S08.E13: Full Steam Ahead

[ElectricBoogaloo]

The artists must create western steampunk cyborgs, in order to make it into the finals at the Vinpearl Land Amphitheater in Nha Trang, Vietnam.

[Kromm]

I have to admit, that's a cool sentence.  "The artists must create western steampunk cyborgs".

[snakenax]

So unless there is some major mishap, it's pretty much guaranteed to be a Logan, Darla and Emily finale at this point.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Sneak peek:

[Kromm]

So.... Weird Beard is REALLY into Steampunk, apparently.  Glenn is SO protective of it in that clip describing it.
 

This really sets up a bigger question.  The way we've frequently heard contestants go on about being "unfamiliar" with a certain genre/style... it makes me wonder what the show rules are on them having Internet connections to look stuff up after they get an assignment. 

Edited April 2, 2015 by Kromm

[hincandenza]

So.... Weird Beard is REALLY into Steampunk, apparently.  Glenn is SO protective of it in that clip describing it.

 

This really sets up a bigger question.  The way we've frequently heard contestants go on about being "unfamiliar" with a certain genre/style... it makes me wonder what the show rules are on them having Internet connections to look stuff up after they get an assignment. 

 

In Glenn's defense... I mean, look how he dresses each week.  The Victorian/Edwardian steam punk is so clearly a part of his core personal aesthetic, he's basically functioning as the guest judge this week! :)

 

And yeah, I've long wondered about Internet access rules; on the one hand, we've seen them using iPads as resources, but I suspect they aren't internet connected for some reason; otherwise, there's zero excuse for the misconceptions or outright horrible sculpts of things that are easily googled.

 

Honestly, in 2015 (or late 2014 when they shot this, I guess) not having any idea how to do steampunk even without internet seems silly for a visual artist.  It was a pretty popular cosplay genre for a while, and boils down to "19th century equipment to serve a 21st century purpose": using gears and pneumatic tubes and lots of shiny brass parts, invent something no one in the 19th century would even think of (steampunk TV, steampunk computer keyboards, steampunk lasers, etc).  Darla doing a steampunk cyborg blacksmith seems especially easy.  I had several ideas off the top of my head, including a tidy little backstory, just while watching that clip- and I'm no cosplay or steampunk aficionado.

 

But the ones who fail will probably fail for not listening to Glenn: everything should have an evident purpose that is thought out.  I think I'm going to like this challenge... probably a lot more than the facetestants did. :)

[Linderhill]

didn't they have a steampunk challenge in one of the early seasons?  It might have been Rayce's.  It had to do with a video game release and the contestants had to design a character for or inspired by the game.  Glenn was all up in that one as the special judge.  This should be interesting.  One time someone described Steampunk by pointing to the Will Smith "Wild Wild West" movie.  Its not too far off but I'm more inclined to think about some of the things you see on Doctor Who.

[Winnief]

Darla's being momentarily stalled will not I think last long.  (Note she said she wasn't a *fan* of steampunk-not that she didn't know what it was.)  I'm betting it will be her, Logan, and Emily for the finale.  So long Julian it was nice knowing you. 

 

But the ones who fail will probably fail for not listening to Glenn: everything should have an evident purpose that is thought out.  I think I'm going to like this challenge...

 

 

THat I think will be exactly what happens.

[Kromm]

Darla's being momentarily stalled will not I think last long.  (Note she said she wasn't a *fan* of steampunk-not that she didn't know what it was.)  

Yeah, but the WAY she said it sounded like the verbal equivalent of throwing up her hands.  I mean "old timey mock Victorian merged with a modern purpose" seems like a very clear brief, as long as you understand what old timey mock Victorian looks like, and take that logical leap that it means gears, levers, brass instead of steel, wires and pulleys, pseudo-clockwork motifs... together with people wearing stove pipe hats and black suits of a certain cut, corsets and parasols, and then that combination leading to actions that seem to parallel modern devices or tech.  So there doesn't seem to be all that much wiggle room.  Someone saying "they aren't that familiar" seems like an odd comment, precisely because all you need to know is a mere handful of visual references, then deduce variations via common sense.

[Minerette]

Western cyborg steam punk – one third steam punk and two thirds Westworld. Cool.

