Original subtitles

* MTV!

[Announcer] Previously on Ink Master: Hometown Heroes.

I didn't know it took three brains to fuck something up.

How about you come do the highlights?

Oh, my God!

[Announcer] The flash challenge was no day at the beach.

You guys are fallin' under pressure,

that's what's happenin'.

I'm about to make you eat sand.

They over there trippin'.

[Joel] I would urge you guys to stay fuckin' focused

'cause every ounce of advantage

in this competition really matters.

The winner of the flash challenge is Team Keahi.

[cheering]

[Keahi] It's time to start taking some shots.

-[Keahi chuckles] -[Boushee] That evil laugh...

This is the fun part.

[tense music]

[Joel] The artists felt the heat with melting tattoos.

I have no idea how to make gold.

Doin' some crazy colors right now!

This is 100% a risky decision.

[Alli] I've never done a ship tattoo.

I've never done a melting tattoo.

You think you got a target on your back?

[Alli] No one wants to get beat by the young one, I get it.

[Ryan] You seem pretty comfortable with dragons.

-[DJ] And you picked it. -[Keahi] If I don't

step up to the plate and knock this out,

I'm gonna look so dumb.

[Announcer] In the elimination...

The best tattoo of the day goes to Seth.

-Fuck yeah. -[Ryan] Super creative approach.

[Announcer] ...Keahi, Boushee, and Alli were in the bottom.

The problem with Boushee's tattoo

is each color is disconnected from the other color.

[DJ] Keahi's? I can't see any drips.

There's just too much shit goin' on.

[DJ] Alli's... I can't decipher what is going on.

The judges have decided... Alli.

You do not have what it takes to be Ink Master.

[tense music continues]

[Announcer] Seven artists remain, but only one

will earn a $250,000 prize...

This shit hard.

[Announcer] ...and the title of Ink Master.

[energetic rock music]

-Yeah, it's Seth! -It's just me.

-Sit your ass down. -Ahh, it's you.

-Here we go. -[dramatic music]

-[cheering] -[laughing]

-Welcome. -[Keahi] It's good to be back.

[dramatic music continues]

-Oh! -Hey!

What up, [indistinct]? What... up, bro?

-I'm good. -What's up, y'all? What's up?

It must've been a tough one.

They did turn the heat up down in that motherfucker, like...

"Oh, shit! It's a little hot in here!"

But it ain't gonna get no easier.

Every tattoo gotta damn near be flawless at this point.

Yo, we're all only a few tattoos away from that money.

I can taste those 250K.

Armor up and be ready for a battle; that's it.

I think it's balls to the wall at this point.

[dramatic music]

-[Joel] Welcome. -Let's go.

Only seven of you remain.

And the battle for $250,000 is more intense than ever.

-[whispering] Yeah... -In the end,

only one of you will bring home the title of Ink Master.

-Whoo! -Only one.

Today there is no flash challenge.

-All right, let's get it. -Get straight to it.

We are moving directly

into the next elimination tattoo.

Yes!

This week, we're testing a skill that separates a good artist

from a great one:

-Ingenuity. -Oh, man.

You gotta do something ingenious.

Ingenuity is all about originality

and being resourceful,

finding a solution to a problem before anyone else even knows

that it's there.

-It's cool. -Today you must transform...

[suspenseful music]

...a scar.

-Oh, shit. This is cool. -Awesome.

It's a challenge, but I think it's a good challenge.

Tattooing on scar tissues is pretty tricky.

The skin can be much, much harder or much, much softer.

You have to be ingenious because the ink

in the skin doesn't react the same as normal skin.

Each of the canvases today has survived a life-changing event

that has left them

-with a permanent scar. -Wow.

You must use ingenuity to create a tattoo

that will perfectly camouflage it

and turn this physical reminder into an empowering work of art.

When it comes to scar cover-ups, it always feels like an honor.

There's so much trust in your hands.

It's one of the best parts of being a tattoo artist.

This is a fuckin' feel good day

-For sure. -Mm-hmm.

Working with scars is difficult.

The skin changes in every area of a scar.

Really think outside of the box.

This isn't about just

slapping whatever you want over a textured area of the body.

Make it fit the scar.

If you're covering it, make it work with your design.

You're changing people's lives here.

This is fuckin' awesome.

But there is one more thing you should know.

-Of course. -[Matt] All right.

Your ingenuity must speak for itself,

because these scar tattoos will be judged

without the judges knowing who did which tattoo.

-The best way. -No sales pitch.

Safety from elimination is on the line.

-We need that. -[Isnard] Yes.

When they're deciding who goes home,

I wanna be wrapped up in a blanket.

I don't want a single worry in my head.

Let's bring in your canvases.

[dramatic music]

Canvases, please tell us about the scar you'd like transformed

and the tattoo you'd like to get.

I was struck by a speeding vehicle,

and I'm looking to get the scar on my ankle covered

with an illustrative wolf howling at the moon.

Oh. Very cool.

