* MTV *
[Male Narrator] Previously on Ink Master: Hometown Heroes .
Dude, I am losing my mind.
[Narrator] The final flash challenge
was packed with pressure.
-It's coming. -[Kyra] Oh, chill!
[Luka] Starting to panic.
[Joel] The winner of the flash challenge is Matt and Luka.
Feeling cheeky.
[Narrator] In the elimination tattoo...
[Matt] You do not want to be on the other side
of those skulls this week.
-Seth. -Yeah, awesome.
[Matt] He's a silly sausage. He deserves it.
Okay.
[Narrator] Microrealism tattoos
put the artists under a microscope.
And then you kind of warped one a little bit?
I just didn't want things to look so static.
[Nikko] That temple is the one that got me.
It's so intricate on such a little scale.
The micro part of it is the part that is like,
"Whoa!"
[Narrator] In the elimination,
Keahi, Kyra, and Seth were in the bottom.
Seth's reads as the most realistic.
Keahi's, the bottom outline on the top stamp
is not even consistent. At least Kyra's looks confident.
[DJ] But it doesn't look realistic.
[Ryan] Why would you skew a rectangle?
It looks like the stencil got fucked up
when it was placed on the arm. Why would you do that?
Kyra, you do not have what it takes to be Ink Master.
[Narrator] Five artists remain,
but only one will earn a $250,000 prize...
Ain't that the fucking truth.
[Narrator] ...and the title of Ink Master.
[theme music]
-Pretty rough? -Yeah, it sucks.
[Matt] Yeah.
[Matt] Yeah, of course.
Sit down. Now let's find out who we got left.
All right, all right.
-[Both] Oh! -[Matt] Shit!
Fucking made it through, man. How many lives you got?
I don't know, but I'm running out.
Yeah, fuck.
That's it. The final five.
A lot of really fucking good artists here.
That's gonna be dangerous for what comes next.
Imagine what the next round's gonna be like.
Even fucking worse.
[dramatic instrumental music]
-[Joel] Welcome. -[artists greet judges]
We started this competition
with 15 artists from across the globe.
-We're dropping like flies. -So fucking empty.
-You are the last five standing. -It's like one-third.
You now have a one-in-five shot
to bring home $250,000, and the title of Ink Master.
Yeah, now we can taste it.
We are headed straight into the next elimination tattoo.
-Damn. -[Luka] Straight to it.
Perfect.
Look around you. These are the artists
that stand between you and your spot in the finale.
-[Seth] Tough road. -[Matt] To some.
Throughout this competition,
you've learned their strengths and their weaknesses.
Now it's time to use that knowledge
to try to take one of them out before they take you out.
Today, you have the power to call out another artist.
-Damn. -That's gonna be interesting.
You will each create a line drawing.
Oh, shit.
The artist you call out must tattoo your line drawing,
and you must tattoo the line drawing
of the artist that calls you out.
-Oh! -That's crazy!
It's hard to interpret someone's line drawing,
because it's like a signature. You do it a certain way.
And especially if their intention is to trip you up,
it's gonna be so hard to figure out what the fuck is going on.
It's five of you left.
You guys have seen each other's styles,
who's excelled at what. So this is an opportunity
to go after who you think is your biggest competition.
Damn.
You want to create a line drawing
that's gonna trip up one of your opponents.
[Ryan] The line drawing you're handed
is the stencil that goes onto the skin. Be strategic.
Awesome.
Now's your time to prove that you can take
a simple line drawing and create some crazy tattoo with it.
Show us perfect, solid tattoos.
-I'll do any of yours. -No you don't. Shut up.
I'm gonna fuck you up so bad.
To determine who gets to call out the first artist,
you will pick skulls.
Oh, so those skulls are for us?
On the bottom of one of the skulls is an X.
Get the X and you will get to pick
which artist you want to call out.
Damn, that's fucking wild.
The artist that is picked will then pick the artist they want
-to call out and so on. -That's so good.
But you cannot call out the artist who called you out.
[Man] Yeah.
The picking order has been randomly assigned.
Matt, you get to draw for the X first.
-Goose egg. -Seth, pick a skull.
Don't be too hard on yourself.
-Luka, your turn. -Let's go. So which one is it?
Awww....
-Watch it be the last one. -Isnard, two skulls left.
That's pretty good odds.
[artists exclaim]
-Keahi. -[Keahi] Which one to pick?
Congratulations, Keahi. You got the X.
Which artist do you want to call out?
Let's go Isnard.
He has such crazy designs that if I pick him,
then I don't have to do his tattoo.
