After the first elimination, there has been the expected increase in the contestants’ dedication to working out. The trainers have been sure to tell them that the second week is always the hardest. It’s only natural for the big numbers pulled on the scale to balance themselves out the second week as the contestants’ bodies get used to their new regimens.

Aside from the grueling daily workouts and nutritional focus, the cast is becoming a bit lighter, a bit more comfortable with one another. One late night poolside conversation quickly turned into a hilarious performance when Paul dug out his karaoke machine. By the end of the night several of the contestants as well as Justin, Clint and Clarence had taken a turn singing songs that over-worked casting people should never attempt in public. It was a great release for the cast and for us.

Clarence took Dan to Lens Crafters. It’s funny how such a mundane, even annoying trip in the “real world” has turned into a treasured break from the daunting routine on the campus.

Drew got up close and personal with some of the local wildlife on elimination night. After-hours crew parking is located on an empty tennis court, a scant hundred miles or so from the control room and base camp. Well, at 3am it certainly seems like 100 miles. We were all shocked and amused when Drew’s frantic call of “mountain lion! There’s a mountain lion looking right at me!” came across the walkies. Since the largest predatory wildlife anyone has seen was a bobcat…we all wonder if Drew’s imagination got the better of him. Then again, this place IS pretty wild.

Curtis and Mallory. The sweetest couple you’d ever want to meet were eliminated this week. As sad as it is, that’s the name of the game and someone has to go home. Since they are semi-local, Gray was set to drive them home in the morning after their exit photos. At the last minute, he got a little surprise. Production wanted him to take a DVX camera with him and videotape their reunion with their kids when they came home from school. So Gray took them away from campus at 3am, took them for their photos in West LA at 6am and drove them 2 1/2 hours home. There he waited an additional six hours until the kids came home from school. Good thing Gray loves to read. By the time he returned to campus that night, Gray had worked 19 hours and had been awake for over 24. And he’d returned with DV footage of the Gray family reunion.

Biggest Loser Casting Department: Casting, gophers, amateur psychologists, contestant-wranglers and now…camera operators. We’re the reality TV Jacks of All Trades.