Written by Liz Britton
This season’s The Biggest Loser opens up with trainer Bob Harper as the 
host of the show. Shocked, I quickly did some major research (thank you Google), and found out that Alison Sweeney, former host of Biggest Loser, has decided to step down from the big role.
“Change is good,” she says. “I feel great. I’ve had some time to get used to it.”
This season hopped right on the treadmill with Bob as he gave the contestants their very first workout. The twist? He tempted them with $25,000 to get off of their treadmills and walk away.
Not one person stepped off to reach for that money. My willpower would not have been so strong. Hello student loans debt.
The show presented a new house, a new gym and an extra scale to make the weigh-ins go quicker. Hardcore trainers Dolvett Quince and Jen Widerstrom were antsy to break in the gym with their new teams. Immediately, the difference between Dolvett’s training style and Jen’s training style was immediate.
Dolvett likes to challenge people through tough love. He spots the 
weakness and hones in on it. Felicia, from North Carolina, was picked for his team. After the first workout, Dolvett told her that she would be the first to go home (damn, Dolvett!).
Jen, however, wanted her team to see what they were capable of. She focused on the confidence building aspect of it all. Her aim was to get the contestants to believe in themselves again. By the end of the session, it was clear that they were ready to start their journeys.
And then we had some group therapy with Bob Harper.
Yup. Group. Therapy.
Not that I’m against group therapy. It works and is necessary in many instances, but I feel like the show was trying to force a kumbaya moment too soon. Normally the break downs start happening during the workouts and throughout the season, but the writers must have felt the need to connect the contestants and the audience sooner than usual. It just felt like an awkward first date where one person reveals too much about themselves too soon.
The show returned to normal when the contestants of season 17 were presented with their very first challenge. Each team had to pick a pair of 
contestants to climb a ladder to the top of a bank building in Los Angeles after both teams transferred a ton of money (literally – a ton) over onto a weigh station. Richard and Erin from Team Dolvett beat Team Jen’s Hernandez brothers to the top where they find another money temptation: $40,000 for themselves or an eight-pound advantage for the end of the week weigh-in.
Team Dolvett picks the eight-pound advantage, but it does not help them in the weigh-in as much as they hoped. The team loses the weigh-in and votes Britney off.
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Elizabeth Yuen 