[Maverick]

One time someone described Steampunk by pointing to the Will Smith "Wild Wild West" movie.

 

 That abomination must not be mentioned.  Because it didn't happen.  Nope.   There was no such movie.

 

 The Wild Wild West TV show. though, was steampunk's granddaddy.

[Linderhill]

 

The Wild Wild West TV show. though, was steampunk's granddaddy.

I completely agree with this.  I try to deny the existence of the movie too but since I was quoting, I had to mention it.  Sadly, there are many that are more familiar with the crappy movie (wasn't it one of the first of Will Smith's movie to revamp classic TV/movies with black characters?) than they are with the classic Robert Conrad series.  (I can't believe he's 80!)  That's a show that needs to be rebooted either as a series or a movie to wipe the Will Smith fiasco out of our collective consciousness.

[LoneHaranguer]

 

wasn't it one of the first of Will Smith's movie to revamp classic TV/movies with black characters?

It wasn't anything like that; he just happened to be seen as a big box office draw when Hollywood was rushing to capture a nostalgia wave.

[Maverick]

 Unfortunately, I wouldn't trust Hollywood to reboot this.   After hearing about things that get deep into development before someone realizes how bad they are pulls the plug (Dermot Mulroney as Jim Rockford?  Remington Steele and Laura Holt's daughter having to invent a male boss to make it as a detective?  David E,. Kelly producing Wonder Woman?) I have not faith they wouldn't screw it up just as bad as they did the movie.

[LadyNebula]

I'm so sick of steampunk.  It's a cool idea, but as a geek who is involved in several different fandoms, I see people putting steampunk twists on EVERYthing.  I'm just so bored with it.

 

The episode isn't even over yet and I'm already looking forward to next week.

[Toaster Strudel]

I had to laugh at the guy with the barmaid concept, running into the lab and rushing to get going on huge clay knockers before the rest of the contestants even sit down.  Once he got that out of his system he could relax and work on the rest.  Besides, as it turned out, he didn't really need them for the costume.

[Maelstrom]

Yeah, I wasn't impressed with Logan's boob-centric concept one bit. Really, dude? What are you, twelve? I think his final makeup would've worked out better if he'd just sculpted the gadgets and stuck them on the model rather than the larges pieces he used. He wouldn't have had to worry about nasty edges that way at least.

 

So glad Emily made it into the finale! She's been my favorite this season, despite a few missteps along the way, and her paint job tonight was really beautiful. I figured she and Darla would be safe after hearing the judges comments, but sometimes it's hard to know what they're thinking.

 

Glenn should dress in full steampunk attire all the time - it'd make more sense than his normal look. Mackenzie's hair looked cute at the reveal.

 

Had to chuckle at Darla's complete shock when the judges called her name for the finale. I so appreciate the contestants on this show by and large always being shown as normal people, and not Hollywood-formulated "reality stars."

 

Looking forward to next week! Can't believe it's nearly over for the season. Sniff.

[Mr. Simpatico]

I actually wasn't too fond of any of the make-ups. Logan's came closest to what steampunk is (I think it was that liquor dispenser arm that saved him) and I originally thought he was going to have a winner based on his sketch (but the make-up was horrid). Julian's was the best of the western aesthetic but overall everyone's was still meh. Even Emily's winner wasn't that great. Would have loved to see what RJ, Roy or Rhashaad would have done with this in terms of fabrications At least it wasn't all Team Laura (and I say this despite the fact Laura's my favorite all-time contestant) because that would have kind of defeated the purpose of the season.

 

I think this Emily's to lose. Not only do the judges LURVE her (not as much as Miranda but close) but she seems to the most creative and when you have an entire team working for you in the finale (as they will) it will be a lot about the concepts. 

 

Felt bad for Julian though. Fourth place is the worst. You get told to "pack up your kit" and leave the stage when everyone else is still standing there. You don't get the team hugs and drawn out goodbyes and it looks like they're going to start the finale immediately AGAIN so in actuality he's probably not going on anywhere since they're going to bring back the previous contestants for the teams.

