Welcome back to another exciting episode of The Mansion! We're in the third week of the competition, and the contestants have already started to grind away at each others' nerves. All of the drama may make it tough to live in the house, but it also makes for enjoyable television!

Before we get into the events of the week, you should probably check out the previous episode guides either to catch up on what you missed, or to get a reminder of what came before. Do it now. Don't worry, we'll wait.

This week's show starts off with an early wake-up call for our merry contestants. As each of them address the camera (with their bleary eyes and morning hair), they discuss the events of last week's challenge (mainly, the fight between Jeff and Amanda), and debate who the current foreman will be. Michele comments that she looks forward to being foreman, but Elvis states that several people have mentioned his name. This is fine by him. He believes he's ready to be the first male foreman on the show.

Soon, it's time to meet with host Mark L. Walberg to be reminded of the rules and to get the newest challenge. But first, they have to choose a foreman. Kim recommends Elvis, and the others quickly concur. "Elvis is probably going to do a really good job," Andy says to the camera. "But if he doesn't finish this project, it will say a lot about him."

Now that the foreman's been chosen, Mark reveals the latest challenge: the master bedroom suite. That's the master bedroom, the sitting room, the huge closet, and the master bathroom. Although a single bedroom and its adjoining rooms may not sound big, the area may be one of their greatest challenges yet. After all, the show's not called The Mansion for nothing. The house is huge, and this bedroom is fit for a king. Throw in the challenges the bathroom plumbing will present, as well as the unique sunroom and massive closet, and it's cause for concern.

The budget for this week's project is $20,000, and the team will have five days to complete the project. You'd think the group would appreciate having extra days and a record amount of money. But Dan, for one, is worried. "My biggest fear is that there will be some kind of twist," he says. "With this much time, you know something has to happen." His words are prophetic, as Mark soon reveals there is, indeed a twist. "The project must include a handpainted mural on one wall," he states, to a collective groan from the team. And though they can hire professionals for plumbing and electric, the mural has to be handled by the competitors.

The group tours the work area to decide what to do, but there is already dissention in the ranks. Elvis wants to only take on what the group has proven it can handle, but this has Dan bristling and Sandi concerned. Both members feel that more needs to be done to impress the judges. Sandi is especially worried about the bathroom, which would be the least-improved room based on this first plan.

Elvis seems to sense the apprehension, however, and makes a decision that could turn the tide. He puts the general design of the spaces in Dan's hands. "Elvis knows that design is his weakness," Andy comments. "He needed Dan." Sandi seems to be happy with the decision. "Dan is good at design--we all found that out on the last project," she says. Dan, however, finds himself in a tough position, having all of the pressure and none of the fun.

While the group jumps into the job, Dan spends the entire day shopping...and returns home without a single thing. Elvis, of course, is not happy. He takes some verbal jabs at Dan for not doing enough, and tensions start to rise. Meanwhile, another kind of tension is rising between two of the contestants. The entire group has noticed the flirtation between Sandi and Andy. "Maybe we'll all be invited to the wedding," Michelle says, while Kim and Amanda mimic the young lovebirds.

The first major roadblock in the project occurs when Dan and Elvis butt heads over the mural. Dan believes a nice crest would be a more subtle way to execute the idea, but Elvis doesn't think that fits the definition of "mural." The pragmatic foreman and the creative designer continue the debate, and Sandi and Andy continue their budding relationship. They tickle and massage each other, and even wrestle during a painting project ("Be careful," someone jibes, "That's how you broke Dan's hand!") Some of the group members are annoyed, but Jeff and Michele see it as an opportunity, since the two flirts might not be as focused on the game as they are on each other.

As the project continues, Elvis begins to feel that he's losing control of some of the team members. He and Dan can't see eye to eye on the purchases, and Dan even lies to him about what was spent and what they've already bought. Dan claims that Elvis is micromanaging him and not respecting his decisions. "Dan is very sensitive," Michele says. She and Dan may have reason to be irked, however, when they return from shopping and find the rest of the group drinking and lounging by the pool. "I'm foreman on this project," Elvis states, "and I think it's good to be relaxed." Will the party scene kill this project? Fortunately, not all of the competitors are taking the night off. Dan, Michele, and Kim continue to work late into the night. "I'd rather work than drink," Kim says. "And I'd rather work than watch them drink."

