Season 14: All Episodes Thread

[PrincessPurrsALot]

Quote

Ten of the country's most creative and skilled tattoo artists are judged by icons of the tattoo world. They compete for a hundred thousand dollars and the title of "INK MASTER".

New host: Joel Madden of Good Charlotte

New judges:  Ryan Ashley (black and grey expert), Ami James (Japanese expert), and Nikko Hurtado (color expert)

Expect to see some returning Inktestants. Dave Navarro will stop in to "challenge" the Inktestants. 

Premieres 2022.09.08

[azshadowwalker]

I didn't realize Dave was still going to be around. That makes me happy. I was never a fan of any of his bands, but I liked him as a TV host going back to the Rockstar days.

I am more excited about this than I reasonably should be.

[sharifa70]

I don’t care for Gian (or his mini-Oliver look) so far at all. Also, his “let’s make an ALLIANCE” so early just felt desperate to me. He’s talented, sure, but they all are, and that alliance thing screams “I need protection.”

I loved Hiram’s astronaut and I’m so glad Joel pointed out that Katie’s tattoo disturbed them all because it was meant to mimic Goya’s (disturbing) work.

Judge Ami’s terse comments make me laugh.

[Sile]

I didn't realize how much I'd missed this show until I started watching again!

I like all of the new judges (how is it that Ami never ages?  He could be anywhere between 30 and 60 and has been since back in the Miami Ink days)  but I was afraid with a new host we'd lose that 'everyman' component that Dave brought.  The only thing I know about Joel is that he's one of the Good Charlotte twins, but I loved that he described himself as an 'enthusiast' so I think he'll be bringing that as well.  I agree with the above poster about liking it when he brought up that Katie's tattoo being dark, messy and uncomfortable meant that she'd actually met the brief.

I really thought Holli was going home because her tattoo looked like one of my coloring book flowers when I get bored and don't finish it.  No inner lining or shading really made it look kind of immature.  Clean, but immature.  But if that's one of those Japanese rules, then she played it smart.

I do wish Dave would be dropping by in person and not just on the screen, but I don't miss Oliver and (especially) Nunez.  At all.

[Kroliosis]

34 minutes ago, Sile said:

. The only thing I know about Joel is that he's one of the Good Charlotte twins, but I loved that he described himself as an 'enthusiast' so I think he'll be bringing that as well.  

Unfortunately he was 24 and dated a 16 year old Hilary Duff for 2 years. Hate that I know that. 

Edited September 9, 2022 by Kroliosis
Age

[Sile]

For those who don't have Paramount streaming, my DVR picked up episode 1 on the broadcast channel tonight.  It clocked at 1:10, so I'm assuming it's the whole episode, although the swearing is most likely bleeped (I just deleted it without watching, since I've seen it).

Whether they will be showing the whole season, who knows?

[sharifa70]

10 hours ago, Sile said:

For those who don't have Paramount streaming, my DVR picked up episode 1 on the broadcast channel tonight.  It clocked at 1:10, so I'm assuming it's the whole episode, although the swearing is most likely bleeped (I just deleted it without watching, since I've seen it).

Whether they will be showing the whole season, who knows?

The same thing happened with me. I checked next week’s schedule in the same time slot and it’s not there (I hoped I could cancel my Paramount+ and just watch it on cable). I suspect they tossed the first episode to cable to make sure people know it’s back, but the rest of the season will be exclusively on streaming. I’ve seen that with several shows.

[azshadowwalker]

I was really afraid that Katie was going home because she got so much screen time. I love her so much as both a tattooer and a person. I am always so happy when she posts pictures of her little one on social media. Please let Katie stick around!

The weird thing is that I didn't recognize most of these people except for Katie. I guess it goes to show how the last few years of Peck and Nuñez had lost the glow for me. I vaguely remember Gian (sore-losing motherfucker) but that's really it.

Edited September 12, 2022 by azshadowwalker

[Keekski]

I was surprised Holli Marie didn't get the boot 2nd episode with those horrible cubes! She was my vote to go home! 

[ruffy666]

I am not a tattoo expert but I thought Katie's tattoo was actually excellent for this challenge and should've been in the top rather than almost going home!?  The whole conversation kind of blew me away. 

In general the quality is pretty darn good so far this season!  I would be happy to have any of those fine art-inspired tattoos.

