LEGO MASTERS USA Season 1 Episode 3 “Cut in Half” review
The wannabe LEGO MASTERS must build the second half of an everyday object to remain in the competition
LEGO MASTERS USA continues with another interesting entrance from host Will Arnett, who rides in on a child’s bicycle. One he is in dramatic position in front of the 18 remaining builders, he saws the bike in half. This week, the contestants must take an object that has been cut in half and build the other half.
This being a LEGO building challenge though, the teams are not being asked to build an exact replica, but instead use their imagination and take the halved item as a jumping-off point.
Spoilers for LEGO MASTERS USA Episode 3 ahead.
Arnett continued to interrupt the contestants at opportune moments for comic effect, but a bit more time was spent watching everyone build, which allowed the audience to get more of a sense of who was doing what and how successfully.
Once the clock ran out, positive comments went to Mel and Jermaine, with the judges impressed by the scale of their build. It was huge and incorporated half a guitar well, demonstrating a shift from what the duo have produced previously.
Boone and Mark struggled this week, tasked with building the other half of a laptop. What they came up with didn’t display the full extent of the building ability they have shown previously but worked thematically and was visually striking.
Considering that creating beautiful models has been their strength so far, Krystle and Amie chose a strange mish-mash of colours in their dragon build that erupted from half of a globe. What further hampered them was that the connection between dragons and the planet Earth is not entirely apparent.
Some of the builders who have had trouble before stepped up their game this week, with Flynn and Richard clearly inspired by the cuckoo clock they landed. Building a wooden-human form onto the side of it, they came up with a compelling narrative and executed it well.
Even Sam and Jessica managed to remain friends for long enough to create an absolutely beautiful build, with a mermaid figure bursting out of a fire hydrant. Some inspiring techniques were used, with the seahorses in particular being small enough to attempt at home.
Tyler and Amy did not seem to be in the top few teams as of week one, but this is their second exceptional build in a row. Everything about what they did with the telescope was spectacular, with the figure dangling and looking through the eyehole the finishing touch that made it perfect. Christian and Aaron were also successful again, although they are still working at AFOL scale rather than television scale.
Manny and Nestor avoided elimination, but Travis and Corey did not. The brothers attempted to build a car on the back of a pinata, but the shape of it was really odd and they did not come close to completing it. It is a shame to see them go, hopefully they will still find time to build together outside of the show.
As the builders and their abilities become more familiar, the tension is only going to increase – and with The LEGO Movie geniuses Phil Lord and Chris Miller turning up next week, it will be must-see television for LEGO fans.
The next episode of LEGO MASTERS will air in FOX in the USA on Wednesday, February 26 at 9.00pm ET/10.00pm PT.
More LEGO MASTERS USA coverage
More LEGO MASTERS USA coverage
LEGO MASTERS: The road to the USA
Episode reviews:
Episode 1: “Dream Park Theme Park”
Episode 2: “Space Smash Challenge”
Exit interviews:
Episode 1: No elimination
Episode 2: “Space Smash Challenge”
Meet the judges:
Jamie Berard
Amy Corbett
Meet the contestants:
Sam and Jessica
Krystle and Amie
Mel and Jermaine
Flynn and Richard
Boone and Mark
Manny and Nestor
Travis and Corey
Tyler and Amy
Jessie and Kara
Christian and Aaron
To continue to support the work of Brick Fanatics, please buy your LEGO sets from LEGO.com and Amazon using our affiliate links.
More LEGO MASTERS USA coverage
LEGO MASTERS: The road to the USA
Episode reviews:
Episode 1: “Dream Park Theme Park”
Episode 2: “Space Smash Challenge”
Exit interviews:
Episode 1: No elimination
Episode 2: “Space Smash Challenge”
Meet the judges:
Jamie Berard
Amy Corbett
Meet the contestants:
Sam and Jessica
Krystle and Amie
Flynn and Richard
Boone and Mark
Manny and Nestor
Tyler and Amy
Jessie and Kara
Christian and Aaron
To continue to support the work of Brick Fanatics, please buy your LEGO sets from LEGO.com and Amazon using our affiliate links.
Author Profile
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Graham was the BrickFanatics.com Editor up until November 2020. He has plenty of experience working on LEGO related projects. He has contributed to various websites and publications on topics including niche hobbies, the toy industry and education.
Follw Graham on Twitter @grahamh100.
