Biggest Loser 12 - Happy Homecomings and a Marathon Finish

This season has been a roller coaster of emotions in so many ways. You can certainly say that there was never a dull moment...sometimes that was good, and, well...sometimes not so good.

The last episode before the finale brought all of the emotions to a boil. Thankfully most of them were of the good variety. The Final Four went home for a few weeks before the marathon and final weigh-in on the ranch, to their friends, families, and regular lives.

At least some of them did. We discovered that Becky was the only one who actually started back at her job during this time. She taught her students, took care of her family, and fit in her workouts just like she'll have to do for good once the season is over. The three guys did not have to work - although Vinny kind of did because he was working on new music. (Believe me, it's a skill you have to work at. I know from experience!)

John not only took a longer leave of absence from his job, he also had his wife doing everything for him, including making all of his healthy meals. You would think that he would help in the kitchen since he learned so much on the ranch - but no, he was in full beast mode concentrating only on winning. I can understand that to some extent, but I'm sure his family felt like he was basically still away. When Dolvett came to visit he became worried about John regaining the weight back after the show, because he wasn't learning to adjust to a somewhat real schedule at home. I have to agree. It also irked me that he was sacrificing his wife's health for the grand prize. I'm sure they could have balanced it out much better than they did. It scares me that he can only operate in all-or-nothing mode.

On the most positive note of the homecomings, Vinny surprised his girlfriend Lori with a special date at the Grand Ole Opry. It was just the two of them (and the Biggest Loser cameras), and as he proposed she happily accepted. Now here is a man who understands that balancing health and family is important. Congratulations Vinny and Lori!

Once the four were back at the ranch, they met up with the eleven eliminated players in the desert where the season began. It was finally time to run the marathon, with the winner having a guaranteed spot in the Final Three. Bonnie couldn't run because she was having knee surgery the following week, but she looked really good. She also took care of each contestant as they came across the finish line. Both Vinny and Joe were forced to stop short of the goal but gave a valiant effort.

I loved seeing other contestants get the big moments they didn't have during the season. Patrick, who sacrificed himself in Week 3, ran an excellent race. So did Jennifer, who left those crutches far behind her to finish in the middle of the pack. And for Debbie and Johnny, just making it all the way to the end and crossing the finish line was an accomplishment. It just proves the point - you don't have to make Final Four to be a winner!

The race pretty much came down to Courtney and Ramon, with Ramon winning the spot in the finals. This meant that two people would fall below the red line at the weigh-in. The two people above the line would complete the Final Three.

Becky fell below, but showed working moms everywhere that they can take care of themselves while getting everything else done. Vinny also fell just short of the finals, but he really won the big prize because he learned the most about himself, his family and his health...and he has Lori!

Antone and John will compete with Ramon for the title. (It's really weird this season not to have to vote for the third finalist!) Actually, it seems more like they are competing with each other...and Ramon happens to be there. I wouldn't be surprised if Ramon does sneak in and take the grand prize while the other two duke it out. John did a lot of big talking, but Antone wants his actions and the numbers to do the talking...as it should be. Of course, Antone voiced what many of us were thinking when he mentioned that he was finally sick of John! (Challenging every Biggest Loser contestant in the history of the show? Really John? You should be VERY afraid that some of them might take you up on that!)

So tune in next week for the Season 12 live finale. Since the entire season was filled with drama, I wouldn't expect anything less for the finale. Looking forward to the big finish...and rooting for Antone and Ramon!