All language subtitles for Ink.Master.S16E09.en

[Narrator] Previously on
Ink Master...

[Anthony] Today is not the day
to leave the glass half empty.

[Pony] Don't you fucking drip
on me.

[Narrator]
In the flash challenge...

Oh, God,
I have so much to go.

[Narrator] The Young Guns
came out swinging.

[Woman] Lock it in.

That looks like
a 5th grader did it.

[Ryan] James and Steph.

[DJ] Dare I say
boring to me.

[Nikko] I kinda like
the Young Guns.

This thing's looking at you
like, "Come on in,"

and they slide down
a pool of blood.

[Joel] The winner
of the flash challenge

is the Young Guns.

We all have a common enemy
in this competition.

[Narrator]
In the elimination tattoo...

James and Anthony
should be worried

'cause we're
coming for them.

[Narrator] Face tattoos
left nowhere to hide.

[Woman 3] Even shaving
is getting it

to be red and inflamed.

[Anthony] Good tattoos
go home now.

I'm just trying to make sure
that I do the best good tattoo

[Jade] If I don't figure
this out, I'm going home.

[Narrator] In the elimination,

Anthony, Cat, and Jade
were the bottom three.

When I look at them,
all three together,

I see a little bit more tricks
in Cat's.

When I look at Anthony's,

I see some weight
and aggression.

Jades, if it was just
that mandala,

those feathers weren't there,
totally different outcome.

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

[Narrator] Five artists remain,

but only one will earn
a $250,000 prize

and the title
of Ink Master.

[rock music]

Only one Young Gun left.

Sucks to have seen Jade leave.

I do actually wanna feel
really, really happy

about making it this far
and being the last Young Gun,

but today's just a little bit
of an off day for me.

You deserve to be here.

Are you feeling guilt?

It's what postpartum depression
looks like.

I don't think it's a surprise
to anybody here, though,

that this is
the last five standing.

-Thanks, Pony.
-Honestly.

-I started in the bottom.
-[Anthony] So did Pony.

[Pony] Same, I was...

[Anthony] So you're not
the only one.

[Cat] How are you guys feeling?

Are you feeling confident
being four OGs strong

or are you feeling
intimidated by each other?

[James] I'm intimidated
by everyone here.

But I'm also excited
'cause I love challenges.

This is what the game is about.
Is it gonna hurt? Fuck, yeah.

But it's not gonna change
your life

except for making us stronger.

[Stephanie] I feel like
this is a true competition

because I think we're
all strong in areas

and it's cool to be able
to do this with you guys.

Now the competition
has started.

[dramatic music]

Damn.
Why are there ten?

That doesn't make
a whole lot of sense.

[Joel] Welcome.
We started this competition

with 16 artists.

And now only five of you remain.

Just the awkward five.

You now have
a one in five chance

at winning $250,000

and the title
of Ink Master.

So close.

But the fight to the finish
is going to be a brutal one.

Only three of you
will secure your spot

in the finale.

And two of you
will be eliminated.

Crazy,

This is a double elimination.

Here we go.

Wish you guys luck.
You're gonna need it.

Being an Ink Master
is all about versatility,

not matter how long
you've been tattooing.

Yeah.

You must be able
to tattoo any style

any day.

To earn your spot
in the finale,

you must create
the ultimate

mashup tattoo.

I love mixing styles.

I'm actually really excited.

Mashups is a great way
to show versatility.

You get to do two different
kind of styles

and make them work.

It can go really right,

but it can also go
really wrong.

Today, your fate is completely
up to the skulls.

Luck of the draw.

On the table
are 10 skulls

with 10 different styles
split into two separate groups.

Each of you must pick a skull
from each group

to determine the two
completely different styles

you must incorporate
into one cohesive tattoo.

Zoinks.

[Stephanie] This challenge
is wild.

We're literally leaving it
up to chance

what two styles
we're gonna get.

Let's see
where fate takes us.

There is one more thing
you should know.

Come on.

[Joel] Your mashup tattoos
must speak for themselves

because the judges
will score these tattoos

without knowing which artist
tattooed which mashup.

-Even Steven.
-Yep.

[Tambe] You got some wacky shit
up there.

It's gonna be difficult.

And most important thing
with these mashups

is how to utilize these two
completely different styles

to give one
overall feeling.

One by one,
please pick one skull

from each group to determine
your mashup tattoo.

And, remember, do not
show the judges.

The picking order
has been randomly assigned.

Anxiety through the roof
right now.

Stephanie, you're up first.