On day three, Dan and Kim attack a new project: putting fabric on the walls of the dressing room. But their work is interrupted when four limos arrive to pick up the contestants. Foreman Elvis is given the task of dividing the contestants and placing them in the limos, and only he knows where they're going. He puts Amanda and Michele in one limo, heading to a day at the spa! "Michele worked really hard, I know Amanda did, too. So I figured, give them a break." Kim and Dan ride together, and Jeff and Elvis share a ride. Both of their limos return to the house, so those contestants can get back to work. "I knew they were people who would get things done, who knew what was going on, and who would bust out this project." So where did lovebirds Sandi and Andy go? To the local dump! Their mission, to buy some junk to use for a found art sculpture to go in the house. "Insult to injury," Andy says. "I think Elvis hates us."

Day four arrives, and Elvis is pushing the group to put their noses to the grindstone so they can finish the project a day early. Dan hates the idea, since he wants to use all of the time they have. He aggravates Elvis, in return, by suggesting that they repaint one of the rooms a different color. The two butt heads for the last time on this project, over the mural and how it will be done. Dan has lofty ideas for the task, and wants to buy an overhead projector for the job. Elvis eventually relents, everyone pitches in on the painting, and the mural turns out great.

On the final day of the project, the team is actually finished early with the remodeling work. So Elvis decides to take the group out to spend some more money on decor for the space. "It's gonna be a fun time," he says. "I'm not sure we have the luxury of that kind of time," Dan argues. The shopping trip is enjoyable for Dan and the girls, but the rest of the group finds it to be boring. All except for Andy. "I was watching Sandi," he admits.

At the end of the final day of the project, the group decides to go out for dinner together. The group is divided over the idea, with Kim, Michele and Dan once again on the side that wants to stay and work. "The foreman gave the command, it's tools down," Michele says. Throughout the house, however, minor projects remain unfinished. "If I had a dime for every time someone said, 'it'll only take a minute...'" Kim says. In the end, the group fails to complete several parts of the project, despite the extra time they could have used for finishing touches.

Soon, it's time for the judges to arrive. Elvis takes them through the house, and gets their reactions on design, workmanship, and degree of completion. From the beginning of the tour, Elvis tries to give credit to the entire group, even when it involves stepping on Dan's toes. He even claims the design was a group concept, taking the glory away from Dan yet again. Though his intentions seem to be good, Dan is hurt by the lack of respect. "I feel like I've been kicked in the face," he says.

Upon looking at the master suite, the judges feel it's the contestants' best project so far. They have a few criticisms of the sitting room, but are still impressed overall. When they enter the dressing room/closet area, they are blown away by the fabric covered walls. "Whose idea was that?" They ask. "Oh gosh, I don't really remember," Elvis replies, as the camera shows Dan's sickened expression. Of course, the upholstered walls was Dan's original idea, and Elvis again fails to give credit where credit's due. "I'm not looking for the credit," Dan states. "I just want the respect."

The master bathroom is the worst room, in the judges' eyes. They can't understand why the contestants tore up a great bathroom in an earlier episode, and then left this tacky one alone. They also wonder at the oversized armoir. "I think Dan fell in love with that, so we had to use it," Elvis comments. The judges are left alone to make their decision, while Elvis returns to the Carriage House to rejoin the contestants.

While the competitors wait for the judges' email, Mark asks Elvis a few questions about the job. When he asks who Elvis thought was the MVP of the job, Elvis readily admits it was Dan. Where was the love a few minutes earlier, Elvis? When Mark asks Elvis who let him down during the project, he decides to throw his designer under the bus one more time. "I was trying to get everyone involved," Elvis says. "But by the end, I thought Dan was just trying to run the show himself." Ouch. "It was humiliating," Dan later confesses to the camera.

The judges' email arrives, and out of a possible $10,000, they decide to give the group over $8,000! By far, their biggest payday to date. But how will Elvis divide it up? He divides the checks equally among the competitors, giving them each a thousand dollars. In one of the checks is also a prize...and it goes to Sandi. It's a trip for two to Jamaica! "Now it's just about figuring out who I want to take with me," she says. Could Andy be in the running? "I'd love to go with Sandi to Jamaica," he admits. "It's up to her, she'd have to ask me."

-----------------------------------------

Want to see more of The Mansion? Be sure to check out our exclusive before and after Photo Galleries, as well as a half hour of previously unaired video each week in the Mansion Expansion!