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00:01This is a story about a land of sugar and spice.
00:08Where five teams of master gingerbreaders came together for the biggest little holiday competition ever.
00:15Go big or go home.
00:16It all comes down to this, the season finale.
00:20Three teams remain.
00:22With Team Villa in last place.
00:24Being in the bottom two, two weeks in a row, we need to give the judges exactly what they asked for
00:29and fix all of the seams and make everything look seamless.
00:33Team Coastal in second.
00:34Our journey to get here has definitely been a rollercoaster ride.
00:37They think that we're the underdogs and we're going to show them what we can do.
00:40And Team Chalet winning the advantage.
00:43I feel like we're riding high, like we have this new sense of camaraderie.
00:47We're refocusing because we came here to win.
00:49With $100,000 on the line.
00:52And a finale guest judge that will have our gingerbreaders in tears.
00:56The final chapter is about to unfold.
01:05I am so excited that we get to be in the finale.
01:07We get to finish our project.
01:09This is it.
01:10Just need to dough big or go home.
01:12Hmm.
01:13Okay.
01:14All right.
01:15Sorry to those other people in those other teams, but we're going to win.
01:19Mm-hmm.
01:20Yeah.
01:21That's so cute.
01:22We really want to win because we want to prove to people that self-taught, stay-at-home moms,
01:28we can accomplish anything.
01:30But we can't start our finale without a big entrance from our host.
01:35That's me, Oliver Hudson.
01:37Oh, my God.
01:38Oh, no.
01:39Seriously?
01:40Knock, knock.
01:41It's finale time.
01:43Oh, God.
01:44He's stuck.
01:49He did.
01:50This is gingerbread land where the houses are tiny, but the prize is huge.
01:57We are talking $100,000.
02:00Woo!
02:01Now, only one challenge stands between a team and claiming the grand prize.
02:05I cannot wait to see how you finish off the fourth and final corner of your world.
02:11Before I introduce your next challenge, let's welcome back our judges, Chef Gilgand and architect Michael Ford.
02:18For me, the holidays are all about joy.
02:24So, teams, your final theme is where we play.
02:31We want you to leave it all out on the field and create a fun and festive communal space.
02:37And we want you to add a touch of holiday magic, so your builds must include a special effect.
02:44Oh, my gosh.
02:45Think big.
02:46Dazzle us.
02:47We don't know how to do special effects.
02:50But that only spurs me on to try harder.
02:54Play isn't just your theme.
02:56It's an opportunity.
02:57Your creativity is going to make the difference.
02:59So, I don't want to see anybody holding back.
03:02Execution is critical.
03:04And make sure your new section integrates seamlessly with the stuff you built before.
03:09They're judging your entire gingerbread land.
03:12So, guys, remember, you can still go back to your previous builds and approve anything that the judges critiqued you on.
03:18And we're going to be bringing just a bit more magic with a truly special guest judge.
03:22OMG, you are going to want to impress this person.
03:25We have 12 hours to bake and build until the clock strikes 12.
03:31Ready?
03:32Go!
03:33Oh, my goodness.
03:34We made it to the finale.
03:35All right.
03:36I'm so excited.
03:37Like, we are so close.
03:38Okay.
03:39So, finale.
03:40Quadrant four.
03:41Where are we playing?
03:42The stakes are higher than they've ever been.
03:43What I'm looking for are different things from the different teams.
03:48For Team Chalet, I'm looking for them to soften things a little bit.
03:53With Team Coastal, I'm looking for the opposite.
03:58They've really gotten this far on how much heart they have and how warm it is.
04:05I need a little more precision.
04:08Team Villa, on the other hand, lacks some of that warmth and softness as well, just like Team Chalet.
04:15I'm still looking for some holiday magic.
04:18I need to be wowed at this point to give away $100,000.
04:22Yeah.
04:23Right on the line.
04:24Let's check it out.
04:25Let's walk.
04:26Maybe we can, like, build things around this big, grand tree.
04:30Mm-hmm.
04:31The challenge this week is where we play, and we're thinking to, like, bring a little bit more fun.
04:36So, this is serving as, like, the common recreational area for our village around the Christmas tree.
04:42We're planning to populate our space with a cookie shop, a coffee shop, and a gingerbread house for Santa.
04:48We're gonna have a train, the playground, and a bounce house for the kids.
04:52I think I can step it up a bit with the isomalt techniques.
04:55Oh.
04:56And make something that looks like a snow globe.
04:59I think it's a great plan.
05:01Are we so excited, or what?
05:03We're very excited.
05:04We're gonna do, again, like, a mix of the both styles.
05:08Mm-hmm.
05:09But Arlene is gonna put, like, her magic everywhere.
05:12It's supposed to be the Arlene show.
05:14Oh, good.
05:15Yes.
05:16I'm pouring isomalt for the skating rink.
05:19They want to see more techniques from us.
05:21So, we're gonna incorporate an ice rink.
05:24The rink is actually gonna end up being the special effect.