Ooh.

Literally, the one style
I didn't want to get.

I love being creative.

I can't do that
with American traditional.

My mind is blank.

Seems kinda happy
and sad.

That was a happy-sad.

I just don't know how to be
super creative

with these two styles.

I wanna know.

Not giving
anything away.

Anthony, you're up next.

Sweaty palms.

Don't fuck it up.

Sweet.

Neo traditional, clear color,
full of lines.

That's my jam.

Womp, womp, womp.

Fine line tattooing,
it's soft, it's delicate.

Cool.
[laughter]

Guess I'll take it.

It's not my jam,
but that's my jam today.

James, choose your fate.

Swing and a miss.

It's not a good start.

Instead of one turd,
I got a turd pile.

[whimpering]
[laughter]

[James] Don't like watercolor.
It's not in my wheelhouse.

I don't know
how it looks.

I don't know
how to apply it.

I don't, don't, don't.

Literally, worst-case scenario.

Next up, Pony.

All right,
take this bad boy.

Cool.

I can work with that.

It's like two sides
of the same coin.

Cool.

New school is all about
breaking art conventions.

And surrealism is about
bending reality,

so how do you even
tell those two apart?

[Joel] And, finally, Cat.

Please pick your skulls.

[Man] Tough choice.

I wanted that one.

That feels
so much better,

that I know Japanese
is in my hands

and not anywhere near
the Tex guys.

I just got
the two best styles.

I'll take it.

"I suck."
"No, you suck more."

"I suck."

"It's okay. Let's merge."

Sorry, I'm losing
my mind right now.

The mashups are set.

You will have six hours
to show us what you're made of

and to secure a spot
in the top three.

Two of you
will be packing your machines.

Nice to know you guys.

Get to work on your designs

and we'll send in
your canvases.

Good luck.

This challenge is a doozy.

I can't imagine
a harder challenge

than mashing up two styles
that you didn't choose.

[indistinct chatter]

[Stephanie] All right,
let's hear it.

-[Anthony] What you got?
-We saw that reaction.

-I have watercolor.
-I knew it.

-Bio-mech watercolor.
-Yeah, isn't that cool?

You bet ya.

Bio-mech watercolor?

I thought
I had the worst.

-No, I have the worst.
-Yes, you do.

These artists are the top five
in this entire competition.

If anyone could take
this challenge on,

it should be them.

Gotta wrap my head
around this.

For biomechanical
and watercolor,

it's a dead zone.

I don't think no one has ever
tattooed these styles together

in the history
of tattooing.

Doesn't make sense working
these together.

Biomechanical is robotic
organic flowing matter

and watercolor is just
mimicking watercolor paintings.

This is a lot to put
in one tattoo, man.

If this tattoo is supposed to
get me to the finale,

I could be screwed.

[dramatic music]

-Hi, I'm your human canvas.
-I'm Stephanie.

So today we are mixing
Japanese and realism.

[Man] That sounds good.

This is what we got, man.

A biomech water
with a mermaid in there

and this is gonna be watercolor.

-Sounds good.
-Sound good?

Artists, you have six hours

to earn your spot
in the finale.

And your time starts now.

All right, just wanna try this
on here, man, okay?

These mashup tattoos
are extremely difficult.

These artists have to combine
two styles

that normally don't go together

and make a tattoo that looks
like one design.

I'm excited.

I think the judges
will appreciate my ingenuity

with geometrics.

And this tattoo's
gotta be badass.

This is
a double elimination.

The fun and games
are over.

Now it's time
to tattoo your ass off

and show us why you should be
in that finale.

-Let the fun begin.
-[Man] All right, we got this.

My mashup involves
neo traditional

and black-and-gray fine line.

Fine line, I'm gonna apply
into the flowers

just to help
frame it out.

The fine line stuff is pretty
soft.

Fine line tattooing, that's
complete opposite thinking

of how I put
my own tattoos on skin.

It's delicate, soft,
it's hardly in there.

But I'm super glad Stephanie,
Cat, or even Pony

didn't get fine line

because they do
a lot of delicate tattooing.

I took away
one of their strengths.

But I've gotta make this
one of my strengths.

Artists, there are
five hours left.

[Cat] My tattoo
is a dragon head

that's half Japanese
and half black-and-gray realism.

What's difficult about this
is that

dragons are not real.

This light
and these shadows

and this subject matter
doesn't exist,

so I have to create it
and make it look realistic.

[Man] What made you leave
California?

[Cat] Settling down,

so now I have a baby.

