The Block 2021 episode 6 recap: Absolute bulls***: Fury over judges’ controversial ruling

Slopping painting, bizarre door choices and poorly placed power points are enough to get you second place in this season of The Block. And one team is particularly peeved at the results.

Mitch and Mark’s 2019 appearance on The Block showcased their style, organisational skills and paper-thin skin.

And it’s on full display in this episode as they digest some fairly scathing comments from the judges, and a last place in this season’s first room reveal.

To be fair, most of the other contestants agree they were hard done by, and the judges did seem to be on a nitpicking jamboree, describing their perfectly lovely guest bedroom as “bland”, and warning that a lit scented candle was a fire hazard — it’s not a permanent fixture, Shaynna!

RELATED: Boozy night lands one Block team in hospital

Scott Cam delivers the scores last night, and many teams thought they were harsh.

Pint-sized country singer Kirsty notes of the judges’ spray at Mitch and Mark, “they didn’t have anything nice to say. It seemed a bit unnecessary. I think the judges must have been drunk”.

“I think it’s absolute bulls. t they came last,” Tanya says.

“They got punished by the judges,” agreed room winner Georgia. She goes on to accuse the judges of giving Love Island stars Josh and Luke an easy run. The pair came second by half a point.

“Did the judges go easy on the boys? Without a doubt,” she says, before picking the twins’ room apart, noting its poor paint job, impractical glass wardrobe doors and incorrect power point placement.

But nobody is angrier than Mitch and Mark.

Mark and Mitch feel hurt and bullied by the judges’ scathing comments about their room. Picture: Supplied

“We felt slapped around,” Mitch says.

“We felt bullied and attacked. If they wanted to hurt us they did a good job,” Mark adds.

The best they can say about Luke and Josh’s near-winning room through gritted teeth is “It’s nice, and good on them for finishing a room in the first week.”

It’s obvious the judges’ comments have given Mitch’s confidence a whack, and he begins second guessing whether he should be recycling his trademark flashy style in order to secure a win, even though what worked in 2019’s Oslo building may not work in a family home in Hampton.

“People are playing stupid games,” he tells Georgia as he agonises over tiles. “I’d like to have some fun along the way without being treated like s. t.”

Ronnie and Georgia are happy to be back and enjoying the drama.

But winning is the best revenge, so the pair dust themselves off and set about showing the kind of site management and planning talent they’re known for.

It’s a public holiday on day one of this bathroom week, so they arrange for their floor sheets and walls to be prefabricated off site, ready to be installed when power tools can be picked up again the next day.

Even Keith is impressed.

Tanya and Vito, a make-up artist and window furnisher/hairdresser respectively, are doing the opposite of whatever good planning is.

To be fair, they’re starting fresh with a new builder after their first room was beset with defects, but their indecision about the layout of their master bathroom isn’t helping either.

They eventually settle on a design minus a toilet, which will instead be housed in a powder room next door.

“You don’t sh.t where you shower,” says Tanya, in what will be news to everyone with a functioning bathroom.

Vito is already near breaking point, and it’s only week two.

“Hot poo and steam,” Vito adds, unnecessarily.

I’m not sure if Neale, Darren and Shaynna have any particular opinions on the combination of hot poo and steam, but stay tuned on Sunday night to find out.

Of all the teams this year, Vito seems the most likely to crack.

He was already showing the strain in week one. This week he’s telling anyone who will listen “this is tough, it’s so tough, it’s really tough. This is so tough”.

But he still has time to invent a new word, telling a producer that the arrival of his new team of builders has finally given him “comfortability”.

Last week’s runners up Luke and Josh are sweating on some new plans from architect Julian Brenchley, which they need to submit to the council alongside a request to remove a street tree.

Given that Brenchley had described them as being like a pair of “belligerent 13-year-olds”, it’s not surprising he seems to be dragging his heels.

But between the complaining and drama, The Block does find the time to include a genuinely important piece of community service.

Josh and Luke’s dad Kevin is suffering from a rare form of asbestos cancer. Picture: Supplied

When Luke and Josh’s builder discovers asbestos under the subfloor, the pair reveal that their father suffers from a rare form of mesothelioma, or asbestos cancer. His form of the disease is caused by ingesting rather than breathing in asbestos, and the show finds time to interview him and remind viewers of the absolute importance of not disturbing asbestos and only using specialised services to dispose of it.

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Episode 5: Boozy night lands one Block team in hospital

Episode 3 & 4: Love Island twins accuse Mitch and Mark of copying

Episode 2: Love Island twins stick boot into country singer

Episode 1: Shocks, showdowns and soup-inspired style