S07.E15: One Knight Only

[Tara Ariano]

A knight challenge determines the winner of Season 7.

[leighdear]

Ok, I thought Glen looked smokin' hot in that white shirt & jacket with the buttons.  Rrawwrrr.....

 

Very sweet they brought their loved ones in for the show, and previous winners to help out. . 

 

They were all pretty damn good, but I definitely thought Dina took it without question.  Her boyfriend was so cute. 

 

I also really liked the outdoor arena and the battles they put the knights through.  A great change from the usual studio space finale.  Really cool, and amazing at how well the makeup held up. 

 

I must say I've become a huge Lois fan.  I love Ve, but Lois is so beautifully descriptive of what she likes and doesn't like. 

 

And my favorite thing of all were the skeleton pants that Rashad wore!  *LOL*

 

And we're back in January....Wheee!

[WaltersHair]

Yes! No question that Dina won with that sculpt and makeup. Extraordinary and job well done.

[Pandora]

I love how Drew's team helped with Dina's mold. No losers in this bunch.

[drmka9]

I figured Dina would win after seeing the insane amount of detail on each of her knights, but it was really neck-and-neck. I don't think I would have been upset with any of the finalists winning, and I'm sure Drew and Cig will be getting some work.

And my favorite thing of all were the skeleton pants that Rashad wore!  *LOL*

I think those were Cig's. His other team member (Sasha) was wearing one of his hats, too.

 

And it's apparently no longer 'Chuck Norris facts' but 'Michael Westmore facts'.

[Rhetorica]

Great finale! Every one of the artists were class acts. I love how they help each other out. Dina's been my favorite since the first episode but I would have been pleased for any one of the finalists to win. The performance was great. Just an enjoyable season. See you all in January.

[Portia]

Aw, good for Dina for a well-deserved win. I felt a little bad for Cig, because I think the two were so equally matched, and some of his best looks were from earlier in the season. He and Drew were very gracious runners-up.

I wasn't feelin' the knight challenge, and Drew's guys were honestly my favorites, but I don't know squat about design, so whatevs!

Each judge looked spectacular in his or her own way. When we got the full effect of Lois's gown, my husband quipped, "She should be a professor at Hogwarts"--and indeed, she seemed decked out for the Yule Ball.

Did the teams' energy seem low to anyone besides me during the first three workdays? George in particular seemed glum to me, though he had the best excuse. But none of the teams seemed to be having as much fun as usual, even taking into account how focused they were on winning. Oh well, they made up for it during the performance: I enjoyed their reactions more than the fighting!

Special message to Mr. Westmore: I think the term you were looking for was "octopus-LIKE."

[Lugal]

Great finale. Dina definitely deserved the win. I loved her, Stella and Nicole's reactions during the battle. This was one of their best seasons.

And the Wicked Tinkers showed up!

[Maelstrom]

Wheeee!!! Dina! Rayce! Jousting! Awesomeness!

 

I'm so thrilled Dina won - she's been my pick from the start. Loved seeing what she and Stella and Nicole created! Though I'd loved to see what she and Rayce could create together, too (he's one of my all-time favorites, and I think his graceful lines and sleek style would really compliment Dina's) but I certainly can't complain about the two makeups she and her team produced tonight. Wonderful!

 

Also gotta give Cig credit - I didn't care much for him early on, but he seems to be a great guy and genuinely excited to do what he's doing. And Drew seems like a good guy too. One of the things that puts this show head and shoulders above other reality contests is moments like when Team Drew pitches in to help Team Dina clean her molds.

 

Loved the designs for Drew's stag knights, though to be honest I credit the success of those makeups to Rayce - those were very much his style as I remember it from season 2. He did some beautiful work in his season, and I'm so happy to see him again. And he's working for Adobe now? Very cool!

 

(Random: Hey!! The musicians were most of one of my favorite groups, the Wicked Tinkers! Woo hoo!)

 

A major twist in how the contest works for next season? Hmmm… Now I'll be puzzling on that for three months. I just hope season 8 is as good as this one was.