I am going through
postpartum depression right now.

I feel really guilty.
I'm missing milestones.

I'm missing a lot
by being here.

It's all gonna be worth it,
though.

We are so close.

Now I need
to pull out all the stops

and try to make this happen.

[Woman] Are there
any rules for new school?

It's the little more
loose style.

And surrealism is like
realistic

but with unrealistic features.

I'm going to make
this skull and crossbones,

and rip it out
of my sketchbook,

and make it look like
it's actually sitting

on my canvas' leg.

If I don't nail these shadows

and put them
right where they belong,

it's going to ruin
the entire illusion.

There are three hours.

My strong suit
is my color abilities.

So I want to do
a tattoo

that has a really cool
colorful glow.

What glows
in American traditional?

A lantern.

This one's very time-consuming,
all those little shapes.

Inside the lantern,

I'm tattooing
the geometric design negative

so there's a glowing color
on the inside.

Blue or yellow
are the only two colors

that I keep going back
and forth with

for the flowers.

We are so close
to the finale.

This is the one tattoo that's
gonna guarantee I make it.

I think
I'm gonna do them blue.

Those are
little sploosh splashes.

[James] My tattoo
is a mermaid

painted in watercolor

with biomechanical finger waves
around it.

How many watercolor tattoos
have you ever done?

I can't believe
how fucked I am right now.

This is the tattoo
that's supposed

to get me to the finale?

But at least I could pull off
things that I'm confident in

which is great composition,
good shading,

solid coloring,
and a pretty face.

There is one hour remaining.

[rock music]

Do you know
how many minutes we have?

[Man]
It looks like one.

Five, four, three, two, one.

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

That's gonna do it.

[Woman] Oh, my gosh.

-I'm fucking stoked.
-[Woman] I love it.

Check it out, man.

[Man] That looks awesome.

You didn't notice James
was really struggling

during his design time.

That's funny,
you wake up so stoked.

No, it's gonna be
a great day.

Biomech watercolor.
[James laughing]

I think the watercolor
threw him off a little bit.

We'll see
how things go.

But two people
are going home,

so it's even
a little more nerve-wracking.

[dramatic music]

[dramatic music]

Well, this should be fun.

[Cat] I'm pretty nervous.

That challenge
was definitely weird.

There were a couple things that
I was hoping I wouldn't get.

Like biomech watercolor
would've been insane.

I'd like to say
it's my kind of watercolor.

-[Pony] Here we go.
-Bring it on.

Yesterday, the artists

had to mix two completely
different and random styles

to create
the ultimate mashup tattoo.

We have no idea which artist
did which mashup tattoo

or even which two styles
they had to mash up.

Three spots in the finale
are on the line.

It's kinda sweaty.

[Joel] Artists, there's
one more thing you should know.

Here we go again.

It's one thing
to be versatile.

But to be Ink Master,
you must be

the most versatile artist
in the room.

To prove you deserve a spot
in the finale,

you must create

a second mashup tattoo.

-God!
-What the fuck?

[Joel] In the same
two styles

and the same subject

that another artist
tattooed yesterday.

Holy shit.

Are we fucking tattooing today?

[Joel] Yesterday, the skulls
handed you your style.

Today, you get
to choose.

Give me Steph's,
give me Steph's.

Long as I don't have
to do the same one, I'm happy.

Once again, your tattoo
must speak for itself

because it will be
critiqued and scored

by the judges without knowing
who created which tattoo.

So it's a blind critique then.

Based on both
the tattoo you did yesterday

and the tattoo
you do today,

two of you will be packing
your machines.

Same.

Start designing and we'll
send in your canvases.

-Good luck.
-Wild.

They're all
really fucking good.

[Stephanie] Anthony's
is really cool.

[Pony] It's neo traditional,
you killed that fox.

[Stephanie] I can't
compete with that.

I kinda wanna try James'

just so that
I'm not playing it safe.

I have a really good idea
for what you did.

The biomech watercolor
is the most challenging

and I think it's gonna be able
to showcase adaptability

and creativity the most.

I think so. I guess
I'm choosing James'.

I'm choosing James'.

[Cat] I can't believe
we're offering ourselves

to do watercolor biomech.

Nobody wants to do
a cool piece of paper?

[contestants laughing]

Fuck, if you just didn't do
a realistic dragon.

'Cause dragons
aren't realistic.

I'm gonna do
the fucking dragon.

It's not fucking real.

Got it.

I don't know about you guys,
but I'm gonna get to it

-and start designing.
-Same.