I'd probably enjoy doing Isnard's.
No, you don't. Trust me, bro.
-Isnard, take your shot. -Matt.
That was quick.
Because you look down too much on my drawings.
-What? -Yeah.
So if I do it really good, then what then?
-You're not gonna do it. -Matt, your turn.
-I'll go Seth. -Cool.
[Matt] Finally, I'm in charge
of making sure Seth doesn't do a boring tattoo for once.
I'm actually stoked.
From day one in this competition,
me and Matt have been firing at each other. Why stop now?
That means, Seth,
you will be designing a line drawing for Luka.
-I'm all in. This'll be fun. -Yeah.
I've got some ideas on how to trip you up.
And so, Luka, you will be designing a drawing for Keahi.
Cool.
Of course, the Canadian doesn't get to take a shot.
We get it. We're nice.
The call-outs are set.
You have been fighting all season long
for a chance to represent your hometown in the finale.
This is your shot to take out the competition
and make it happen.
You will have six hours
to tattoo on your canvas's thigh.
Nice.
Get to work on your designs, and we'll send in your canvases.
-Good luck. -All right.
To be honest, Ish, I'm actually looking forward
-to doing your tattoo. -[Isnard] Bro, same.
Dude, I'm excited to problem solve your riddle.
What you're leaving out, what you putting in.
Matt thinks he can do any style out of the bag,
but bro, do it. Show me.
-[Matt] Here we go. -[Luka laughs]
So I brought you this little drawing.
-This little drawing? -[Isnard] For you.
Why does it take up the whole fucking page, then?
[Isnard] It's not simple as you think it is.
I put in, like, all the full amount of details
that are normally used that I can read,
but I'm not sure if Matt's gonna be able to read that.
Yeah, this is what you usually do.
Yeah. This is perfect.
[Luka] I think you're good to go.
If I'm gonna be fucked from Isnard,
Seth, you're coming down with me.
Oh, dude, that's so fucking sick!
This stencil's so complicated, it's gonna take you a while
-to just even understand. -I'm stoked, man.
-I'm stoked, man. Thank you. -I hope you enjoy it,
because I wish I could be tattooing that today.
This is gonna be so much fucking fun.
-Enjoy your day, mate. -Thanks, mate.
You're welcome, buddy.
Oh, cool, man. That's really cool.
Something super clean and technical,
it can get kind of tricky.
Big surprise, Seth. You want me to do a chrysanthemum?
To me, that's pretty basic.
Come on, dude, do you really think my line work is that bad?
Oh, okay. I thought it was gonna be much worse.
Didn't want to put too, too much,
so at least you have room to play with.
[Luka] You have the guidelines
to do a nice face and nice flower, but nothing more.
Have I ever told you how much I hate doing faces?
I might heard that somewhere.
[Luka] He has to make decisions along the way.
I know that would be more tricky for him.
-So, brother, you ready? -[Isnard] I'm ready, bro.
[Keahi] All right.
You drew a skull.
[Keahi] I had to give you at least one bone.
Oh, thank you, thank you.
[Keahi] Tribals is not my strong suit.
There's not much creativity you can throw at this
and make, like, something crazy.
Did you forgot anything here on purpose?
No. I put everything in there.
[Keahi] I feel bad giving you Polynesian. Sorry, Ish.
[Matt] Don't feel bad for him. I'll swap you.
Have you seen what I've got to do?
Shut up, Matt. You like that shit.
[Matt] Are you fucking kidding me?
[instrumental hard rock music]
-Hey, I'm your human canvas. -Hi, I'm your human canvas.
[Keahi] Oh, awesome.
-You're gonna get a sexy girl. -Okay.
Here's the line work for the tattoo that we're doing, man.
-[Canvas] Oh, that's sick. -[Seth] Yeah.
-You ready to roll? -I'm ready to roll, man.
-[Luka] Let's do it. -Artists, you have six hours
to tattoo another artist's line drawing.
Your spot in the finale is on the line,
and your time starts now.
[Seth] All right, let's fucking get it, man.
-[Keahi] All right, you ready? -Okay, I'm ready.
You must be so ready for this anime tattoo.
Tattooing another artist's line drawing.
Think of it like a map. But on this map,
you don't want your opponent to find the treasure.
[Seth] That's gonna be sick.
Not only are these artists trying to show up
whoever called them out,
they're also trying to get to that finale.
[Keahi] I'm gonna draw a few things in.
[DJ] If you don't like the line drawing,
polish that turd or get flushed.
-[Isnard] Okay. -Let's do it, man.
Here we go.