[drmka9]

 

Did the teams' energy seem low to anyone besides me during the first three workdays? George in particular seemed glum to me, though he had the best excuse. But none of the teams seemed to be having as much fun as usual, even taking into account how focused they were on winning. Oh well, they made up for it during the performance: I enjoyed their reactions more than the fighting!

 

I think switching it up to bring in three former champions changed the dynamic a bit. If it had just been this season's cast members there likely would have been more joking around. With that said, though, I loved seeing Rashaad again. I had forgotten how beautiful his sketches are. I'm envious of anyone that puts a pencil to paper and gets results like that so quickly.

 

This is one of those weird finales where I'd actually have loved to see Drew, Cig, and Dina set up shop together. Drew's great at conceptual stuff, Cig fabricates and does beautiful large sculpts, and Dina is excellent with paint and fine detail. I think they'd be close to unstoppable, truthfully.

 

A major twist in how the contest works for next season? Hmmm… Now I'll be puzzling on that for three months. I just hope season 8 is as good as this one was.

I've seen some spoilers

that they're bringing back some former contestants (champions?) to mentor the new group, turning it into more of a team competition at certain points.

[PepperMonkey]

DINAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!

 

RASHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD!!

 

I love this show. I would have been happy with any one of them winning, but I'm OVER THE MOON that Dina pulled it off! She's awesome!! Cig and Drew: so complimentary and sweet and seemed genuinely happy for Dina!!

Can't wait till January!!

[Mr. Simpatico]

I wasn't feelin' the knight challenge, and Drew's guys were honestly my favorites, but I don't know squat about design, so whatevs!

 

I loved the challenge and the jousting (and it was the Cig's Dark Knight who won, c'mon) and I agree that it was Drew's who had the best overall look (they seemed a matched pair) but I knew he wasn't going to win (Glen and Lois not being fond of the details of some of the work was the best clue). I think they gave it to Dina not only because of the detail and make-up but because of her overall work during the season, especially down the stretch. Was very happy for her and she deserved it (though if Cig's "life" knight hadn't as good as his death knight he would have won). Was amazed how good all three makeups stood up to all the swordfighting.

 

Another example of why this is my favorite reality show and why I don't mind if we get new seasons with barely a couple months break (Did I see a Season of Champions?) is because of how little  (as in none) backbiting, or nastiness there is. They are competing yes but they help each other out all the time like tonight with Team Drew helping Team Dina with the molds (which if they had waited to the next day would have meant there was less time for application). They are professionals and pretty much all of them have watched the show and know past season contestants often work together when the show is done.

 

Also: it was funny to see George (who we saw sadly back up his gear at the end of last episode) come out within minutes of being booted. I'm thinking that's why there was no big goodbyes from the judges and McKenzie - they knew he would be right back.

 

Also the models were presumably professional medieval reinactors, they had very different body shapes and faces than the usual models. Which I thought was a good call since the top 3 couldn't plan their makeups out with a regular in mind.

Edited October 29, 2014 by Mr. Simpatico

[phoenix780]

Well that was a perfect capper to a phenomenal season.  Whoever thought of the Light/Dark theme- thank you.  So much more variety this year, and it's nice to see one of my reality competition shows actually pick it up this late in their run instead of spiral out of control (like, say, "Ink Master"). 

 

I was shocked at how physical the final battle was at the end, and at how well everything held up.  That was some serious skill on their part.  I wonder if they knew the full extent of it as they were designing.  I mean, it's one thing to know a fight is coming.  It's another to know there will be flipping and getting kicked through set pieces. 

 

Congrats to the winner.  I would have been equally happy for Cig, despite my earlier feeling (that I still retain somewhat) that his hat collection was a little obnoxious.  So good to have options at the end of a season!

[GaT]

I love how Drew's team helped with Dina's mold. No losers in this bunch.

Absolutely the classiest contestants in any competition show.