You bet your ass
I'm gonna do a dragon.

I gotta try to find
a real picture of a statue.

-[Anthony] Yeah.
-There's your realism.

Fucking clever fuck.

Redemption time.

Now it's time to blow some minds
and kick some ass.

[dramatic music]

-[Woman] I'm your human canvas.
-I'm James.

We're working on
a traditional lantern

with geometric shapes.

Okay, all right.

Artists, it's time
to out-tattoo

one of your competitors

with a second mashup tattoo.

You have six hours
to prove you deserve a spot

in the finale,
and your time starts now.

[imitates mariachi trumpet]

This elimination tattoo
is yet again another mashup,

but this time,
the artist gets to choose

who's mashup
they wanna tattoo

and out-tattoo.

I just realized I'm using
the exact same color palette

that James did.

You're getting directly
compared to another artist,

that could ultimately knock you
out of the finale.

[Cat] I'm gonna blend
these grips down.

This is where strategy
comes into play.

You could pick something

you're super comfortable with
at home

that you could really shine on,

our you could outdo somebody
you think didn't do the best.

I like that.
That looks pretty solid.

[Tambe] This is where
your heart starts pounding.

You're sweating.

You forget everything
you know about tattooing

'cause you just wanna
make it to that finale.

All right, all right,
here we go.

The competition is at a point

where it is fucking
pretty tight.

Everyone's been
at the bottom once.

And then everyone's got
a tattoo of the day.

But I think versatility
goes a lot longer.

I'm choosing
Pony's mashup

because I think Pony forgot
the surrealism aspect of it.

He just did the realism.

[Pony] The little bone
is crazy.

Well, that big bone,
I should say.

[Anthony] I'm going to do
the skull and bones

in a very exaggerated style

but also slowly dissolving
and dissipating

into butterflies.

The surrealism is dreamy.

It doesn't really make sense.

[Pony] You do know
what you're doing.

[Anthony] I'm fucking trying.

Thanks, Pony, for choosing
skull and crossbones

because I get
to fucking crush you

with something
I'm stoked on.

[Man] What's your favorite
style to do?

[Pony] Usually, black
and gray realism,

but I like bouncing around.

I don't like to just do
the same thing over and over.

I'm gonna play it
on a safer side

because I know I can pull off
American traditional

and geometric.

Traditional is great

because you really hone in
your skills, your foundations.

After seeing
Stephanie's lantern,

I felt like I could make
that thing glow a lot more.

[Stephanie] You've done
more traditional tattoos.

[Pony] For real, right?

This tattoo is gonna remove
any doubt from the judges

that I am the most
technically sound tattooer

in the room.

You have four hours remaining.

[James] My spot in the finale
is not guaranteed yet

especially because
of my biomechanical

watercolor mashup tattoo
that I did yesterday.

I wanna see your dragon.

[James] Just trying to keep up
with you young kids.

I'm not gonna play it safe
with just a face.

I'm gonna do more
of the body of the dragon,

better composition,

and a way better realistic wind
in the background.

This tattoo
is my last chance.

There are two hours left.

A little watercolor biomech.

We're reinventing
the wheel again.

You can't reinvent it twice.

Apparently, you can

'cause I'm doing a different
line and shapes.

I am not
a biomechanical expert.

I've done a lot
of watercolor before,

but I know I can do a better

biomechanical watercolor
lady face than James.

And I'm intrigued by it,
honestly.

If I don't choose something
really difficult this time,

it's gonna be looked at
like a copout.

You show me
how it's done, right?

[indistinct]

Never thought I'd be saying that
like,

"I'm doing
biomech watercolor today."

Why would anyone
in their right mind

pick the mashup
of biomechanical and watercolor

when there's
other better options?

I'm washing some opaque-y colors
over the top of it.

-[James] Pretty.
-Thanks, bye.

James chose to do
a lady face in his tattoo,

so I'm gonna tattoo
a lady's face

turning into a robot.

I feel like today
hit the challenge

and it looks
really freaking cool.

James got the hardest ask

and I feel like I can tattoo it
stronger than he did.

And today's my son's birthday.
I'm missing it.

[Woman] Oh, how old is he?

Three.

The mom guilt is feeling
more real than ever.

The only thing that's making me
feel comforted in this situation

is knowing that,
when he gets older,

he's gonna look back
and be rooting for me.

Five, four, three, two, one.

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

-Sweet. You wanna take a peek?
-Sure.

[imitates whip]
Oh, yeah.

Holy shit, dude.
Is that a cool dragon?

