The Block - General Discussion

[BellyLaughter]

I am loving the houses that they have to renovate this season but .... .. OMG... the contestants.... 

Possibly the worst group in many seasons.... 

I'm watching as I have always loved The Block but my snark levels and eye rolling are at an all time high. 

[retrograde]

Woah, some real nastiness already.

Ronnie and Georgia are obviously going to be That Couple that does bog ordinary work each week but fumes at the judges' criticisms. At least Hannah and Clint were humble and didn't blame everyone else for their failures (and they had good reason to -- their tradies screwed them with shoddy work). 

[TVbitch]

Hi Retro! I tried, but holy crap, it moves so slowly! When I watched the first whole hour+ episode and no reveal! Ack! So, I don't think I can hang with this one. I like design shows, but with more the pacing of say BBC's Great Interior Design Challenge. I might enjoy just the reveal/judging episodes, if those are on a certain day each week. 

[retrograde]

Yeah, most years I just watch two episodes a week -- reveal/judging (usually Sundays) and the following one (usually Mondays) where the contestants get to inspect the new rooms and bitch about them to each other. Almost everything in between is just contestants squabbling and getting frustrated at their tradies, interspersed with McCafe infomercials (there's a "challenge" somewhere mid-week but it's usually pretty dumb). 

[rereader2]

20 hours ago, TVbitch said:

Hi Retro! I tried, but holy crap, it moves so slowly! When I watched the first whole hour+ episode and no reveal! Ack! So, I don't think I can hang with this one. I like design shows, but with more the pacing of say BBC's Great Interior Design Challenge. I might enjoy just the reveal/judging episodes, if those are on a certain day each week. 

Yeah, most weeks only have a reveal on Sundays, although some weeks there are challenge reveals, although those are only full rooms the first week, IIRC. The squabbling, etc. drives me nuts, but I am hopelessly addicted nonetheless!

[TVbitch]

Thanks guys! I don't live in Oz, so I will have to figure out the episode #'s for the reveal days through an episode guide or something. Is it 3 episodes a week? If I find one I can just do math (oh no!)   

[retrograde]

I don't live in Australia either, but I find the eps are usually online in the US the same day (although if you're watching on the actual website through a VPN, then I think they don't go up until the next day). I think the show airs Sunday-Wednesday (ie non-footy days), so the next reveal should be episode 9 this Sunday. The Wikipedia page stays surprisingly up-to-date. 

[rereader2]

I am so done with Ronnie and Georgia.

[retrograde]

On 9/3/2017 at 6:13 PM, rereader2 said:

I am so done with Ronnie and Georgia.

They're almost all awful. I have to agree with @BellyLaughter's earlier call that this is the worst group of contestants in a long time. Ronnie and Georgia are the worst, but only by a slim margin over Jason and Sarah, who are only a bit more awful than Elyse and Josh (well, mostly Josh). Sticks and Wombat are... fine, and Clint and Hannah are just pleasantly dull. Makes you long for the days of Woz and Gav and Amity "The Lighthouse" Dry.

As much as I dislike Ronnie and Georgia, though, I did think the "cheating" drama was dumb. It's clear that they're all ripping designs off Pintrest. Jason and Sarah legitimately seem to be becoming unhinged as the show progresses. 

[rereader2]

Elyse is such a goofball I can't help but like her, though.  (And I do like the way Josh looks out for her.)

I though Clint and Hannah were pleasant too, until Hannah interviewed (to Clint's approving nod) that she only voted to let Josh and Elyse start their pool because she knew Georgia and Ronnie were going to vote against it. That was surprisingly underhanded, and put me off her and Clint.

17 minutes ago, retrograde said:

As much as I dislike Ronnie and Georgia, though, I did think the "cheating" drama was dumb. It's clear that they're all ripping designs off Pintrest. Jason and Sarah legitimately seem to be becoming unhinged as the show progresses. 

They are definitely all using Pinterest for design ideas. Georgia clearly went a bit overboard on her "inspiration", but it's just as clear that it didn't rise to the level of cheating. 

[retrograde]

6 minutes ago, rereader2 said:

Elyse is such a goofball I can't help but like her, though.  (And I do like the way Josh looks out for her.)