05:27The isomalt disc is going to sit on top of a rotating turntable to give the illusion that our skaters are skating around.
05:33the rink.
05:34So, the ice rink foundation is set, and then I go back and I etch some skate marks into it,
05:40because I want to make sure that we have this realistic look going on.
05:45There.
05:46That looks cute.
05:48That's so stinking cute.
05:49Oh, my gosh.
05:50I'm making homemade wallpaper.
05:52Susan is making homemade wallpaper.
05:54It's gonna be cooler when it's done.
05:56Handmade wallpaper.
05:58I like it a lot.
06:00Now, I'm gonna start working on our clubhouse.
06:03I'm gonna add the color to our royal icing to match the color of the gingerbread.
06:09So, when I put the pieces together, they look just perfect.
06:12My son is definitely the motivation.
06:15I need to win this, because mommy is telling him that if you work hard, you can conquer everything in life.
06:22Hey, Leonardo.
06:23This is all for you, puppy.
06:28Hello, Team Coastal.
06:29Hi.
06:30Hi.
06:31What are you thinking?
06:33A boathouse where they can play.
06:36So, this is a boathouse.
06:38There'll be a pier and a dock.
06:40It's the hub of this community.
06:42So, we're gonna bring this boathouse to life by having kids playing in the snow.
06:46A seafood boil.
06:48A gingerbread house competition.
06:50There will be a horse and sleigh carriage going up the hill.
06:53And a boat on shore.
06:55Y'all have had a strong, like, emotional pull on everybody who comes in.
06:59It feels...
07:00We do this truly because we love it.
07:03We do it because of the friendship.
07:05I've known these two for a while now.
07:08Wendy actually lives five blocks from me.
07:10But then I met Jennifer at a gingerbread competition in 2017.
07:15And we haven't stopped talking about gingerbread since.
07:17As a team, we are staying true to our artistic style and the way that we feel gingerbread houses should be made.
07:24Handmade, handcrafted with a ton of different details so that when you look at our piece,
07:30you're not having to be told what that story is.
07:34Team Villa.
07:36Hello there.
07:37Hey, Team Villa.
07:38How you doing?
07:39Hi.
07:40We decided we would start by giving you guys what you asked for in the first three.
07:45Trying to focus on covering some of our scenes.
07:47Wow.
07:48So, what are you thinking about with where we play?
07:51We are presenting a seaside play area where we will have one final large structure that is going to be open and lit.
07:59We have a Christmas tree and we're going to have a few market stalls where we can put teeny tiny little details and really show how the community comes together.
08:08But I think one of the biggest challenges for us with this theme is that the Mediterranean has no snow.
08:16Not being able to use snow to make things look more holidayish, more Christmassy, we can't really do that.
08:23But are we in the Mediterranean or are we in gingerbread land?
08:27I think that's one of the things that we can do.
08:29We can dream.
08:30It's the holidays.
08:31We're bending reality.
08:32Christmas miracles do happen.
08:35It doesn't really snow in the Mediterranean.
08:37And I think we really took that very literally.
08:41However, it's become clear that the judges want snow.
08:44And so, we need to figure this out.
08:46So, Carolina, talk about what you're doing.
08:49So, I'm working on the clubhouse.
08:51I'm putting a lot of people, like, dancing.
08:53That's awesome.
08:54And I'm planning to put, like, these lights that they go, like, with different colors.
08:57Strobe lights.
08:58Exactly.
08:59Yeah, yeah.
09:00Good question.
09:01Yeah.
09:02You're competing with these two other teams.
09:03Yes.
09:04What edge do you think that they may have on you?
09:06They're seeing beauty on their imperfections, you know?
09:10And I was so focused on the perfection.
09:13Yeah.
09:14So, I'm just letting that go and focus on what makes these things alive.
09:20All right.
09:21Keep it going.
09:23The main priority for me is the faux gingerbread house where you go meet Santa.
09:28Okay.
09:29This little gingerbread house is taking me the longest time.
09:34I'm seriously not used to this scale.
09:36The smallest I make is three or four feet.
09:38This is actually the smallest house I've ever made.
09:41So, I feel like I can't do some things just because of that.
09:45I'm fine.
09:46I'm going to be fine.
09:47This little house will not destroy me.
09:49I realized I need a turntable so I can get the edges of the house together.
09:55There, a makeshift turntable.
09:57And then the worst thing happens.
09:59I'm going to be fine.
10:00I'm going to be fine.
10:01What, what, what?
10:02What?
10:03Oh my gosh.
10:11What, what, what?
10:12Santa's house, it just goes kapooey.
10:16Oh my gosh, I've never had this happen to me before.
10:20Do you want this turntable?
10:22I would love a turntable.
10:23I couldn't find one.
10:25The shame, the embarrassment.
10:28That's four walls and a roof.
10:30How do you screw that up?
10:32You don't cry.
10:34Moisture's not good for gingerbread.
10:35I'm just gonna stick it back together.
10:38It's got my dander up, so now I'll go faster
10:40because now I'm mad.
