The Block Sky High – Sun 6:30pm, Mon-Thu 7pm, Ch9
http://homes.ninemsn.com.au/theblock/
The second reveal has all the makings of its own melodrama after a week of conflict has left the parties with a simmering and possibly temporary peace. It’s just going to be a big end to a big week (let alone what the judges pontificate over)…
What do you do the night before delivery when you’re on the Block? Stay up all night and paint, naturally. In case you’d not been keeping up with SteamRoomGate a recap was inserted here, including all the conflict that flowed forth including RollerGate. I mean seriously – this show has more gates than a country property AND THERE’S NOT EVEN A GATE ON THE DAMN BLOCK.
Trixie’s had enough – their steam room is going ahead for delivery this week. Level 5 and Level 1 will go head to head. “I think they’re (the Twiins) are gonna explode,” says Trixie. The Twiins are trying to play down their excitement over delivering a steam room but while Twiin 1 delivers her piece to camera she gets paint on their new tiles. Can you hear that? That’s the karma bus on it’s way.
Posh & Becs have gone for the best gaudy factor they can muster – LED screens and everything in their bathrooms. “You won’t have to touch the toilet or anything,” offers Becs who forgets that guys regularly don’t touch the loo when they go anyway.
Madi & Jarrod are caught trying to work out how to deliver the waste to their bath and the words “puddle flange” are tossed around far too much. As they’ve too many tradies in their bathrooms Keef suggest Madi should head off to the day spa. The feminist movement just got set back thirty years.
Matt & Kim are pushing on with their unique features and this week’s bathroom is no different. However as they’ve not had any conflict or upset anyone this week that’s the sum total we’ll see them on tonight’s ep.
The steam puns flow thick and fast as we pop in to see the commissioning of the steam room on Level 5 but it’s not working – turns out Johnno broke the sensor and it’s not working. WILL THEIR STEAM ROOM GET DELIVERED?! WHAT WILL HAPPEN AT THE REVEAL JUDGEMENT?! WHY IS MY ALL CAPS STUCK ON?
Jarrod’s finally getting to put his 92kg bath in; as are Posh & Becs. Nobody measures anything any more. And yet it all works… just as Trixie & Johnno’s steam room man finds a new sensor and everything comes together on Level 5.
The Twiins are hoping their steam room and polished concrete floor are obvious as their point of difference, though limited by the impending power tool embargo. Then they work out they have to move a power point because it’s too close to the sink. Cue frustrated electrician and more blank looks from the Twiins.
Madi’s taken Keef’s words to heart and dragged Trixie along for some time in the day spa where Trixie tells Madi her side of RollerGate. And she doesn’t even cry (yet), though I nearly do as the girls leave the hairdressers past the honour guard of employees. Blergh.
The Twiins are stressing because they’re running out of time. There’s water on the floor and everything has to be cleaned up so the polisher can start with only 1 hour until tools down. Will the trauma ever end?!
Painting, painting, painting. All night with the painting. Then it’s the dressing, the primping and the cleaning – right down to the wire (as usual). Scotty stands in the park across the road and whistles for tools down and miraculously the teams in the highrise across the way hear him. That’s it – 10 bathrooms completed and ready for judging. Let’s see what Herr Neale, HRH Queen Shaynna of the Block & Dazza the Stylingest.
Again starting on Level 5 Johnno & Trixie are all “fingers crossed”. Dazza loves the colour scheme of the ladies bathroom & Neale agrees – “Sexy”. They do spot some problems with the vent and with the tap handle for the vanity but the colour scheme has locked it in. As for the mens bathroom it’s a more muted colour scheme and the judges LOVE the steamroom. “It’s really a penthouse bathroom,” says Dazza. “Is that because of the naked girls everywhere?” asks Queen Shaynna.
Moving on to Level 4 Madi & Jarrod hope their black chrome in the mens bathroom makes a difference. More WOWs from at least two of the judges. “It’s so simple, classic, elegant,” offers HRH. Madi’s worried about the spout for the bath in the ladies, and guess what HRH spots straight up. Herr Neale is immediately distracted by the rug on the floor. “It’s all a bit nanna for me,” he says.
On Level 3 Posh & Becs are excited because they now expect to win every week. “It has that beautiful escape/day spa/retreat feel,” offers Queen Shaynna for the ladies bathroom. It’s a winner with all the judges and the timber is a big factor in that. When they walk into the mens it’s the same vibe though there’s concern over the acoustic treatment a glass door won’t offer in privacy terms (read: FARTING).
Level 2 bods Matt & Kim have tried to pare things back while keeping their style. WHOA is the first response to the ladies bathroom. Neale doesn’t like the laser cut screen – Dazza thinks making it in wood would have softened the whole thing. The mens bathroom is more attractive to the judges than the ladies. “It ticks a lot of boxes with a real streak of innovation,” says Neale. “It’s a great starting point a week late,” offers Queen Shaynna.
The Twiins are worried what’s gonna come out but they think they’re the only couple presenting a steam room, so there’s positivity for Level 1. Neale offers his first wow for the day and Dazza digs the polished concrete for the mens bathroom. The ladies includes a chandelier and taps that are feminine in the “right” way (there’s a wrong way?). “This has been one of the most exciting days on the Block yet,” offers Neale. He’s very excited… so much so you can tell if you look in the right place.
Judgment complete – level up!
The Blockheads gather to get that all important feedback and find out who gets the shot in the arm for their budgets. Scotty starts with the first announcement that the 10 of them have received their first energy efficiency star – only seven to go. But let’s see what they had to say by way of feedback (which starts first with Trixie & Johnno if only to throw the cat amongst the pigeons with the Twiins):
T&J: The hers ensuite was bright and sexy, and the tap was a noted flaw. The his ensuite scored the biggest points for the steam room – they are thinking like a penthouse couple.
M&J: The his ensuite was just about perfect and the black fixtures are great. The hers ensuite is good too, but the bath spout is a problem and what was with the bathmat?!
B&G: Judges were blown away by the hers bathroom – the bath, the raised platform, the lighting. The his bathroom rendered Shaynna speechless but the acoustics of the door is a concern.
K&M: The team is the innovators of the Block – showing how edgy you can be and get away with it (his ensuite). The metal wall isn’t necessary in the hers bathroom.
A&L: The judges loved the floor in the his bathroom and the steam room and though it would be perfect in the penthouse. The hers ensuite is great too, with the chandelier lighting up the room like a jewellery box. The girls are the queens of bathrooms.
The dirty looks from the Twiins to J&T at the mention of the steam room was well worth it, though their comments about how childish the Level 5 team are prove to be entirely misdirected – check yourselves, ladies.
It is time for the all important scoring (Darren | Shaynna | Neale):
J&T: 9.5 | 8.5 | 8.5 = 26.5
M&J: 8.5 | 8 | 7.5 = 24
G&B: 9 | 9.5 | 9 = 27.5
M&K: 8.5 | 8.5 | 8.5 = 25.5
A&L: 9 | 9 | 9.5 = 27.5
It’s a tie! Congratulations to Posh & Becs and the Twiins, winners of double bathroom week and the recipients of $5,000 each which will surely be used to prop up their already gasping budgets.
J&M didn’t think they’d win; M&K admit they’re here to win so are a bit bummed, and the Twiins are happy to have won but a little bummed they have to share. Again. Just like in High School.
Given how successful they’ve been with double rooms last week, this week they have to deliver the master bedroom and dressing rooms that connect to the his and hers bathrooms they just completed. One week, another $10,000, and let’s see who can piss who off this week.