[instrumental rock music]
-[Luka] Keahi, You're surviving? -Yeah, surviving.
You have nine lives, man.
[Keahi] Luka likes to leave his stencils pretty loose.
[Luka] Is it a good thing or no?
[Keahi] I'll let you know in a few hours.
[Luka] Okay, cool.
[Keahi] I'm starting with the hair because this is the area
of the line drawing that has the least amount of information.
If I can get this part done,
then I feel like everything else will go a little bit faster.
You got a few sneaky lives hiding there, do you, Keahi?
Probably running out of my lives,
but I think I still got some.
-Isnard, having fun? -[Isnard] A lot.
Yeah, man.
[Isnard] I think this tattoo's gonna be hard,
because it's pretty boring when you look at it.
But I'm gonna put my creative size on the skull
and maybe even the textures.
I have to pull some straight lines here, okay?
-[Canvas] Okay. -Hold on.
Just because I say I don't like it doesn't mean I can't do it.
There are four hours left.
-[Keahi] How you doing, Matt? -Just winging it.
Like you always do.
I never do this stuff. Ever.
[Matt] I'm just trying to find a way to make it more elegant
and more fucking cartoony.
[Matt] This is fucked for me.
This is like a language I have no idea what's going on.
[Matt] It's got teeth down the middle and fangs.
[Keahi] Like a vampire.
[Matt] No, but it's got vampire teeth and the middle teeth.
It's a mouth. Oh, well, thanks for that.
I came here to show how strong of tattooers my family are.
I didn't come here to go home
showing how weak of a tattooer I am.
My canvas is twitching a lot.
[Matt] What do you think about doing black and gray, eh?
[Canvas] Yeah.
I'm just grasping how I'm attacking it with your,
like, pain and moving.
As much as it kills me not to go swinging for the color,
there's fucking no way I'm doing it.
This is the first time I feel like I can go home.
You've got three hours.
[dramatic instrumental music]
-[DJ] Oh man. -What is this?
It's like a grimy skull monster thing.
If Matt wasn't able to trip me up
with any of the hard skull picks he threw at me
earlier in the competition,
there's no way that he's going to be able
to throw something at me with line work.
-Look at this line drawing. -Wow.
What is that? This is fucked.
[laughs]
There is no line work that you can give me
that I cannot fucking smash.
I need to secure my spot in the finale.
-[DJ] Oh. -[Luka] Yep, little mum.
-[Luka] Designed from Seth. -[DJ] Seth. He likes the mums.
[Luka] Oh yeah. [chuckles]
I know Seth would do a Neo-Trad very flat thing.
If I want to get to the finale, I cannot do what Seth would do.
I'm going to try to add a bit more volume
and to not keep it too, too flat.
Add a little Luka to it.
[Luka] Seth tried to trip me up with a lot of line work,
because most realism artists don't do bold lines,
but I'm not most realism artists.
[Canvas] How's the pressure been this season?
Really fucking rough, but I've never been in the bottom
and I just don't want to have a taste of it.
[Canvas] Yeah.
-That's cool. -Yeah. Luka gave this to me.
Something I don't do too often, but...
-You don't do lady faces? -No, not really.
This tattoo might be the last chance I have
to earn my spot in the finale.
I really want to bring it home for Hawaii,
so that I can give my family a better life.
This is what I'm fighting for.
You've got two hours.
[heavy instrumental music]
-You ever do anime at all? -Fuck no!
How do you like doing it though?
Fuck, I don't know. I haven't done it yet.
[laughter]
This is the last situation I want to be in.
[Matt] The only advantage I've got here is to try and
make this tattoo have a different mood
than what Isnard's would have.
I'm supposed to take Isnard out, not be taken out by him.
There is one hour left.
-Already? -Fucking hell.
[Joel] Five, four, three, two, one.
That's it. Time's up. No more ink.
-Survived. -It turned out really sick.
Holy shit, dude. That's so cool.
Oh, that looks fucking awesome.
[Keahi] I think we've got a winner here.
This is going to guarantee me the finale.
[Canvas] Oh, that looks wicked, man.
[imitates whip cracking] I slapped that.
[instrumental hard rock music]
Yesterday, each of you had to tattoo
-another artist's line drawing. -That shit was wild.
Your spot in the finale is on the line.
Pressure's high.
[Joel] Before the judges critique your work,
there is one more thing you should know.
-There's always one more thing. -[Matt groans]
You took a shot to try and take out a competitor,
but you better hope it didn't backfire.
What does this mean?
If you want a chance to represent your hometown
in the finale, you need to prove that you can
not only tattoo anything, but out-tattoo anyone.
