Here we are, people. After nearly three long months of squabbling, neighbourly rivalries - and some renovation thrown in for good measure, tonight's episode is the final room reveal, and marks just two weeks until the episode that matters most: the auction.
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The studio-cum-granny flat-cum-garage is the biggest area that The Block teams have had to renovate this year, and it's no surprise that this stress, combined with the existing street tensions between the contestants, has resulted in bad blood getting worse.
After refusing to do a voucher trade with Georgia and Ronnie, Josh and Elyse discover at the last minute that they forgot to order a stone benchtop for the ensuite. Cue profanities and declarations of "rookie mistake".
It's all white Josh; if you've had enough of this renovating caper, that outfit will be just fine at a rave. Photo: Channel Nine/The Block
At house three, Ronnie has man flu and of course is not playing up his symptoms at all. "I almost died last night," he declares, with (almost) a straight face. Ronnie, I feel you mate.
Jason also has man flu and is dealing with painting. Hope you've got your own supply of Kleenex, Jason, or the neighbours will charge you $50 a box for access to theirs.
Given it's the last of the rooms to be revealed, and everyone's exhausted, everyone's losing their mind. Clint is singing and dancing (badly), Elyse is accelerating vocally (yes, she is), Sarah has forgotten to organise delivery and everyone seems to be sleeping on the floor. Spare a thought for the viewers, who just really want to get to what the judges thought (and who really deserve a medal for this longer season!)
We'd make a GIF of this, but you've all suffered enough. Photo: Channel Nine/The Block
The three of them arrive - and not a moment too soon. First to Sarah and Jason's place (where again there was a slow start to the week) where the drama looks set to continue next week after leaks were discovered from a bathroom. Jason is a plumber.
Anyway, to the judges. Neale Whitaker is gushing cliches trying to find the right way to describe how well Sarah and Jason's room works at the end of a long season. (Did we mention it's been a long season?) It wins praise for its versatility - a blank canvas, if you will - but they lose points (as Sarah predicted) for not grouting their tiles. Maybe try to start earlier next week, guys ??? oh wait, you've run out of time.
The judges ponder what could have been for Jason and Sarah. Photo: Channel Nine/The Block
Over at Clint and Hannah's, the perpetual last-place getters have gone for a mid-century look which has the judges raving. Hannah and Clint agree with the judges that this is their best room of the competition. Save the best 'til last, they say ... but last is just too late.
Georgia and Ronnie are the only team to put in a office (what I like to call a Kelly Rowland "Work" space), but Darren Palmer wants to bring the whole band and base an entire company in the room.
At Sticks and Wombat's place, the judges rave about the raised roof and skylights but the ensuite is a bit more, well, bland. And regrets, well, the guys join Hannah and Clint in having a few, wishing that they'd been this good at the start of the contest. Hey, we can't all be perfect. Just Josh and Elyse, it seems.
On a high from winning the Domain magazine cover prize, the two in house number five left Whitaker speechless through their art choice - and the execution of the entire room. But all good things come an end ??? and on The Block, it can be over the smallest things. Shaynna Blaze decrees all shower screens should be 900 millimetres in width to prevent extensive floor splashing, and Josh and Elyse's doesn't measure up.
Just a few millimetres more... Photo: Channel Nine/The Block
And it's this that costs them the win. After perfect scores from Darren and Neale for Elyse and Josh, as well as Georgia and Ronnie and Sticks and Wombat, Shaynna scores the "keep it north" crew at nine points apiece to Georgia and Ronnie's 9.5.
And that's it for indoors. Ronnie and Georgia take out studio week with 29.5 points, followed by Sticks and Wombat and Elyse and Josh on 29. Hannah and Clint climb off the bottom, thanks to a 10 from Neale, with a total of 27. Jason and Sarah are last, with 26.5.
The Block houses are live on Domain:
This means that Josh and Elyse and Ronnie and Georgia now each have six room reveal wins - more than any other couple in Block history ??? and paving the way for an epic battle for supremacy next week.