[TVbitch]

Yay, it's back! The new judges seem fair, but I think Holli should have gone over Hiram for her pin-up (and before Deanna last week!) so I think they spared Holli since the girls are not fairing too well. I remember quite a few of these people from their seasons and rooted for some of them. 

The flash challenges continue to amaze me. Although I thought the tiger and the phoenix were better than the alligator. Maybe it looked better in person. 

I love Dave, but could do without taped video Dave. I would rather he show up in person once in a while or as a special guest judge. Did they ask him to host this season and he declined? In any case, I think it is a great reboot! So glad they are not giving much air time to drama, except for a bit of alliance talk and some wink wink rivalry, which the contestants are obviously not taking too seriously. That was always so dumb. 

[sharifa70]

Yeah, the one who really seems to be taking things too seriously is Gian, and he’s still coming across to me as desperate. It’s annoying and sad; I don’t like him but he should have more trust in his own talent.

I can’t really blame Angel and Bob (and Hiram 🥹) for sticking together because they just spent an entire season doing exactly that, and even Angel’s previous season was a team-focused one, but I do wish they hadn’t fallen so easily into Gian’s scheming.

At this point I’m kind of rooting for Jason (who seems to be mostly above the high-schoolish “alliance” nonsense), or Katie (who is just pretty awesome).

Also: I liked the tiger better than the alligator.

[Sile]

I agreed with Hiram's elimination mainly because they emphasized twice in the explanation of the challenge that it was an animal pinup.  Once when they said animals and claws and hooves and again when somebody (I think Ami) specifically said that it wasn't a pinup with animal characteristics, it was an animal in a pinup pose.  Hiram was the only one who basically did a woman's body and stuck a lizard head and a tail on her,

I had to laugh at Jason's canvas saying she didn't want it to be cartoony, but was all in on a mama elephant in a jazzercise leotard.  I did like how Jason flat out told her, "This is what I do (pointing to his wall), if you're willing to work with me on my strengths you'll end up with a better tattoo."

I also preferred the tiger over the alligator.  The way they put the bodies together was nice, but the artwork didn't look realistic at all.

Since both Bob and Angel were last season's finalists, I wonder if Jimmy Snazz also got an invite but declined.  

[sharifa70]

While I’m not a fan of this episode’s twist (also not a fan of cliffhangers), watching Gian dump his “alliance” to follow DJ around like a puppy would be hilarious. If DJ stays, that is.

[TVbitch]

I did not see that twist coming. I don't mind if a couple of the winners join, as we will get to see their amazing tattoos, but not if they are going to be "overpraised" during judging, which tends to happen with former winners. And I would like a new winner.

I spend an agonizing year having a big black tattoo lasered off my arm, but damned if I wouldn't be tempted by that panther tattoo. That thing was slick, and I don't even remember that guy.  

[sharifa70]

36 minutes ago, TVbitch said:

I don't mind if a couple of the winners join, as we will get to see their amazing tattoos, but not if they are going to be "overpraised" during judging, which tends to happen with former winners. And I would like a new winner.

I think if they’re going to stick around the show needs to switch to blind judging.

But yeah, that panther was gorgeous. 

Edited September 21, 2022 by sharifa70

[azshadowwalker]

I don't think blind judging is ever truly blind.

As long as Anthony stays, I am happy.

[sharifa70]

5 hours ago, azshadowwalker said:

I don't think blind judging is ever truly blind.

As long as Anthony stays, I am happy.

Maybe, but I’ve seen the judges think one artist did a tattoo only to be surprised that a different one did it. I just think it would be interesting to see Anthony and Angel go head to head in black & grey in a blind judging where each of them has to do the same subject or something.

Anthony is definitely my favorite of the four winners here, but really the only one I’m not crazy about is Steve. Yes, he’s talented but I often feel like his tattoos are just too busy. 

[RoxiP]

I just don't care for Gian and I do like Katie.  I can see Gian's talent but he's just so full of himself.  Short man's syndrome to the max!

Isn't Joel Madden married to Nicole Ritchie (Lionel Ritchie's daughter)?  Apparently those Madden men are great husbands because the other one is married to Cameron Diaz and she seems to be in a great place in her life now.