[Ketzel]

I didn't understand Emily's mad insistence on pulling her chest sculpt out of the mold before the end of Day One. The clock was ticking down to the final minutes of the work day; she even said the form was still hot and she was afraid it was going to be wrecked. But there she was, forcing it open and sighing with relief when it came out fine. Was this just the obligatory "form panic" scene? Otherwise, why didn't she just leave the thing there overnight so it could cure? It looked like it took her all of 30 seconds to get it open, so it's hard to imagine it would have made any difference at all to wait. That said, I think she deserved her place in the finale, as did Darla. Logan? Eh. I still think Adam should have been there at the end.

[GaT]

I didn't understand Emily's mad insistence on pulling her chest sculpt out of the mold before the end of Day One. The clock was ticking down to the final minutes of the work day; she even said the form was still hot and she was afraid it was going to be wrecked. But there she was, forcing it open and sighing with relief when it came out fine. Was this just the obligatory "form panic" scene? 

Logan even called her out on it & asked why she was panicking, there's always got to be one contestant who keeps running around in a panic for no reason.

 

Not a big steampunk fan, tonight was just meh for me.

[90PercentGravity]

Was McKenzie wearing a bedazzeled track suit at the reveal?

[hincandenza]

Julian: I don't know steampunk except that it has lots of gears.

Glenn: It's exceedingly important that you don't just glue gears on.

That is what is known in the editing biz as "foreshadowing". :)

Why could Anthony not help Ben at all the week he went home... yet here we have Laura literally sketching detailed designs for both Darla and Julian?

I don't totally agree with Michael Westmore saying Emily needed a face piece... why? That's not the only way to "steampunk cyborg", unless there is in fact some rule we don't know about regarding all makeups needing a facial application. But after she got the crying jag and panic attack out of her system, she was fine. While I also don't get the rush to get the mold out so soon, she smartly punted the whole face problem and got other stuff completed so she could sleep on it. Why is that so hard for so many contestants?

Given how muddled he was at first, Julian had a concept and execution that was the most "Wild Wild West" to me. The others, including Logan's barmaid, didn't visually read old west very much.

Between the comically absurd hentai breasts he started with and the crappy decolletage he finished with, is it simply the case that Logan has never actually seen real live lady boobs before?

That was a really close finale; no one killed it, and no one flopped. I could have argued plausibly for Julian staying over each of the others. Darla had some insane paint/color work, but had a pretty vanilla concept and fabrication. Logan was the most in tune with steampunk and functional design, but until the last second I thought he was going home because that application on the chest and neck was completely awful; the leather strap he added to try to cover part of it actually popped off in the middle of his Q&A. And lastly, when Emily's first came out, I became very worried she was a goner since a lot of the fabrication was as sloppy as Logan's chest work; on the closeup I grew to enjoy it more.

Still, Julian did one of his best works in going home, so I hope he feels proud.

[Percysowner]

 

Why could Anthony not help Ben at all the week he went home... yet here we have Laura literally sketching detailed designs for both Darla and Julian?

 

My impression was that the mentors can't do hands on work with the designs. They can help with developing the concept and say things like have you tried using "this" to make filigree. They can even demonstrate making something as long as what they made isn't used on the actual design. The problem with Ben was that his concept was too big and Ben pretty much couldn't be talked out of a concept at once he had made his mind up.

[Rhetorica]

I'm okay with the final three. But my goodness, Emily tires me with her whining every. single. episode. I'm glad someone said something to her. Was it Julian ?

[Ketzel]

Between the comically absurd hentai breasts he started with and the crappy decolletage he finished with, is it simply the case that Logan has never actually seen real live lady boobs before?

Heh. In real life, who knows? But he's certainly seen the models naked or near-naked for some of the challenges, so that's no excuse for him!

[90PercentGravity]

He should have sprayed some grey in the hair and added some rust to mechanical piece and made it part of the story.

[LoneHaranguer]

 

I didn't understand Emily's mad insistence on pulling her chest sculpt out of the mold before the end of Day One. The clock was ticking down to the final minutes of the work day; she even said the form was still hot and she was afraid it was going to be wrecked. But there she was, forcing it open and sighing with relief when it came out fine. Was this just the obligatory "form panic" scene? Otherwise, why didn't she just leave the thing there overnight so it could cure?