 

I thought all three had equally good sculpts for the finale, I was really impressed. It's nice to see what they can do when they get enough time & help. I'm very happy with Dina's win, I've been rooting for her all season. I think that they took all her work into consideration for the win. Interesting that she started & ended with sea based creature.

[dialyn]

Note to other reality competition shows:  this is how it should be done. Classy contestants, equally matched finalists, skilled assistants, and, for myself, I could see reasons why any one of the three teams would have won (and I'd be happy about it).  Nice people, talented artists, and they all deserve to be there.  It doesn't get better than this (well, I wish Mr. Westmore had been there--his suggestions contributed to Dina's win).  I love the judges being all dressed up (and regally so), but it is the cooperative nature of the contestants that is most impressive. Not a mean spirit among them, and anyone hiring any of them will be well rewarded.  Good show all the way around.  

[tobysmom]

I really enjoyed last night's show.  This is only my second season of watching and I'm so enjoying it.  One of the best reality competition shows there is.  So excited there will be another one in a couple of months.

 

YAY!  for Dina's win.  She really deserved it as she has made some wonderful pieces throughout the season.

 

But, I have to say that if I were giving the win on just last night's episode I would have given it to Drew.  I really like his knights a lot.

 

Dina's was good and had some amazing design.  That starfish chest piece was great.  But there was something about the faces that put if off for me.

 

Cig's would have came in third. 

[Iguana]

Well, that was a terrific finale to a very enjoyable season. I had been getting weary of the repetitious monster and alien make ups but the season really turned it around with a focus on all sorts of other types of critters. The final makeups for all three were very good and it was amazing how well they stood up to the surprising physicality of the Knights battle. I am pleased that Dina won as I liked her makeups the most throughout the season, but Cig's was pretty good and he would have been a very acceptable winter as well.

Drew's team helping out Dina clean her molds truly epitomizes my favorite thing about face-off, which is the camaraderie among the competitors. It's such a contrast to so many other reality competition shows (Ink Master, I'm looking at you) where the competitors are assholes to each other and can never acknowledge that anyone else did a good job.

[WearyTraveler]

Great finale! I was rooting for Dina, so, I'm happy with the results, but I'll agree with everyone else that the other artists are very talented too.  I liked Cig's Death knight; and I thought Drew's characters were beautiful.  For a second there I thought he might walk away with the win.  But Dina's level of detail on every single piece was amazing.  I'm glad the judges saw and rewarded that.  Her Death knight was my favorite make-up of the night.

 

Awesome show with classy contestants.  I love it and can't wait for next season.

 

EDITED TO ADD that I was also very glad with the monster light aspect this season.  I hope they strike a similar balance in the future.

Edited October 29, 2014 by WearyTraveler

[Linderhill]

Loved the finale!  everyone was great and I'm so impressed by what they all accomplished.  I'm so happy Dina won since she's been hands down, the best of the lot for all of the shows except that laughable "cloven" thing.  I liked all of the make ups for all three competitors but I did have a few quibbles with Cig's and Drew's.  With Cig's, I didn't like the fact that the "Life" knight's face was so red and not particularly different than the models and that the armor, what there was of it kept flipping during the fighting.  Most of Cig's work over the season was mostly static pieces it seems where there might be emoting but not much movement.  My biggest quibble with Drew's was that the antlers that he put on the helmets of both knights kept wobbling and wiggling.  I'm actually surprised that no one commented on that along with the the wobbly antenna things on the crab creature last week.

 

Great to see Rayce and Rashad and Nicole again.  Didn't Rashad wear skeleton pants like that before?  I know that one of the girls on the Jim Henson project show kept wearing a skeleton sweat shirt but I swear someone was wearing those pants during Rashad's season.

[recurring dream]

But, I have to say that if I were giving the win on just last night's episode I would have given it to Drew.  I really like his knights a lot.

 

That's my thought as well.  I thought Drew's were fantastic and seemed to be a part of the same world.