Yeah it true, Elyse is quite likable. Josh just seems very arrogant, shortsighted and pigheaded. His "prank" on Keith after he was busted doing the wrong thing was embarrassing. 

Quote

I though Clint and Hannah were pleasant too, until Hannah interviewed (to Clint's approving nod) that she only voted to let Josh and Elyse start their pool because she knew Georgia and Ronnie were going to vote against it. That was surprisingly underhanded, and put me off her and Clint.

I was put off Clint when he tried to play dumb and innocent after clearly deliberately instigating the "cheating" fight by sharing the photos. I understand why all these guys are frustrated at Ronnie and Georgia -- because they're jerks who are indeed winning more on styling than on workmanship and who are inexplicably loved by Keith and Scott -- but they should keep it to themselves. 

[rereader2]

18 minutes ago, retrograde said:

I was put off Clint when he tried to play dumb and innocent after clearly deliberately instigating the "cheating" fight by sharing the photos. I understand why all these guys are frustrated at Ronnie and Georgia -- because they're jerks who are indeed winning more on styling than on workmanship and who are inexplicably loved by Keith and Scott -- but they should keep it to themselves. 

Yep. (With extra emphasis on the "they're jerks" bit, because they really REALLY are.)

ETA: I don't understand any of the pranks by anyone on this show, they ALL seem mean and stupid. But then, it's how I generally see pranks--but apparently it's a thing?

Edited September 6, 2017 by rereader2

[BellyLaughter]

Things are gonna get interesting on Sunday....will they really kick a team out of the show??!! 

....and who will replace them.... 

Can't wait!  

ETA Josh is an absolute jerk.... when someone calls you out on the way you treat your girlfriend perhaps a little self reflection is needed.  What an arsehole!

Edited September 6, 2017 by BellyLaughter

[retrograde]

I don't think Jason and Sarah will be kicked off, but they might get an ultimatum for the following week? You have to sympathise with the producers a bit - failure to deliver rooms makes for crap TV and they have been offered a lot of extra help without making use of it. Now they're just sooking. 

[BellyLaughter]

I guess the promo is deliberately misleading but it is in line with a cryptic spoiler I was told a few weeks ago!!??  I wouldn't be totally shocked if it turns out to be true - like you said they have been given a tonne of warning and help from the 2nd week and the way they are phoning in this week perhaps the producers do just crack it and pull them out??  

In the event it is happening I am really curious as to who they will bring into finish the house and will they inherit Jason and Sarah's huge budget issues...brave team if that is so!!

[retrograde]

Jeeze, Jason and Sarah may be lazy builders but they're working really hard to snatch the title of "least likable" from Ronnie and Georgia.

The show has bent the rules almost to breaking point to keep them in the contest and I can only assume the judges also marked them way up for their kitchen, because it was boring and unfinished. 

Much as Josh also annoys me, I agree they shouldn't have been penalised for the cooktop thing -- Keith is the foreman, and he is ultimately responsible for that stuff. 

[BellyLaughter]

Here Jason and Sarah - have $10000 for coming fake tied first for a building code cock up that should have been detected by probably 3-4 people BEFORE the judging took place..... 

What happened to the $10000 being shared in the event of a tie??

Credibility is in the crapper this season!

[retrograde]

Worst contestants ever -- and also worst designs, I reckon. I was excited about the weatherboard houses, but they've sucked all the period charm out of them. 

Nice to see some trademark Masterchef Australia use of the bogan "pung-kin" instead of "pumpkin" on the latest episode at least. 

[rereader2]

On 9/18/2017 at 10:15 PM, retrograde said:

Much as Josh also annoys me, I agree they shouldn't have been penalised for the cooktop thing -- Keith is the foreman, and he is ultimately responsible for that stuff. 

Not to mention it was the manufacturers that installed those cooktops, and you can't install those before the countertops are in, and with whopping big slabs of stones like those backsplashes, they have to be in first, too. If the experts don't say anything, there's no reason Josh would know there was a problem. Josh and Elyse absolutely should not have been penalized for that

I have to say that Josh has pretty much won my approval, because when something goes wrong (and there have been some huge "something wrong"s on his house--mostly caused by him going full steam ahead without asking first, but still huge) he doesn't wander around bleating about it, he puts his head down and figures out how to deal, FAST. I don't know that I'd want to hang out with him (although their asking Wombat along on that Stayz prize was so funny and also nice), but I'd hire Josh in a heartbeat.

