Ok. I’m glad I stuck with it. I think Lego Masters hit its stride last night. I really enjoyed it! Keep reading to see why…
What is Lego Masters?
Lego Masters is your typical reality TV show with a twist. Instead of cooking up creative food dishes, contestants build amazing creations with Lego bricks! Lego Masters pits 10 teams of 2 against each other in what appear to be weekly themed challenges.
The Third Build – Cut In Half
This week’s competition theme was “Cut in Half”. There were nine objects that were cut in half at one end of the studio. It was a mad dash when all teams were told to run to the objects, and pick the subject of their build. Once they had their object, they had 12 hours to create a sculpture that completed their object and told a story. The cuts(s) on each object were covered in Lego base plates cut to size and shape. The cut in half objects included:
- A guitar
- A vintage dive helmet
- A fire hydrant
- A telescope
- A coo-coo clock
- A laptop ( I would have wanted this one! )
- A pinata
- A bicycle
- A globe
It was repeated numerous times that this competition was sculpture based. and this bit a few teams in the end. It’s not always about building something beautiful. Sometimes it’s about following the rules. This struck me as going against what makes Lego great! Teams were also told their story needed to be obvious. The judges needed to be able to understand the story without it being explained to them. (This was then TOTALLY contradicted in the judging round when teams were ASKED to walk the judges through their stories!)
I love the focus on story telling. This isn’t something I’ve thought of when I build. Most of what I build is simply a representation of a real life aspect. I guess I tell slice of life stories through minifigures posed on my displays, but that’s it. I need to be more conscious of this going forward.
This week did introduce a new wrinkle to the competition; halftime. At the six hour mark, teams were divided in half. One half consisted of teams that were on the right track. The others were told they really need to rethink their models and refocus. Some took this advice to heart. Others did not, and paid for it.
My Thoughts
Overall, a great week. The challenge was a great idea, and the models were spectacular for the most part.! This week, it was Amy’s turn to be bad cop, and following the trend last week there was less Will. I don’t really remember any bad puns, or running jokes, or anything like that. I was bummed there was no special guest this week. 
The Builds – Spoilers Ahead
Team: The Bearded Builders
Thoughts: The guys had the laptop, and they struggled coming up with an idea at first. Once they found their groove, they went in the direction I would have gone, but they did it even better than I imagined. The showed the “search engine” that Argyle Lyle the blogger used to blog about his adventures. This resulted in a collection of wonderful vignettes. I loved it, but Amy wasn’t as easily impressed.
Team: East Coast Bricksters
Mel & Jermaine
Thoughts: This guys got the guitar, and they built Rocktopus, the one-man(octopus) band! They built a huge red octopus playing a bunch of instruments. It was massive in scale and wonderfully executed.
Team: The Unicorns
Thoughts: The girls really struggled with their globe. After the judges told them their story idea wasn’t very clear, they switched to dragons. In odd colors. The judges read my mind and said it wasn’t easy to tell their models were even dragons. The details got lost in the colors they chose. I really want to see them knock the next one out of the park!
Team: Father & Son BFFS
Manny & Nestor
Thoughts: The father son duo got the bicycle. They built Timmy the monkey who rode his bike to the park and got lost on the monkey bars. The whole thing was…. ok.
Team: Brothers Who Brick
Thoughts: I never understood their vision for the pinata, but they seemed to be convinced of it. Sadly, the scale was just too big, and they never finished. I’m not sure they were even half way done. It was obvious they were going home.
Team: The Eccentrics
Sam & Jessica
Thoughts: Wow. I couldn’t have been happier for these two. They TOTALLY turned things around this week and delivered a stunning sculpture. I’m not sure what they story was, but their color choices were breathtaking. The mermaid springing forth from the fire hydrant was absolutely beautiful. It was jam packed with delightful little details and innovative parts usage.
In the bottom two last week, they jumped to the top two this week. Congratulation!
Team: Married Thespians
Thoughts: A clockwork man sprang forth from their coo-coo clock. While I thought it was a very cool build, I didn’t really get it, but the judges did. They won the week’s challenge.
Team: The Newlyweds
Tyler & Amy
Thoughts: The newlyweds are still uncomfortable to watch, but man can they build. Their telescope creation was stunning. They built various adventures a child might see themselves in through the lens of a telescope. It was executed perfectly. I was glad Will pointed out how amazing the smoke plumes coming off the rocket work. I couldn’t stop looking at them.
I wonder if the judges will pick a different winning team each week, because they were hands down the best for a second week in a row, but were denied. They didn’t even crack the top two.
Team: The Higher the Hair the Closer to God
Jessie & Kara
Thoughts: Eliminated first in Episode 2.
Team: Clark Kent & Superman
Thoughts: These guys can build. No doubt about it. Where they struggle is following the rules of the particular challenge. This week, they didn’t so much sculpt something onto their dive helmet. They more or less used it as a backdrop for a collection of impressive models. It just didn’t have the scale the judges were looking for. Once they figure out how to play the game, they’ll be back on top.
Final Thoughts
I still want to see more focus on the actual building, and the parts they have access to, but I’m finally falling in love with the show. It’s well done, and most of the cast is very likable.
Who do you think should have won last night?
I am an Adult Fan of LEGO (AFOL) and an active member of the Michigan LEGO User Group (MichLUG). I have loved LEGO for as long as I can remember. I am currently working on the following models:
– UCS Millenium Falcon
– Emmett’s Apartment Building
– Gringott’s Bank
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