10:42Oh, bloody.
10:44Susan, how are you?
10:46Okay.
10:47I had a little crash earlier.
10:49Now I'm bringing it back to life.
10:51Well, you know that I used to DJ.
10:53Don't you dare.
10:54Don't you dare.
10:58You will be building this.
11:02So for this challenge, we get to see
11:04our whole coastal community come to life.
11:06We want a boathouse that looks like a community center.
11:10I'm double layering the gingerbread.
11:12It makes things overall more sturdy.
11:15This is my last wall to do like this.
11:17We want it to look like somebody handcrafted
11:20that boathouse out of scrap that they took time to do.
11:23Is that your timer?
11:25Yeah.
11:25Okay.
11:26All right.
11:26I just didn't want to turn it off.
11:28When it comes out of the oven, we're going to have a front, a middle piece, and a back piece
11:34so that that will help hold up the roof.
11:36I'm just aging the boathouse a little bit with edible oil paint.
11:41Once I constructed the boathouse, it was time to pass it on to Jennifer to work on the metal roof.
11:46We're going to use white gingerbread that has been applied to regular gingerbread.
11:50With white gingerbread, you just take out a cup of your flour and add a cup of titanium
11:56dioxide, and it is a nice white.
11:59Okay.
12:00I would love to win to pay off my house.
12:03I want to be debt free on that end.
12:05I just had a grandbaby.
12:07I'm a grandma.
12:09So for me to have my house paid for, and my goal was to leave it to my children for them
12:17to have a home base when they came back to North Carolina, that's my ultimate goal.
12:21The judges keep saying we need more Christmas.
12:26Yeah.
12:27And more snow.
12:28What do you think we should do?
12:29Give them what they want.
12:30We have that pump system.
12:32Mm-hmm.
12:33What if we shoot snow out of that?
12:36And then it could like snow on everything.
12:37All right.
12:38We know what we want our special effect to be.
12:41We want a snow blowing machine.
12:43We find PVC pipe that is the perfect dimension for our air pump.
12:48We take a sugar substitute and add a little bit of our luster dust just to kind of make everything
12:54a little sparkly.
12:55Look at this.
12:56Aim it that way.
12:58Button there.
12:59This way?
13:00Yep.
13:01I got engaged earlier this year to my fiancee, Christopher.
13:08I had promised him that I was going to take this year off of competing for gingerbread because
13:15it is so time consuming.
13:16We're working up to a year towards the national competition.
13:20We're doing marathon days on weekends.
13:22So with the prize money, I would love the opportunity to travel with my fiancee, Christopher, to spend
13:28that time really dedicated to our relationship.
13:31Wow.
13:32That's cool.
13:33All right.
13:35See you guys.
13:36It should be good and hot.
13:38So the challenge is where we play.
13:41So we're going to incorporate a isomalt bounce house because my kids love to like literally
13:44jump on everything.
13:45We're going to let it cool down some.
13:47For Team Chalet, I would love to see some new techniques and this snow globe might be it.
13:54I'm hoping that I haven't seen the breadth of their skills.
13:58Yeah.
13:59All right.
14:00Moment of truth.
14:01Isomalt is this extremely hot, melted sugar that, you know, could very easily pop the water
14:08balloon if you're not careful.
14:09So much like you do with a dipped wax candle, you have to just gently build up layers as
14:14you dip the balloon.
14:16That's what we did not want to happen.
14:18That really concerns me.
14:20I want to do something different so that I can make sure that we successfully execute
14:25the technique.
14:26So I'm thinking about trying to make the dome out of gelatin.
14:28Oh, that's perfect.
14:29It's scary because this is for everything.
14:31Like everything is on the line.
14:33My teammates are relying on me.
14:34I'm not going to be the reason why we go home losers.
14:38Get a nice thick layer on here.
14:41I need to make adjustments so that we can make sure we're successful.
14:45Gelatin can't be crystal clear like Isomalt and it's not going to be perfectly shiny like
14:49Isomalt, but it's still a very good backup option.
14:52Oh, that works.
14:54That is a bounce house.
14:55That is awesome.
14:56That looks perfect.
14:57That looks perfect.
14:58Guys, you are halfway through your time.
15:01Oh my gosh.
15:02We have so much work left to do.
15:05We don't have roofs on our buildings.
15:06We don't have things painted.
15:08There's no Christmas elements yet.
15:10We are stressed.
15:12We've got $100,000 on the line.
15:14There's more pressure than there's ever been.
15:16What can they do to impress you?
15:18We'll see how people live in this space and not have too many barriers from one quadrant
15:23to the next.
15:24I'm dying to see what their whole vision is.
15:26Yes.
15:27I don't.
15:28I'm not in charge of that.
15:29Yeah.
15:30Go.
15:31Go do your thing.
15:32I did.
15:33You're running out of time.
15:34And for me, it's all of a sudden it's like clarity.
15:36Like you know what needs to be done.
15:38We're almost like a ballet group.
15:40We start doing the dance.