[retrograde]

12 hours ago, rereader2 said:

I have to say that Josh has pretty much won my approval, because when something goes wrong (and there have been some huge "something wrong"s on his house--mostly caused by him going full steam ahead without asking first, but still huge) he doesn't wander around bleating about it, he puts his head down and figures out how to deal, FAST. I don't know that I'd want to hang out with him (although their asking Wombat along on that Stayz prize was so funny and also nice), but I'd hire Josh in a heartbeat.

That's true. He's a bit of a douche, but he deals with (building) things a lot better than sadsack Jason and smug Ronnie. I'm also just supporting Josh and Elyse at this point because I like them and their aesthetic better than Ronnie and Georgia's, and those are the only two couples with a shot at winning (unless something dramatic changes between now and then). 

 

12 hours ago, rereader2 said:

Josh and Elyse absolutely should not have been penalized for that

I guess they technically weren't penalized -- they kept their money, but Jason and Sarah also got some. I think the show saw it is a sly way to give Jason and Sarah some money so they can keep building, but maybe didn't realise how big the fallout would be. 

ETA: Ugh, I just watched the most recent episode, and Jason dressing up as a geisha and doing a racist accent was a disgrace. This been Australian TV, it naturally passed unremarked, even though Kate and Hughsy at least looked a little uncomfortable. 

Edited September 21, 2017 by retrograde

[rereader2]

On 9/20/2017 at 10:26 PM, retrograde said:

I guess they technically weren't penalized -- they kept their money, but Jason and Sarah also got some. I think the show saw it is a sly way to give Jason and Sarah some money so they can keep building, but maybe didn't realise how big the fallout would be. 

I meant by losing points--which is how they justified giving Jason and Sarah money. They shouldn't have lost points, because that was a thing that could have been fixed before judging if they had known it needed to be.

On 9/20/2017 at 10:26 PM, retrograde said:

ETA: Ugh, I just watched the most recent episode, and Jason dressing up as a geisha and doing a racist accent was a disgrace. This been Australian TV, it naturally passed unremarked, even though Kate and Hughsy at least looked a little uncomfortable. 

I missed the last episode because of the holidays, so I did not know about this. Ugh :( (But I still want them to come in ahead of Ronnie and Georgia.)

ETA: I'm with you, Retrograde--I'm rooting for a Josh and Elyse win.

Edited September 25, 2017 by rereader2

[rereader2]

Going off the preview: Oh, boo hoo, Georgia. Here's the world's tiniest violin playing just for you. Did you think that you blocking Josh and Elyse's pool was forgotten? Or that it was a secret that you only let Jason and Sarah skip the challenge because you were afraid someone better might be brought in? You made your lack of pool all on your ownsies, now live with it.

[retrograde]

ARGH RONNIE AND GEORGIA ARE THE WORST! Acting all put out that they can't set their neighbors out half a day of work because of their own crap planning or pig-headedness? 

Pools are hardly mandatory in Melbourne, anyway. As hot as the summers get, most of the year is cold and wet and upkeep is a lot of work for not much reward. Elsternwick is very close to the beach, too. 

[rereader2]

20 hours ago, retrograde said:

ARGH RONNIE AND GEORGIA ARE THE WORST! Acting all put out that they can't set their neighbors out half a day of work because of their own crap planning or pig-headedness? 

Seriously-with-all-the-vowels! It's okay for THEM to be only in it for themselves, but horrible, HORRIBLE for anyone else to want to win, clearly...

 

ETA: If Ronnie had his hand run over by a sled, he'd be playing that up every single minute until the series was over. He definitely would not shrug it off as, "accidents happen."

Edited September 28, 2017 by rereader2

[Sarnia]

Seeing Ronnie and Georgia getting a taste of their competitive medecine would be sort of fun if Jason and Sarah were not such *ssholes about it.

