The Block 2022 episode 45 home office reveal: Sarah-Jane and Tom win room and seal all-important auction order decision
Doing four times the work of everyone else this week nabbed Sarah-Jane and Tom their fifth win of the season.
Tom explained of their herculean effort of pulling together an office, a lounge room/wine cellar and powder room: “We built a whole house in four days.”
“Well, we built a granny flat,” Sarah-Jane corrected him.
Their victory also gives them an unbeatable spot at the top of the leaderboard, meaning the Melbourne couple would be deciding the auction order.
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Upon hearing the news, an elated Sara-Jane shouted: “Oh my god, all my little Block girl dreams are coming true!”
But Scott saved the best news until last, telling the tired and cash-strapped teams they would be getting $90K to finish their exteriors next week.
“Make it rain!” Sarah-Jane shouted in delight in what would be the first time in 11 long weeks that a contestant had said the word “rain” in joy rather than dismay.
Weather had, after all cruelled Omar and Oz’s hopes of finishing their shed space this week.
Foremen Dan and Keith were forced to apologise to the pair and break the news that their teams had failed to finish work on the exterior and so they would not be able to plaster, paint or install their flooring in time for judging.
A downcast Dan said: “We both apologise we didn’t have this space ready for you guys. That’s on us. But the weather for the last month has killed us. We just haven’t been able to get things done.”
While the sunny-natured pair said they didn’t hold any grudges, they were understandably disappointed to be out of contention for a much-needed win. And little did they know how close they would come to tasting victory, remarkably placing third despite their unfinished space and dodgy art choices.
“They pulled the pin on us. We are devastated, heartbroken, confused. What do you want us to say? This is a room that we have put a lot of effort into,” Oz shrugged.
To make amends for stuffing up their shed reveal, Keith and Dan offered to allow Omar and Oz’s brothers help them fix all their defects. That would at least give them a shot at the $5000 prize for the best defect repair job. But Omar and Oz — regularly accused by their fellow competitors throughout the show of being dodgy — declined the offer, saying they wanted to play fair.
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Someone who wasn’t quite as understanding or forgiving was Sharon, who once again complained that she was being set up to fail for viewers entertainment after hearing the judges’ feedback for their room.
This week, with Shaynna Blaze and Neale Whitaker both testing positive for Covid, former Block contestants Alyssa and Lisandra joined Darren Palmer to judge the rooms.
The three judges were all confused by Sharon and Ankur’s wide, stone desk, which they rightly felt looked more like a kitchen bench. They were also perplexed why the desk had two bin drawers (like you’d need in a kitchen) and no power points to service a computer.
“That’s an epic fail,” Lisandra said as Darren pointed out the effort and cost involved in correcting the mistake.
The twins also pointed out that the fireplace — beautiful as it was — had been installed in the wrong place.
“This is week one mistakes. It’s not end of The Block mistakes,” Lisandra complained of the room’s lack of functionality.
Ankur had excuses ready. He said his plans to put in power points had been scuppered by Scotty calling them off site to do a challenge during the week.
While Sharon complained: “It’s absolutely unfair but it’s not a surprise. It’s negative and it’s designed to make us feel like shit and it does.”
Do you know what else isn’t surprising? Sharon complaining everyone was out to get her.
The judges had some negative feedback for Jenny and Dylan too.
Alyssa felt the Gold Coast couple had nailed the brief of creating a space you could use as both a living area – complete with a huge wall-mounted television — and office but that the room largely left her cold.
Darren agreed it was all a bit “undercooked.”
“I guess they were really banking on that TV doing a lot of the heavy lifting for this room and the house. So”, people would be like: ‘wow, cinema room!’ but a TV is not going to sell a house.”
The trio was likewise a tad underwhelmed by Tom and Sarah-Jane’s winning space when they toured the ground floor living area and wine cellar. The twins felt the pricey cellar cabinet hadn’t been thoughtfully incorporated into the space, making it a bit of an eyesore rather than a winning feature.
They were won over though when they ventured upstairs to the study.
The twins even did their very best Shaynna impersonation, making lots of OTT gasps of shock.
“I almost think that this space is enough for them to win The Block,” Alyssa said.
The trio were also wowed by Ryan and Rachel’s efforts which, although less ambitious than Sarah-Jane and Tom’s two-storey offering, had been well executed.
Darren couldn’t help but compare Sarah-Jane and Tom’s wine room to their neighbours’ efforts, noting that Ryan and Rachel (without having the pricey cellar) had created a space where you’d actually want to sit and drink in the vino (and the view).
They were so impressed by the vast ceilings — highlighted by clever wallpaper — that they didn’t believe omitting the home office from their plan would cost them buyers.
“You know that feeling you get when you walk into a room? I’ve got it and I don’t want to leave,” Alyssa said.
“And even though they haven’t used that ceiling space like House one, it’s that wow factor when you walk into room one,” Lysandra added.
Noting how the brick wall tones tied in with the leather couch, Darren said: “style wise and design wise this is really selling the dream.”
JUDGES’ SCORES
Sarah-Jane and Tom: 26
Ryan and Rachel: 24.5
Omar and Oz: 24
Dylan and Jenny: 22.5
Sharon and Ankur: 19.5
MISSED AN EPISODE OF THE BLOCK?
EP 43 & 44: Jenny mounts court battle against Omar and Oz
EP 42: Block teams go to war over budgets
EP 41: Block teams swarm serial auction pest
EP 39 & 40: ‘Lovely, but boring’: Blunt jab at Block’s nicest couple
EP 38: ‘Feral rat’ — sledging match erupts in Block house
EP 37: Omar and Oz decision ‘a big mistake’
EP 35 & 36: Scott Cam brutally cuts one team off
EP 34: Block duo voice fears of ‘racist’ show edit
EP 33: ‘Cheap film set’: Shaynna savages Block team
EP: 31 & 32: ‘Idiots!’ Nasty Block spat grows more toxic
EP 30: The Block’s most toxic relationship explodes
EP 29: Scott Cam penalises team for barter ‘cheating’
EP 27 & 28: Block contestant taken to hospital
EP 26: The Block left high and wet by supply problems
EP 25: ‘Kitchen without a soul’ — Block team roasted
EP 23 & 24: Ronnie’s Block return gets awkward
EP 22: “Get f****d’: What made Rachel explode
EP 21: Neale ‘traumatised’ by team’s messy effort
EP 19 & 20: ‘Designed to f*** you up’ Neighbours star snaps
EP 18: Scott Cam reveals Block’s worst spenders
EP 17: Omar & Oz go from heroes to zeros
EP 15 & 16: ‘Stop talking!’ Sharon and Ankur’s web of lies unravels
EP 14: ‘That’s a lie’: Gibe that kicks off a Block war
EP 13: ‘Bland’ — Neale slams Block team’s bathroom
EP 11 & 12: Block bathroom raising eyebrows with ‘70s porn vibe
EP 10: ‘Worst on the Block’: Sharon and Ankur slammed
EP 9: ‘I hate it here’: Block contestant’s meltdown
EP 7 & 8: Neighbours’ star in war of words with Shaynna continues
EP 6: Block contestant’s sledge at Shaynna
EP 5: Underdogs win due to unorthodox bathroom feature
EP 3 & 4: Bathroom fails prompt war games and waterworks
EP 2: Sour grapes and scandal as Elle and Joel quit without telling anyone
EP 1: The Block begins with tears, tantrums and a runaway team
Originally published as The Block 2022 episode 45 home office reveal: Sarah-Jane and Tom win room and seal all-important auction order decision