I have a chest scar

from a quadruple bypass surgery following a heart attack

that I'd like to get covered

with a bear claw skin-rip tattoo.

-Oh, my God. -That's metal.

I'm looking to get the scar on my leg

from an infected dog bite covered up with cogs and gears.

Just bangers.

I'm looking to get these self-harm scars

on my thigh covered up with a black-and-gray striped skunk.

-That's Luka's. -I do the rodent?

I have some scars from getting flesh-eating disease.

I'm lookin' to get those covered with a psychotic clown.

[chuckling]

I have a scar on my left shoulder.

It was a near death quad accident.

I would like it covered up with a rising phoenix.

Ooh.

[tearfully] I'm looking to get my... sorry...

preventative double mastectomy scars covered

on my chest with roses, carnations, and butterflies.

We got your back. We here for you.

We're so excited to have you guys here.

This is gonna be a great day for you.

Judges, since these tattoos will all

be judged without knowing which artist did which tattoo,

it's time for the three of you to leave the shop.

-Get outta here. -I guess our job is done.

Make us proud.

[dramatic music]

Canvases, one by one, please choose a skull.

The name on the bottom of your skull

will determine your artist.

That's fair.

-Seth. -I got you, man!

Oh, this is gonna be so much fun!

-Keahi. -That's it.

-Isnard. -It's me.

Easy.

-Luka. -Oh!

Good job... Another rodent.

-Matt. -What's up?

I got a psychotic clown!

-Boushee! -Ha!

That's what I'm talkin' 'bout!

Kyra.

You're gonna kill it.

You will have six hours to prove your ingenuity

by tattooing a scar.

-Let's see what happens. -Good luck.

[dramatic music]

-Hi. -What's up, man?

-I'm so excited. -It's an infected dog bite.

And I had 70 stitches and I almost lost my leg.

Damn, what a trooper.

I've tattooed a lotta scars during my career,

but this is one of the hardest scar I ever saw.

I can feel the muscles. I can feel the tendons.

It's gonna be tough.

Tell me the story.

-What's the idea? -I thought some cogs and gears,

kinda, like, it was moving inside my leg.

-[Isnard] Oh! -[Canvas] Like mechanics.

Perfect circles on the skin is hard.

On the scar, it's even harder.

I've had artists before that don't wanna touch it.

Now you're surrounded by ink masters so it's okay.

[Canvas] Yeah, I'm on Ink Master; it's super cool.

[Keahi] You're thinkin' a bear with a skin rip.

What are you tryin' to convey with this tattoo?

The important part's just strength.

I'm comin' back from the adversity of a heart attack.

-What's usually your style? -Japanese.

-Oh, wow. -Bears?

Not really a Japanese image.

I am not stuck on that. I'll totally go with the dragon.

I would much prefer to do scales than fur.

If I'm gettin' a better tattoo doin' the dragon,

I'm totally, totally all right with that.

[Matt] You just want a killer clown?

I just want somethin' really killer.

Whatever you wanna do.

'Cause the more I can cover, the better.

I'm kind of being self-conscious about goin' out

in public without a shirt.

If I can just have something really cool to show off,

I would just be like...

Man, my first thought always goes to grim reapers.

We could try to do your whole stomach.

-Do as big as you want, man. -I'm fuckin' gassed on this.

My mom died of Stage IV

metastatic breast cancer in 2018.

But it qualified me to get hereditary testing.

It gave me a 70 to 80% chance of getting breast cancer.

So they did the removal.

Now I consider myself the boobless wonder.

[laughing]

[Kyra] I'm, like, crying and laughing.

[Canvas] It just means we're gonna have fun.

I know!

To do my first mastectomy tattoo on Ink Maste ,

I feel really special.

I am going to make my canvas shine today.

Damn, how am I gonna do a fuckin' 12-hour piece

-in six hours? -So is it a full chest?

What if I can only accomplish one?

-[Luka] A lotta work though. -Don't... [groans]

[Seth] I'm really worried about you getting all that done.

[Kyra] Oh, my God! I don't know if I can do this.

[tense music]

I came up with a fire idea, bro:

to actually cuff the scar and everything.

Like, I think it'd be fuckin' dope.

I think this is pretty cool. I can get this done.

[Kyra] The only thing I wanted to say was the time.

If we only do one side...

[suspenseful music]

-I think I'm okay with it. -[Kyra] Really?

-Yeah... I'm okay with it. -[Kyra] Okay.

Artists, you have six hours

to transform your canvas's scar into a beautiful tattoo.

And your time starts now.

-Are you ready? -[Canvas] Yeah.

Let's do it.

The stakes are higher today with these scar tattoos.

Maybe just put this outta the way.

Yeah, yeah, wherever you wanna put it, man.

[Nikko] These artists have a unique opportunity

to really change someone's life.

The less of us there are,

the more serious everyone becomes.

Now we gotta fight.

Tattooing on scar tissue is extremely difficult.