[Woman] He's a cool dragon.

Oh, my God.
I love the colors.

Never thought I'd be attempting
biomechanical watercolor,

but here we are.

I think we all tattooed
watercolor differently.

But you guys did
do less biomechanical.

Both of Cat's pieces
were aesthetically pleasing.

And I think one of James' pieces
was not aesthetically pleasing.

So that makes me feel like
he might be in the bottom.

[James] Steph's feeling
pretty confident.

-[Cat] Yeah, she is.
-Reality check's coming.

[dramatic music]

[dramatic music]

Ready to rip off
this Band-Aid?

We've got two tattoos each,

so it's gonna be a lot
of ripping.

-Here we go.
-Buckle up.

[Joel] So the artists had to
prove their versatility

with not one
but two mashup tattoos.

Round one, the artists
had to pick skulls

to determine the styles
they had to mash up.

Rip that Band-Aid off, please.

Round two, the artists
had to pick a mashup

they wanted to tattoo
from round one.

Based on these tattoos,

three artists
are going to the finale.

It all comes down
to this.

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

Oh. Here we go.
That's me.

[Ryan] I love how both
individual styles

are absolutely distinct.

[Tambe] You see the realism
and Japanese in it.

[Nikko] That color's
super solid, super saturated.

Those lines
are super clean.

It's a crispy color tattoo.

That realism's dope too.

[Tambe] This is amazing realism.

It has great three-dimension

and really beautiful textures
in it.

This artist released
the dragon within themself.

-Yeah.
-[Man] This is sick.

Oh, my gosh. I was seriously so
loving this one.

[Joel] Let's see
the next mashup.

That's mine.

[Joel] This artist drew
American traditional

and geometric.

I like the geometric
inside the lantern

and I like
the negative flame in there.

[Nikko] The lantern color
is really cool.

Inside, it almost
reminds me of stained glass.

[Ryan] But I don't like
the blue flowers.

It's the wrong color.

It's busy
and complicated.

[Joel] That being said,

they did it American traditional
style to a T.

I agree. I should've
just kept it simple

and done traditional flowers.

Hopefully, it'll get me
to the finale.

[Joel] Let's see
the next mashup.

There's my golden jewel.

[Joel] This artist picked
biomechanical and watercolor.

-What a weird combo.
-[Nikko] Really difficult.

[Joel] This tattoo
looks beautiful.

And I definitely see watercolor.

I think
it's a gorgeous tattoo.

[Nikko] I really like
the biomechanical side.

These bug-like
robotic waves turned metal.

And then I like that
the watercolor woman

is holding onto one of them

and interacting
with these bug-like things.

Creates this world.

That was the smartest part
about this tattoo

because there's interaction
between the styles.

[James grunts]

Well, James,
gotta hand it to you.

First time watercolor,
you're welcome.

That went way better
than I thought.

[Joel] Let's see
the next tattoo.

Oh, here we go.
That's mine.

[Joel] Neo traditional
and fine line black-and-gray.

Where's the fine line
black-and-gray?

[Joel] You don't think
those flowers

look like
fine line black-and-gray?

[Nikko] I think
they're fine line.

Those lines are finer

than the ones
around the fox.

[Tambe] Fox is beautiful.

[Ryan] This fox
is beautiful.

It's elegant.
It has so much flow.

Even the pose
and the position of the fox.

It's a big,
beautiful tattoo.

-The fox is so nice.
-Thanks.

It's no watercolor.

[Joel] Moving on.

That's mine.

[Joel] This artist chose
new school and surrealism.

New school
would be the skull.

[Ryan] What's the surrealism
aspect of it?

I almost feel
like this tattoo

hits more realism
than surrealism

because of the shadows
and the way they fall.

They look so realistic.

Even if you look
at how all the paper

is ripped
on all of the edges.

[Tambe] Like fuzzy.

[Nikko] Cool, yeah,
it has a different texture.

-[Ryan] I love the paper.
-[Nikko] Those are cool tricks.

[James] It's cool paper, man.

That's a cool, cool trick.

I'm fucking pumped about it.

[Joel] So that
was round one.

Now we move on
to round two.

In round two,
the artist could pick

any tattoo
that wasn't their own.

Same styles,
and same subject.

Round one, their fate
was all determined.

Round two, they get to choose
their own fate.

[Joel] Yeah. All right,
let's bring up the first tattoo.

Okay. Mine.

[Joel] This looks like
it's the new school surrealism.

It's crazy how the butterflies
are breaking off the skull

which is a really cool
surrealistic idea.