15:41We're going to be making a horse-drawn sleigh ride.
15:45For the sleigh, I'm going to roll out some red gingerbread.
15:48And then I cut out pieces and I use black gingerbread for the runners.
15:53And then you kind of have to like cut things down, add things to it.
15:57I'm going to add in some gold filigree on the side.
16:01For the horse, we're going to use dissolvable sutures and I'm going to drill a hole through
16:06where his mouth is, run the suture through and that will be the reins.
16:11Let's put the tube there.
16:12So we have to include a special element in this quadrant.
16:16So what's better than to have the fog?
16:19Fog will set in a coastal area.
16:22Turn it on, babe.
16:23There you go.
16:24Look how it's coming out of the crease.
16:26Look at that.
16:28That's what you want right there.
16:29That's it.
16:30That's it.
16:31For us to include a special element is a big challenge.
16:34We are not engineers.
16:36I'm a little worried about that, but a $100,000 prize is a huge prize.
16:40So you take the risk to get the reward.
16:43That works.
16:44There we go.
16:46We've decided to do more of an open market.
16:50So there's very big arched windows in it and it creates very, very thin pieces on the
16:55side.
16:56All these pieces here.
16:57I put Tylos glue on it.
16:59I just have to pray and hope that it dries in time for me to put it together in time.
17:06Things are moving so fast and so quick.
17:08I know I need to hand off painting to Greer.
17:10There is a reason that we don't let me paint things.
17:14And it's because I don't have the patience that Heather does, but I'm just going to go
17:19ahead and I'm going to paint it.
17:21Oh, no.
17:22What happened?
17:23Sorry.
17:24I just dripped brown all over our nice white side and shutters.
17:29Dang it.
17:30Oh, that's not good.
17:35You dripped all down the side of this building.
17:38I know.
17:39I'm sorry.
17:40I tried to paint over it and the brown quickly comes through that white paint again.
17:43I don't like that.
17:45And the clock is just ticking.
17:46I got to think of something else.
17:48I'm trying to figure out if it makes sense that we would have greenery there.
17:52It's obviously not a spot for shutters or another window.
17:55We can't do anything like that.
17:57Eventually, I'm able to take vodka to dissolve that brown paint.
18:01So I'm absolutely thrilled when it starts working and we are in the clear.
18:06Beautiful.
18:08Attention, teams.
18:10Put the gingerbread down.
18:11We are stopping the clock.
18:13Oh, my God.
18:15Come on down.
18:16Gather up.
18:17Here comes Oliver.
18:18With this twist.
18:19And I'm just like, oh, my gosh.
18:21What is this going to be?
18:25Traditionally, Christmas crackers contain a toy or a fun riddle.
18:30But these hold your final story prompts.
18:35Okay, someone from each team, grab a cracker.
18:38No cracking until you're back in line.
18:41All right.
18:43Open your cracker.
18:45Release the cracker.
18:47Whoa.
18:48That was aggressive.
18:50Team Villa.
18:51What's inside?
18:53Shining Star.
18:54Shining Star.
18:56Team Villa.
18:57Shining Star.
18:58We're excited.
18:59That's pretty generic.
19:00And we were already going to have a star at the top of our tree.
19:03And we think that works perfectly in our story.
19:05Team Coastal.
19:06What's your story prompt?
19:07Ring-a-ding.
19:08Oh.
19:09It worked out well.
19:10We could incorporate a bell on top of our boathouse without really changing the design.
19:15Team Chalet.
19:16What's inside?
19:17What are we reading?
19:18Oh, what?
19:19Let me see.
19:20Thumpity-thump-thump.
19:21Thumpity-thump-thump.
19:22Thumpity-thump-thump.
19:24Oh, no.
19:25What's that?
19:26All I can think of is rabbits.
19:27Okay, so Team Chalet.
19:28Now, I promised you guys a special advantage after winning the last challenge.
19:32Here it is.
19:33You can swap your story prompt with any other team.
19:38Remember, this is the final build.
19:40Every choice that you make, it could be the difference between you winning $100,000 and
19:45going home empty-handed.
19:46Oh, my God.
19:47Last time, we had the advantage.
19:50We didn't want to sabotage anybody.
19:52Thank you, thank you, thank you.
19:54But this is the finale, so I don't know.
19:57Yeah.
19:58Team Chalet, make your choice.
20:00I don't want that thing.
20:02I feel like we should change and get the shining star, because a star makes sense.
20:07And we realized very quickly that we're going to get the shining star stolen from us, and
20:12we're going to end up with thumpity-thump-thump.
20:15No, no, no.
20:17Oh.
20:18Super excited about stealing that.
20:21I'm loving this advantage.
20:22Yeah, that was the best thing I heard.
20:24I mean, it wasn't the nicest thing, but also I'm grateful that I've had the room to do it.
20:28I can't even front.
20:30Okay, guys.
20:31Remember, our judges want to see creativity, overall design, clean execution, and now great
20:37storytelling in your builds.
20:39Let's restart the clock.
