Sunday night's episode sent the judges through five enormous Mount Eliza entertaining spaces, all with the kind of ocean outlook that should make a buyer start mentally rearranging their savings. Instead, Shaynna Blaze, Darren Palmer and Marty Fox kept finding sofas, dining settings and focal points turned away from the view.
By the end of judging, the message was painfully clear: if you are building a multimillion-dollar house with a spectacular outlook, maybe do not make the TV the main character.
Rick Is Taken Out Of The Build
The episode began with the teams still trying to pull together their living, dining and terrace reveals, but House 5 had the most worrying setback.
Rick had been dealing with a serious knee infection and was sent to hospital for treatment. He tried to keep pushing on, because of course he did, but Scott Cam eventually stepped in and ordered him off site.
That left Tayla facing the final stretch without her dad beside her, and it also created an awkward painting situation. With Rick unavailable, help was brought in so House 5 could get the room finished.
The other teams noticed. Courtney and Sev, in particular, were sympathetic to Rick's health scare but clearly frustrated after earlier painting-rule drama had already made the topic a sore spot.
There Was Baby News And A Very Fancy Boat
Away from the room chaos, there was some genuinely lovely news: Dan and Dani welcomed their baby boy, Fletcher James Riley.
That meant Dan would also be away from site for a stretch, giving the week the strange energy of everyone trying to finish massive rooms while key people were being pulled elsewhere for very real life reasons.
Scott also had a much shinier announcement for the contestants. An $80,000 Bar Crusher boat was added to the Plungie Prize pool, pushing the season's prize haul even higher.
It was exactly the kind of prize announcement designed to make exhausted contestants briefly forget they are covered in dust and quietly panicking about furniture placement.
Adam And Jolene Finally Land Their First Win
House 1 went big, and for once the risk paid off.
Adam and Jolene delivered a warm, polished living and dining space anchored by a custom Christian Cole dining table, a fireplace and a huge wall mirror. The judges were impressed by the scale, the palette and the way the room finally felt like a serious luxury contender.
The mirror split the panel. Darren and Shaynna saw it as a clever way to amplify the sense of space and reflect the outlook, while Marty was less convinced and thought it risked reflecting too much wall.
The terrace was not perfect. The judges wanted more from the outdoor area, including stronger amenity and furniture choices. But across the full reveal, Adam and Jolene had done enough.
After weeks of coming close, they finally took first place with 27 points and picked up a badly needed $10,000 cash boost.
Chantel And Wyatt's Minimal Look Falls Flat
House 2 had a rougher night.
Chantel and Wyatt's restrained style has been part of their identity all season, but in a room this large, the judges felt the minimal approach tipped into cold and empty.
Shaynna was especially unimpressed, calling the space dead and saying it left her cold. Marty landed on a similar complaint, describing the room as vanilla.
The bigger issue was layout. The judges felt the room did not use the view properly, with the living area arranged around the television instead of the outlook.
There was at least one win for the pair: they picked up another $10,000 CommBank Budget Award. Unfortunately, that did not soften the judging scores. Chantel and Wyatt finished last on 19.5 points.
Lisa And Rosco Nearly Steal It
Lisa and Rosco had one of the strongest responses of the night, especially once the judges reached their terrace.
Their indoor dining table was considered too small for the scale of the home, and Darren again questioned whether the living area had been arranged to make the most of the view.
But the colour palette, fireplace and outdoor zones all worked hard in their favour. Marty was particularly taken with the alfresco setup, which gave the judges a clearer sense of how the space could be used.
They finished second on 26 points, only one point behind Adam and Jolene. Painful, yes. But also a pretty strong sign that House 3 is still very much in this competition.
Courtney And Sev's Terrace Saves Them From A Harsher Night
For Courtney and Sev, the week was shaped by money.
The pair had been early frontrunners, but heavy spending had left them with fewer options for one of the season's biggest reveals. They had to pull back on some ideas, skip a fireplace and lean into a quieter version of luxury.
The judges liked several individual styling choices, but the interior layout let them down. Once again, the television placement became the issue, with Darren unable to understand why the living area had not been directed towards the outlook.
Outside, things improved quickly. Their terrace furniture actually faced the view, which should not feel radical in a week built around ocean-facing homes, but here we are.
That terrace helped keep them in third place on 22.5 points.
Rick And Tayla's Room Has Plenty Going On
Rick and Tayla made it to reveal after a brutal week, and that alone felt like an achievement.
The judges could see good pieces in the room, including cabinetry, shelving, artwork, a green couch and the fireplace. The problem was that the whole thing did not come together cleanly.
Marty thought the dining table was too small for the property, while the layout left a large empty zone that made the room feel strangely unbalanced. The fireplace also took some heat, which was not ideal after all the drama around getting it right.
The terrace had more personality, with a barbecue, bar and Tayla's much-discussed slushie machine. Darren and Marty saw the point of difference, even if the seating questions remained.
House 5 finished fourth on 22 points, just half a point behind Courtney and Sev.
The Final Scores
Adam and Jolene won the week with 27 points.
Lisa and Rosco followed on 26 points, with Courtney and Sev on 22.5, Rick and Tayla on 22, and Chantel and Wyatt on 19.5.
The result gives Adam and Jolene the win they have been chasing and gives everyone else a fairly obvious note before the next judging: if the house comes with a view, let people look at it.
Next up is the guest suite, with a bedroom and bathroom on the way, plus new faces and another Jackalope surprise.
The Block continues tonight at 7.30pm on Nine and 9Now.