Definitely exaggerated
proportions on the skull.

The color put in
super solid.

It's a cool mix.

You killed me
on that one.

No, lie.

[Joel] Let's look at this
side-by-side

with the round one tattoo.

[Tambe] The second one,
both styles

are really definitive.

The first one, it's hard
figuring out

how surreal
it really is.

I mean, that tattoo
is so badass, though.

That's what all our guts
feel like.

Just an explosion
of butterflies.

Yeah.

[Joel] All right, let's look
at the next round two mashup.

[Nikko] This piece
is sick.

Super smooth
black-and-gray realism

on that back dragon.

Foreground really clean.

That teal
is so saturated.

And this front dragon

just has so much emotion
to it

and it's different
and modern.

The dragon's
real wonky and cool.

I love the spine.
Scales are sick.

I love the belly.
It's got a lot of personality.

It tells a story to me
in a really cool way.

[Nikko] The illustration
is just cool to look at.

[Joel] Let's look at it

up against the other
Japanese realism tattoo.

[Ryan] Two completely
different styles

when it comes
to the illustration,

but these
are pretty neck-and-neck.

[Tambe] These are two
badass artists right here, man.

[Cat] Well, here I am

with my tattoos head-to-head
against James, twice.

[Joel] All right, let's look
at the next round two mashup.

That's me.
Here we go.

[Nikko] Did anyone
think we'd see

more than one watercolor
biomechanical mashup?

-Definitely not.
-I definitely did not.

[Tambe] It's a cool
illustration.

The chest panel on it,
got that bio-y feel.

I do see
the watercolor in the face.

[Ryan] This absolutely hits
both styles.

[Nikko] I just don't really
understand the background.

I'm picturing this tattoo
without the background.

Afterthought.

[Ryan] It doesn't look
watercolor or bio

and I feel like it takes
away from both of those styles.

At least he said
I hit the two-step.

[Joel] Let's look
at the next tattoo.

Is this
another bio watercolor?

[Joel] The styles don't scream
as loudly at me.

It's not as obvious to me.

Maybe it's the face
of a futuristic robot lady.

-This is a gorgeous tattoo.
-Yeah.

[Ryan] From the highlight
under the eyebrow,

how it dips
into the shadow,

and then gets
lighter again

as the eye rolls out.

And I do like
the circuit board feeling of it

to make it feel digital.

[Joel] Let's take
a look at all three.

[Nikko] The first one
is blatantly those two styles.

The middle
is a great design,

but I have to search
for the styles I'm looking for.

And the last one, I like
the design the most.

[Ryan] This tattoo
is incredible.

[Joel] But is it a mashup?

[Ryan] Does it hit those styles?

At least I did something
that I love

and I feel like represents me
as an artist.

Just looking
at all three of these

makes me giggle.

It's so different.

[Joel] So let's take a look
at the last mashup tattoo.

That's mine.

[Joel] Someone chose
the lantern.

[Nikko] I love the gold.
It's got a lot of tricks.

And light source, which is
really difficult in traditional.

I like how they did fireflies
with no geometric in them.

[Ryan] The geometric
is in multiple spots,

but it's definitely
more balanced.

[Joel] Let's look at it
side-by-side

with the other lantern
from round one.

[Ryan] They both hit
American traditional.

They both hit geometric.

[Nikko] I do think
the second artist

edged up the first artist

by taking it
to that next level.

[Anthony] There you go, Pony.

They had me down in the dirt,
ready to be buried,

and then they're like,
"This fucking lantern's sick."

All right, that's it.
We have to score

each one of these tattoos
individually.

[Tambe] This is tough
'cause they all crushed it.

[Joel] Based on these tattoos
and their scores,

three artists
are going to the finale.

Two artists
will be going home.

Can we get it over with already?

Artists, we'll
call you in

when the rankings
have been tallied.

It's out
of our hands now.

One of us, if not both of us,
are going to the finale.

Well, hopefully.

[James] After the watercolor
tattoo,

I did feel
a little defeated,

but it's still not over,

and, hopefully,
I get a chance.

[Stephanie] I didn't want it
to be so close

that I wasn't sure if I was
gonna make it to the finale.

If I make it,
it's just barely.

-We came so far.
-[Stephanie] I know.

We've got one more step.

For my own validation,
I want to win this.

I've been tattooing
for 14 years

and I want to know

that everything
that I've poured into this

-is something.
-[Pony] It's paying off.

In the beginning,
my mom, she was like,

"I just hope it's a phase
you're gonna grow out of."