20:41All right, get cracking.
20:43All right.
20:45We had talked about putting a cupola on that barn.
20:49We can find a bell.
20:50We want to put a cupola on top of our boathouse.
20:53Then we're going to put a bell in the middle.
20:55The plan for the cupola, I ended up taking some gingerbread, I've cut it up, glued it together
21:00with isomalt, and then laid in red roof tiles all the way up the top.
21:04I think we're going to make a star to go on top of the tree.
21:08Yeah.
21:09And what I'm going to do is I'm going to add a light and I'm going to make it out of isomalt.
21:13Perfect.
21:14And then we put some lights.
21:15We'll be good.
21:16Very convenient.
21:17All right.
21:18All right.
21:19I'm going to be a nice girl, so I have to make this star shine.
21:22To make this shining star, I use a star cutter to pour melted isomalt in and cast a perfectly
21:28shaped star.
21:29And then I'm going to cast another one that I will then attach to both sides of that star
21:34to make it three dimensional so you can see all around it.
21:37Carolina.
21:38Yeah.
21:39Yay!
21:40Yay!
21:41That's cool.
21:42We finally have a shining star.
21:44We're thinking to bring a little bit more fun.
21:47We want to have this really big Christmas tree moment.
21:50We're going to have a train for the kids.
21:53This is deal.
21:54This is on earth.
21:56I have this crazy idea of using deal to cover our Christmas tree.
22:02So I'm going to start just taking branches one by one and then build my way up.
22:08This is time consuming, but I think it's so worth it because it will give a very, very
22:13nice impact.
22:14That looks perfect.
22:16Success.
22:17Okay.
22:18So thumpity thump thump.
22:19They've talked about like our stories are just not strong enough.
22:23Does anybody know anything about like Italian culture?
22:26I heard about a character called Lava Fauna.
22:29Okay.
22:30And so she's kind of like a Santa Claus character.
22:32She brings toys and candy.
22:34That's how we introduce Lava Fauna because you can hear her walking up on the roof.
22:38What if we have Lava Fauna on top of this big building, throwing candy to the children below?
22:45Legend of Lava Fauna is that she is portrayed as kind of a good witch.
22:51With Santa, you could hear the reindeer's footsteps on the roof.
22:54While Lava Fauna, children can hear her wooden shoes.
22:58Thumpity thump thump.
22:59She's an older woman.
23:01She has a shawl in her head.
23:02She rides on a broom and has like a burlap sack that she carries her toys in.
23:06I like this Lava Fauna character.
23:08Give the judges what they want.
23:09Play up the magic a little bit.
23:11Thumpity thump thump.
23:12We have this giant world.
23:14So I am making a ton of people to make sure that our little festival is fully populated.
23:21It's a lot of effort.
23:22I put the gum paste in the mold.
23:24I squish it together.
23:25I open it and I trim the sets and it's just a long process.
23:28And then when it's hard, Heather paints them.
23:31Everything is super tiny, but super tiny things are super cute.
23:35But it's not going to look right until we have some sort of snow.
23:40And make it look like a real snowy festival and give the judges Christmas.
23:45Oh my gosh.
23:46With the snow, it looks so Christmassy.
23:48It's not enough time.
23:50The hook is sticking and I'm thinking, oh my God, we're not going to make it.
23:54Here's the accident prone one.
23:56That's so cute.
23:57It was just like covering everything in snow to make it seamless.
24:02Oh my goodness.
24:03I'm in disbelief, honestly, at what it is that we've been able to create.
24:07Like, it's so beautiful.
24:08We have a train.
24:10That looks perfect.
24:11We have ice skaters on a rink.
24:14A lit Christmas tree.
24:16And we also have a dance party going on in the clubhouse.
24:21Okay, teams, 20 minutes left and the judging room doors are open.
24:30Well, we can move.
24:31All right.
24:32Oh, whoa.
24:33Here we go.
24:34We're the first team moving our piece into place.
24:36Slowly.
24:37Okay, straighten around.
24:38I'm feeling excited to have the opportunity to just finish this beautiful gingerbread village.
24:44And I'm also really nervous because a lot is on the line.
24:48Right there.
24:49Okay, ready?
24:50Okay.
24:51We are moving.
24:52Look at behind you.
24:53Y'all stop.
24:54We've got this beautiful, incredible piece.
24:56It really is personal.
24:57We're kind of the underdogs here.
24:59Are we good?
25:00That's about right.
25:01Team Villa, we've got about five minutes.
25:03Five minutes left.
25:05We have so much work left to do.
25:08The lighting part of this process, it's more difficult than I anticipated.
25:12Now I need to finish connecting the lights.
25:14I have to fix the lights or we're not going to have lights.
25:17We are in the finale.
25:19We have a chance of winning $100,000.
25:22But if we don't have lights throughout the entire build, we're screwed.
25:26We've got 90 seconds left, teams.
25:28Why don't we start rolling?
25:29I can fix this in there.
25:30Go, go, go.
25:32Okay.
