The Block finale fell completely flat and it’s obvious why

The Block finale just didn’t hit in the same way as other years and there’s an obvious reason why everyday Aussies are turned off.

OPINION

The Block’s bigger is better approach this year has fallen flat. It’s hard to celebrate mansions as interest rates rise and rental and property prices surge. I’m sorry, but I can’t afford blueberries right now, let alone a $4 million estate.

This year the renovation show was all about giant mansions, huge blocks of land and selling houses with an asking price of at least $4 million. It wasn’t going for quaint and relatable, it was taking a Kardashian approach to the hit franchise.

You know, inspirational, lavish and dramatic. Except, we aren’t in Los Angeles, we are in Victoria’s Macedon Ranges. The boujee approach wouldn’t even fly in the Block properties’ closest city neighbours in Melbourne — it seems to conflict with Melbourne’s cool, grunge vibe. Forget beanies and good coffee, do you have the money to buy your own wine farm? I mean vineyard.

The site of TV program The Block on McGeorge Rd Gisborne where the houses were built on large rural blocks. Picture: David Geraghty

The lavish leap certainly didn’t pay off for all the contestants. Mates Omar and Oz came out victorious, earning the biggest win in The Block’s history with a profit of $1.6 million, so they can crack open the champagne.

However, no one else had much to celebrate. Ryan and Rachel made a profit of $169,000.50, and Tom and Sarah Jane made a measly profit of $20,000. Meanwhile, couples Dylan and Jenny, and Sharon and Ankur had their houses passed in at auction, and they are still on the market. (So, if you have a spare few million, have a geez).

Tom and Sarah-Jane only made a $20,000 profit. Picture: Channel 9

I’d say the lack of success in selling the houses comes from the brutal economic times we are currently experiencing. Clearly, these houses were for the 1 per cent of Australians, but everyone is feeling the economic pinch.

It’s probably not the time to buy a country retreat; it’s the time to start thrift-shopping. Financial times are getting so bad, I fully expect to see Gina Rinehart in a hard hat trolling the wine section at Aldi any day now.

It was also the first Block finale I’d ever watched that didn’t feel wholesome and warm. Instead, it just felt empty. Maybe, it’s because I’m a bitter Millennial who is locked out of the housing market but watching couples trying to sell $4 million country retreats just felt a little bit wrong. It was like no one had checked the temperature in the room and realised Australians are currently struggling to pay for, well, the temperature in the room. Have you seen electricity and gas prices?

So, scenes watching contestants prancing around trying to find the right chandelier felt odd when most Australians are struggling to pay their bills.

Omar and Oz made a cool $1.6 million but they’re the only ones celebrating. Picture: Channel 9

The thing that has always made The Block so good is that it was normal couples creating normal homes for Australians. You’d watch the reveal nights and wonder if you and your family would want to live in the homes they were creating, and it felt doable, attainable, and fun. You’d turn to your sibling on the lounge and jokingly fight over which room you’d want.

This year, none of those conversations were happening; instead, we watched a show creating homes for the elite and the stinger is that most of the couples that slaved over these mansions haven’t enjoyed the rewards.

This season it felt like I was watching a behind-the-scenes episode of Luxe Listings, and The Block cemented itself as purely unattainable. I mean, who can afford a house with a bloody wine acreage? I say this as someone who can barely afford to rent a property with a working dishwasher.

Obviously, the ratings tell us that everyone still has a ton of love for The Block. Who doesn’t love watching everyday Australians build homes? It’s the kind of working-class recipe we all love. But I think if The Block wants to keep people tuning in, it needs to lean away from estates and chandeliers and move comfortably back into houses and apartments and dare I say homes that have signs that say “live, love, laugh” and have balconies, not acres.

Mary Madigan is a freelance writer.