 

That said, Dina was a very close second and definitely deserved the win.  I thought her dark knight was especially good.  The amount of detail she is able to get in her makeups is nothing short of amazing.

[seacliffsal]

I wish that Ve had been back for the finale as she seems to hire so many former contestants and I'd like to see most of these finalists get jobs.  I really like how well they get along and that Drew's team opened the molds for Dina's team.  Even since they cast the crazy guy (Joe?) I think they have avoided casting for drama as they learned their lesson (I just wish other shows would follow their lead).  I would have been happy with any winner but really do like Dina.

[Portia]

One criticism I had of Dina's designs was that I couldn't tell just at a glance which knight was good and which was evil. With Cig's designs, I was bothered that the two didn't seem to go together. And while it may sound shallow, I was bothered that neither of their good knights was remotely good-looking. That is a thing, right? The hero is more pleasing to the eye?

 

But I'm picking nits. Great finale; great season!

[tripsy]

But, I have to say that if I were giving the win on just last night's episode I would have given it to Drew.  I really like his knights a lot.

 

I liked Drew's characters, but they were far too simple.  They looked more like what I would expect to see from a two-person team working on a regular three-day challenge, not a three person team working four days for a finale.  They were well done, but there was nothing truly surprising or spectacular about them, which is what I want for the finale. I never really considered him a contender for the win, but after seeing him help DIna's team and seeing him with his family, I wouldn't have minded him winning.

 

For me it was between Cig and Dina. Cig's and Dina's Dark Knights were both spectacular, but I thought Dina's was more creative and original. I especially loved how the chin looked and how truly animal like the mouth looked when it was opening and closing. And then the Light Knight sealed the deal.  Dina's was also original and the star shield was incredible, while Cig's just looked like an ugly guy. 

[Pandora]

And then the Light Knight sealed the deal.  Dina's was also original and the star shield was incredible, while Cig's just looked like an ugly guy.

 

Cig's Light Knight may have been technically impressive but to me he looked sunburnt. Unfortunately that  took my attention away from anything else about him. But overall Cig did some fantastic work and as he said we "haven't seen the last of Cig Neutron!" lol.

 

And Dina's comment that the grand prize was she gets to do what she loves made me really happy for her.

[Tara Ariano]

A season full of neat makeup comes down to a swordfight. Done by people in neat makeup. Monty Ashley reports!

[Trek]

Over the course of the season Sig and Dina have been the most consistent in producing really good work. IIRC, neither were ever bottom looks (while Drew has been there a few) so I was ok with either of them winning.

 

That said, Sig’s Light Knight wasn’t that good IMO, and Dina’s light-sider could have looked a little tougher IMO. (I mean come on, if I was, say, an Uruk-Hai Captain and a guy in pastel and pink with a delicate coral collar and a starfish on his chest came charging at me, I couldn’t help but share a little snigger with my squad “Look’s like meat’s back on the menu boys!”)  So I was a bit worried that Drew might take it – especially since his Dark Knight sculpt and paint job which earned, rightly, a lot of praise was mostly Rayce. Was a bit awkward when Drew thought it was too dark and told Rayce to lighten up the colors and Rayce basically said “No.” heh.

 

That Dina is a protégé of Season 4 champion Anthony (my favorite contestant out of all the seasons) was an added bonus.

 

I must say I've become a huge Lois fan.  I love Ve, but Lois is so beautifully descriptive of what she likes and doesn't like.

Totally agree and her sometimes use of British slang e.g. "It's all a bit mimsy" is often hilraious.

[LoneHaranguer]

 

I liked Drew's characters, but they were far too simple.  They looked more like what I would expect to see from a two-person team working on a regular three-day challenge, not a three person team working four days for a finale.  They were well done, but there was nothing truly surprising or spectacular about them, which is what I want for the finale.

I thought Cig's looked pretty mundane too, at least compared to Dina's.

[Xazeal]

I was kind of rooting for Drew going into this (for shallow reasons) but when Nicole was assigned to Dina, I changed my mind. Nicole is by far my favorite winner and I think I was rooting more for her than for any of the contestants. Funny how her own finale makeup also had an aquatic theme.

