Has a seemingly sweet and kind gesture from primary school students cursed every contestant on The Block to hell? And more importantly, has it had any effect whatsoever on the Power Rankings?
1. (Last Week: 1) Brooke & Mitch – House 4
Despite investing heavily in The Block NZ’s first glass-encased outdoor television, Brooke and Mitch’s glory run came to an end in Outdoor Living Area Week. With more money to their names than all the other teams combined, have they turned to gratuitous displays of wealth – an outdoor telly here, a living wall there, 101 burners on the bloody BBQ – as a substitute for style and taste?
While they still hold a very strong upper hand, their aura of invincibility has taken a hit. The previously chilled out happy-go-lucky Brooke had an incredible meltdown when Peter Wolfkamp ballsed up her intricate tradies schedule, accusing him of being “up to fuck all” and breaking The Block’s very flimsy fourth wall by telling the production crew to piss off.
It was so much bigger and better than Sarah and Minanne’s “biggest Block meltdown EVER” from a couple of weeks ago. It felt like perfect karmic retribution for the pair’s dastardly strategic scoring, but at the same time immediately made Brooke the coolest person on the show. This newfound status was reinforced later in the week when she brought flu-ridden Mitch the coldest, most unsympathetic breakfast in bed imaginable. No toast? It’s paleo gone mad.
2. (LW: 2) Cat & Jeremy – House 3
Interesting fact about Cat and Jeremy: they have received on average 0.25 more judges’ points each week than Brooke and Mitch. Even accounting for gamechangers, they are officially the judges’ favourites.
It was the gamechanger that saw them steal Outdoor Week off Jamie and Hayden by a cruel half a point, but considering they managed to fit in both a South American scale family barbecue (almost 2 metres long!) and a fire pit on wheels (sounds incredibly dangerous when you think about it) they were probably good for the win.
With the help of a tradie who is 100% definitely Jeremy’s dad despite his claims to the contrary, they are looking to carry that winning momentum on through the laundry and up the stairs his week, and hopefully celebrate with a refreshing drink.
3. (LW: 4) Jamie & Hayden – House 1
After the ignominy of their all black bedroom debacle Jamie and Hayden bounced back remarkably last week to produce a winning(ish) outdoor area. Fuelled by the power of bad puns and dick/deck double-entendre Hayden managed to shake off his all-consuming fury and go a whole week without punching anything.
Suddenly things seem a whole lot brighter for the pair. They claimed an unprecedented clean sweep of challenges this week – staging a magazine cover photoshoot, spraypainting a rug, shooting netball into a washing machine cylinder – as well as the teams’ judging. This represents an embarrassment of riches down the final stretch of the show. Could Jamie and Hayden be the dark horses making a run from the back of the pack?
4. (LW: 3) Sarah & Minanne – House 2
Sarah and Minanne actually made a good fist of their outdoor area considering their abject poverty and the constraints of their space. They certainly laid on the best spread of cheese and crackers and dips which quite frankly were wasted on fickle old Jason and Bernadette.
As much as the sisters seem like a lost cause at this stage you feel like could still have a room reveal win in them, and that it would be the most triumphant and glorious moment we’ll see on The Block all season when it happens. Please let it happen.
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