Don't judge a book by its cover, they say, but let's face it, we all do it. And for teams on The Block, the final week has been all about face value and street appeal.
The contestants begin by reminiscing on their "journey", and as Sarah points out, "the fat lady has finally sung". Unfortunately, Jason decides to illustrate the point.
Sarah wishes she had just not said anything. Photo: Channel Nine/The Block
Thank you, Sarah.
We'd rather a round with a circular saw. Photo: Channel Nine/The Block
Apart from facades, the focus this week has been on house defects (a word which here can also refer to Jason's singing) and they number into the hundreds for some teams. And they're complaining about painting. Just for something different.
After a barbecue and a lonely game of cricket for Ronnie and Georgia, ("where are all our friends," he jokingly asks) the last-minute nocturnal works are interrupted by a rather raucous hen's party. And their targets are Sticks and Wombat.
Yep, these two... Photo: Channel Nine/The Block
... met this lot. Photo: Channel Nine/The Block
Unfortunately, despite Sticks and Wombat offering up one of their rather cute tradies as bait for the amorous crowd, we cut to an ad break and then there's more talk of painting. Come on, producers, work with your key assets here!
Anyway, my feelings aside, upon receiving their final "tools down" cry of the season, the contestants are overcome by emotion and celebrate in the street. Let's see if they're still celebrating this time next week when auctioneers are working their magic.
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Until that nail-biting day, there's one last judging to get through. And enter the trio.
Jason and Sarah's ??? now "the sweetest little dream house", according to Darren Palmer ??? passes with flying colours for its mix of materials and its refined and polished original details.
Over at Hannah and Clint's place, the pink front door draws gasps of delight from Shaynna Blaze but a crooked outdoor light is what gets Neale Whitaker's eye. The judges are really picking at the tiniest details this week because the houses from the outside actually are pretty great.
The geometric tiles and dark facade of Georgia and Ronnie's house ("You're gonna love it or you're gonna hate it," says Georgia) divide the judges. While the colour gets the tick of approval, Neale and Shaynna can't abide the tiles.
"Every day, this is going to look dirty and messy," says Shaynna, prompting this confused reaction from the Queen in house three.
"How is tile high maintenance?" Photo: Channel Nine/The Block
Neale seems a bit cold on the whole marriage of the bold statement of the tiles and the refined, sleek interiors of the house. But Darren loves it, so, you just can't please everyone.
Though I'd fathom a guess at this stage that Neale's hesitation might cost Georgia and Ronnie that seventh room win that they so desperately wanted.
At Sticks and Wombat's place, the judges gush over the continued use of timber and the plant choices, but Neale questions why they house hasn't got a name ("Hygge" is his suggestion ??? maybe not, Neale). The boys christen it "The Castle". How very Aussie.
On a high after their Domain magazine cover win, and the win for best fix of the defects, Josh and Elyse are pleased to have their front likened to a "visit to nanna's" by Shaynna ??? until she reckons it doesn't match the rest of the house.
"Huh?" Photo: Channel Nine/The Block
"It's very old-fashioned but not in the boho way they've done ??? it doesn't connect with the back garden," she says, and upon hearing that Neale agreed (and even hated the pillars), Elyse and Josh took the news as well as you might expect.
So it looks like Elyse and Josh and Georgia and Ronnie will have to settle their battle for supremacy and take a back seat while the other teams (finally) get a chance to shine.
But first, some niggles while the scores are announced: Georgia and Ronnie refuse to believe Sticks and Wombat should've equalled their perfect 10 from Darren, Josh suggests Shaynna couldn't see over the fence after she scores he and Elyse an 8.5 (why is it always Shaynna who cops it?), prompting host Scott Cam to jest: "That Shaynna's a bitch, isn't she?" (Contestants from other years might well agree ... I, however, would never think that.)
Despite Georgia's heckling, Sticks and Wombat take out the final week with a score of 28.5. Sarah and Jason were close behind with 28, then Josh and Elyse with 26, Ronnie and Georgia with 25.5 and Hannah and Clint last (again, sorry) with 23.5.
See you on auction day for our live coverage!