[aussieinsydney]

I welcomed the show back with open arms but damn if they haven't jumped the shark with this 'twist'. I was sick to death of artists like Cleen Rock One getting redemption arc after redemption arc and now we have this. I'm going to continue to watch but I'm not real happy right now.

[sharifa70]

Wow, I was sure it was going to be Anthony. Sure, he met the brief better than Steve did (I guess?), but as much as I like Anthony I thought his Acropolis was a hot mess. Steve’s tattoo was at least nice to look at. 

I loved Angel’s and Katie’s tattoos, though I think Angel kind of fudged a bit where everyone else actually morphed the realism into the new school aspects. I loved that she added a UFO! 

When they said “new school landmarks” I did hope they would show us Kelly’s fabulous new school colosseum as an example. 

[TVbitch]

Ugh, I really did not think all four returning champs would stay in, so that is a bit much. 

Anthony's tattoo looked like total crap, so I am thinking maybe maybe Steve expressed that he wanted out or something. But what do I know, cuz I also like the cactus flash challenge better than the pale exploding head. 

[oldCJ]

On 9/26/2022 at 11:21 PM, RoxiP said:

Isn't Joel Madden married to Nicole Ritchie (Lionel Ritchie's daughter)? 

Yeah, he’s also the grown man who took Hilary Duff’s virginity when she was sixteen and he was almost ten years older. 🤢

On 9/21/2022 at 10:20 PM, sharifa70 said:

I think if they’re going to stick around the show needs to switch to blind judging.

Totally agree. The judges are so biased. Ryan Ashley in particular comes off a someone who hates the idea of another woman being successful. 

On 9/16/2022 at 6:39 PM, TVbitch said:

I love Dave, but could do without taped video Dave. I would rather he show up in person once in a while or as a special guest judge.

Right! The floating head of Dave is tiresome. It doesn’t feel like he’s adding anything of value to the show. 

[RoxiP]

If I remember correctly Steve has had back problems in the past, and he even had to sit down during the flash challenge.  The tattoo that he did wasn't a bad tattoo - it  just didn't meet the challenge.  I wonder if he had indicated to the production crew that he wasn't going to be able to continue on in the competition and this was the end result?

Of course, I think bad backs are an occupational hazard of tattoo artists - the amount of time they spend hunched over their human canvas has got to be hard on the back.

I was a little confused by their wording about Katie "going home" because she felt unwell.  Does that mean she went back to wherever they are staying during the competition (heck, she might even live close by) or what?  I hope she will be back next week - her tattoo was very nice.

Edited September 29, 2022 by RoxiP

[dstann]

On 9/29/2022 at 11:34 AM, TVbitch said:

Anthony's tattoo looked like total crap, so I am thinking maybe maybe Steve expressed that he wanted out or something. But what do I know, cuz I also like the cactus flash challenge better than the pale exploding head. 

I actually thought Anthony might go home because as he mentioned he just got custody of his son so needed to go, so Steve going surprised me.

What I didn't like in the winning flash challenge piece was the fact that you could see the side of some of the cups because they weren't arranged perfectly.  To me that was bad technical application and the cactus should have got it.  Not that it mattered, the masters chose some bad canvases for themselves.

On 9/29/2022 at 11:10 PM, RoxiP said:

I was a little confused by their wording about Katie "going home" because she felt unwell.  Does that mean she went back to wherever they are staying during the competition (heck, she might even live close by) or what?  I hope she will be back next week - her tattoo was very nice.

Pretty sure the preview for the next episode shows she is back.

That is the second time this season that someone has not gone home for not doing the challenge.  Creepy Jason in the tattoo in emulate a famous artists style and now Tony in the latest episode, both didn't really attempt the challenge, just put up a solid tattoo and get through.  It just seems wrong because it makes the challenge pointless when you just tattoo whatever you want. 

[Ciarrai]

On 9/29/2022 at 6:10 AM, RoxiP said:

I was a little confused by their wording about Katie "going home" because she felt unwell.  Does that mean she went back to wherever they are staying during the competition (heck, she might even live close by) or what?  I hope she will be back next week - her tattoo was very nice.

This season was filmed in Vancouver, Canada. She definitely doesn't live close by.

[azshadowwalker]

Pon's tattoo was way too dark for my tastes. Definitely felt they made the right choice, especially since he got to pick his own tattoo.

