Week 6 on the Ranch was all about concentration. Through two challenges, a family visit, and a grueling week of workouts, the players had to keep their eyes on the prize — giving in to any distraction could make the difference between staying in the game and being sent home. Here's how it all played out.

Pop Challenge: It's always a crapshoot when Alison shows up at the house. She could be bringing bad news, or…well, let's face it, she's usually bringing bad news. This week, she led the contestants to the pool, where she explained that there would be no temptation this week. (That's good news so far — you know how I hate temptations.) Instead, the players had to take a "pop challenge"...but this wasn't anything like the dreaded pop quizzes you used to get in school. Each contestant had to stand on a block beside the pool, on one foot. The person who could maintain balance the longest would win, and he or she would receive a 24-hour visit from a loved one. The Yellow Team's Mandi wanted a visit from her husband more than anything, and when it finally came down to her, her teammate Aubrey, Filipe, and Blaine, she simply asked Filipe to step down and let her have the prize. For Mandi's sake, Filipe bowed out, and then Blaine and Aubrey agreed to do the same. Great news for Mandi, right? Well, I wasn't convinced that it was...more on that in a minute.

Holding Up Their End of the Bargain: With the mini-challenge out of the way, it soon was time for the big one. This week, the prize was the all-important immunity at the weigh-in, and everyone wanted it. To earn it, each couple had to work together to hold a large bar high over their heads, with one person supporting each end. If a bar fell below a certain height, that team was out. The name of the game was outlasting everyone else, and the importance of concentration was highlighted when Filipe and Sione got distracted for just a second, let their bar drop just a hair too low, and were the first to be knocked out. Mike and Ron went next, followed by Blaine and Dane. Two hours in, only the ladies were left, and they all held on for another hour, at which point Mandi and Aubrey let their bar slip. It came down to Tara and Laura versus Kristin and Cathy, and the clock kept ticking for nearly another two hours before Laura let her end of the bar down and gave it up to the Purple Team. The whole challenge had lasted 4 hours and 40 minutes…and did I mention it was 38 degrees outside? Kristin was psyched to beat Tara, who'd won their last showdown in Week 3's jumping challenge. And Tara, who'd put up double-digit losses for the last few weeks, was more than a little worried that this would be the week when she hit a wall. Time would tell...

Reunions and Goodbyes: It was a tearful reunion when Mandi's husband Rusty came to Ranch, made all the more touching for Mandi when she learned that her two sons had come along, too. Although Mandi was convinced that she needed that visit, I'll admit that I was thinking the exact opposite. Whether it brought warm fuzzies or the guilt or homesickness I was fearing, I knew that visit would add up to one thing: a big distraction. Fortunately, it didn't seem to factor in too much at the weigh-in — even though Aubrey lost only 1 pound, Mandi managed to lose 6 to keep her team alive for one more week. My boys Blaine and Dane weren't so lucky, however — they lost 9 pounds in total, and it wasn't enough to keep them above that yellow line. This week, only one team fell below, and the rest of the players had to vote just one player out of the game. After Blaine pleaded to be sent home instead of his cousin Dane, the majority respected his wishes and voted for him to be eliminated. Back at home, he's lost 86 pounds and is training for an Ironman triathlon. Yeah…I would say that's pretty focused, wouldn't you?

Next Week: After pulling a 13-pound loss to keep himself and his dad above the line this week, Mike's feeling the pressure to deliver again. And after gaining two pounds, the heat is on for Kristin to make a comeback. Can they deliver? Tune in to NBC next Tuesday night to find out!