More pressure. Yeah.
Today, you will have six hours to tattoo the same line drawing
that the artist who called you out had to tattoo yesterday.
-Oh my God. -Didn't see this one coming.
This is your chance to out-tattoo the artist
who tried to take you out.
-That's awesome. -Keahi called out Isnard.
So Isnard will go head to head with Keahi...
Oh shit.
[Joel] ...tattooing Luka's line drawing.
Isnard called out Matt.
So Matt will go head to head with Isnard,
-tattooing Keahi's line drawing. -Eh.
Matt called out Seth. So Seth will go head to head with Matt,
tattooing Isnard's line drawing.
[chuckles]
Seth called out Luka,
so Luka will go head to head with Seth,
tattooing Matt's line drawing.
Luka called out Keahi,
so Keahi will go head to head with Luka,
tattooing Seth's line drawing.
They took their shot, now it's time to fire back.
-I'm over the moon. -You will be judged
on your line drawing and both of your tattoos.
Damn.
You guys have a leg up, seeing what everyone else did,
and now you have an opportunity
to change what you would have changed in that tattoo,
make it better, and really stand out.
Let's go full on.
Who's the strongest? Who wants that finale spot that bad?
Head back to the shop and we'll send in your canvases.
-All right! -Good luck.
[Seth] I'm fuckin' stoked.
[instrumental hard rock music]
Hi, I'm your human canvas. Nice to meet you.
[Matt] We have to do Polynesian today.
How do you feel about that? This is to get in the finals.
I'm leading the leaderboard, though.
-So I got the right guy. -[Matt] Got the right guy.
We're doing a chrysanthemum in a frame today.
[Canvas] Sweet.
We're getting this beautiful lady face.
[Canvas] I love that.
[Canvas] It's his drawing and you're just adjusting?
-No, I'm making better, yeah. -[canvas giggles]
Here it is, man. Right there, a badass skull.
We got a sexy anime chick today.
-[Canvas] Beauty. Beauty! -How's everybody's feeling?
[Matt] I'm about as happy as you were yesterday.
[Isnard laughs]
Artists, you have six hours to try and out-tattoo
your competitors and earn your spot in the finale.
And your time starts now.
-All right. -[Isnard] Let's go.
Now the artists have to tattoo the same exact line drawing
that the artist that called them out had to tattoo.
You ready to get some Polynesian, my friend?
Yeah, let's do it.
These artists got to see what their competitor did yesterday
and make it better.
[Canvas] Who do you think is your biggest competition?
Mm. Everybody that's left.
This is their last chance to gain a spot in the finale.
If there's anything hiding up those sleeves,
now's the time to bring it out.
-All right, mate, you ready? -[Canvas] Oh, I'm ready.
[Canvas] Who's the villain this year?
I just talk the most shit.
Yeah, that's for sure.
[Canvas] I do like Matt's design, though.
It's really cool. It's different, huh?
[Canvas] It's definitely different, yeah.
So Seth did the same one.
Because we've seen it, it's gonna be a better piece.
Seth is not the most creative,
so he saw the line work, he just went for it,
and I'm gonna bring a more painterly look.
It's something that'll look more textured, more alive.
I have to be sure it's perfect.
There are five hours left.
[Nikko] Oh, dang!
This is right in your wheelhouse right here.
A little gray and gold.
Definitely a lot more comfortable today
than yesterday, so.
[Keahi] Luka tried to add a lot of tricks into this tattoo.
I think it was too much detail
to really make this tattoo legible and bold.
I'm definitely gonna go a lot more simple with the shading.
-So serious now. -Top five, you know?
I always tell people I'm not that competitive,
but like, as it gets closer, I'm like,
"Fuck that, I'm going for it," you know?
Three hours left.
Oh, you're having fun, huh, Isnard?
Bro, you don't have a clue.
If it's not my anime thing, I can do this. It's okay.
-Yeah, big bold face. Go for it. -You know it?
[Isnard] Keahi, I love you, bro.
I respect you a lot, but hey, time to bury you.
-[DJ] Oh, you're doing color? -[Seth] Yeah.
Stepping it up, huh?
Matt did black and gray, so I figured do color.
[Seth] Matt and Isnard have been
two of the best competitors this entire time.
If I can nail both of their tattoos?
Fuck, I'm guaranteed a spot in the finale.
Well, you seem very comfortable right now.
I am, man.
I know Lindsey's really missing me back home,
but I am not ready to go back yet.
Not until I get that big-ass check
to walk through the door with.
You've got two hours.
