S04.E09: Fighting Dirty

[ElectricBoogaloo]

The artists are challenged to make mouth grill for Brandon Rios, a pro boxer. A canvas leads to an argument. Jay goes ahead with his plan to take out Scott, resulting in a harsh critique.

[Monty]

 

A canvas leads to an argument.

Shocking!

[Kromm]

Shocking!

It's never happened before!

[OriginalCyn]

As much as I was hoping that fuckwit, Gentle Jay, was going to be sent packing, it wasn't much of a surprise that they didn't eliminate anyone for two reasons:

 

1.  With 2 people quitting (that insult to females aka Ashley; and Kyle, who may or may not have left on his own volition), plus the two double-eliminations, this left the production crew with too few competitors for the remaining weeks of the scheduled broadcast dates, and

 

2.  To ratchet up the tension and drama (not that this show needs any more of that bullshit).

 

In typical Ink Master fashion, the promo weasels once again made it seem like all hell was going to break loose with some major shit hitting the fan WRT "TraceGate," only to have it turn out to be about as explosive as a moth's fart. 

Edited April 23, 2014 by OriginalCyn

[niklj]

All tattoos were pretty passable today, although I think Halo's should've won. It was pretty good, the whole thing about the shield was just nitpicky.

 

It's really weird reading the contestants' Twitters--it seems like they all actually get along in real life.

[LoneHaranguer]

 

the whole thing about the shield was just nitpicky.

It wasn't even that; they were complaining about something that really had nothing wrong with it, like the lizard foot in a prior season. An ancient warrior would be using a shield that was handmade and may have had some fixes after prior battles. You don't want it to look like it was just stamped out by a machine. It probably looks just like it did in the reference.

 

Note to producers: these people aren't actors; don't expect them to sell fake drama like the tracing "issue". I didn't get the sense the contestants bringing it up bought it any more than the judges did.

[Quality]

 

It wasn't even that; they were complaining about something that really had nothing wrong with it

 

The shield's attachment to the arm is messed up. You'd expect the entire forearm -hand to elbow- to be protected, and centered in the middle of the shield. But, in the tattoo, the straps are on the far right end of the shield (not the middle), so it looks like too small, and goofy.

 

This is fairly nitpicky. I like the tattoo as a whole.

Edited April 23, 2014 by Quality

[Monty]

That wasn't tracing. There were plenty of differences, like the breastplate, the helmet, the horse's nostrils, and the horse's eyes. And is there even a rule against tracing? What a lame controversy.

[leighdear]

Josh did tracing last season, didn't he?  He claimed often that he wasn't an artist, and his flash was heavily referenced and traced in some instances.  Hell, if a body wants an exact replica of something, tracing it makes perfect sense. 

I would WANT somebody to trace the major points of a picture if I wanted something exact.  They can add some artistic flare in other areas.

[LoneHaranguer]

 

But, in the tattoo, the straps are on the far right end of the shield (not the middle), so it looks like too small, and goofy.

The straps on most shields aren't centered and you don't want something too big and heavy for battle. In general, a sheld can be worn with the unstrapped section covering the elbow, or extending out as an extension of the arm. I think something as heavily curved as Halo's is intended to be the latter; a longer reach would be good for defending against arrows or clobbering someone.

[thewhiteowl]

I think I've seen Scott draw up stuff on the fly enough for me to believe that was a reference and not a trace.

I've looked at all the tats on Spike and while none are overtly shitty they all have their issues IMO.  The arm on Matti's Viking just looks odd. Halo's Roman looks like Roman the robot. Snausage's Native girl's head is too big for her body, she has no neck and whoa, that man-hand. Scott's samurai is oddly proportioned. Jay's looks like a cover-up and has his usual overdone background. Melissa's Aztec has her hat on crooked but otherwise, hers was my favorite. She may not be ready for Ink Master but I loved the detail she worked into the design.

[Yeldarbe]

At first I was annoyed that they didn't send anyone home (anyone else think they only brought Melissa down so that Gentle Jay wouldn't be all by his lonesome? Gotta create that suspense) but OriginalCyn brought up some valid points. They (judges, producers) probably knew going into it that nobody would be sent home before they even started taping the episode. That's the only way I will believe that they would send Gentle Jay packing because I thought his tattoo was the obvious bottom. All that manufactured drama. Why do I even watch this show? That screeching violin sound they play when something "shocking" is said just grates on my nerves. I mean really, count how many times they play that sound effect per episode. I've noticed it in other shows as well.

[Gringa]

If he traced that, then he's a really shitty tracer.

[EC Amber]

Word and ditto to the above. 

FWIW, I thought Melissa was better than a lot of the others and I thought the whole episode is a waste of time. I'll be tuning into Best Ink and I don't think I'll be coming back to this one after the season is done. Just too much desperation to manufacture what isn't necessary. 

[Pickles Aplenty]

 

FWIW, I thought Melissa was better than a lot of the others and I thought the whole episode is a waste of time. I'll be tuning into Best Ink and I don't think I'll be coming back to this one after the season is done. Just too much desperation to manufacture what isn't necessary. 

I'm right with you.  Seriously, why do I watch this?  It's just an endless bitchfest, and it has little to do with tattooing.  I've heard Best Ink is better.

[Kromm]

Wait.  Psycho Jay and his shitty black blob didn't just plain go?  WTF?  

 

Not that Melissa doesn't suck, but Jay is a piece of talentless shit with a beard and pure rage attached.  That was such a mondo sized piece of bullshit, just to keep an raving lunatic in (and of course Melissa will go next week).

Edited April 27, 2014 by Kromm

[Carrie Ann]

I can understand why, for production reasons, they needed to have a no-elimination week to make up for the unexpected double. But why do it at this stage when there is still all this cannon-fodder hanging around? Why not save it for Final Four or Five, when we're down to the actual talent and the decision is harder to make? I can't stand Jay, and there's no chance he's going to suddenly turn it around.