Be an engineer.
Do anything but tattoo.

[Pony] Yeah, that's funny.
My mom thought the same thing.

When I got my first tattoo
at 14,

then I told her
that's what I wanted to do.

She just did not want me
to tattoo

and now she's one
of my biggest fans.

And I think this will make them
even more proud.

My mom is going
paycheck to paycheck.

She's just trying
to make ends meet.

[Stephanie] So this
would make a difference,

a huge difference,
for your mom

if you were able
to win this.

Yep.

We both have a lot
riding on this competition.

[dramatic music]

This week, you had to prove
your versatility

by tattooing not one

but two completely different
mashup tattoos.

That was a wild one.

Based only
on your work,

each of your tattoos
have been scored by the judges.

The combined scores
of both of your tattoos

will determine
your rankings.

The three artists
with the highest rankings

will secure a spot
in the finale.

Are you guys ready
to find out the results?

-Yep.
-Let's go.

I don't know
if I'm ready.

Yeah, we're
in the same boat.

Please reveal
the highest-ranked tattoos.

Yeah, of course.

Those are your tattoos, James,
I take it?

These are mine, yeah,
I'm stoked.

[Joel] Congratulations, James.

You secured
your spot in the finale.

It's been a long ride,
but it's worth it, man.

Just the adrenaline that's
pumping through me right now,

it's insane.
[indistinct]

Both of these
are killer tattoos.

[James] Right on.

Please reveal the second-highest
ranked tattoos.

Fucking hell, that's...

-Wow.
-These tattoos are sick, dude.

[Anthony] This is wild.

I'm just stoked I get to be
in the finale with my father.

So that's pretty fucking rad.

First time in Ink Master history

father, son competing
against each other.

I treat him like an equal,
so I'm super happy.

The wife said,
"Just don't fight."

We're still family
after this.

'Cause we're gonna fight.

[Joel] Congratulations, Anthony.

You have secured
your spot in the finale.

Thanks, guys.

Three artists remain,
but there is only one spot

left in the finale.

Please reveal the lowest-ranked
mashup tattoos.

That artist
will be eliminated.

[dramatic music]

Not surprised.

Pony, you do not have
what it takes

to be Ink Master.

I knew it was my time.

This competition is crazy harder
than I thought it was gonna be.

It's been a blast.

I would do it again
in a heartbeat.

You did a bunch
of badass,

solid, clean
fucking rad tattoos.

You are a master
of your craft.

Right on. Thank you.

Please pack your machines
and close shop.

[Pony] It's a bummer that I
didn't make it to the finale

but thrilled
that I made it this far.

Being forced out
of your comfort zone,

doing tattoos
that you normally don't do,

you get to test yourself.

I think I passed this test
with flying colors.

I'm definitely more proud
of myself now

than I was before coming
into this competition.

[Joel] Stephanie and Cat.

Based on your work,

one of you
will be competing

in the finale.

One of you will be packing
your machines.

Please reveal the third
highest-ranked tattoos.

That artist will secure
the last spot in the finale.

Whose tattoos are these?

Those are mine.

Cat, congratulations, you have
secured the last spot

in the finale.

Good job.

That means, Stephanie, you do
not have what it takes

to be Ink Master.

I definitely pushed myself
as hard as I could

and took on the hardest ask.

I really am proud of what
I came up with.

I'm bummed it didn't
make the cut.

[Ryan] I think
that's the best thing

that can happen
in this competition:

going out on a tattoo

that you actually feel
strongly about,

and you should feel
super strong

about both
of these tattoos.

This competition has changed
the way

I'm gonna approach
tattooing forever.

So I'm so grateful.

You're really pushing
your boundaries

and I think you should
be really proud of yourself.

Stephanie, please pack
your machines

and close shop.

Thank you, guys.

I'm feeling crushed.

I thought what I did
was enough

to get me to the finale.

But I learned so much
doing this competition.

I truly am so proud of myself
for what I created here,

and I can't wait for the world
to see what I can do next.

James, Anthony, and Cat,
congratulations.

You are headed to the finale.

Now it's on for real.

Here we go.

But only one of you will earn
$250,000

and the title of Ink Master.

Pull out all my tricks
on this one.

Head back to the lounge.

-Whoo!
-We're here!

Oh, my God.
Oh, my God.

[Anthony] Holy shit,
that was...

That was intense.

Time just stood still.

My heart was fucking beating
out of my face.

I don't know if anybody
could've guessed

that a Young Gun
would be in the finale.