Polynesian requires precision.
You really need to make sure it's perfect.
Is this the one you wanted, or what?
No, I wanted my fucking skull.
[Matt] There's no tricks to pull out here,
except for just fundamentals.
This is restricting all my abilities I have
to get in the finale.
So what do you got, Isnard's up here?
[Matt] Yeah, because I've got to do it different than that.
That was creative, but I can't do that now, so.
I'm going to have to get my thinking cap on.
One hour left to get your spot in the finale.
Clever. Shading everywhere. I can separate those two.
[Matt] Yeah, I put a little 3D mask on it.
I can't afford to play safe. I'm going to throw a background,
make it bigger and more interesting.
Matt, red, just so.
[Matt] Pretty cool. Do you have enough time there?
[Luka] Yeah.
If I don't take this risk, I'm not going to get to the finale.
I'm going to watch it from my couch.
[Keahi] Home stretch.
Five, four, three, two, one!
That's it, time's up. No more ink!
Whoosh... We done here.
-You did it! -You're a beast, dude.
-[Matt] Man, you're a beast. -It's a fucking cool piece, man.
-I think that'll work. -Oh, that looks so sick, man!
[Isnard] It's pretty cool, yeah?
[Canvas] That's so pretty.
Heck, it fits perfectly.
There is no fucking way that I'm going home.
[dramatic instrumental music]
Yesterday, you had to call out another artist
and create a line drawing for them to tattoo.
Fun little twist.
Today, you had to try to out-tattoo the artist
-who tried to take you out. -That was a big surprise.
To earn your spot in the finale, you will be judged
on your line drawing and both of your tattoos.
Pressure's on.
Before the judges critique your work,
there is one last thing you should know.
[chuckling]
Of course. Bring it.
Four of you will move on to compete
in the finale for $250,000 and the title of Ink Master.
-What? -It's four people in the finale.
-Four people. -[Matt] Damn!
-Holy shit. -We didn't guess that one.
More artists, more tattooing, and less room for error.
Wow. Holy shit.
You guys are going to have to push even harder.
One of you is not just up against two artists
in the finale, you're up against three.
[Nikko] That makes it more exciting.
Just another little twist to see you guys go up against
the four best in the room.
[DJ] This is why this competition
has been so difficult from the beginning.
That was all for this moment.
[Ryan] To make this finale the most intense display
of incredible artwork that we've all seen.
It's crazy.
Let's find out who's earned their spot in the finale.
-[Seth] Here we go. -Isnard.
You got called out by Keahi,
and had to tattoo his line drawing.
[Ryan] You made so many smart choices to make this your own.
The fact that you went in and brought a shadowy figure
of the second wing behind the tribal was super smart.
When I saw this line drawing,
the skull was my least favorite part of it.
Now that you tattooed it,
and brought these elements of the Polynesian into the skull,
it's my favorite part of the design.
You did justice to what you were given,
and you did it in a creative way.
Thank you.
Matt.
You went head to head
with Isnard tattooing Keahi's line drawing.
[Nikko] I like that she took liberty to make it bigger.
I like the placement of it.
The angle that you put it at just makes that Polynesian
look kind of like a wing of the bird.
[Ryan] And the way that you rendered that bird skull
is really beautiful.
[DJ] I like that weird pitty areas,
and I like the details in the beak area.
[Joel] Let's take a look at it up against Isnard's tattoo.
I prefer Matt's.
[Nikko] I do think that the hollowness of Matt's skull
creates the same balance in the skull that the tribal has.
I far prefer Isnard's.
It looks like Isnard's could be carved out of bone.
[DJ] I like Matt's skull better.
I mean, there's a lid for every pot, guys.
[DJ] There is.
All right, moving on. You got called out by Isnard
and had to tattoo his line drawing.
[Nikko] The latex is really successful.
The legs and thighs look really good.
I like how the stockings break up from the skin.
There's a lot of texture in what she's wearing
and her hair, that whole area gets chaotic.
I really got to pick it apart
to see what's going on in there.
You got tripped up, but I still think you delivered
-a technically good tattoo. -That was wicked.
Seth, you went head to head
with Matt tattooing Isnard's line drawing.
[DJ] I love the hair black.
I love that you kept that shine just on the rim.
The latex is rendered beautifully,
leaving the high-gloss shine on the hip.
The belly button looks great.
I like how you minimized the chest,
and didn't put too much details in there. It's still readable.
Let's look at it side by side with Matt's tattoo.
Oh, I clearly won.
[Joel] These are close.