25:33You got it?
25:34Team Villa, the final team in the judging room.
25:37All right.
25:38We have one battery pack that powers it all.
25:41And lots and lots of lights that all have to go to that one place.
25:4530 seconds.
25:47Getting down to it.
25:49Come on, guys.
25:50Okay.
25:51I got it.
25:52Christmas miracle.
25:53We have 10 seconds.
25:55Oh!
25:56Oh, my God.
25:57Hold on.
25:58Move out of my way.
25:59All right, go.
26:00Okay, you guys.
26:01Six.
26:02Five.
26:03Four.
26:04Three.
26:05Two.
26:06One.
26:07All right, that's it.
26:08Time is up.
26:12The building is over.
26:13You have completed your gingerbread lands.
26:16Congratulations, teams.
26:17And they're all beautiful.
26:18You did an excellent job.
26:20We hope that we have done enough.
26:22As artists, you hope that the judges feel what you felt putting into it.
26:28I feel very proud.
26:29$100,000 is a lot of money, and it'd be great.
26:32We did what we came to do.
26:33We did it well, and we're very proud of ourselves.
26:37We really pushed our limits.
26:39We've done everything we could possibly do.
26:41It's really in the judges' hands.
26:43Oh, God.
26:44Oh!
26:48Okay, teams.
26:49It is time for your final judging.
26:53Each of you have built a one-of-a-kind gingerbread land in a unique architectural style.
26:58You started with one house, growing with each challenge into incredibly detailed miniature worlds.
27:06This is it.
27:07This judging is all about crowning our champion.
27:11Everything's on the line.
27:12This is what we've been working towards this moment right here.
27:15But first, as promised, we have a very, very special guest judge.
27:22Her love of family and tradition and holidays makes her the perfect judge for our world.
27:27She's an entrepreneur.
27:28She's a New York Times best-selling author and the co-founder of Magnolia.
27:36So please welcome the one and only Joanna Gaines.
27:42Oh, my God!
27:44How are y'all?
27:45It's surreal.
27:46It's overwhelming.
27:47I've dreamed of meeting her, and then there she's standing there.
27:52I feel like a kid on Christmas morning.
27:54I'm so excited.
27:55We're so happy you are here.
27:56Thanks for coming to play with us.
27:58Oh, my gosh.
27:59You love gingerbread as much as anyone in the world.
28:01Oh, my goodness.
28:02And building gingerbread houses is an important tradition in your family.
28:06So what are you looking for today?
28:09So for me, when I look at this, I think, what's telling the story?
28:13What is giving me that feeling?
28:15Because we all know that design is beautiful, but when you can go past what's beautiful and really touch the heart, the feeling of things, that's when things really start moving you.
28:23Oh, Jennifer, you're a little worked up there.
28:29What's going on, Jennifer?
28:33Beautiful expression with no words.
28:36You are so cute.
28:38Hi. Nice to meet you.
28:39Nice to meet you, too.
28:40Thank you for being a part of this.
28:41Oh, my God.
28:44Okay, gingerbreaders.
28:45Up first is Team Chalet.
28:50Tell us about your build.
28:51Welcome to Snowcap Springs at Sugar Pine Village.
28:55This is our version of an amusement park and recreational space for children and adults.
29:01We have a bounce house for the kids to bounce in, and that's actually a gelatin dome.
29:06And then we also have this train that the kids ride on.
29:10We have Santa out with you guys standing right there in front, admiring Susan's handiwork on this lovely gingerbread house.
29:16And then we have this really funky Christmas party going on.
29:21For our special effects.
29:24Wait.
29:27Yes.
29:28That's magic.
29:30So our story prompt was Shining Star, and it is this star on this beautiful dill Christmas tree.
29:36Let's start with Chef Gail, shall we?
29:37This is just such a wonderland.
29:40One of my favorite things is how my eye is drawn in and how I'm drawn in from down low to way up high.
29:47Like, there's so much dimension.
29:49And I love how you interpreted Shining Star, which is done with isomalt sugar.
29:54It's great and movement.
29:56I love it.
29:58You did an amazing job at executing this architectural style.
30:01The precision that I see, I think you hit every major architectural element that you can find with the mountain chalet.
30:07You showed some new techniques.
30:09We've been pushing for new use of materials.
30:11So I see that you've created, is it a sugar dome for the snow globe?
30:15It's actually gelatin.
30:16Yeah.
30:17So the isomalt was not cooperating.
30:19I think it was successful.
30:22We love to ski every year.
30:23This truly reminds me of a ski town that we love so much.
30:27What brings the magic to it, it's the twinkly lights.
30:31It's the pond that's spinning.
30:33It's the dill tree dead center.
30:36That, you've created this kind of magic, says a lot about your individual talent.
30:40My critique would be that there'd be even more whimsy.
30:43It is so beautiful and so impressive that my brain can't compute that this is gingerbread.
30:49Thank you all so much.
30:50Team Chalet, thank you guys so much.
30:53Exhale.
30:55Okay.
