Did this Block villain go too far?

Block contestant, Brooke.

More vileness from Brooke on The Block NZ: Villa Wars last night. As ruthless and as likeable as Judith Collins, a sore loser, a put-down artist, very pretty, the show's villain lost it when Cat tried to gently break it to her that their house was also eligible for the sought-after Mt Albert school zone. Brooke had thought her house was the only one which enjoyed that advantage. The news put her in the mood to break something gently, too: Cat's bones, one by one, into little pieces.

"I'm over this programme," she sulked, storming off to tell Mitch the bad news. Cat was hurt. She went to find Jeremy. Her vocal fry was even shakier than usual. "Croak," creaked Cat, crestfallen.

What do you do with a problem called Brooke? There she was, earlier in last night's episode, bagging Cat as the contestants were given their last witless challenge. It had something to do with operating a digger to pick up crates. The challenge was set by Shelley, once again as wooden as a plank - she really blended in among the crates.

"It sounds really mean, but Cat and Jeremy will do the worst," Brooke said to camera. "Cat's quite, like, spazzy."

Spazzy! She may as well have gone the whole hog and called Cat a retard. In the event, Cat was quite smooth at operating a digger to pick up crates, but Jamie and Hayden were even smoother at operating a digger to pick up crates. Brooke and Mitch were quite clumsy at operating a digger to pick up crates, but Sarah and Minanne were even clumsier at operating a digger to pick up crates. All of which raised the question: how can you tell the difference between death, and sitting at home watching people operating a digger to pick up crates?

We all know the show's central lesson is that life isn't worth living. It's a devastating critique of material need, social unease, and the anxiety of doing things which are "on trend". But last night it introduced a new horror - the thought that all of television, or at least all of TV3, will feature people operating a digger to pick up crates.

TV3 chief executive Mark "Useless" Weldon is expected to announce today that news programme 3D will get the chop. Its staff such as Paula Penfold, Eugene Bingham and Melanie Reid have produced some of the very best journalism in New Zealand. Good for them, but what are they like at operating a digger to pick up crates? It's the only way they'll keep their jobs in television.

What would we rather have, hard news or people operating a digger to pick up crates? The answer is obvious: both. Television has always been wonderfully plural. It's a great place to be informed as well as entertained. It's where we go to learn facts, and enjoy junk.

Block contestant, Jeremy.

Such dualities are at the heart of The Block. You can't have a hero without a villain. If all the characters were like Brooke, it'd be as ghastly as a National Party conference. If all the characters were like Jeremy, it'd be as pleasant as New Plymouth.

One of the show's enduring mysteries is the caption which states Jeremy works as a creative director. It doesn't make sense. Research probably shows that anyone who calls themselves a creative director is a douchebag. Further studies no doubt confirm that everyone in advertising is unbearable, a phoney of the first order, perhaps more cultivated than breakfast radio hosts, but essentially devoid of any qualities which we value in the human race.

And yet there's good old Jeremy, humble and unassuming, honest, a decent joker, hard-working, generous. Cat's all good, too, once you decipher her creaks and croaks. Jamie and Hayden are also swell people. Sarah and Minanne may be intensely annoying and consistently aggravating but they're very short, so you have to cut them some slack.

Even Brooke and Mitch have their good points. None come to mind but it's not easy competing for The Block. The constant filming, the hard slog, the witless challenges - hats off to all the contestants for giving it their best shot. It's been a long ten weeks. "I've enjoyed every second of it," Hayden said last night. He meant every second apart from all the seconds he really hated it.

It's nearly over. It's already ended for some. Martin the builder left the show last night because his work permit ran out. Shelley issued her final witless challenge last night, and ran to the contestants for a group hug. It was a touching moment.

And then the plank walked.

- nzherald.co.nz