I presume it has something to do with the fact that different materials shrink by different factors when they cool and you reach a point where the piece is solid enough that it could be damaged by the stress of cooling further in the mold. It's not unusual for a contestant to open a mold the next day and find cracks or tears. OTOH, you can't open things up before the piece is ready to hold together on its own, and we've seen that too. Emily decided that waiting was the bigger risk, although she was probably influenced by how stressed she'd be overnight not knowing where she stood with her sculpt.

[Lugal]

I personally love steampunk, especially steampunk that is not set in Victorian London, so I loved this challenge, but none of them really knocked this out of the park.  No one really seemed to really develop their characters like we've seen in previous challenges.

 

Julian was close enough with the Wild West look of his character, and Logan's had the steampunk look better than the rest.  Darla had a solid concept, but it was kind of vanilla in the execution.  Emily took what was probably the hardest (a steampunk undertaker? I'm surprised no one picked the sheriff) but she made something pretty cool with it.

 

I also have to give credit to Emily for always finding all these cool tricks and ideas, like the chemical bottles, that reminds me of how Roy would put stuff together, but the difference being Roy was in his mid-forties and Emily is still 19.

[Ketzel]

One of Emily's strengths is her ability to take something that went wrong, and swiftly incorporate the error into her design, without melting down or freezing up. That's a rare and valuable ability for an artist and one that I wish I had! It often results in an actual improvement to the piece, like when she filled the broken part of her ragdoll mold with cotton batting, which made it look like the stuffing was coming out of the doll.

[Pandora]

One of Emily's strengths is her ability to take something that went wrong, and swiftly incorporate the error into her design, without melting down or freezing up

 

I think that's the difference between "really good in theory" and "can actually do the job." I was disappointed at Logan's failure to fix his crummy chest/neck area. He just freaked out and hoped someone did worse instead of improvising. I certainly don't have the expertise of the judges but I thought he should go home just because at this point you shouldn't be screwing up edges and so forth without having the ability to cover those mistakes.

Edited April 8, 2015 by Pandora

[LoneHaranguer]

 

Emily took what was probably the hardest (a steampunk undertaker? I'm surprised no one picked the sheriff) but she made something pretty cool with it.

I really liked the undertaker because it was a great execution of a new concept. The elements fit the character, so they weren't something you've seen before (so much that one of the judges was thrown by the respirator). A sheriff has been done to death, and a bank robber is so similar, they really should have associated a banker with the bank instead. Somebody must have wanted to see a mechanical gun arm.

[Primetimer]

You can see how excited the facetestants about their penultimate challenge: putting a steampunk cyborg twist on stock Western characters (or maybe they're just grossed out by Glenn). Unfortunately, their lack of inspiration shows on the Reveal Stage.

Read the story

[Lorimac]

Lordy, Lord. "Which don't you have: self-respect or a mirror?! " Miss T, thank you for saying what many were thinking. The look might have worked without the hat, or with sleeves, or.... no, let's face it...he needed a stylist to have a serious heart-to-heart about that look.

Anyway, nobody in my house could determine the winner loser based on their work this challenge (because...yuk) so we all guessed based on past work and so, we did not fall off the couch when Julian, who seems like a decent sort, I must say, was sent packing.

[Kaoteek]

Honestly, I didn't like any of the four concepts, nor their executions, and especially not that undertaker that didn't read as an undertaker to me. But then again, all those characters almost looked more like uninspired steampunk zombies than steam-tech-enhanced half-man half-robot characters. A big miss, as far as i'm concerned.

[Kat]

God bless you Tara. Your recap gave me just the laughs I needed to get through a shitty day.

[Maelstrom]

I didn't understand Emily's mad insistence on pulling her chest sculpt out of the mold before the end of Day One.

I figured it was because everything else she needed to make would be attaching to the chest piece, and without it she wouldn't be able to work on the rest (especially since she conveniently forgot about the face sculpt…)

[snakenax]

Logan needs to watch less porn if he thinks that is how unaugmented breasts look. I'm reminded of this little comic I saw passed around the internet where a woman shows how comic artists get breasts wrong and how they should shape in certain positions. Because two giant ovals do not breasts make.

[starri]

This was my predicted finale three, but I couldn't help hoping that Laura ended up running the table after all.  It was the one piece at the hairline that kept Logan, everything else misfired.