30:56Team Coastal.
30:57So welcome back to our coastal community.
31:00In this challenge, it is where you play.
31:03And so here we have our boathouse, and then we have our sleigh ride, and then our flotilla.
31:09Our story prompt was ring-a-ding.
31:11So we decided to add a bell tower with our lofty seagull at the top.
31:16Ring-a-ding.
31:17I like that.
31:19Would you like to see the special effects?
31:21Yes.
31:22So as everyone's gathering, they're waiting, but something rolls in that could spoil our flotilla.
31:29Do I just hit the bottom button?
31:31Uh...
31:32We had to learn to work a lot of things.
31:34Give it a minute to come through.
31:36I heard it.
31:37I hear it.
31:38Oh, it's coming.
31:39Fog's rolling in.
31:40That is awesome.
31:41It's a lot of pressure knowing that Joanna Gaines is going to be the judge for this challenge.
31:46That is so cute.
31:48You so want to impress her and hope that she can appreciate all that hard work that you've put into it.
31:53All right.
31:54Team Coastal started from the bottom.
31:56Yeah, we literally did.
31:57But now, with this final piece, you've made it completely open.
32:01You can see the interior.
32:02There are small details we're getting.
32:04You all do not use templates.
32:06You don't stamp things.
32:07So I saw you making each one of those cedar shingles, and then understanding how they get weathered over time.
32:15It has a storybook quality to it, almost like you're opening a pop-up book.
32:19It's great.
32:20Your craftsmanship is beautiful, very precise, very clean, which I asked for.
32:25Your special effect requires a lot of labor to get it going, but it is there.
32:33This is so saturated in story.
32:36Yes.
32:37And that's what feels really special.
32:38So when we step into this little world, it makes me feel like it's real, it's alive.
32:43But then it's also so dreamy and whimsical, which I think is that beautiful balance of gingerbread.
32:48Nothing is the same.
32:50And that's what I love.
32:51That's the craftsmanship.
32:52It's like you took every literal piece and said, how can we make this feel special?
32:57And that's what I see here.
32:58It feels emotional to me.
32:59I have a little seven-year-old boy who loves to fish.
33:02This would be his dream.
33:04Good job.
33:05Thank you, Team Coastal.
33:07Good work.
33:09All right, Team Villa, tell us about your build.
33:13Welcome to the Mediterranean.
33:15We decided that we were going to have a Christmas festival in a nice big Christmas tree.
33:19And we set up some market stalls.
33:21We have toys and things that we are selling to the children.
33:24Wow.
33:25We heard you when you said more open buildings.
33:28So we went with a very, very open building.
33:31Upstairs, we have the bar where you can sit and you can overlook the water.
33:36Up here, we have a figurehead that is a local tradition.
33:40La Bafana, or the witch.
33:42The witch.
33:43She kind of plays into our story prompt.
33:45We got thumpity thump thump in Southern Italy.
33:48They do believe in Santa Claus, but they also have La Bafana, the witch.
33:53It is said that the three wise men approached her while they were taking their gifts to the baby Jesus, but she turned them down because she was too busy with her chores.
34:02And she regretted that decision.
34:04So instead, she gave all of her gifts to the local children.
34:07Little kids will hear her worn out shoes.
34:09And that's when they know that she is at the house.
34:12Thumpity thump thump.
34:13Is the shoes.
34:14Special effect.
34:15So we decided that this year, because the children love snow so much, that we were going to name our piece, Miracle on the Mediterranean, because it actually did snow.
34:26Snow!
34:27I like that.
34:30I appreciate it.
34:32I couldn't think of a better judge for this last part, and I can't believe that we were able to create something that she gets to see.
34:42Dang, that is awesome.
34:45And hopefully she really likes it, because that would be the ultimate validation.
34:51Yeah.
34:52So I love the realistic nature of it.
34:54I love the story that I'm hearing that I've never heard of before.
34:58La Bafana.
34:59I love all the details, all those little moments.
35:02You brought Christmas to this town.
35:03But I'd say my one critique is just that architectural anchor.
35:07I feel like it's kind of all the same level.
35:10And my favorite thing in this whole set is that church.
35:13And it's like part of me wants that right in the center to, like, ground the whole village.
35:17You show progress throughout this competition.
35:20So you have a lot of openness.
35:23The open-air porches, you have opportunities for people to enjoy this environment.
35:28I also want to commend you on taking a risk and saying, you know what?
35:31We're not in the Mediterranean.
35:32It is our gingerbread wonderland.
35:34Yes.
35:35And we can have snow if we want to.
35:37I like that.
35:38Team Villa, I love that you went back and added lots of Christmas stuff.
35:43The snow kind of ties the whole thing together.
35:46The walkways, you know, show just enough.
35:48I also want to compliment you on the fact that you have seamless build.
35:53There's a whole other level to this.
35:55I almost can't tell where the divisions of each quadrant are.
36:00We didn't have that last time.
36:03Team Villa, thank you guys.
36:04Great job.