You got lucky.

Still representing.
Getting lucky each week.

[James] I feel like I can
finally breathe,

but I know
it's more shit coming,

so I don't know how excited
I should be,

but, yeah,
this is pretty cool.

Oh, man, time to take out
your whole family.

Oh, yeah, okay.

Already being cocky.

Manifest, manifest.

[rock music]

Congratulations.
The three of you

have earned
your spot in the finale.

Two OGs.

-I'm down.
-[Joel] And one Young Gun.

You too.

But only one of you
will walk away

with $250,000
and the title of Ink Master.

Wish you guys luck.
You gonna need it.

To prove
you deserve the title,

you must now face
a brutal test

of skill
and endurance.

What does that mean?

Sounds exhausting.

[Joel] You must create

a 24-hour backpiece.

Holy fuck.

In two back-to-back
12-hour sessions.

That's brutal.

Twelve hours of tattooing
on day one

and 12 hours of tattooing
on day 2.

Have you ever done that
before, Cat?

Yeah.
It's not fun.

I've never done it.

You can tattoo
any subject you want

in any style
you want.

Sweet.

[Nikko] Twelve hours
two days in a row

takes a titan.

So this should be
the best tattoo

that you've created all season.

Come into this thing not just
with a strong design,

but with
a strong game plan.

[Nikko] This is your opportunity
to shine

like the amazing artists
and stars you are.

There is one more thing
you should know.

-There it is.
-Bring it on.

Being an Ink Master is about

more than just proving
your strengths.

It's about proving
that you can overcome

your weaknesses.

Better not be
a watercolor thing.

For your second
master canvas...

What?

You will have 12 hours

to create a tattoo
on the leg.

We already have to do
a 24-hour back piece.

This is 36 hours
of tattooing.

That's insane.

And the opposing team

gets to call the style
and the subject

that you must tattoo.

Shit.

-Bring it on.
-Cat.

The remaining Young Gun,

what style and subject
must James tattoo

for his 12-hour
leg tattoo?

How mean
do I wanna be?

Black and gray
photorealistic lion.

Horseshit.

You get to do your favorite
thing in the world.

Tracing.

Black and gray lions? Yeah.
Realistic? Yes.

Photorealistic? This is where
the wheels might fall off.

All right, OGs,

take a moment
to discuss

what style and subject
Cat must tattoo.

[Anthony] Cat, you've proven
that you can do a lot of thing,

but you still got a weakness
in there somewhere

that we gotta figure out.

Yeah, all right.

Hopefully, you're fucking ready
'cause we're coming for you.

OGs, what style and subject
must Cat tattoo?

American traditional.

And the subject
is gonna be

a lion.

This will be
an interesting one.

It's a lot harder
to be really impressive

with American traditional.

They're supposed to be
straightforward tattoos

that are super simple.

I'm not known
for super simple.

And, finally, Cat,
what style and subject

must Anthony tattoo?

How about
they do the same thing,

photorealistic lion,
black-and-gray.

Sweet.

That dog pusher
was my first-ever

true realism tattoo.

Obviously, she knows that,

but I have to make this
a $250,000 lion.

The second master canvas tattoos
have been set.

Two master canvases,
36 hours of tattooing,

only one Ink Master.

Now is the time
to pull out all the stops

and blow us away.

Here we go.

Start working
on your designs

and we'll see you
at the finale.

-Psyche.
-Good luck.

Two more people
are just in my way.

One of them's James
and the other one's Cat.

It's fucking go time.

Anthony is one
of the toughest competitors

in this competition.

He may be my son,

but if I have to beat him
to win the title,

so be it.

I was scared
to even apply a tattoo

when I first got here

and now I'm going against

the two people
in this competition

that everybody
has been intimidated by.

I need to pull out
all the stops

and try to make this happen.

I think this finale
is gonna be epic.

I can't wait
for this back piece.

I get to prove actually

what an Anthony Tex tattoo
looks like.

I thought they just all look
like James Tex tattoos.

Sorry, Cat, but I think you
used up all your nine lives.

I draw, too.
You're not the only ones.

Let's get out of here.

What do you guys got in those
bags, just hopes and dreams?

[James] I hope
you guys shit the bed.

[Narrator] On the next episode
of Ink Master...

I'm competing against
some titans right now.

They're father, son, so I'm
up against the family.

So much is on the line.
This is what I came here for.

[James] This is the time
to show every trick I have

and leave it all
in the skin.

It all comes down to this.

[music]

[music]

[music]