 

Dina was the obvious winner to me, with Drew as runner up and Cig a distant third. I really wasn't a fan of Cig's work at all, but both of Drew's looks were really solid. Dina's were just more ambitious and really well executed. That turtle/crab/octopus knight was maybe my favorite makeup of the season.

 

Solid season, deserving winner. 

[OakGoblinFly]

As soon as Glen uttered the words "and that's the kind of conceptual thinking that gets you jobs" I knew Dina was the winner.  She's produced some gorgeous work this season and I can see Ve offering her jobs in the very near future.

 

I really appreciated Drew's comments regarding Dina's win; I thought he was gracious.  I've liked his minimalist approach to make-up all season and his emo-faun is one of my favorite pieces to come out of this season.  I think he's got a great future in this industry - his technical skills need a little work, however I think he has a great conceptual eye.

Edited October 29, 2014 by OakGoblinFly

[Black Knight]

I was really happy to see Dina take it. I suspected she had the win in the bag when Glenn mentioned that her dark knight was screen-ready - to have that much detail and have it be screen-ready is a knockout punch.

 

I was expecting Cig to have the second-best work in the finale, but that light knight of his...I couldn't get past the red face or the terrible fabric he had to wrap around much of the body because he hadn't planned enough armor.

 

Since Cig surprisingly fell down, Drew was in second for me. But my problems with Drew's work were two-fold: First, as mentioned above, the concept was too simple for a finale with extra manpower and extra time allotted. Second, too much of it was identifiable as Rayce's work, while Dina's knights were clearly hers. If only one of those issues existed, it wouldn't have mattered as much. But since he neither had a particularly strong concept nor did much of the key work, I can't give him the win. There's a difference between using a talented teammate and riding on the talented teammate's coattails.

[Sharpie66]

The recap mentioned something I really liked about Dina's approach--she switched off with her assistants so that she had her hands in everything that the team created.

[CherryMalotte]

Note to other reality competition shows:  this is how it should be done. Classy contestants, equally matched finalists, skilled assistants, and, for myself, I could see reasons why any one of the three teams would have won (and I'd be happy about it).  Nice people, talented artists, and they all deserve to be there.  It doesn't get better than this (well, I wish Mr. Westmore had been there--his suggestions contributed to Dina's win).  I love the judges being all dressed up (and regally so), but it is the cooperative nature of the contestants that is most impressive. Not a mean spirit among them, and anyone hiring any of them will be well rewarded.  Good show all the way around.

 

Yes - a thousand millon times yes!  

 

When I started watching at the beginning of the season I was seriously thinking of turning myself into a clinic for Creative Reality Show Burn Out.  People were just so friggin nasty to one another - Top Chef with the Carlos hate, the bitterness of the last couple of PR seasons 11 & 12, last Ink Master ego trippiness, and the utter stupidity and waste of time of Under The Gunn.  I was sick of seeing it and hearing it.  Face Off this season has been such a breath of fresh air.  It's been creative, interesting, and fun to watch.  And the contestants were very kind, sweet, and helpful to one another.  

 

And Glenn...I think this season I really warmed up to him.  He seemed a bit more warm and fuzzy maybe.  

 

Good job Face Off!  And congrats to Dina, and Drew and Cig as well.  You know they all have terrific careers ahead of them.   

[leighdear]

And Glenn...I think this season I really warmed up to him.  He seemed a bit more warm and fuzzy maybe.

It was his kitty confession during the judges competition...I think his stating that his world revolved around his kitties put him in a whole new light for people.  :)

[rho]

I was a little bummed about the finale challenge because it reminded me a lot of the judge's challenge but I still loved the whole thing and this show never ceases to amaze in their show of camaraderie. It's sad that I even have to say it but it's so refreshing to watch a reality show where the contestants want to win on their own merit rather than by sabotaging the competition.