[Isnard] Tricky...

It gets swollen almost immediately;

the texture is different.

It's tricky. The scar is off centered.

So I wanna make sure that at least the dragon sits centered.

I wanna see these artists work like magicians today.

Ooh!

Make these scars completely disappear.

[Seth] All right, man, you ready?

-Oh, yeah. -Here we go.

-[dramatic music] -[tattoo machines buzz]

[Keahi] Well, I'm glad you're still here, man.

Part of the whole idea of, like,

the koi fish and the dragon, right?

In Japanese, the koi fish swims up the Golden River,

and it perseveres through all of these struggles.

And when it finally reaches it to the top,

it transforms into this dragon.

But the strength of it alone represents,

you know, that strength that you're lookin' for.

There's a ton of scales and a ton of detail

in this dragon face.

It's my style.

So, having been at the bottom so many times,

to rank anywhere but the top would really hurt.

-[dramatic music continues] -[tattoo machines buzz]

What happened with this one?

Really?

That is insane.

The reaper didn't come and get you that day.

This tattoo is fucking so big for six hours.

I'm gonna have to power through this thing.

[Matt] Must be shootin' a nerve' somewhere.

Yeah.

Can you imagine tryin' to fix the scar and then leavin' him

with a half-finished tattoo?

I need to use every second. It's fucking brutal right now.

[dramatic music continues]

-You okay? -[Canvas] Mm-hmm.

-Thought you were gonna kick me. -[laughing]

I'm not feeling so confident here.

This layer of skin is so thin I can feel the tendons,

the muscles, moving under my needle.

I'm trying to be, like, very gentle here,

but everywhere I touch it, you kinda move.

I'm worried if I go extra hard, it would split the skin.

I'll worry, if I go too light, it don't wanna stay.

-Yeah, it's fucking sore now. -I know, I know.

[tense music]

It feels like... [winces] fuck.

-I'm goin' slow as I can, okay? -[Canvas] Okay.

[Isnard] She might not be able to finish this tattoo.

I don't know what to do.

-[tense music continues] -[tattoo machines buzz]

-[tense music continues] -[tattoo machines buzz]

There are four hours remaining.

-[suspenseful music] -[tattoo machines buzz]

Definitely some really painful areas,

but I've definitely experienced much, much worse in life, so...

[Seth] Oh, yeah. Struck by a speeding vehicle?

-My body got beat up real bad. -Yeah.

[Canvas] On the brink of death.

My mom literally slept

in the waiting room the entire time until they told her I was

gonna make it.

Now I'm here getting a tattoo for her.

[Seth] That's so fucking cool.

My mom is, like, the same way,

ready to protect her kids at any cost.

When I was growin' up, my dad was in prison.

We were livin' in a trailer.

And that tenacity that I saw my mom have...

Man, that... it was so inspiring.

So you better believe I'm gonna come out swingin'.

I'm gonna do one of the best tattoos I've ever done

in my life.

-[dramatic music] -[tattoo machine buzzes]

[Luka] Can I ask you why you had those scars on your thigh?

When I was, like, early teenage years, I was very depressed.

There was a lot going on in my life

that I couldn't really control.

And I went to... to self-harm as, like,

a coping mechanism for a long time.

I understand that coming from a, let's say,

stressful environment, it's always going to be there,

that anxiety is just...

-Finding ways to manage it. -Healthy ways to manage it.

[Luka] Yeah, absolutely.

When you see someone turning the page on a bad side

of their life, it's just so inspiring.

I want her to be proud to show her legs.

I'm happy for you that now you... you feel better.

[Canvas] I like things to be relaxed.

[Luka] Yeah, me, too.

To me, this isn't the place for us right now.

[Luka] And I'm here tattooing you.

[dramatic music continues]

[Kyra] You're very strong for being here.

[Canvas] I wanted this to represent love,

strength, perseverance, get through it.

[Kyra] This is a very special tattoo to me, too.

And what an honor.

-[Canvas] Right. -Truthfully.

[Canvas] I'm glad you got picked for me.

Same here, honestly,

I feel really special.

I feel like the universe is telling me that we were meant

to be in this room together and share this experience.

Ooh... If you put color somewhere,

it looks like the other parts are not colored.

It now looks incomplete.

-[Canvas] Okay. -The butterfly is important

-enough that it could be. -[Canvas] Yeah.

Yeah...

I really packed in that butterfly to be black

and gray only.

But today is about Heather.

[Luka] Be that little bit extra today.

That little bit of extra oomph.

Maybe it will make it pop.

You've got one hour.

-[tense music] -[tattoo machine buzzes]

Shitty.... Shit!

[Isnard] I'm just doing what you asked me for.

-I know. -[Isnard] It's all your fault.

-You know that, right? -It's all my fucking fault.

-[tense music continues] -[whimpering]

Bro, this shit is super fuckin' [indistinct].

[Boushee] I know it probably fuckin' hurt, too.

[Canvas chuckles]

I never done a phoenix before.