[retrograde]

Amazingly, Ronnie and Georgia still do not see themselves as the bad guys when they watch the show back. Jason apparently just doesn't watch at all, which... is probably for the best. 

[rereader2]

Ronnie and Georgia are apparently so self-centered that they can only see themselves in a good light--probably a gold haloed light. But THEY SET THE RULES--this is a contest and they were out to win from day 1, literally. I don't know why I'm at all surprised, though...Georgia said flat out, when they refused to let Josh and Elyse start on their council permits early, that she understood it meant they wouldn't get any help from others later, so we already knew she was awesome at lying to herself!

[rereader2]

So let me see--if Ronnie and Georgia wish they had something that Josh and Elyse wanted so they could refuse to give it to them. Well, dearies,

YOU ALREADY DID THAT, YOU IDIOTS!

And I'm not talking about the $8000 from that first challenge. It had to come from someone, it could have been glossed over. But R&G were very specific, to everyone's faces, that they were there to win and that it was all about the game. THESE ARE YOUR RULES, live with it!!!

These two are making me nuts, they really are. 

Edited October 9, 2017 by rereader2

[retrograde]

Never been happier to see Ronnie and Georgia lose a week. 

That said, there must be something lost through the camera in Josh and Elyse's backyard because it didn't look the special to me. But the other contestants backed up the judges' gushing praise, so I have to believe it looked great in person but on-screen... it was a lawn with a deck and a pool? 

Dunno why they've given so much of the yards over to those ugly and obnoxiously large garage/granny flat things  -- most Aussie families I know want as much backyard as possible so their kids can run around. These yards all had barely any grass -- not enough room to kick a footy or play backyard cricket

[rereader2]

I was wondering about those garage/in-law suite things, too--I know garage space is nice, but those are massively oversized for the plots, surely? As far as play space for kids, the yard space left would be okay for toddlers, but that's about it.

Edited October 10, 2017 by rereader2

[retrograde]

My guess is they want higher sales prices than previous seasons, which they can only get with more bedrooms and bathrooms. But it'll make for a really ugly view from the lounge and main bedroom. 

The real estate listings are now online. I think Josh and Elyse's looks the nicest and the most cohesive. All the photos really demonstrate how ugly and dominant those garages are.

[rereader2]

On 10/11/2017 at 10:52 PM, retrograde said:

The real estate listings are now online. I think Josh and Elyse's looks the nicest and the most cohesive. All the photos really demonstrate how ugly and dominant those garages are.

Agreed and agreed.

I'm guessing the "touches of impracticality" is the lack of a linen closet (easily added) and the lack of a main bedroom door, which would be super easy to add at the foot of the stairs. Neither of those things would put me off the way that looming garage would, and they all have that.

[retrograde]

1 hour ago, rereader2 said:

I'm guessing the "touches of impracticality" is the lack of a linen closet (easily added) and the lack of a main bedroom door, which would be super easy to add at the foot of the stairs. Neither of those things would put me off the way that looming garage would, and they all have that.

I think their kids' room is also a bit impractical -- half of it is dominated by the staircase leading up to a very pokey mezzanine level. You could certainly knock it down, but it's not quite as easy a fix. It'd be especially problematic for anyone with young kids. Domain's proposal that DINKs buy the 5-bedroom 4-bathroom house, however, seems ludicrous. 

The most impractical thing in all of the houses to me is the tiny fridge space in Clint and Hannah's. Fixing it will basically require redoing all the kitchen cabinetry. 

[rereader2]

I wouldn't put a two-year-old in that bedroom, but for any kid from 6 up, it would be cool. I was always looking for a place to hide away as a child--fill the area with beanbags or floor cushions and that little mezzanine would be an awesome reading nest. 

Yeah, didn't Hannah say they were going to fix that frig problem? I saw she put in champagne-colored cabinet fronts, but not a full size refrigerator!

