LEGO® Masters USA – Season 3, Episode 2
Wait….haven’t I done this article already? I could have sworn….Oh, no, I got it, I’m back on track. Sorry folks I just had to get my bearings. Jurass-Brick World is the second episode of LEGO®️ Masters USA, Season 3. To catch you up a bit, Season 3 was set to premiere on May 31st, 2022. When that date changed to September 21st, well it meant losing the cross-promotional power of this episode with the June 8th release of Jurassic World: Dominion in theatres. We got a sneak peek at the episode, the movie got it’s commercial, everyone was happy. Fast forward to now and we finally have the full episode. And I’m happy to say it was a really fun one. Click the links below for the previous recaps and read on for this week’s dino fun.
Episode 0: Sneak Peek 👟🫣
Episode 1: Ready to Launch 🚀
Dinos on the set
Jurass-Brick World starts with a really fun cold-open. The crew running outside was really funny – the girl dropping the papers and being awkward was good stuff. Cut to Will in his dressing room when a winded and frantic Chris Pratt enters. It’s obvious and silly, but it really worked for me. Chris Pratt’s line of “oh I’m just running full-speed through the streets desperately trying to stay alive” gave me the best chuckle of the episode. Those two times we cut to him playing with minifigures was also pretty great – he sold it.
And if you recall the Preview Episode, Chris eventually makes his way onto set. He startles Emily by brick wall, helps Stacey with her dino defense and has some cheezy moments with Will. It works mostly. Although it’s on-brand with the family-friendly humour, it’s still mostly bland. I really wonder how much interaction he would/could have with the contestants. Would be a shame to have an A-List celebrity around and not be able to say hello. And let’s not forget about Blue the Velociraptor coming for a visit, harassing people, etc. But a big thanks to Andy Dwyer / Owen Marsh / StarLord for visiting.
Dino-Sparko-Fire-powder-exploso-mite
Juarss-Brick World brings back everyone’s favourite thing – Special Effects!!! For this week’s challenge each team will pick a random brick-built egg and reveal a type of practical effect they must incorporate into their build. The options are sparks, fireballs, explosions and gunpowder trails. I love a good bit of VFX magic. And overall each build had a nice bit of sizzle to it in the end. A lot of the FX did look the same in the end though. I didn’t see toooo much distinction between sparks and trails. Only fireballs were super obvious, because how could they not be? But minor nitpicks aside, the teams all did pretty great at incorporating their elements into their builds.
Stand-outs
My favourite builds in Jurass-Brick World this week didn’t make it into the top 2. And while I don’t think I know better than the Brickmasters, I’m really confused by it! My top pick for the week was Liz & Erin’s Food Truck Fiasco. The idea was hysterical and the execution was top-notch. That exploding diamond mine? The raptor stampede? Those awesome explosions? Adorable food trucks? The rock-wall? I mean come on!! It’s a total win in my book. My next choice would be Michelle & Christine’s “Fiesta Crashers”. Dinosaurs invading Tulum, Mexico is so unique. In an episode where most of the dinos damaged power lines, gas stations and buildings, going to the Riviera Maya was very refreshing. It wasn’t the biggest build but I loved the attention to detail and the repping of Mexican culture.
Dino DNA (damn nice assembly)
Contestants were given the option of using existing dinosaur molds or to create their own. LEGO®️ dinosaurs are amazing and I think I would have chosen them just so I could play with that many of them. So kudos to the teams that built their dinos instead. It was a 50/50 split in terms of success it seems. Nick & Stacey’s triceratops was totally adorable and such a great colour. Brandon & Greg’s Brontosaurus was another stand-out thanks in part to it’s sheer scale. But it also had some movement and energy to it through some well done posing and construction.