 

As much as I don't care for either steampunk or westerns (although my husband did get a kick out of McKenzie acknowledging that Doctor Who exists for what may be the first time on this show), and even though I didn't think any of the concepts were ultimately all that great, all in all, I think it turned out okay.  Nobody failed.  Somebody had to go home and Julian drew the short straw.

 

I have to admit, the outcome that we ended up with was 180 degrees from where I thought we were going.  From the concept, it looked like Logan had it in the bag and Emily was going to stumble, and instead Logan squeaked by and Emily won.  There was something about Logan's attitude--and not just his 7th-grade-boy need to sculpt boobs--that I found really off-putting.

 

McKenzie's hair did look fantastic at the Reveal.

[morakot]

This is a general observation, though I felt it was particularly obvious in this episode. Why do they basically "whiteface" the models of color? Is it just to allow for details to be seen at a distance? Or it takes more effort to paint pale prostheses?

[hincandenza]

This is a general observation, though I felt it was particularly obvious in this episode. Why do they basically "whiteface" the models of color? Is it just to allow for details to be seen at a distance? Or it takes more effort to paint pale prostheses?

I think it's because foam and prosthetics already have a off-white tint, and because darker skin tones would be that much more work. Darla had a voice over this episode about the challenges of matching skin tones and making skin look realistic; she did exactly what you mean, and it still ended up looking kind of play-doh skinned (although the "sweat" was a great touch). Most creations we see on this show have that flat, lifeless "corpse" skin color in any case, except when they add beauty makeup. Plus, we've seen dark palettes for facial paints on monsters et al, and as often as not they get dinged for being muddy or not showcasing the fine detail. I assume pulling that off well would be very challenging, and they're on a time crunch as it is.

[snakenax]

In the case of Logan's prosthetics being really pink and pale to his model's bronze skin tone, i'd probably chalk that up to the rookie mistake of using what would be considered the standard 'fleshtone' color without taking into account that your model doesn't have that tone to their flesh.

[Richness]

I didn't like any of the looks in this episode, but I can't aruge that much with the finalists. Plus, I'm over steampunk. It's a fun concept, but it's been overdone for my tastes. Maybe not on this show, but in my cosplay/fandom endeavors.

 

Emily's make-up coloring was lovely, but the concept stunk as did several parts like the "beard". And really, Glenn, is vacuforming some bottles really that "genius"?!?!? Whatever. I don't think she would have been my first choice, but she definitely should be in the finale.

 

Darla's was so bland, I probably would have sent her home. So I was as surprised as she was that she was the second choice for the finale.

 

Logan's was the most steampunk, but he had numerous execution fails, especially with that wrinkled skin on the neck-chest piece. Plus, I laughed when the costume broke off on the reveal stage.

 

Julian's looked good from a distance, and was the most western, but he overdid the skin. As a result, it looked monstrous with too many scars and wrinkles. Too bad he was always the show's bridesmaid, and never the bride.

 

The final thing that annoyed me was the waterworks. We had not one, but two emotional breakdowns in this episode. I imagine the fatigue and stress is getting to them, but that doesn't mean I want to see it. I really hope this show breaks this bad habit, and doesn't focus on the tears as much in the future.

 

From the PTV review:

it just makes it sound like he goes home and orders up a bear from Grindr

Just a minor point on what was an otherwise excellent review: most bears avoid Grindr like the plague of twinks it is.

[Tara Ariano]

From the PTV review:

Just a minor point on what was an otherwise excellent review: most bears avoid Grindr like the plague of twinks it is.

 

Noted for future reference!

[metalnimoy12]

You can see how excited the facetestants about their penultimate challenge: putting a steampunk cyborg twist on stock Western characters (or maybe they're just grossed out by Glenn). Unfortunately, their lack of inspiration shows on the Reveal Stage.

 

I almost choked on all the snark. Someone seems a bit jaded with this show.

 

I agree with almost everyone here about how the top looks were nothing special. I was sad to see Julian go, even though he was the only remaining contestant without a win. At this point, I'm rooting for Logan and Emily. Logan's been my favorite from Day 1, and it isn't often that my favorite makes it all the way to the finale (my other favorite was Alan, and you see how long he lasted). I also love Emily because she seems so bright and cheerful, not to mention talented.

