There Goes the Neighborhood, Episode 5: House of Cards

The biggest shock yet happened last week when the Upshaws nominated their good friends, the Nelsons, for eviction side-by-side with another core family – the Johnstons.

But first, let’s go over who’s left in the neighborhood. This week we’re down to four families:

• Johnston Family (“The Intellectuals”): Dad Cameron (51), Mom Regina aka “Gina” (44), Daughter Carliegh (11), and Niece Theresa (25).
• Mullennix-Goff-Hatcher Family (“Two Moms”): Partners Clarissa “Chris” Mullennix (41) and Renee Hatcher (42) and Chris’s Sons Nathanael Mullennix (18) and Keith Goff (17).
• Schindler Family (“The Young Bunch”): Dad David (40), Mom Christina (39), Sons Noah (12) and Emmett (10), and Daughter Olivia (6).
• Upshaw Family (“The Athletes”): Dad Ricardo aka “Rick” (42), Mom Therese (42), Son Christopher (21), and Daughter Alexus (18).

The episode begins the night the Nelsons were evicted. The Johnston family sit in their house, shocked about what happens. They all agree that they feel horrible for the Nelsons. Cameron says it’s clear Rick (Upshaw) is playing the game now. Gina Johnston interviews that the game will be “Completely different without the Nelsons, and the Upshaws may have done us a favor, but clearly… there’s going to be a little less trust for the Upshaw’s word.” The Johnston parents agree this will actually make the game easier.

Meanwhile, at the Upshaw house, the family sits on its new patio furniture. They say the eviction wasn’t easy. Son Christopher says “There are no rules to this. There is a moral code people follow, which we’re following the best we can, but there are no rules.” Christopher is wrong about there being no rules, but I think I get what he’s saying. Chris tries to turn the talk to who they should target next, but the rest of the family wants to wait to see who wins this week’s neighborhood challenge first.

The next morning we’re back in the Johnston house. Cameron is scrubbing the laundry in the master bath. Gina says how hard laundry is to do without power. Cameron then makes a watery-looking bean meal on the outdoor grill. Yum-O!

The families then here a rumbling noise outside. They run out to see a crane lifting a huge crate up over the neighborhood. The families mill about excitedly, hoping for food, as they are all running low on supplies. Rick Upshaw touches base with Cameron Johnston to see how he took being nominated against the Nelsons. Cameron assures Rick there’s no bad blood. Hmmm…

With that, the crate arrives and the families see that it is full of food of all kinds. Let the gustatory rhapsodizing begin! The families are particularly thrilled when they find frozen pizza. The crate contains four of everything so the families can split the groceries evenly.

Back at the Johnstons, Cameron interviews that he is a stay-at-home father. He was a chef, but was laid off. So, now he can be home for his daughter Carliegh gets home from school. Cameron says that is a great thing, but he hasn’t worked in two years and winning the prize money would help a lot.

Host Matt calls the families to the Johnstons’ garage. He asks Rick if the families ever spend time here. Rick Upshaw says they do. It’s the “indoor stadium.” Each family has a table and 2 decks of cards. Matt asks young Noah Schindler what he thinks the challenge is. Noah guesses they’ll be building houses of cards – and he is correct! Chris Upshaw is psyched because the Upshaws did that for fun just a couple of days ago.

In this challenge, the family that builds the house with the greatest number of levels in five minutes wins and gets a small advantage in the neighborhood challenge. The families get going with the oversized card packs. The Schindlers decide to follow son Noah’s building lead. The Mullennix family watches as Nathaniel builds. He and Noah Schindler are both working on the second level. The Schindler’s second level collapses and 10-year old Emmett slams the table – causing more cards to fall. Doh.

Carliegh Johnston is leading her family because her dad says she builds them all the time. They are on the second level too. Host Matt qualifies that you need a top “floor” for a level to count. As time runs out, the Mullennix family just loses to the Upshaws, whose four-story house wins. The Mullennix family doesn’t like this turn of events at all. Nathaniel interviews that he is disappointed because “We were right on the Upshaw’s tail.”

Without further ado, it is time for the families to head to the neighborhood challenge. Matt asks how the lack of power is going. The families agree it is hard. Matt says the good news is it is laundry day! Each family has to pick three families to compete. The first member runs to a giant soapy tub with lettered clothing in it. The player has to search for the 10 items with their family color on it. The second player has to put the clothing item on a clothes line and pull it all the way across it. The third family member takes the item, runs into the backyard and hangs it on a clothesline. The family then has to arrange the clothes so they spell out a mystery phrase consisting of two five-letter words.

Since they won the card-building challenge, the Upshaws get their first letter shirt before the game begins. The families get a few minutes to decide which members are playing. When they’re ready, the finders plunge their hands – or in the case of Chris Upshaw – his whole body, into the soapy tub, and begin searching for clothes.

The Johnstons get their first item. Chris Upshaw comes out with two items – giving them three total. Noah Schindler brings two items to his dad, who starts putting them up on the line. Keith of the Mullennix family is pulling out five items before heading to the line for the first time.

Chris Upshaw is up to seven items. The other families are right there with them. The Mullennixes pull into the lead with nine clothing items found. But the Upshaws get their tenth item and head to the backyard to work on the puzzle. David Schindler is working on the puzzle, even though he is still missing two letters/shirts. The Mullennixes have all ten items now.

The Upshaws and Mullennixes stare fixedly, searching for the right two-word phrase, while the Johnstons and Schindlers work on finding the final items. Lexi gets excited and the Upshaws work frantically, coming out with the phrase, “Rinse Cycle.” They are right, winning their third challenge in a row. Cameron Johnston goes and tells his wife she can stop looking for clothes.

Host Matt congratulates the Upshaws again and tells them they have to pick two families for elimination. The Schindlers interview that they made a pact with the Upshaws earlier in the game and expect to be safe again this week. Meanwhile, Matt tells the Upshaws they will get use of a generator for a while, a new washer and dryer set, and some new clothes for a prize.