ridiculous amount of weight to have dropped so quickly. Rudy has had double-digit weight loss every week but one, so there's no sign of this guy slowing down, though Danny is starting to give him a run for his money.

I'm so glad Danny got individual immunity again on the Black Team. I hope he can keep it up, because he's such a positive force at the Ranch, I can't help but root for him. Plus, even though eliminating your best weigh-in performer would be ridiculous in a team competition, the Black Team would do it.

[Watch clips and episodes of The Biggest Loser at SlashControl.]