Well.

It is precisely half way through The Block and honestly, this year is starting to morph intoSurvivorand I’m… perplexed.

The contestants get approximately no sleep, the judging day has turned into tribal councils, and both formats are designed tobreakthe competitors. Because… reality TV.

“Have I gone too far?” host Scott Cam asked himself on Sunday night’s episode, as ominous angel-like voices sung in the background.

“This is a wild game of survival,” a woman sungthreetimesover the top of the opening montageand need I provide more proof?

Here are the three controversies that have rocked the contestants to the core this season ofThe Block,ultimately proving this show has turned intoSurvivor.

No one has enough of… anything.

Sleep, money and sanity. No one has enough of it.

“We physically, financially can’t keep going,” Tess expressed, in what has become a universal issue for all five couples.

“We just think everyone’s underestimated the sheer size and cost of this project — there’s no money for it,” Jesse said.

As Scott continually reminds the pairs, the only way for them to get through each week is to win challenges andgoodnessthat sounds familiar. Ah, yes.

OnSurvivorthese gruelling challenges win you reward or an immunity idol, but onThe Blockthis comes in the form of $10,000.

To get through the respective seasons without winning these challenges is near impossible.

“It’s probably best you go home.”

Sunday night’s feedback session saw Scott Cam tell the contestants he was done with their complaints, focusing on the “rumours” that have been circulating.

Cam proposed that perhaps a couple should leave. Have you ever seenSurvivor’stribal council? The similarities are stark.

“I told you on week one you do not have enough money to finish these houses,” Scott Cam told the contestants andlookthat seems like a fundamental issue to begin with. But let’s not get caught up with trivialities.

“I’ve heard the rumours and I’ve heard the statements being made, so this is a serious question: Does anybody want to quit the game? Because if you do, the door is there,” he said. “No one’s holding you back. We’ve done eight spaces – if you think you can’t hack it, it’s probably best you go home.”

Watch Scott Cam speak up on The Block. Post continues after video.

The strategical planning

When Mitch and Mark won the master bedroom reveal despite being the only couple tonotdeliver a master bedroom, it became clear this was a game of cunning strategy.

Judge Neale Whitaker suggested that by situating an entertaining space so close to Tess and Luke’s master bedroom, they were affecting the market value of their competitor’s house.

“Will anyone want to buy a house with a master bedroom right next to an entertaining space?” the question was posed.

“If someone’s playing the game, it’s Mitch and Mark,” Shaynna was adamant.

Since then, a number of the couples have similarly been re-configuring their floor-plans, as they attempt to one-up and out-do the others. I think I know a show similar.

As Sunday night’s episode emphasised, five couples are at breaking point. Who knew a renovation show about family homes could be so ruthless.