Di-No-Go
Less successful on their brick-built dinos – especially for one team – were last week’s winners The Stephens (as I will call them now) and Asiza & Eddie. The former missed out on some fairly critical motor functions on their dinosaur sculpture. And the sculpt itself didn’t make quite an impact. Asiza & Eddie told a very cute story but their giant flying dino got lost in a very sparse setting. Both were pretty good, but not good enough to overcome some other critiques. I’m also going to throw this out there. Emily & Liam’s Mosasaurus looked…..crazy. And I mean hey, they won! So all the congrats to ’em, but the construction was wild – that pink rock quarry of a mouth especially. Loved the idea! But wasn’t thrilled with the construction.
Tricera-TOP 2
Jurass-Brick World’s top 2 teams this week were not who I expected. No disrespect to either team as both were absolutely great in many respects. But I’m not a Brickmaster and I accept that. I’ve already mentioned that Emily & Liam made the top 2. Joining them were Jon & Xavier. Their build had all the features: motorized vehicle, triggered explosions and a well done streetscape. The crashing subway made for some anxious building early on. But they tested and retested like mad. And honeslty, smart call! Leave nothing to chance friends. It was very well done overall. In the end Emily & Liam took the win for the week with their Mosasaurus madness. The boat was cool, as were the explosives. BIG congrats to the mom and son duo. It was a nice rebound after last week’s hiccups.
Dino-SORRY
In danger of elimination this week were another two teams. And here we had another surprise. The Grandpappies?? I understand why, but can’t say I agree with the reasons. Kerry & Patrick went overboard with their storyline, muddling the final outcome with far too many details. When Patrick went on a tangent and Will had to remind him that the show was only an hour, it was the cutest thing ever seen on LEGO®️ Masters. Their build was great though and the effects worked very well. I would have hated to see them go! But lucky for them, it wasn’t their time to be eliminated.
The second team in the bottom 2, and sadly the ones exiting the competition, were Asiza & Eddie. This sibling team didn’t deliver enough detail in their build, leaving large areas open and unbuilt. It did look really sparse and unfinished. Their story, while super sweet, didn’t come through in the final product. And there’s the danger is creating something that’s too reliant on a personal story. It’s just too tough to get your audience engaged to the level you need want/them. But in the end, it was the right call this week. This lovely team and their positive energy will be missed. Smile Check 😊
Final Thoughts
Jurass-Brick World brought together two of the best things to ever exist – dinosaurs and LEGO®️. What’s not to love? The episode was fun, quirky and the majority of the builds turned out great. Having seen a lot of this already, I was all set for the cheezy humour and super-sized movie commercial. I’m not mad at it really, but I still made an eye roll or two. And full disclosure, I have yet to watch Jurassic World: Dominion.
- Jurass-Brick World. This episode title is….not the one.
- Amy’s denim jumpsuit. That’s it.
- Anyone else love those brick-built eggs?
- I knew there were going to be maple syrups shots. But I’m still not on board.
- Also, I swear Will’s bottle was empty in one shot….did he chug the whole thing? Were there multiple takes?
- “Continue to get your brick on!”. . . dangerously close to my catch phrase!! I need a copywrite lawyer.
- Dinosaurs invading Tulum is amazing and I will forever defend that hill.
- Gas stations and dinosaurs are the oil and water of our times.
- “Gunpowder Trails!” Oh Patrick, you’re just too precious.
- Am I the only one who got ‘Abe Simpson and the onion story’ vibes during his build explanation? 😂
OVERALL SCORE: 8 / 10
That’s a wrap on Jurass-Brick World. Overall, a very fun episode. I hope you all enjoyed it as well. I’m pretty excited for next week’s episode. That preview makes it look like a good time. But what did you think of the episode? Did you enjoy our second visit to Jurass-Brick World (uggh)? What was your favourite build? Did you agree with the tops and bottoms? Let us know all your thoughts. Thanks for reading and until next time, keep on brickin’. 🧱
-Frank
LEGO® Masters USA airs Wednesdays at 9:00 PM ET/PT on FOX in the US, and on CTV, CTV.CA and the CTV app in Canada.
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