[Ryan] I love the black choice for the latex on Matt's,
but I like the oomph of the color in Seth's.
[DJ] I mean, it just seems like Matt got lost from the waist up.
[Ryan] So many more tricks in color.
It's just what it was designed for.
-[DJ] Seth's is sick. -It's pretty cool.
You got called out by Matt and had to tattoo his line drawing.
[Nikko] You really crushed this tattoo.
I mean, the outline to the color.
Teeth are awesome. It's gritty and badass.
When you look inside of the mouth,
you have this super vibrant hot pink that swirls,
and you have black behind it.
But over to the right-hand side,
you go just to gray without any black anywhere.
That gray under it makes it look more faded and less poppy.
That being said, I love the tattoo.
-I think you did a great job. -You killed this piece.
Oh, thank you.
-[Matt] It's fun, huh? -[Seth] It's so fun.
Luka, you went head to head with Seth,
tattooing Matt's line drawing.
[DJ] I like that you added the flames up top,
following that movement of the bottom ones.
You played with all these gross little textures,
and brought a little bit of a realistic touch.
I like you ditching some of the outline on it,
and doing this soft, bio-organic texture
inside the mouth there where it's all red.
[Joel] This is really good. It's really fun to look at.
-And different. -Thank you.
Let's look at it head to head with Seth's.
[Ryan] I love the lime green and the pink that Seth used,
but I prefer the depth of the mouth on Luka's.
They're really both trippy and really successful.
Moving on, you got called out by Seth
and had to tattoo his line drawing.
[DJ] I like that you left the gaps in between the skin.
Looks like a little window.
But how solid it is is just insane.
Like, it's packed in there, the colors.
I do love that you tried to bring an interesting texture
to the petals, and do the opposite
of what you imagined Seth would have designed.
The whole tattoo is really clean and it's really well done.
Thank you very much.
Keahi, you went head to head with Luka
tattooing Seth's line drawing.
[DJ] I love that you chose this
more antique-y color palette for the piece.
It does this piece justice 100%.
The way the transition from the top being dark
and then lightening up to open skin was really nice.
Let's take a look at this tattoo up against Luka's tattoo.
[DJ] I prefer the feeling I get when I look at Keahi's.
I think it fits the drawing itself more.
But I do think that Luka's is more solid.
[Joel] All right, moving on.
You got called out by Luka and had to tattoo his line drawing.
[DJ] I really like the hair. It's heavy and black.
[Ryan] Every single strand is moving,
and it has a flow and it's lovely.
But it looks like you were against time
when you got to the face. The shading on her cheek,
it could have been a little smoother.
[Ryan] There's a lot missing in the face.
It definitely doesn't read as confident.
Isnard,
you went head to head with Keahi tattooing Luka's line drawing.
[Nikko] This tattoo's sick. The face is done really well.
I love the eyes. I love the nose.
I love the color choices in the flowers.
Bringing in that blue against this peachy face
was really smart.
It's a lot of tricks to pull off in six hours, too.
Well, let's take a look at it next to Keahi's tattoo.
[DJ] Keahi's looks like he struggled with time.
It almost has an unfinished feeling.
And Isnard looks like he had double the time.
I still love the hair on Keahi's. I love the ear.
But I almost feel like you played it safe by doing that,
because you don't have to really draw into the anatomy,
where you had to actually draw into the anatomy, Isnard.
I think you're locked in right now, dude.
You're becoming very hard to beat in this competition.
Five tattoo designs, ten tattoos.
Based on your work, it's time to determine
the first artist to secure their spot in the finale
That's intense
Let's look at each body of work. We'll start with Keahi's.
The line drawing could have been more interesting.
[Nikko] I like the chrysanthemum a lot.
[DJ] It has that vintage, antique look.
[Ryan] But, the lady face seems like an incomplete thought.
Let's look at Isnard's.
[Nikko] Line drawing that Isnard created? Amazing.
I love how the Polynesian transitions
into looking like the skull itself is carved.
The female face? Sick, man.
The planes on the face, how he colored it.
One of the best tattoos I've seen up till now.
Thank you.
Let's look at Matt's body of work.
[DJ] The line drawing's definitely my favorite.
[Nikko] One of the best of the day, in my opinion.
The Polynesian, it's super crispy.
[Ryan] It fits the leg beautifully.
The anime tattoo, the girl looks cool.
But from halfway up to the top,
it definitely loses its luster. It gets a little confusing.
Let's take a look at Seth's.
[DJ] Not much creativity in the line drawing.
[Joel] It's a little boring to me.
Skull tattoo, probably another one of my favorites of the day.
