Episode six of LEGO® Masters USA brought two challenges. First, contestants designed cars and then raced them down a track. The winning team earned precious extra time on the week’s main challenge, building super bridges six-feet wide. However, building a bridge was not enough. The bridge also needed to support as much weight as possible. The two teams whose bridges supported the least weight fell into the bottom two. Their fate depended on the aesthetic design of the bridge and judges’ opinions. The winning team earned the coveted golden brick lost by Aaron and Christian in episode four.
In the Need for Speed challenge, the fastest car won extra time for the Super Bridge challenge. The winning team got a full seven hours to build their bridge. The second-place team had six hours and 55 minutes. Subsequently, each team lost an additional five minutes of build time based on their race placement. This meant the team in last place started their bridge a full 25 minutes after the winners. The results of the Need for Speed challenge were:
- Green Machine/Lime Time by Mark and Boone
- Rad Racer by Mel and Jermaine
- Black Beauty by Sam and Jessica
- Cream-sickle Sledgehammer by Christian and Aaron
- Flaming Marshmallow by Tyler and Amy
- Rolling Coaster by Flynn and Richard
Grande prize this week: THE GOLDEN BRICK!!!
Coming out on top in both challenges this week was Mark and Boone. Consequently, the Bearded Builders won four straight challenges in a row. Additionally, they now hold the golden brick, making them a major threat for the other teams. Mark and Boone built a bridge supported by beams. In the end, it held up 1000 lbs (454 kg), which tied them with Tyler and Amy. However, as the tie breaker, the judges liked the aesthetic appeal of Mark and Boone’s bridge more.
While Boone and Mark built a modern-looking bridge, Tyler and Amy’s design was more classic. It looked like an old-fashioned arch bridge built from stone. Where Boone and Mark relied on the more versatile Technic bricks, Tyler and Amy used regular bricks. The Newlyweds relied on plate locking to hold the bricks together, and it worked masterfully.
It was a close call between the Bearded Builders & Newlyweds!
In third this week, based on supported weight, was Aaron and Christian. Their bridge supported 445 lbs (202 kg) using a combination of arches and trusses. However, Brickmaster Jaime commented earlier in the show that the trusses were rather tall. He wondered if they would be strong enough as a result. While only able to support half the weight of the top two bridges, the design still earned Aaron and Christian safety from elimination.
Sam and Jessica also earned safety, though their bridge was only able to support 125 lbs (57 kg). In their defense, neither one had ever built a bridge out of LEGO® bricks before. In fact, Jessica commented early in the episode that the team knew the science, but just didn’t know how to make it work. Despite their disadvantage in this challenge, the team’s enthusiasm was fun to watch. Compared with earlier episodes this season, Sam and Jessica have found their groove as a team. Additionally, they look like they are having a good time, which is what LEGO® is all about.
Sam and Jessica look like they are having a good time.
Richard and Flynn built a truss bridge. However, after coming in last during the Need for Speed challenge, they lost 25 minutes of build time. Their final bridge looked good, but only supported 45 lbs (20 kg). Brickmaster Amy commented that the overall piece was clean, elegant, and minimalist. In the judging session, she added that it might have been too minimalist. In the end, the aesthetic quality of the final product saved them though.
Mel and Jermaine started strong with their Red Racer. However, they floundered with the bridge challenge. Before ever placing a weight on the bridge, they were already in the bottom two. One of the criteria of the challenge was that all the bridges had to be flush with the top of the assembly platform. Mel and Jermaine were about one plate height short. Not achieving the standard set for the challenge landed them in the hot seat. In the end, the bridge tied Sam and Jessica for 125 lbs (57 kg). However, the technicality in the rules saved Sam and Jessica. Mel commented afterwards that he wished they had the time to finish the bridge. An unfinished bridge and not following the rules sent Mel and Jermaine home.
The rundown…
| Team | Episode 1 | Episode 2 | Episode 3 | Episode 4 | Episode 5 | Episode 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jessie & Kara | Safe | Lost | ||||
| Travis & Corey | Safe | Safe | Lost | |||
| Manny & Nestor | Bottom | Safe | Safe | Lost | ||
| Krystle & Amie | Safe | Safe | Bottom | Bottom | Lost | |
| Mel & Jermaine | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Bottom | Lost |
| Sam & Jessica | Bottom | Bottom | Second | Safe | Safe | Safe |
| Richard & Flynn | Safe | Safe | Won | Safe | Safe | Bottom |
| Aaron & Christian | Won | Safe | Safe | Safe | Second | Safe |
| Tyler & Amy | Safe | Won | Safe | Second | Safe | Second |
| Mark & Boone | Safe | Safe | Safe | Won | Won | Won |
Episode six certainly upped the ante for the remaining contestants. Mark and Boone are clearly the team to beat now. They have won four consecutive challenges and hold the golden brick. Mel and Jermaine fell into the bottom two for the second week running. Failure to complete the challenge cost them heavily, and the team went home this week.
LEGO® Masters returns Wednesday night at 9:00 pm ET on FOX. In the upcoming challenge, children will dictate that story each team has to build out of LEGO® bricks! For more LEGO® Masters coverage, click here.
Until next time,
-Tom
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