[dstann]

Interesting that they went for a bottom 2 when Creepy Jason's tattoo wasn't great and could easily have been a bottom 3.  Maybe they thought that if they put Jason in the bottom 3 then they are just going to say he is safe and pick out of the other 2 so there is no point putting Jason in the bottom.

The bottom 2 were both pretty meh and either could have gone home.  I am guessing one reason Katie stayed was otherwise they would be down to only one female contestant left.  I didn't notice that they were eliminating all the females.

[TattleTeeny]

Are these people being asked/told to clumsily insert the word “fuck” into as many sentences as humanly possible? I have no issue with cussing; what’s bugging me is that so few of the instances of “fuck” sound normal or natural — they remind me of preteen boys trying to “outcool” each other on the playground or something. 

Edited October 14, 2022 by TattleTeeny

[dstann]

3 hours ago, TattleTeeny said:

Are these people being asked/told to clumsily insert the word “fuck” into as many sentences as humanly possible?

I am wondering if they are asked to overreact to every challenge.  They all freak out over a mystery judge, seriously who cares, if you do a good tattoo it doesn't matter how many judges there are.

Super surprised that Tony survived, his tattoo was awful.

[sharifa70]

3 hours ago, TattleTeeny said:

Are these people being asked/told to clumsily insert the word “fuck” into as many sentences as humanly possible? I have no issue with cussing; what’s bugging me is that so few of the instances of “fuck” sound normal or natural — they remind me of preteen boys trying to “outcool” each other on the playground or something. 

I agree 100%. It feels like they’ve been told they need to squeeze in a minimum number of f***s in order to maintain their streaming cred. Edgy!

13 minutes ago, dstann said:

Super surprised that Tony survived, his tattoo was awful.

Yeah, I would much rather have Katie’s tattoo than Tony’s. 

Anthony was lucky to end up with a fan who was willing to listen and let him meet the brief. I also liked the sly “you can get blue water when you come to the shop” comment. Anthony: Canvas Whisperer.

[TattleTeeny]

I am glad others noticed; I wondered after I posted if it was weird to think that there was a "proper" way for the word "fuck[ed/ing/in']" should simply roll off the tongue in a casual manner--and not in a stilted, bothersome, overenunciated way! Tattooers, if you're not big cussers, it's perfectly fine; you don't have to fake it for us!

[Sile]

All that build up and hoopla about the guest judge and it's...Ruby Rose.  Seriously?  Nothing against her personally, she seems like a very cool person, but I was all ready for Mike Rubendall to walk through the door.

[TVbitch]

Bummed they axed Katie.

I am over them pretending to chat with Dave's obviously pre-recorded videos like they are live! 

[dstann]

18 hours ago, Sile said:

All that build up and hoopla about the guest judge and it's...Ruby Rose.  Seriously?  Nothing against her personally, she seems like a very cool person, but I was all ready for Mike Rubendall to walk through the door.

I was kind of relieved as I thought it was just going to be Chris Nunez

[Pj3422]

On 10/14/2022 at 7:54 AM, TattleTeeny said:

I am glad others noticed; I wondered after I posted if it was weird to think that there was a "proper" way for the word "fuck[ed/ing/in']" should simply roll off the tongue in a casual manner--and not in a stilted, bothersome, overenunciated way! Tattooers, if you're not big cussers, it's perfectly fine; you don't have to fake it for us!

Years ago, comedian Rita Rudner participated in a Friar’s Club Roast. She was encouraged to swear — which she typically doesn’t do. So she deliberately did it wrong, so, so, SO wrong. (Yes, I’ve been looking for the clip  — it was hilarious!) 

[aussieinsydney]

Same old mysoginistic bullshit. I was hoping that having a female judge would put an end to it, but no. Tony's tattoo was pretty fucked and Katie's was better imo. I think we'll be waiting quite a while more before we see another female Ink Master.

[dstann]

On 10/17/2022 at 8:36 PM, aussieinsydney said:

 I think we'll be waiting quite a while more before we see another female Ink Master.

I think Angel is good enough to be ink master, but to do it this season she will have to run the gauntlet against some of the best competition ever.  DJ has now found his grove and putting out amazing tattoos every week.  Anthony is an ink master and is consistently putting out good tattoos.  Bob and Gian have been near the top for most of the season.  And Creepy Jason is also there.... I guess he could be a threat if all the tattoos for the rest of the season are black and white horror tattoos. 