-The talons? -Yeah?

They... I think they got four, right?

You can add three or four on either side.

[Boushee] Three or four? Pick one.

Whatever looks better.

This shit ain't even real. This is a fantasy bird.

I don't want that shit

to claw me right up outta this competition.

[Canvas] Damn, man.

[Boushee] Oh, that little spot right there?

-Felt like a bitch, huh? -[Canvas chuckling]

-[tense music continues] -[tattoo machines buzz]

It's the last push.

[Isnard] I know. It's quick, quick, quick.

Shit!

[Canvas] I feel like I'm going to pass out any second.

[Isnard] It's okay. It's okay. Don't worry about.

Oh-oh!

-[tense music continues] -[tattoo machines buzz]

-Fuck. Sorry. -[Matt] I know.

You're good, you're good.

-[Isnard] You're just crying? -Yeah.

-[Isnard] Cry together. -Five, four, three, two, one.

That's it. Time's up. No more ink.

-Think that's it, man. -[sighing]

-Good job! -It's okay. It's okay.

No, I'm just like, my... It's gone now; my scar's gone!

Oh, that's awesome. That's wicked.

You've done pretty well to sit through that.

-It's so cute. -There you go.

[suspenseful music]

[gasping]

Holy shit.

[upbeat rock music]

It's good, man Move on, stronger than the last.

-Thank you so much. -Oh, that's fuckin' sick!

[Canvas] It's completely changed.

-[Kyra] Yeah? -Yeah.

[Kyra] Thank you for trusting me.

-Don't make me cry again. -[Kyra] I'm sorry!

[dramatic music]

At the end of the day,

we were supposed to help these people gain some confidence.

And we all did a good damn job.

At this point, it's only good tattoos.

It's really tough to project what's gonna happen.

-Oh. -Oh!

-[Matt] Here we go. -All right, judges.

The artists had six hours to prove their ingenuity

by tattooing scars.

We don't know who did what,

but safety from elimination is on the line.

[suspenseful music]

[Joel] Let's bring up the first scar.

[suspenseful music continues]

-It's mine. -[Joel] This was the self-harm.

Cool little skunk with the flower.

And I love the endearing eyes, man; like, so loving.

[Nikko] There's a lotta cool textures and tricks in this.

It's very animated.

[DJ] The illusion of the white on the belly right there

in the shadow is really cool.

[Nikko] I love this tattoo.

[Ryan] It makes you smile, right?

-The skunk's got a good funk. -Cool.

-[Kyra] Cool! -[Matt] Well done, Luka.

-Your tattoo made me happy. -Thank you.

-Let's bring up the next scar. -Oh. That's me.

[Joel] This was the quadruple bypass.

Wow.

[Nikko] I love the black scales. I love the antlers.

It looks fierce.

Bold, bright, perfectly-centered.

I mean, the scar runs through the whole thing.

[DJ] Which is kinda crazy

because you don't see the scar at all.

-[Ryan] Anywhere. -Great tattoo.

-I'll take that. -[Isnard] Your tattoo is cool.

Good job, man.

I think I'm good on dragons, though.

-I think I'm sold out. Whoo! -Let's see the next scar.

-Oh, Boushee! -What up?

[Joel] The near-fatal quad accident.

[DJ] It has some nice gray shading, nice values.

But the legs get a little stiff for me.

The body itself doesn't really match up

with the way it's throwing up its wings.

The head just feels a bit plain.

It doesn't look powerful like the rest of the bird.

[DJ] I woulda liked to see the head tilted

a little bit, maybe upward.

Even a more dynamic positioning to show the power of a phoenix.

-But scar's gone. -I think you did a solid job.

That's what I'm talkin' about. Thank you, Luka. Shit...

-My mama gonna see you say that. -Let's see the next scar.

-Oh! Yeah, that's me. -[Joel] Preventative mastectomy.

[Luka] Wow.

If you're gonna do a rose, you gotta do it like this.

-[sighs] -[Nikko] Really cool contrast

and lighting on the rose.

Adding this really cool curve made this thing flow nicely.

This artist actually used this under curve

and created this beautiful, elegant shape on the body.

[Nikko] I love the way it fades off with the thorns.

I love the butterfly. The butterfly is sick.

[Ryan] Since the butterfly is the only thing in color,

it looks like the butterfly is coming out at you.

-Super effective. -Whoever did this is badass.

Yeah, I think I know who did this.

-Who do you think? -Kyra?

-Yeah? -Kyra?

Kyra is good with that realistic black and gray.

-Thank you. -If Kyra did this tattoo,

then this is hands down the bet tattoo that Kyra has done.

Maybe the best rose that Ink Master has seen.

-[Boushee] Damn! -Let's go!

-[cheering] -[laughing]

-Oh! -I'm proud of you!

-Thank you. -Let's see the next scar.

-Wow. -Oh!

-It's mine. -[Joel] The infected dog bite.

[DJ] Whoa!