[carrps]

The recap mentioned something I really liked about Dina's approach--she switched off with her assistants so that she had her hands in everything that the team created.

Yes, she did. Which is part of the reason I thought she should be the winner. She deliberately traded off with Nicole on the sculpt and with Stella on the starfish shield because she wanted every piece to have her hand in it. There were times when Drew seemed more like a coordinator than the primary designer. And I loved Rayce basically tell Drew "no" when Drew was trying to get him to change the painting.

 

Oh, and octopussy. Mr. Westmore!

 

One last thing: Lois is a very petite tiny lady, but she dresses SO well. I wonder if a lot of her clothes are custom, because they always fit beautifully, complement her figure and are appropriate for a lady of her, um, age. She looked spectacular last night.

 

Yay for Dina!

[RedHackle]

I really like this show.  Some of it is redundant to the point of being irritating ("tonight's winner is..." cut to commercial, and Mackenzie's overly grief-stricken emoting  when she sends someone packing "I'm sooooo sorry but you. Have been. Eliminated" (choke sob)'   Settle down, Mackenzie, no one's getting executed here. 

What I love about the show is the creativity, the humor and the camaraderie of the contestants.  It's like they figured out that we don't want shows where they dial up the drama to the point that the challenge is drowned out (cough/projectrunway/cough).  I love that they help each other when they can and that they all generally seem supportive of each other. 

I've been rooting for Drew and Dina all season.  To be completely honest, while I liked his sloth's face last week, I thought the over-all effect was weaker than um...what's his name, Beardy McSad-eyes' Squid Man.  But I was glad they saved Drew because I just like most of his work better.  I would had been happy with either him or Dina winning, and loved his very graceful reaction  Such a fun show. And like someone else here, I'm starting to like Lois a lot too. 

[aradia22]

Yay! I'm glad Dina won. She really deserved it after her work all season. I think it was between Drew and Dina. Dina clearly did a lot of work but I think the aquatic theme was tough and I wasn't totally feeling it. I think Drew's work felt like it could step right onto a set. Given his subtle makeups I think he could easily get work after this. 

 

Poor Cig. It was just not going to happen. The light knight was just so odd. So many odd choices. I was getting flashbacks to George's Zeus character and at least on TV it came across as a bright red face and bright blue armor. Not good. The dark knight was OK but still kind of underwhelming. 

[Kaoteek]

Loved that finale. Dina was always the clear winner for me, this week, since Cig had that very odd-looking, sunburnt, color-clashing Light Knight that dragged him down, and Drew had decent-looking, but somewhat derivative deer-men that owed a lot to Rayce's sculpting prowess.

 

Now I can't wait for next season, w/ the return of

Anthony, Laura & Rayce as mentors, and Ve as a judge. That should be good, and as long as Face Off keeps changing stuff like that every season, the show should be good for a while.

[langslow]

Dina really won with her light knight. That was really beautiful.

 

I thought it was going to be between Cig and Dina, but his light knight was awful. If that was the only example of work of his I'd seen I would wonder how he made the finals.

 

Drew's dark knight was incredible, but his light knight was ho hum. Neither imaginative or intricate.

 

This was the first season I've watched. I'm so tired of the drama on all the other shows it is a breath of fresh air.

[eurekagirl mOo]

Now this is how to make a reality show with class, grace, and talent. Lovely group of contestants. No drama and they all supported each other and helped each other. Just a delight to watch. I love that they get ample time to create something beautiful-no "You have 2 hours to shear the sheep, card the wool, spin the wool, knit it into a stunning fabric,design a completely original outfit that no one has ever seen before and have it runway ready and do it all while standing on one leg" Uh, yeah. And that's why Face-Off is so great. I realize there are drying times that you can't push BUT they get enough time to create and it shows in great design and art. I've already proclaimed my Cig love but I would have been happy to have any of the 3 win. Can't wait till Jan. to do it again. Thank you SyFy and the contestants and the judges. And please never never ever have a "judges save" when you're out you're out. Love. 