 

Darla, well... even though she's been a strong contestant from Day 1, she has almost no personality, and that's what makes a contestant so likeable IMO. That's why Season 4 was probably my least favorite season. Apart from being HORRENDOUSLY uneven in terms of contestant skill (two people winning almost every challenge), the final three artists were just so bland. Anthony was kind of quiet and boring, Kris was about the same, and while Wayne had a little more with his beefcake personality, it wasn't enough to be interesting. They made technically good makeups and nothing more. There was no risk.

 

I'll be the first person to say that I'm glad Face Off moved on from the drama-centric first two seasons, but that doesn't mean contestants can't have a personality. It makes things interesting to watch, since the episodes all follow the same format. Some people might have hated Kelly this season, but at least you remembered her. Darla's just... there. She does good make-up. She makes it to the next round. She exists.

 

 

Fun Fact: Logan has managed two incredible Face Off accomplishments. First, he made it to the finale without ever having a bottom look (only four other people have managed to do this in Face Off's eight season history). Second, he has set a record for the most challenges in a row without a bottom look (12 challenges). The record was previously held by Tyler Green from Season 6, who had a streak of 11 challenges. Even if Logan doesn't win, I'll still remember him for this.

[Jamoche]

What was that description the guest steampunk "expert" gave - Victorian mixed with *alien*? Yeah, that's a new one on me, and I still like steampunk - provided it also *works*. The 21st century tech with a Victorian style is more my thing, but I'd even take "Mad Science if the science actually worked".

[ElectricBoogaloo]

One time someone described Steampunk by pointing to the Will Smith "Wild Wild West" movie.

That abomination must not be mentioned.  Because it didn't happen.  Nope.   There was no such movie.

 

The Wild Wild West TV show. though, was steampunk's granddaddy.

I kept waiting for someone to bust out a Cartman wicky wicky wild wild west imitation.

 

ITA that one of Emily's greatest strengths is being able to improvise and find creative fixes when things go wrong. Over the years we have seen many contestants who make decisions about their concept/design and then can't figure out any way to deviate from it when there is any kind of problem, whether it's feedback from Mr. Westmore, cracks in the mold, etc. Instead they insist on blindly seeing their vision through, refusing to adapt or deviate from their original idea, even when there's a huge freaking crack or something really obvious that's wrong.

 

It also helps that Emily is great with color and blending which can elevate something that's mediocre into something very realistic and/or beautiful. I would rather see a good paint job than an innovative design with a muddy or fake looking paint job. I know this is a really DUH thing to say, but paint and color can really make or break a design and Emily has a great eye for both.

[Betelnut]

Very happy with the top two.  I can't remember one look that Logan has done this season whereas I can remember several each of Emily's and Darla's.  One of the women better win.  I hope it isn't a repeat of "Street Art Showdown" where the white guy wins over two women.

 

I like Darla--very talented and consistent and Emily's ability to improvise is great.

 

Should be interesting.

[Biosynth]

Speaking as someone who does Steampunk cosplay I have to say that I was underwhelmed by the crop of looks we had here.  This is steampunk, not horror.  I was really REALLY not a fan of the one with his head cut open with tubes sticking out of the brain. 

 

And I've said this before and I'll say this again, why must the face have sculpts on it?  Why can't creative painting be acceptable?  To face sculpt a normal face on a normal face, I don't get it. 

 

Check out the chaps called Steampunk Giraffe.  They tour around a lot of the Steampunk flavored conventions.  I'm not fond of their music but I think they really look the part of Steampunk Robots with just face paint.

 

I HATED the winning look.  I HATED that Julian dumped dirt all over his model. 

 

Ug! 

 

 

[morakot]

What was that description the guest steampunk "expert" gave - Victorian mixed with *alien*?

 

 

What Glenn referred to was "antediluvian" technology, which literally means "before the Flood". He was using it to mean ancient and lost technology -- say, from Atlantis, for instance, and not necessarily extra-terrestrial.

 

(And I'm not sure how much more "expert" someone can be than someone who commits to living the lifestyle as fully as Glenn does...)

Edited April 9, 2015 by morakot

[LoneHaranguer]

 

Logan needs to watch less porn if he thinks that is how unaugmented breasts look.

Really more stripper than porn star. Maybe he watched Rock of Love; that's the kind of women the producers were casting for Bret Michaels to pick from.