This one's tough because it's textured and it's deep.

Some of the lines get away

because you are taking something so circular

and consecutive straight lines over something

that's so textured.

But I love how on the outside, the frame of the tattoo,

is this really beautiful, smooth filigree.

What an ingenious way to create this pocket with these gears,

where you can look into this scar.

[DJ] You can't really make out that deep cavity anymore.

It disguises it 100%.

A lotta things I didn't finish because she was incredible pain.

I have to do a lotta things on the fly.

Havin' to do cogs in that place and with how bad she was doin',

I think you did really well.

Let's see the next scar.

Oh, that's mine.

[Joel] The flesh-eating bacteria.

Wow!

-Whoa! It's huge. -Six hours?

It's bold. It's super impressive.

[Nikko] I like the shapes in the cheeks and the jaw

and the teeth.

I mean, it looks badass.

Whoever did this really complemented not only the scar,

but the entire torso.

[DJ] Doesn't look stagnant, it doesn't look stiff.

It has, like, really cool flow using those really,

like, pitted areas above the teeth.

And the way this drawing was illustrated to cover

that scar was perfect.

Matt did this.

-It's gotta be Matt -Yeah, I think Matt.

[Luka] To go like this, it takes a lotta balls.

It's fucking great.

It's not often you can try to do something so big

and you can pull it off and the canvas sits it.

He probably ain't got no shirt on right now.

[all chuckling]

Let's take a look at the next scar.

Oh, that's my guy.

[Joel] This was the gentleman who was hit by the speeding car.

[DJ] I like the wolf.

It's a bold tattoo, strong outline, nice gray shading,

but the thorns, it's kind of, like, too much of it.

It could have broken up in some spots.

I like the way the paw's drawn and the nails.

[Ryan] It's just a little exaggerated

how that paw would actually curl.

The wrist of the paw goes back like it should be the other leg,

and then it curls around and goes to the other side.

[Joel] Where that claw is coming from is confusing to me.

They did a great job of covering this scar.

It's the illustration that I have a problem with.

It is fucking clean. Like, you can't argue that.

It's tough not being there to be able to tell them the story

of why I did the things that I did, but if I'm in the bottom,

I'll just fuckin' fight my way to the top.

All right, that's it: seven tattoos.

Safety from elimination is on the line.

Artists, we'll call you in when the rankings have been tallied.

-I'm definitely in the bottom. -Yeah, me, too.

We all did great tattoos, but that's not enough.

We down to seven, so it's not about good tattoos no more.

It's about fucking perfect. We're in the end games now.

-That's it. -[tense music]

[dramatic music]

[suspenseful music]

Today you had to use ingenuity to transform

-a scar into a work of art. -Shit was fuckin' hard.

But it felt good.

Based on your work,

each of your tattoos have been ranked by the judges.

-All right. -The four artists

with the highest-ranked tattoos will be safe from elimination.

[suspenseful music continues]

And apparently, there was a tie for the highest-ranked tattoo.

Mm.

Please reveal the first tattoo that tied for the highest rank.

[suspenseful music continues]

-Hey! -Oh-ho-ho!

-Big dog! -[Matt] Kyra!

-[Luka] Good job. -[Nikko] Kyra...

You changed this woman's life forever.

I mean, this tattoo is really beautifully done.

[Ryan] The tattooing is amazing. The layout is amazing.

You should be so,

so proud of yourself and inspired by this.

You rose to the occasion on this one for sure.

-Thank you. -Congratulations, Kyra.

You are safe from elimination.

Yeah! I don't wanna get eliminated!

-[laughing] -[indistinct]

Please reveal the second tattoo that tied for the highest rank.

[suspenseful music continues]

[Joel] The reaper! Who did the reaper?

-Of course. -That had to be Matt.

-I knew it. -[Joel] Dude,

you fuckin' killed this tattoo.

His story was so perfect for me. I'm kinda not afraid of death.

Dude, you're gettin' a reaper!

You're, like, looking death in the face.

Now you're just gonna have to sit.

This big-ass tattoo in that amount of time?

How the fuck did you do that in six hours?

When you do the stomach, when they lay down,

it goes twice the size and you go, "Oh, fuck!"

Dude, if he was self-conscious before,

that dude doesn't have a shred of it anymore.

This tattoo is fucking badass.

Congratulations. You are safe from elimination.

Awesome.

-Dude, this is fucking insane. -Big dog.

Please reveal the third highest ranked tattoo.

[suspenseful music continues]

-[Matt] Hey! -Luka!

-Luka! -Another rodent.

[Joel] I love this tattoo. The belly of it is crazy, bro.

The way you made that look like fur.

This tattoo is so great, man.

You took somethin' that stinks and you made it cute.

-[DJ] You killed it. -I appreciate it.

Thank you, guys.

Congratulations, Luka. You are safe from elimination.

-Hey, Luka. -Technically second.

[laughing]

Please reveal the fourth highest ranked tattoo.