[TVbitch]

That kind of ended abruptly. I would have had Angel in the final versus Creepy Jason. And I did not find his final tattoo very readable. Even in the drawing, I could not tell what was going on. Same for Bob, although I think he might be able to save it by putting a stronger outline on it. Maybe. Cool idea though. 

I actually liked Gian's tattoo the best. I appreciate that he wants his tattoos to look great on the canvas, and it did. DJ is probably a better artist, but his back piece didn't really speak to me and looked off center on the back. No questioning his artistry and skill, I just wouldn't want that on my back. 

They should have had Dave break the tie. Or a guest judge. All these people have too many relationships for a polling of the eliminated artists to really be fair. 

And finally, Ryan is annoying. 😁

[Fallacy]

I am surprised to be thrilled that DJ won. DJ could have easily done Gian’s tattoo, but Gian cannot do what DJ can do. And yes, Ryan can be annoying but I think she was 100% right. Angel only voted for Gian out of loyalty anyway. When she was talking with Anthony to decide on who would make it the top three, she said Gian played it safe and there was no way she would vote for safe. Then she turned around and did exactly that after her beloved Bob got cut. If she were honest, all four of those peers would have voted for DJ.

Also, I love Ami, but if he’s going to be this much of a traditionalist, he can get off my show. Had DJ thrown in one more creature in the left part of the upper back, this would not have been close at all. 

Edited November 3, 2022 by Fallacy

[dstann]

9 hours ago, TVbitch said:

And finally, Ryan is annoying. 😁

I really like her as a judge, I like how expects them all to push themselves, be diverse, and be able to do everything if they want to be the inkmaster.  I really didn't like it with the old judges who would sometimes just ignore the theme of a tattoo and give people a free pass because it look good.

When they said a jury of peers of the eliminated contestants I was thinking, wow they brought everyone back?  Then laughed so hard when only 2 people walked in and made up the jury.

I am really disappointed for Bob, he had been very consistent and always near the top all season, but I just don't understand what he was thinking for his final tattoo.  It was a cool idea but the design was just odd, the dragon looked like it had been rotated 90 degrees and hard to tell what it was.

Another thing I enjoyed this season was the lack of drama.  There was a bit of banter between the contestants but you could tell they liked and respected each other and it just made it so much more enjoyable to watch.

[aussieinsydney]

Congrats to DJ. I'm in agreeance with Ryan when she said that an Ink Master has to do all styles and be good at them. DJ was the obvious choice to win. If this gets another season, can we please see unknown (i.e: people who have NEVER been on Ink master) artists get a shot at the title.

[sharifa70]

3 hours ago, aussieinsydney said:

Congrats to DJ. I'm in agreeance with Ryan when she said that an Ink Master has to do all styles and be good at them. DJ was the obvious choice to win. If this gets another season, can we please see unknown (i.e: people who have NEVER been on Ink master) artists get a shot at the title.

And ditch the “Master of Chaos” if it’s going to stay as a pre-recorded video. I mean, come on, show. Zoom is a thing now; there was no reason those interactions couldn’t have been live.

I was rooting for Anthony 🥹 but I was glad to see DJ win. That back piece, though not my cup of tea, was pretty amazing. 

[RoxiP]

I was in the "anyone but Gian" camp but was rooting for DJ (well I actually was rooting for Anthony but he wasn't in the finale...LOL!).  I can see that Gian's tattoo was the most legible of the finalists but he pretty much stuck to his own style and didn't bring anything unique or new to the tattoo while the other finalists all stretched themselves throughout the competition.  

[dstann]

On 11/6/2022 at 9:34 AM, aussieinsydney said:

If this gets another season, can we please see unknown (i.e: people who have NEVER been on Ink master) artists get a shot at the title.

On 11/6/2022 at 1:32 PM, sharifa70 said:

And ditch the “Master of Chaos” if it’s going to stay as a pre-recorded video. I mean, come on, show. Zoom is a thing now; there was no reason those interactions couldn’t have been live.

 I am kind of hoping that with this season, because it had an extended break between season, and a new host/judges, they decided to play it safe and bring back popular contestants as well as Dave as a link to the past.  I think the show was really good and I hope it rated well so they have the confidence to bring in first timer contestants and ditch the Master of Chaos.