36:11The judges have seen your complete gingerbread lands.
36:13This is going to be their toughest decision yet, absolutely.
36:16So when we come back through these doors, we are going to announce the winner of the grand prize, which is $100,000.
36:25So teams, please return to your stations while the judges deliberate for the final time.
36:31Thank you guys.
36:32You were amazing.
36:33Great job.
36:39Okay.
36:40So judges, we've seen the builds.
36:41I think it's time to make some decisions.
36:43Okay.
36:45I think my favorite thing about the chalet build is the scale feels very realistic.
36:50Like I'm looking at it and that looks truly like this little mountain town.
36:53Team chalet, they're precise with their architecture, construction of their roofs.
36:58They were doing calculations of angles to try to get some of these gables and ridges to line up.
37:05I can breathe a little bit easier, but I'm still like, you know.
37:11Team Coastal, they are a complete contrast from the approach of team chalet and team Villa.
37:19It's not perfect, but it's the imperfection of it that brings the beauty and brings the charm.
37:24It's got a childlike quality about it.
37:26It has a sense of humor.
37:28Yeah.
37:29Playful, but still very on when it comes to the architectural details.
37:33I love the elevation shifts.
37:35You've got this buildup and then you have these smaller moments and then it comes to the water.
37:38Like that's what makes this one so interesting.
37:40Yeah.
37:41That feels natural.
37:42We didn't get eliminated early.
37:44We got to build the whole thing and that's what we wanted to do.
37:47It's a lot to be proud of.
37:48If we didn't win, it's a lot accomplished.
37:51I mean, we did the best that we could do.
37:53We did a lot.
37:54Well, and everybody here was amazing.
37:55You know, like I said, this is like being at the best beauty pageant you could be at.
38:00Team Villa, when you look at all of the textures across each team, I mean, the terracotta roofs are probably one of the best textures.
38:08It's incredible.
38:09Same with their stucco.
38:11They were true with thinking about like these sun-baked colors.
38:14You want to make sure that blue is not too blue.
38:17I mean, that's impressive.
38:19I mean, everything about it looks so real.
38:21They did that so well with the pie shop, with the greenery shop.
38:25Like those little magical moments you see during Christmas time that just make it feel a little more festive.
38:30I mean, we got the reigning national champ.
38:32Like we need to get this title too, right?
38:35Yeah.
38:36Yeah.
38:37I mean, $100,000 is, it's a lot of money and it would be great.
38:41But I think we really need to be really proud of what we did.
38:45Oh, absolutely.
38:48Okay.
38:49Let's go give someone $100,000, shall we?
38:51Let's do it.
38:52All right.
38:53Okay.
38:58Okay, gingerbreaders, gather up.
39:00The judges have made their decision.
39:03Team Coastal, what would winning mean to you guys and your families?
39:08I've said that I would love to pay off my mortgage.
39:12I have seven payments left.
39:15So that would be nice.
39:16And just to complete that.
39:18Thank you guys for sharing that.
39:20So Team Ville, you guys have been on the edge of being sent home twice, but you have persevered.
39:25As a team, what are you guys most proud of?
39:27I've not had too many partnerships with people where I can take something that I've created with my hands that I'm very proud of and hand it to another person and trust that they're going to make it look better than even I could.
39:39So I have that with both of these women and I'm very, very proud of what we have done.
39:44And I think that it's just the beginning.
39:46We are all bonded together now in friendship, in artistry, in talent.
39:52I think that-
39:53And just respect for each other.
39:55Team Shelly, so when you guys first walked through the doors, could you imagine that you were even standing here at this moment?
40:02I think I've been waiting for this moment.
40:05I'm living my American dream.
40:08I'm super happy with Aline and Susan because they are super talented and I think we are going to inspire a lot of people to know that you can succeed when you do things with passion.
40:22My mind is completely blown.
40:24All of you women are magic makers and I'm just so proud of you.
40:30You're amazing.
40:35Okay, Gingerbreaders, it's time.
40:38If only one team can claim the prize of $100,000.
40:44The winner and the champion of Gingerbread Land, the biggest little holiday competition is...
41:02Team...
41:03Team...
41:04Coastal.
41:05Congratulations, Team Coastal!
41:06We won!
41:07We won!
41:08We won!
41:09We won!
41:10We won!
41:11We won!
41:12We won!
41:13I'm kidding!
41:14We won!
41:15We won!
41:16We won!
41:17We won!
41:18We won!
41:19I'm kidding!
41:20We won!
41:21We won!
41:22We won!
41:23We won!
41:24We won!
41:25We won!
41:26We won!
41:27We won!
41:28We won!
41:29We won!
41:30We won!
41:31We won!
41:32We won!
41:33We won!
41:34We won!
41:35We won!
41:36We won!
41:37We won!
41:38We won!
41:39We won!
41:40We won!
41:41Oh!
41:43We won!
41:44We won!
41:46And so with the gingerbread lands complete, our sweet story ends.
41:51Happy holidays to all, and to all a good night.
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