[caprice]

Congratulations to Dina on her win. Those were incredible undersea knights and I loved the backstory she created. I thought it was a brilliant touch to have the king be evil, using his octopus powers to control the dark knight.

 

Did the teams' energy seem low to anyone besides me during the first three workdays? George in particular seemed glum to me, though he had the best excuse. But none of the teams seemed to be having as much fun as usual, even taking into account how focused they were on winning. Oh well, they made up for it during the performance: I enjoyed their reactions more than the fighting!

Special message to Mr. Westmore: I think the term you were looking for was "octopus-LIKE."

No, I saw a different energy too. It has never been clear to me if they have a day off between challenges. Since they clearly went from one to the final here, I would chalk some of it to that. At the same time, I'm not sure if it was so much an energy drop as it was the thought, "Hey, this is the final... I'd better buckle down and get this DONE!"

 

And thank you. I was also yelling, "LIKE! Octopus-LIKE!" at my screen.

 

I was shocked at how physical the final battle was at the end, and at how well everything held up.  That was some serious skill on their part.  I wonder if they knew the full extent of it as they were designing.  I mean, it's one thing to know a fight is coming.  It's another to know there will be flipping and getting kicked through set pieces. 

 

Congrats to the winner.  I would have been equally happy for Cig, despite my earlier feeling (that I still retain somewhat) that his hat collection was a little obnoxious.  So good to have options at the end of a season!

That's a great point. I'm sure they knew a fight was coming, because hey, we're designing "knights," right? Still, the extent of how much fighting would be going on had to be a surprise. The reason I'm sure they had some knowledge of it was because of Drew talking to his performers about the antlers. He was clearly thinking ahead when he got their input on antler placement when the one man told him, "Yeah, I should be able to miss those."

[Ananayel]

I think the right person won, and since I'm sure we'll see George, Drew, and Cig again in some capacity I'm okay with it all. I also think all of the contestants except the very early boots whose names I can't even remember are likely to see a career boost from this, if not outright get jobs on the various judges' projects. I didn't expect to like Lois as much as I did, and Glen seems to have really loosened up a bit. Love Neville always. This was a really good season, and I was worried when I heard there would be minimal Ve and a "theme." This could have been a disaster!

[drmka9]

No, I saw a different energy too. It has never been clear to me if they have a day off between challenges. Since they clearly went from one to the final here, I would chalk some of it to that. At the same time, I'm not sure if it was so much an energy drop as it was the thought, "Hey, this is the final... I'd better buckle down and get this DONE!"

 

I'm also wondering if, once they made it to the final, they also realized that the whole experience was almost over. Suddenly realizing that you're going back to your normal life and you won't be seeing your new friends every day must be bittersweet, and this group of contestants seems to have gotten really close. (From a quick look on Twitter: Dina and Rachael refer to each other as "my future wife," Cig and George are talking about setting up shop together, and almost every contestant posted a photo of themselves with blue eyebrows in support of Keaghlan, who had some really nasty insults hurled her way.)

[CherZ]

One last thing: Lois is a very petite tiny lady, but she dresses SO well. I wonder if a lot of her clothes are custom, because they always fit beautifully, complement her figure and are appropriate for a lady of her, um, age. She looked spectacular last night.

 

I adore Lois. She reminds me of Edna 'E' Mode from The Incredibles. She's a character in and of herself, but she's so damn cool. :)

[caprice]

(From a quick look on Twitter: Dina and Rachael refer to each other as "my future wife," Cig and George are talking about setting up shop together, and almost every contestant posted a photo of themselves with blue eyebrows in support of Keaghlan, who had some really nasty insults hurled her way.)

That's fantastic! I don't follow Twitter, so this is really great to hear.

 

Somehow, I'm really not surprised that Cig and George would be talking about working together. :) Also, I loved Keaghlan and love that so many of the other contestants are supporting her this way.

[starri]

I can't really add much else to the discussion, except to say that even though Dina was far and away the winner of the season, I still think Drew won the challenge.