-[suspenseful music continues] -Snap!

-All right. -[laughing]

This guy...

Got a little redemption on the dragon thing.

-Super clean, super legible. -[DJ] And, honestly,

you can't even see the scar anymore,

which is really impressive.

Amazing job, man.

It's nice to not be at the bottom today.

Congratulations, Keahi.

All right.

[Joel] Kyra, Matt, Luka, and Keahi...

the four of you are safe from elimination.

[Keahi] Cool. That's a nice feeling.

The rest of you are not.

You will have one last chance to redeem yourself.

Okay.

Yeah.

The three of you will move directly into a face-off...

Aw, shit!

...tattooing against each other.

For this face-off, you must prove your ingenuity

by combining not one, not two,

but three completely different

subjects into one cohesive tattoo.

Oh, Jesus.

But the power is not completely in your hands.

Come on, doc, my stress level is high.

Each of you must write down one subject

without revealing it to your competitors.

-Oh. -[chuckling]

-That's cool, that's cool. -[Joel] One by one,

the subject that each of you wrote down will be revealed.

-Epic. -Let's go, guys!

[Joel] All of you must then incorporate

all three subjects into your tattoo.

Fuck! I need a therapist.

[Ryan] This is the perfect face-off for testing

you guys with ingenuity/

The things you love most tattooing are probably three

different subject matters.

Just understand that whatever you choose has to be mixed

with whatever the other two competitors choose,

and you have no idea what those other things are gonna be.

[tense music]

Three artists, three subjects,

one shot to stay in this competition.

[suspenseful music]

The artist who loses this face-off will be eliminated.

The artist with the lowest-ranked tattoo

will choose their subject first.

Please reveal the lowest-ranked tattoo.

[suspenseful music continues]

Ooh, damn.

-Got handed a fucking hard one. -The scar was very thin.

I could feel the muscles, the tendons under my needle.

But I'm proud that she was really happy.

You made a lotta great choices.

And overall, this person's leg

looks entirely different and better in every way.

Please step up here and write down your subject.

[suspenseful music]

Cool. Thank you.

Thank you.

[suspenseful music continues]

Please reveal the second lowest ranked tattoo.

[suspenseful music continues]

Oh!

Seth...

I completely understand what you guys are saying.

I'm a technician first and an artist second.

[Nikko] Just get a little bit more loose.

Some of the things could

be changed a little bit and it would change the whole feeling.

I'm really doin' everything

I fuckin' can to push myself to the next level.

I'm gonna come out and fucking crush this next tattoo.

All right, Seth, step up here and write down your subject.

[suspenseful music continues]

-Thank you. -Thank you.

-Thank you. -[Ryan] Yeah.

[suspenseful music continues]

That means, Boushee,

you had the third lowest ranked tattoo.

I'm not surprised at bein' in the bottom right now because,

you know, it's just a phoenix, you know what I'm sayin'?

It's fire as hell, but it's just that.

[Nikko] This isn't a bad tattoo.

I just think small little tweaks, man.

You know, the talons and the head

will make a huge difference,

but overall shape and the flow...

You changed this whole scar forever; badass!

Thank you, thank you. I'm grateful.

Well, come up and write down your subject.

Thank you.

[suspenseful music continues]

Have y'all boys ever tattooed a giraffe before?

[Kyra laughs]

All right.

[suspenseful music continues]

The first subject you must incorporate

into your face-off tattoo is...

[suspenseful music continues]

Lady face.

[Contestants] Ooh!

-Uh-oh. -Good job. Seth.

That wasn't me.

The second subject you must incorporate

into your face-off tattoo is...

[suspenseful music continues]

Chrysanthemum.

-Really? -What the fuck is chrysanthemum?

The flower with a lotta petals.

[chuckling]

Can I write somethin' different? I just fucked y'all up.

[chuckling]

The third and final subject you must incorporate

into your face-off tattoo is...

[suspenseful music continues]

-Skull. -[groaning]

[Kyra] What are you talking about?

Yeah.

-Y'all live. -[chuckling]

You must use your ingenuity

to create a tattoo that seamlessly

incorporates lady face, chrysanthemum, and a skull.

Ask yourself what will make my tattoo stand out?

Make it unique to your style,

and really show off what you can do.

I would create this thing like it was my last

chance to stay in this competition.

-That's what I would do. -Shit, it is.

Tomorrow you will have six hours to tattoo your canvas's thigh.

That's cool bro. Six hours are dope.

[Joel] Your canvases are completely open

and have been randomly assigned.

Please be a good canvas.

[Joel] There is no room for error.

Lose this face-off and you will be packing your machines.

-[suspenseful music continues] -[sighing heavily]

Good luck.

[suspenseful music continues]

[intense music]

[tense music]

-I am your human canvas. -Good to meet you.

Nice to meet you.

I'm gonna show you the piece I came up with.

-[Canvas] Oh, that is sick. -[Boushee] Hell, yeah.

So this is, like, the play for today.