[rereader2]

After thinking about it, I would have done that garage/studio space entirely differently than any of the blockheads--I'd have bunged in a few skylights (like Sticks and Wombat) and set it up as literal studio space. Set up an easel, a free-standing barre, a yoga mat or two, a BIG desk with a desktop computer and with color swatches and sketches all over the desk, a crafter's table. Clearly they weren't allowed to put in a kitchen--zoning or permits or like that?--because no one did, but I'd put in a mini-frig, a counter with an electric kettle, a sink, and put some painting supplies next to the sink. Add a big old daybed (for daydreaming or a power nap). That would give the idea that the space could be used for any job or hobby...or a buyer could take all these things out and make it a big guest room.

[retrograde]

Josh can be a whinger, but I reckon he was right about Ronnie and Georgia's lack of plumbing - if they got a penalty for the stove thing, then surely a sink that drains into a dirty bucket deserves some fine. 

[rereader2]

10 hours ago, retrograde said:

Josh can be a whinger, but I reckon he was right about Ronnie and Georgia's lack of plumbing - if they got a penalty for the stove thing, then surely a sink that drains into a dirty bucket deserves some fine. 

Absolutely.

[rereader2]

...But those pillars are, you know, pretty much definitional of a California-style bungalow? (They should only take a look at Craftsman-style pillars, which are the same only much clunkier.)

Those tiles on Ronnie and Georgia's front path are like the most dangerous entranceway ever, visually and slippery-y.

[rereader2]

Well, I'm pleased Josh and Elyse won, anyway, but judged by last year's results they set the reserves too high this year. (Not unhappy that Ronnie and Georgia didn't do so well!)

[retrograde]

The real star of the show was the hair-do on the woman from Consumer Affairs.

I think the best house won. Would've liked to have seen Sticks and Wombat do a little better just because they were the least objectionable team. 

[rereader2]

28 minutes ago, retrograde said:

The real star of the show was the hair-do on the woman from Consumer Affairs.

I think the best house won. Would've liked to have seen Sticks and Wombat do a little better just because they were the least objectionable team. 

Ha! 

And agreed.

[retrograde]

Apparently Dave Hughes bought Josh and Elyse's house, doing his bit for the housing crisis by dropping $3m on an investment property. 

[rereader2]

If he hangs onto it long term, he'll likely do quite well with it. Land tends to be a relatively stable investment, and Josh strikes me as the sort of perfectionist who does solid work.

(I live in NYC, and investment properties are a major drag on the housing stock here too, but I don't suppose anyone loses money by buying 'em, unfortunately.)

[retrograde]

Yeah I'm sure it is a solid investment (though I always wonder who will rent a place like that in the interim? If you can afford to rent a $3M 5-bedroom, surely you can afford to buy? But perhaps it'll be a share house situation)

I am also in NYC; I don't think the housing situation in Melbourne is quite as bad as it is here. Still I wonder if there will be backlash at some point to very rich people taking housing stock out of the market for their own amusement. I suppose almost every place that's ever been on The Block has been purchased by an investor, but they're usually condos in big buildings, which most Melbourne families don't want. 

Hughsey's family seem horrified, anyway. 

ETA: Apparently he's going to have a big party there (which seems a dumb thing to announce to a national news outlet?) and seems to plan on just keeping it around as a spare house (which also seems a dumb thing to announce to a national news outlet?)

Edited October 30, 2017 by retrograde

[rereader2]

49 minutes ago, retrograde said:

ETA: Apparently he's going to have a big party there (which seems a dumb thing to announce to a national news outlet?) and seems to plan on just keeping it around as a spare house (which also seems a dumb thing to announce to a national news outlet?)

In what world would announcing that be a good idea?!?!?

Apparently he intends to hold onto it for 20 years or so, possibly moving into it in a few years down the line. (At least, according to this Domain article.)

[retrograde]

7 hours ago, rereader2 said:

possibly moving into it in a few years down the line.

Hah nice to include his wife in the decision!

[rereader2]

1 hour ago, retrograde said:

Hah nice to include his wife in the decision!

It's so easy for little details like that to escape ones notice... :D

[retrograde]

ugh

[rereader2]

41 minutes ago, retrograde said:

ugh

 

...Couldn't put it better. Ugh.

[retrograde]

It's back this Sunday. This year's bunch include professional netballers, a breakfast radio host, and a pilot-air hostess team. They're renovating a historic hotel-turned-flop house in St Kilda.