Monday nights rock now that HGTV’s most popular competition show, “Rock the Block” is back!
Monday, April 21, episode two of season six drops at 9:00p.m. ET, and the teams mean business.
If you missed the premiere April 14, season six has introduced some twists and turns to the four-team competition that pits designers against each other in an effort to renovate four identical homes to raise their value the most.
This season, the “block” is a neighborhood outside Salt Lake City, Utah, where four teams are renovating identical properties that boast mountain views, soaring interior spaces and the largest backyards in series history.
And they’ve each been given $250,000 to do it.
But while the framework of the competition is largely the same, HGTV has made some game-changing renovations of its own to the show.
‘RTB’ Changes for Season Six
For the first time ever, season six pits two teams of “Rock the Block” veterans against two teams making their first appearance on the show.
Here are the teams.
The Veterans:
Team One: Jonathan Knight (Farmhouse Fixer) and his New Kids on the Block bandmate and brother Jordan Knight make up team one for the veterans. Even though Jordan is technically new to the block, he did help his brother in his Camp Revamp property flip and earns vet status by default.
Team Two: Alison Victoria (Windy City Rehab) teams up with Season 4 champion and high-end designer Michel Smith Boyd (Luxe For Less). If it’s true that the “third time is the charm,” then Alison Victoria is a shoe-in. While she competed in the first two seasons of “RTB,” she hasn’t secured the street sign with her name on it YET.
The Rookies:
Team Three: Married home reno pros Chelsea and Cole DeBoer (Down Home Fab) do NOT like being called rookies. In fact, the title of episode two is “Don’t Call Us Rookies.”
Team Four: House-flipping experts Kamohai and Tristyn Kalama (Renovation Aloha) say adding value to homes is what they DO, whether it’s in a tropical setting or surrounded by mountains.
But that’s not the only change this season.
Another shift: when one veteran team wins a challenge, both get a cash bonus for the next reno. And it’s the same if one rookie team wins. The winning team gets an extra $3,000 to put toward the next round, and their counterparts get $1,500.
This season also introduces blind judging, where guest judges won’t know whose house they’re looking at.
SPOILER ALERT: This post contains spoilers for “Rock the Block” season 6 episodes 1 and 2, (April 14 & April 21, 2025). Do not read ahead if you do not want to know who won.
Episode Two Focuses On Finishing the First Floor
While the premiere episode focused on the kitchen, dining and living rooms, episode two has the designers focusing on finishing out the rest of the first floor of each home.
Alison Victoria and Michel Smith Boyd start episode two with an extra $3,000 after their green kitchen sealed the win in the eyes of episode one’s guest judge, Bobby Berk (Queer Eye). But Alison and Michel also spent the most on their reno, setting a budget of $110,000 for the three spaces and then going over after they had to do a last-minute swap on the countertop for their kitchen island. So in actual fact, they start episode two with less money left than any other team.
Episode two brings in HGTV stars Jasmine Roth and Mina Starsiak-Hawk as guest judges.
Episode Two Focuses on Rest of First Floor
Episode two starts with the Veterans marking their first win on the scoreboard.
Ty tells the teams the second challenge includes the entry way, den, powder bath and mudroom.
The Knight brothers go practical, adding a dog washing station and central vacuum.
They set a budget between $30,000-$35,000.
Alison and Michel start planning a repeat of last week, trying to make it two wins in a row.
Alison suggests arches and Michel strategizes a hidden door to the den, which he turns into an office.
This time, their budget lines up with the brothers and they shoot for $30,000.
Kamohai and Tristyn Kalama decide the den should be a guest room. They move the powder bath and the entry to the mudroom. But they still set the budget at $30,000.
Chelsea and Cole DeBoer plan a drop zone in the entry way featuring cowboy hats on display. They plan dark cabinetry for the mudroom. And they plan to add a shower to the powder bath and make it an en suite to the den, which they make a guest room.
They set the highest budget of the night at $40,000.
The Renovations Get Underway
Kamohai and Tristyn Kalama meet up with Chelsea and Cole DeBoer and discuss their distaste at being called “rookies.” Both teams point out their years and years of experience in renovating homes.
Several teams make bold choices with wallpaper, but the Knight brothers are still smarting from Bobby Berk’s criticism last week that their kitchen is too busy. So they aim for more neutrals.
But the DeBoers work in the green that won the day for Alison and Michel’s kitchen, using it in the tile for their expanded bathroom, which they call their “power move.”
Big Moves Bring Some Tension
Alison Victoria and Michel Smith Boyd are having a hard time seeing eye-to-eye about a vintage sink Alison found online and wants to use in the powder bath.
While Michel doesn’t like it, he decides to give it a chance.
Kamohai and Tristyn Kalama realize they’ve spent so much of their budget moving the powder room and expanding the den that they don’t have money left for cabinets in the mudroom.
They quickly come up with a compromise that incorporates open shelving.
And several teams take some risks.
The DeBoers pick a bold wallpaper covered with stags. And the Knight brothers choose a faucet that looks like a swan, knowing the judges could love it or hate it.
The Judges Arrive
Jasmine Roth and Mina Starsiak-Hawk are the guest judges this episode.
Both women competed in the first season of “Rock the Block,” with Jasmine taking the title as “RTB’s” first big winner.
Jasmine and Mina start the judging in the DeBoers “cowboy contemporary” home, walking in to a wall of cowboy hats. Jasmine has to try one on.
They love the frosted doors leading into the den/guest room. But they don’t like the shorter door to the bathroom.
But adding the shower in the powder bath is a big win.
Then Mina and Jasmine move on to Jonathan and Jordan’s house.
They love the addition of a wood paneling in the entry but wish they had added artwork.
They love the custom doors leading to the den/office space. Mina feels like the office space has more of a kid’s homework area vibe. And Jasmine thinks the dark blue on the walls is too saturated.
The brothers’ risk in the powder bath does not pay off with the judges, with the swan faucet and bold wallpaper feeling disjointed. Even the dog washing station is a negative because it costs too much storage.
Jasmine and Mina move on to Alison and Michel’s home, where the hidden den wows them. The hidden door is a big win.
And they love Alison’s vintage sink in the powder bath. But the pair get dinged for no door on the mudroom/laundry room.
Last but not least is the Kalama home.
Mina and Jasmine do not like the shorter doors, but they love the green color in the den, and the Murphy bed is a win.
They criticize the design of the relocated powder bath, with wallpaper and wood detail competing with each other. But the mudroom’s open shelves are a win.
Now it’s time to decide.
And the Winner of Episode Two Is…
Jasmine and Mina seem to be in agreement about which designers added the most value to their home.
Now it’s just a matter of letting the teams know which of them will have an extra $3,000 for the third challenge.
Mina and Jasmine hand out compliments and criticisms to each team. Jonathan and Jordan especially take some ribbing for the swan faucet.
But in the end, only one can win. And this week goes to Chelsea and Cole! That means not only will they get $3,000 for the next challenge. But the Kalamas as fellow rookies score $1,500 for the next challenge.
How to Watch Season Six of ‘Rock the Block’
New episodes of “Rock the Block” will air on HGTV every Monday night at 9:00p.m. ET. Each episode will be available to stream the next day on Max and Discovery+.
Next up: Episode three titled “That’s a Veteran Move.” The teams will tackle their main suites. “Divided by Design” stars Eilyn and Ray Jimenez will be the guest judges.
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‘Rock the Block’ is Back for Episode Two: Live Results