And then when it comes to the anime,
Seth made me believe that he has
more tricks up his sleeve.
[Joel] Two really great tattoos, but boring drawing.
No more chrysanthemums, I'm sold out.
Let's look at the last body of work, Luka's.
[Ryan] Both of these tattoos, and the line drawing, actually,
are things that we have not seen
from Luka yet in this competition.
Yeah, I really love this lady face line drawing.
[Ryan] It's so open to creativity.
The chrysanthemum, I like the way you brought
your realistic style into something that's flat.
And I love your skull. Badass.
This is a really strong group right here.
Judges, it's time to vote for the first artist
that's earned their spot in the finale.
I'm going with Isnard. I like the drawing.
I really like the tribal.
And the lady face is my favorite tattoo of the day.
[DJ] Isnard's looks like three different artists, but it's one.
My vote's for Isnard.
[Nikko] Isnard shows the most versatility.
-My vote is for Isnard. -[Joel] The judges have decided
the first spot in the finale goes to Isnard.
-[Matt] Congrats, man. -Fucking well-deserved.
One spot in the finale is taken. There are three spots left.
I think Luka should get the second spot in the finale.
This body of work is across the board solid.
I couldn't agree more.
Those tattoos up there are super solid.
[Nikko] I mean, I agree, dude.
The judges have decided the second spot in the finale
goes to Luka.
-[Matt] Congratulations. -[Keahi] Congrats, man.
Thank you very much, guys.
That means Matt, Seth, and Keahi.
Based on your work, two of you are headed to the finale,
and one of you will be packing your machines.
Head out, and we'll call you back when we have a decision.
[Luka laughs]
[Luka] Good job. Good job, man.
[Seth] Hey, congratulations, guys.
-Fucking well-deserved. -[Matt] Congrats.
I would have loved to have that first place,
but dude, you did the best one.
Bro, I never had the first place, man.
-Let me celebrate a bit. -Man, I'm happy you got it.
If I'm in the finale, I'm going to fight for my fucking life.
I'm not going to do a flower.
I came this fucking far doing every style
but the stuff I enjoy.
This is what I want the most, is to get into the finale
and actually show you guys what I do.
[Keahi] I feel the same way.
I got a lot of people back home that I'm fighting for,
and until they tell me I don't have what it takes,
I'm not giving up on them. I'm not giving up on this.
I'm here to fight no matter what.
[dramatic instrumental music]
Today, you had to prove that you could not only
tattoo anything, but out-tattoo anyone.
Isnard and Luka have already earned their spot in the finale.
Good for you, dickheads.
[Joel] There are two spots left.
The judges have deliberated, and we've come to a decision.
The third spot in the finale goes to...
Seth.
Oh yeah, dude.
This body of work
shows a lot of confidence in your technical ability.
The tattoos were fucking solid.
I couldn't be more excited to show you that
I still have more tricks up my sleeve.
-No more chrysanthemums. -Yeah, no more. I'm sold out.
OK.
-Congratulations, Seth. -Come here.
-[Keahi] Good job, buddy. -[Seth] Thank you, guys.
That means Matt and Keahi,
based on your work, one of you will be packing your machines,
and one of you will be headed to the finale.
Matt and Keahi, based on your work,
one of you will be packing your machines,
and one of you will be headed to the finale.
The judges have decided...
Keahi, you do not have what it takes to be Ink Master.
-Fuck, man. Saw that coming. -Keahi, this is hard, man.
What took you out is your shortcomings
at the drawing board and that lady face.
I just wanted to come out here,
really to push myself out of my comfort zone,
and to show that example to my girls.
And so I'm happy with, you know, where I am.
Your girls have such an inspiring dad
that they get to look up to,
and I think you've made them so proud.
Thanks.
Please pack your machines and close shop.
All righty. [grunts]
-[Matt] Man, you're the best. -[Keahi] I've been a warrior
and took a lot of really big swings in this competition.
Don't be sad for me. I'm fucking going home to paradise.
-[laughter] -[Keahi] Later.
[Keahi] I really wanted to put Hawaii on the map,
to show that we're a strong, creative people,
to share the same mana that has been passed down
from generation to generation.
I'm proud of everything that I've done here.
A hui ho !
Congratulations, Matt. You have earned your spot in the finale.
I'm just glad we get to reset this fucking game
and move into the next round
so we can all get on the same seat at least. Fuck.
Head on up there.
Get the fuck up here, man. Come on, dude.
Isnard, Luka, Seth, and Matt.
The four of you are headed to the finale,
but only one of you will earn $250,000,
and bring the title of Ink Master back to your hometown.
