Episode 21 recap: Judge slams ‘cold, dead’ room as one Blockhead packs up and leaves
It’s a supersized Sunday Room Reveals, as teams deliver the biggest rooms with the best views The Block has ever seen.
But judging needs to wait, because one Blockhead is at risk of being ordered off site, and has Week 2’s infamous “cheating” scandal returned?
Not now, Darren! Nine
It all starts because poor Rick has been sent to hospital.
The House 5 dad was diagnosed with a “serious” knee infection and is on doctor’s orders to rest, with his feet up, until Monday. Not exactly helpful, come Room Reveals.
“The infection had set in, and it was starting to travel so they had get IV into the system pretty quick,” Rick revealed.
Then Rick’s hit “with the bad news”, apparently worse than his injury. His daughter Tayla is left to paint during one of the most important weeks in the competition.
With Rick off site, host Scotty Cam calls the team at British Paints to help Tayla finish painting.
And her neighbours are fuming.
Even Tayla’s conflicted. You see, the number one rule on The Block is that contestants have to do their own painting – a rule Tayla made very clear in Week 2 after bringing up the earliest body corp in Block history.
Remember that time “alleged cheaters” Chantel and Wyatt had their chippy paint for “less than five minutes”?
“Pot calling the kettle black,” a suspicious Sev comments.
But the House 4 girls were sympathetic, especially because Rick was a no-show come judging. Rick needs to take an extended break and his replacement will be confirmed.
Someone else to be replaced is Foreman Dan. He and wife Dani have had their baby!
In more good news, Scotty announces a shiny addition to his already $192,000 prize pool – a brand new Bar Crusher valued at $80,000 to take home. This one’s not named Shelley.
Enough celebrations, bring on the judging!
Adam and Jolene
House 1 threw everything into a win, including a ginormous 3.6m x 3.4m wall mirror, and custom Christian Cole dining table worth up to $20,000.
It's the first thing that catches the judges' eyes. "Scale is luxury" Darren reminds them.
It's "perfection", much like their choice of fireplace.
Then comes the first critique. Darren wonders if the dinging table were positioned the other way, you’d have more of those stunning water views. It should have been obvious, says Marty.
But Shaynna praises the “phenomenal” sense of space, especially with the mirror.
All Marty sees is "a reflection of the solid wall", and Darren calls "bullshit" on his judgement. He thinks the mirror is genius.
The team have truly stepped up with styling, but outside feels “undercooked”. Judges would love to see a big couch and a barbeque.
Chantel and Wyatt
House 2 were the only team to flip their layout, and put their massive 77-inch TV on the opposite wall of the living room. But would the judges agree?
They got the orientation of their dining table right, but judges couldn’t ignore the sheer amount of “cold, empty space” elsewhere.
“I thought I was bored in the ensuite last week but here I need a defibrillator because this is dead,” Shaynna blasts them.
As Marty jumps in: “This is the definition of vanilla, there’s nothing here”.
Shaynna coudn’t comprehend. Nine
They feel the layout is backwards, away from the views. Darren says the “scale and proportion” of the room “is all wrong” while Shaynna likens it to a cold “corporate office”.
Shaynna was “gobsmacked”, adding “this is the most boring execution I’ve ever seen in a multimillion-dollar house to try and sell the dream”.
Out on the alfresco, and all the judges see are an eight-seater table and pot plant. It’s simply “not enough”.
Lisa and Rosco
Nothing was going right for House 3 this week, but in the last hours they pulled off their dream space with a fireplace and barbeque.
Unfortunately as judges walked in, they noted Lisa and Rosco’s six-seater dining table was far too small for the space and the furniture orientation is all wrong. Those dang views!
But, they got their colour palette just right and adored the fireplace.
Out on the alfresco and the team were sure selling the dream, ticking off cooking, lounge, dining.
“I literally cannot fault it. It sells the sizzle,” says Marty. “I think it’s the best one we’ve seen.”
But Darren couldn’t understand why the lounges weren’t facing the view: “To say I am frustrated is the biggest understatement of the day”.
Courtney and Sev
House 4 delivered luxury on a budget this week, simply because they had no choice!
The judges praised their dining table position to be the best they’ve seen all day.
However, like the other houses, Darren couldn’t comprehend why the girls would focus the living space on the TV and not those stunning views.
With the position of the lounge, Marty felt the room was “cut in half”.
The solution? Pull the lounge back and get a bigger TV.
Outside on the terrace, and the girls nailed the layout.
“I can’t fault Courtney and Sev’s decision-making in terms of style,” says Darren. “The layout inside has really let them down, but the layout out here is the most successful we’ve seen today.”
Rick and Tayla
House 5 spent the most this week, a whopping $49,593.30 from the suggested $20,000.
Judges were disappointed to see another six-seater dining table.
Spatially, everything seemed squashed to the back of the living room, and the fireplace? “It looks like a pizza oven,” Marty teased.
And once again, those views haven’t been capitalised. Darren couldn’t be more “p--sed off”.
But, it’s an easy rescue with some repositioning. Shaynna praised many elements in the room as “perfection” but overall, it just wasn’t hitting the mark.
Outside, judges were shocked to see a bar. Darren loves the slushie machine!
But a four-seater table? Judges questioned where everyone was supposed to sit.
OK, score time!
By one point, Adam and Jolene at last took out the win! The scores are:
Adam and Jolene: 27
Lisa and Rosco: 26
Courtney and Sev: 22.5
Rick and Tayla: 22
Chantel and Wyatt: 19.5
Chantel and Wyatt took home the $10,000 cash for the CommBank budget award, again.
On Monday, Blockheads will start work on their guest suite (bedroom and bathroom).
Plus, get ready to meet some new faces. A new foreperson? A Rick 2.0?! We better tune in!
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