Must have a girl, a skull, and a chrysanthemum.

That's incredible, man.

[Seth] Trippy, yet classic.

It's a big tattoo, but I can get it done.

Isnard, Seth, and Boushee,

you must face off to save yourself from elimination.

You have five hours to tattoo, and your time starts now.

[Seth] We're gonna get the stencil put on you.

Combining three elements that might not go together:

a skull, lady face, and flower?

All right.

[Nikko] You have to definitely use your ingenuity.

-[Seth] That's sick. -[Canvas] Hell, yeah.

And really think about the composition

- of this tattoo. -[Isnard] Good picture.

[DJ] These artists may have picked three simple ingredient,

but I want a Michelin star meal today.

May the best man win.

Damn. I was just gonna say good luck.

[Isnard] Fuck luck. I make my own destiny.

-Ready? -[Canvas] Yep.

[suspenseful music]

Ish, if I send you home, I need you to still be my friend, bro.

I'm here to stay, bro. I'm sorry.

This is a test. This is a final exam.

At this point, we're in the end games.

You better fight to the death. That's it.

[suspenseful music continues]

-Hey, yo, Seth? -Yep.

You got any hidden talents?

-Hell no. -No?

All I can do is tattoo.

I'm a technician. I am a tattooer's tattooer.

But I've gotta be able to show that I'm an artist as well.

And if I can do that,

I know there's no way that they can send me home on this tattoo.

This is different.

You guys liked the last time I went different.

So I figured, why not take a swing and go for it again?

I'm goin' way outta the box on this tattoo.

It could either work or I could fall flat on my face.

There are four hours left.

[suspenseful music continues]

-Look at you go. -This is me, the flower's Seth.

And that's Isnard.

[Boushee] And I'm torturing the fuck out of him.

Tellin' a story.

I want to design something that's a wow.

Like, you didn't expect it.

This competition is fuckin' crazy.

Seth is amazing. He's a real solid tattooer.

He's real clean.

Isnard, he's probably the most creative person here.

Everybody here is amazing at what they do.

You view me as an underdog.

But I will spank your ass in black and gray.

You stay in your lane and I'ma stay in mine.

But if you bring your ass in this yard,

I promise you ain't makin' it out.

You've got two hours.

[suspenseful music continues]

[Isnard] I love to two colors.

That's my edge.

[Canvas] Have you always been an artist then?

[Isnard] Yeah. I always loved to draw.

I started, really, literally, started and never stopped.

I love, like, to play around with the elements.

Crazier they are? Even better.

You know, if I think of something weird,

I'm like, I'm gonna try to draw this.

[Canvas] Yeah.

My lady face, she's a geisha vampire zombie.

She's fierce. She's angry.

She's ready to bite the head off the competition.

People are like, "Where you come up with these ideas?"

I'm like, "Bro, I don't know. I just do it."

The pressure is on. This is a competition.

I'm here to win.

[suspenseful music continues]

-You've got 30 minutes. -God damn.

Y'all boys good on time?

-[suspenseful music continues] -Shit...

[Seth] We don't have too much longer, man.

Doin' a little final touch-ups and shit.

Five... Four...

Three... Two... One...

That's it. Time's up. No more ink.

-That's it, man. You're done. -We're done, bro.

-That shit hard as fuck. -[Canvas] Oh, that is sick.

[Boushee] That shit look good. We killed that.

-Very happy. -It looks incredible.

We're going to keep me here. No one can do better than this.

This tattoo is gonna save my ass.

I'm not fuckin' going nowhere.

[intense music]

No matter what happened, I'm super confident in this tattoo

I just did, that shit was fire as hell.

I wish I would be like that.

Lookin' at you,

how you carry yourself, how you focus all the positive energy.

-I mean... -[Luka] I need you to teach me.

Shit, yeah... I gotta fight for my fuckin' life now.

The main reason that I'm here, man, is my wife.

I love that.

She sees the side of me that nobody else sees.

And every day she tells me how proud of me she is.

And it just keeps me fuckin'

goin' to do a better tattoo than the day before.

The motivation...

I'm here to do the best tattoos I can so that I can fucking win.

Being like this, bro, it just show you human. It's okay.

I don't wanna be human. I wanna be a tattoo machine.

[Ishnard chuckling]

[dramatic music]

Today, you had to prove your ingenuity by incorporating

three different subjects into one tattoo.

Based on your work, one of you will be packing your machines.

-[Joel] Let's see how you did. -Good luck, my boy.

-You, too, bro. -Good luck, guys.

-Boushee... -[suspenseful music]

-Let's get straight in it. -This tattoo's sick.

I like the way the girl's face

is warped inside this crystal ball.

It's not just straight and flat.

I love how crispy the skull is compared to the face.

It makes the face look like its actually in that glass ball.

I like how you didn't really use any black inside the ball.

I like that ghosty, warped image.

I didn't just come here to just be doin' regular shit

like the old me.

I'm a whole new person.

You stepped it up on this piece.