We still have some juice to fight, guys?
Head back to the lounge.
Thank you, guys.
-What, what? -Fuck yes!
[artists celebrate and congratulate each other]
-[Matt] Yes, sir. -[Seth] Fucking hell, man.
Yee-hoo! Guys, we're in the finale!
Bro, I'm here for the war and I'm prepared for everything.
I'm gonna do the best work ever
and try to manage my fucking time.
Dude, I feel like I got so much to prove in this last moment.
I need to win this title.
I love you guys, but fuck you all. I'm taking that money.
The real deal starts now.
[intense music]
[Joel] Congratulations. You came from across the globe
to battle it out in the name of hometown pride.
Four finalists from four different hometowns...
Montreal, baby.
-From four different countries. -Amazing.
But only one of you will walk away with $250,000,
and bring home the title of Ink Master.
-Yes. -That's what we're here for.
To prove you deserve the title, you must now face
the ultimate test of skill and endurance.
What is it gonna be now?
You must create a 24-hour back piece.
Yes!
In two back-to-back 12-hour sessions.
-Goddamn. -Hell yeah.
Now, this is real tattoos.
You can tattoo anything you want.
-Take these shackles off. -In any style you want.
Yes.
I can do whatever I want, fucking finally.
But there is one more thing you should know.
Surprise, surprise.
To win the title, you must prove
that you can tattoo in any style.
Here comes the twist.
In addition to your 24-hour master canvas,
you must also complete not one, but two six-hour tattoos.
Once the styles for the 24-hour master canvases are set,
you must then choose
two different styles called by your competitors.
You will tattoo each of those styles
for your six-hour tattoos.
-Fuck, dude. -That's a fucking twist.
You guys get to see all of your competitors' back pieces.
You guys get to see what they did,
and then you're picking your two styles.
After. Okay.
It's the not just about what you do best.
It's about what you can do better
than everyone else in the room.
-Oh, this is so good. -So sick.
-That's crazy. -I'm comfortable with any style,
so I think I have an edge over these guys.
You must each lock in the style
for your 24-hour master canvas right now.
Let's lock this shit in.
Isnard, what style do you choose for your 24-hour master canvas?
-I'm taking illustrative colors. -All right. Color, illustrative.
My originality and creativity brought me here,
so I just want to push the envelope even further.
Luka, what style do you choose for your 24-hour master canvas?
Every ounce of my body tells me, "Go color realism."
This is what you know. This is what you're comfortable with.
-Illustrative, color. -Whoa.
But I'm not here to do what I'm comfortable with.
I want to take a risk and prove to judges
that I can do anything.
We have to do one illustrative color now.
Seth, what style do you choose?
-American traditional. -Sick.
Bold lines, minimal color palette, heavy black shading.
-Ballsy. -Going for it.
And finally, Matt, your turn.
-I'm going to do Japanese. -Ooh.
People underestimate how hard good Japanese is.
It takes so much control to get it right.
The styles for the 24-hour master canvases are set.
Yep.
Three master canvases, three different styles.
-36 hours of tattooing. -Fuck!
-Only one Ink Master. -So sick.
-It's on. -It's real.
This is your last chance to out-tattoo the competition
and make your hometown proud.
Home stretch.
Your master canvases are completely open,
and your first session will begin this week.
Perfect.
[Joel] Start working on your designs,
and we will see you at the finale.
-[Joel] Good luck. -[Ryan] Good luck, everybody.
-Thank you. -[DJ] Hope you're ready.
This is so good!
-Both illustrative, man. -I'm ready for this,
because obviously, I'm the best drawing here.
I thought for sure you were going color realism.
I don't have the time to do that at all.
I'm going to have to pull tricks that you guys haven't seen yet.
I know you guys are fucked with American traditional.
It's simple designs. That's the easiest of all.
You guys ready to do some Japanese?
-Yeah, man. -I'm fucking ready for Japanese.
Dude, Japanese is more
than fucking four chrysanthemums.
I'll bring those fucking flails to your funeral after this.
-Good luck, losers. -You better fucking bring it.
Time to turn some more lights out in this place.
We'll see, man.
[Narrator] Next, on the season finale.
[DJ] This is going to be a fight to the finish.
-[Luka] Good luck, guys. -Let's fucking go, dude.
If there's a moment to push boundaries, this is it.
-You going out with a bang? -Yeah.
[Joel] Tonight, we have a very special guest judge.
-Who is it going to be now? -You're fucking kidding, dude.
It all comes down to this.
[instrumental rock music]
[music]