This is the episode I've been waiting for! I was so thrilled to see the Fat March cast working as a team, albiet grudgingly at first. With some incredibly long walks in heat and humidity, the marchers pushed through their pain to complete almost 30 miles in two days.

Steve and Lorrie, wanting to bring the team together, gave them an opportunity to learn to trust eachother on the "Pole of Power". Each contestant was to climb up this telephone pole while the other members held onto the rope that would keep them from plummeting to the ground. Will overcame his fear, and trusted his team enough to let go. With the marchers putting aside their differences, and opening their hearts a little, tears were shed, and walls were broken down. Even Matt, big tough guy that he is, wept a bit from the experience. It was truly moving.

After this exercise, the marchers banded together on the next leg of the journey. With the stronger walkers hanging back to help those who struggled, the team pushed hard to conquer the allotted miles.

For the challenge, the teams were divided into men against men, and women vs. women in Amish country. Sporting super sexy straw hats and bonnets, each person had to get 20 cabbages loaded into a buggy then race the buggy to the finish line. Mike won the men's challenge with a short lead over Matt, and Shea kicked it into high gear, claiming victory out of the women's group.

They were rewarded with a buggy ride to a spa, a mud wrap treatment, a soft bed, and best of all.... an all inclusive trip to Las Vegas!

The last day of Stage 4 was brutal, and the marchers were not happy to find out that they had 18 miles to walk with only 5 hours to do it. In order to finish, each contestant needed to average 3.6 miles per hour, which is not a gentle stroll. Factor in the heat, and the terrain that was to be covered that day, and you had a pissed off group of folks!

After pushing through almost 7 miles, Will, feeling fatigued and in pain, decided to quit for the day. He just couldn't find it inside himself push himself further. Mike, with his determination to make it to the end, found himself several miles ahead of the group, with just a half a mile to go in order to reach the finish line when time was up. Loralie ended up 2.5 miles from the end, and the remainder of the marchers were 6 miles back. No one made it to the end that day, which weighed heavily on the hearts of the contestants.

Back at camp, everyone was quite surprised to see that Will stopped at mile 7, and knew that if he was not voted off, they would have to go back over 11 miles at the start of Stage 5.

Weigh in continued to impress, with big numbers lost this week!

• 
  
  Chantal - Started 250/current 221 - down 29 lbs
  
  


• 
  
  Michael - Started 319/current 258 - down 61 lbs
  
  


• 
  
  Shea - Started 289/current 255 - down 34 lbs
  
  


• 
  
  Sam - Started 382/current 323 - down 59 lbs
  
  


• 
  
  Jami Lyn - Started 236/current 202 - down 34 lbs
  
  


• 
  
  Will - Started 472/current 413 - down 59 lbs
  
  


• 
  
  Loralie - Started 241/current 206 - down 35 lbs
  
  


• 
  
  Anthony - Started 433/current 367 - down 66 lbs
  
  


• 
  
  Matt - Started 389/current 336 - down 53 lbs
  
  

Even celebrating the wonderful numbers posted for the marcher's Stage 4 weight loss, I could sense the heavy hearts as voting came around. Half of the team voted for nobody, and four people (Matt, Mike, Shea, Anthony) voted that Will should be sent home after falling so far behind the day before. It was so emotional to watch Big Will, who wanted to be there, who NEEDED to be there, hug everyone goodbye. As a viewer, I understood the logic behind the vote off, even if it made me sad. Because Will's not the kind of person you watch and think to yourself "Blah, he's a jerk, when is he going to get voted off?" He's affable and endearing.

But Will's a scrapper, and isn't at home eating Ding-Dongs while crying on his sofa. He's not going to let a change in geography alter the fact that his life has taken a different path. He has a healthy attitude about taking care of himself, and I am thankful that I've gotten to know him, and can call him friend.

So, even with the tear-filled ending, I am delighted to see Fat March taking a turn towards all of the positive bonds made between the contestants. Focusing on the teamwork and not the drama makes it much more compelling and draws us, as viewers in. The show is rolling along, and giving us an inspiring tale of people who aren't afraid to push themselves in order to regain their lives.

I can't wait for next week!