 

Could have lived with out McKenzie's jacket that she apparently got from Freddy Mercury's closet.

[hincandenza]

Likewise, I'd just be repeating what others have said better, but I will concur loudly with the sheer awesomeness of this show and its spirit.  From the helpfulness of the contestants- even/especially in the finale- or Drew opining that he can't be sad because the best person won, even if it's not him, to the classiness of the judges, to the improving quality of the challenges, this is to me the best reality show on TV right now.  Plus, this was a great finale: no one had any big frustrating mistakes or mishaps, all three costumes were very good, and the staging of the big battle was very fun.

 

I thought the final episode was well-edited too, because I was flip-flopping on who I thought won or lost throughout.  I thought it would go to Drew until the closer inspection, because I thought he showed great project management skills in the lab and his ideas best fit the challenge parameters of Life and Death, and I liked the overall look of his knights better than Dina's or Cig's, where Dina's life knight was asymmetrical and lazy-eyed, while Cig's life knight looked sunburned and plastic in a comic-book lantern-jawed superhero.

 

But once they got up close, and I realized how incredibly detailed Dina's work was with two people and four days, Glenn's little laugh of disbelief about the perfectly shaped starfish breastplate sums it up perfectly.  Yes, she goes to the aquatic brightly colored paint job well a little too often.  So what?  I mean Jesus Christ, the absurd attention to every little thing- the starfish, those seashells that Nigel pointed out looked real, just everything- was so insane, it overrides everything else.  That was just undeniable, and everyone knew it- again, to the great credit of the other contestants who while disappointed showed no ill will or rancor, and still took from this the great experience.  Along with Dina, Cig and Drew will have no problem getting work in this industry.

 

To me, thought, perhaps the best part- besides the really extensive and physical battle of the knights, which was so cool and must have been great for the artists- was  construction of the mouth of Dina's Dark Knight.  Not only is the sculpt, the texture, and the paint just flawless, it was something I haven't really seen very often and which you can't see in that picture: it let the actor move his mouth in a way that was expressive and natural without just looking like a man in a mask, and the chin moved along with it in a way that wasn't human- so it just bumped that realism up to "11". 

 

Calling the makeup "screen ready" hardly even begins to capture the level of excellence in Dina's Death Knight.

[Kromm]

I can't really add much else to the discussion, except to say that even though Dina was far and away the winner of the season, I still think Drew won the challenge.

Can't agree, personally.  I thought (as was true in so many weeks of the show) Dina's work was so ridiculously out of range of the others, they weren't even in the same league.  Actually, Mr. Stupid Hat's Death Knight was probably almost as good as hers, but both of hers were great, and only his Death Knight. As for Drew? After the end of each episode I have to admit I've barely remembered who he is, or to be honest, his work either.  Cig would have been an okay winner, annoying hats and all, but for me Drew was just kind of a placeholder.

[Pandora]

was  construction of the mouth of Dina's Dark Knight.

 

That is an incredible picture, thanks for posting that.

[Maelstrom]

 It has never been clear to me if they have a day off between challenges.

According to Conor (season 1 winner):

The one thing that viewers might not even think about is that, although the show airs once a week, in reality we went from one challenge to the next with a break on Sundays. By the time it was all over, I was exhausted from being in competition mode for so long.

Which would explain why they all look like zombies at the end. No pun intended.

 

I adore Lois. She reminds me of Edna 'E' Mode from The Incredibles. She's a character in and of herself, but she's so damn cool. :)

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought this! All season, I kept expecting her to start talking about costumes and call everyone "Daaah-ling" :D

 

Thanks for posting that link to Dina's dark knight, hincandenza! The level of detail on the best makeups always astounds me. Makes me wish they'd put together a coffee table-style book of the show's top makeups. I'd love to see that!

 

ETA: We get to see

Laura, Anthony and Rayce as mentors next season? WOO HOO!!!!

Edited October 31, 2014 by Maelstrom