You wanted to show us the best tattoo you've done

in this competition.

And you did it.

Shit, yeah! That's what I'm talkin' 'bout!

-Damn! -Yeah, Boushee.

Thank you, y'all. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

-Seth... -[suspenseful music continues]

This is a beautiful tattoo. It's clean. It's colorful.

[Ryan] The way that you rendered the hair, it has movement.

It has a style to it.

[DJ] You really used an ingenious way

to bring the hair into the nec,

becoming, like, this side neck tattoo.

And then coming into, like, this skull.

It's just really beautifully done.

I love all the lines in it. Do more skulls like that.

It's my favorite part in this piece.

With this one, I just got super inspired.

[Joel] You stepped up and created something

-really cool and different. -Thank you so much.

-It's really fuckin' cool. -[Seth] Thanks, guys.

-Isnard... -[suspenseful music continues]

I love the pink skeleton.

I like that you didn't try to put too much detail in.

I like that all the details in the face,

that's really the focal point.

You pull off these cool tricks you're not afraid to, like,

pull that weird gray and purple down the whole forehead

and leave just these wrinkles in the brow lines.

It's ballsy.

I love the chrysanthemum brooch.

From the absolutely perfect tiny little gold chain on the bottom?

-It's killer. -I love the mouth.

I love the whole expression of speaking your mind

and the skeleton on top pulling this mouth open.

Dude, this thing's sick.

[upbeat rock music]

[Luka] It's great.

It's so amazing... Three good tattoos.

-[suspenseful music] -[sighing]

It's time to determine who's going home.

These are three fucking great tattoos.

One of the best, if not the best,

tattoos each of them have done so far in this competition.

I really like Seth's ingenuity.

The skull and the way it goes into the hair?

It's unique.

Seth's throws me off a little bit.

I think her mouth's a little off and her nose.

I also love Isnard's bubblegum skeleton.

It takes a lot of creative ideas

to make something different that I've never seen.

[Joel] The drawing's super cool.

[Ryan] And Boushee putting

that lady face inside a crystal ball was really unexpected.

But I wish there was just one stark,

big highlight that really defined that glare.

It flattens out a bit.

The black and gray is cool and I like the crystal ball.

I think that's different.

But then I think about ingenuity

and who really brought something different

that I haven't seen a lot of.

-My vote... -[suspenseful music continues]

...is for Boushee to go home

On Ingenuity Day, it's just a little short.

I'm not voting for Boushee to go home.

[suspenseful music continues]

My vote is for Isnard to go home.

The design is cool, the ingenuity is there.

But I don't like it.

I like Isnard's. I think it's a great design.

So I was kind of weighing Boushee and Seth's.

Counting the number of things that I

like and dislike about each,

because that's what I have to do when there's three good

tattoos up there.

-My vote... -[suspenseful music continues]

...is for Boushee.

So that's two votes for Boushee. One vote for Isnard.

All three of these tattoos are super successful.

Fuck... Even though I really love it...

My vote is for Boushee.

[suspenseful music continues]

[Joel] The judges have decided.

Boushee, you do not have what it takes to be Ink Master.

Damn. You should have emailed me that.

You ain't gotta say that in front of my friends.

[chuckling]

Leave my picture up there. I got somethin' to say.

Damn, that look good.

I'm proud as hell.

Where I come from, I promise, you don't make it out of there.

And the fact that I even beat that and I'm here?

I'm in the middle of the ocean with sharks.

And I made it to the top seven?

You can't tell me I ain't a winner.

I am thoroughly impressed with you.

I can tell you've had to bet

on yourself your whole life and you make you shine.

I know you're going to continue to have more and more success,

because you take anything

you're handed and you turn it into a win.

That's what it takes to be successful in life.

Thank you, thank you.

Please pack your machines and close shop.

[Boushee] Let me get some hugs and some love, y'all.

I did that shit.

I love y'all, boy. I made it this far.

I love y'all, man.

Thank y'all for the opportunity, man.

Your boy outta here!

-[laughing] -[upbeat rock music]

[Boushee] I might not have won the money or the title,

but I beat the odds of where I come from.

I did every single thing I thought I couldn't do.

I done everything that people thought I couldn't do.

I came from nothin' to somethin'.

And I'm fuckin' proud of that.

[upbeat rock music continues]

[Joel] On the next episode of Ink Master:

-Don't get stuck. -[Luka] Starting to panic.

-[Kyra] Oh, chill! -[intense music]

Maybe some people start trippin' the fuck up.

You must tattoo micro-realistic postage stamps.

Whoa! This is intense.

I would have done the turtle.

Personally, I would have done the turtle.

[Canvas] Does he always talk this much shit?

I'm like, uh... freaking out here.

-[Matt] You sound nervous. -[scoffs]

[DJ] Who's gonna make it to their destination?

And who's gonna get lost in the mail?

-You know what I mean? -Send with a kiss.

[upbeat rock music]

[music]

[music]