S09.E01: Fire & Ice

[thewhiteowl]

Quote

Tattooing is a team sport as artists from nine of America's best shops battle it out for a $200,000 prize and first ever title of  Master Shop.

[sourpickles]

Not sure what I think right now.  Seem to be some kickass artists, but I'm not thrilled with the shop wars thing.  And then more shops later on.  However, I'll still be cautiously optimistic for right now. 

[MuMuGuy]

The second Flash Challenge with the metallic lettering was hilarious. I'm not sure which was funnier between the team that misspelled their shop's name and the team that tried to do a cassette tape. That cassette tape looked more like Kool-Aid Man.

[sourpickles]

Yeah, that was bad.  I was all "Hey, who knows what a cassette is now?"  and then, flop.  BUT there were some great teams.  Just watched redemption, still love Sarah, still love Megan Jean.  Who knew? 

[Kathira]

I wondered if it was going to be a short season with only 9 shops, but I'm not sure how I feel about new shops coming in as they go along. They did that with another season, where the ones who came in were previous contestants, and I ended up feeling like it wasn't really fair to the ones who had to tattoo every week from the beginning. I like the comic book sci-fi guys and hope they do well. Otherwise, Black Anchor, Unkindness and Artistic Skin seeem like the teams to beat. The Tri-Cities team really seemed clueless - they didn't realize that they would have to work together? On a season where you're competing as a team? Really? And their snake was bad. 

[MuMuGuy]

9 hours ago, Kathira said:

I wondered if it was going to be a short season with only 9 shops, but I'm not sure how I feel about new shops coming in as they go along. They did that with another season, where the ones who came in were previous contestants, and I ended up feeling like it wasn't really fair to the ones who had to tattoo every week from the beginning. I like the comic book sci-fi guys and hope they do well. Otherwise, Black Anchor, Unkindness and Artistic Skin seeem like the teams to beat. The Tri-Cities team really seemed clueless - they didn't realize that they would have to work together? On a season where you're competing as a team? Really? And their snake was bad. 

I hate it when competitive reality shows let people enter into the competition midway for the reason you stated. They're effectively skipping challenges. Ink Master: Revenge (S7) was terrible because it was heavily stacked in favor of the vets.

It's so stupid that reality shows still do that. It's as if everyone forgot about the controversy with SyFy's Face Off when some lady named Nicole won Season 3 after she was eliminated, but then was able to reenter the competition by winning a Foundation Challenge later on.

[Charlesman]

Motormouth really screwed his partner, and took zero responsibility for it, blaming everyone else. I feel bad for the big guy having to go home like that. (Also, the shop construct really makes it tough to learn names) 

Peck's mustache is just trolling us. 

The all-girl team is likeable but under the radar. 

And, good lord, that alligator was terrible. 

[zxy556575]

Not that he was ever peak grooming, but Peck's gnarly mustache is grossing me out.

Interesting that married couples won both flash challenges*. That may speak to their ability to work smoothly together, but we'll see.

The woman from the African American team -- Bang? -- who complained about it being UNFAIR for them to lose is going to grind my last nerve if she keeps up her whining. That was also the team who were surprised to learn they were one.

 

* Which I guess it's time for me to quit bitching about, because it looks like the show is leaning even harder into non-ink materials.

Edited June 7, 2017 by Lord Donia

[sourpickles]

2 hours ago, MuMuGuy said:

They're effectively skipping challenges. Ink Master: Revenge (S7) was terrible because it was heavily stacked in favor of the vets.

Yep.  I've been bitching about this for seasons.  I think they started the gimmick shit with Rivals and it's been mishandled ever since.  The Vets/Newbies thing was awful.  I was pissed at last season, too.  I've watched this show since minute one and honestly, I'm giving this one more shot.  Nothing was wrong with the competition the way it was.  Finding out those bints from last season are getting their own show immediately following this season did zippo to endear the franchise to me, since I couldn't stand most of them.  I can't sort out who is who right now since there are so many people, but it seems to have an ok balance of talent and shit stirrers.  I always find the live finales awesome when Peck shows up wearing a formal jacket and nothing under it.  I get to spend two hours or so staring at his chest.  Oy.

[qtpye]

Have the Tristate tattoo team never met each other before?  They both seemed in shock that they would have to work together.  Lord, I actually thought Marked Society's alligator was a sea lion.  Agree, with everyone that bringing in shops later into the game is stupid and unfair.

[sourpickles]

I'm going out on a thin limb here, but it seems like the majority of IM commenters (I'm new!) are old fans, who have been watching for a long time.  Hence, the disgruntledness (it's a word now!).  I've gotta check out the Facebook page, where I aired my ire about Ryan's win just once.  I did not know there was a forum here, was kindly directed by another commenter.

[zxy556575]

The winning ice sculpture and metal challenge were both really well done, so congrats to those teams, whoever they are. Naw, I know -- it was ice blond wife with hipster husband and red-haired wife with hipster husband.

I liked the close brotherly support on the team that was eliminated and hated seeing the bigger guy break down. Your family will still be proud, dude! The attitude of the more pugnacious one who insisted that their broken snake tattoo was awesome would have gotten old, I'm sure.

[Cotypubby]

I don't like that there were four people we didn't even see tattoo!! On all the other competition shows (Face Off, Top Chef, Project Runway, etc.), the contestants who win immunity still actually compete in the main challenge!

[azshadowwalker]

I am extremely underwhelmed by most of the work done last night. A couple were good enough. Everything else was mediocre to atrocious. Not sure if it was related to the tag-team nonsense or not. Hope that's gone soon. 

[cpcathy]

That alligator really did look like a sock with eyes. Good one, Peck!

I don't know names yet but my husband and I are going to call the one dude Knockoff Creepy Jake Gyllenhaal.

[Kelda Feegle]

Totally thought that was a bad snake, only to find out it was supposed to be an alligator. Arguing with Nunez about putting your own style in a challenge is never going to end well when you don't listen to his reply. Also? Really bad hat Nunez - like 80.s pimpin hat level bad.

The team names are too long to remember - this is going to be tough. Plus stop with the adding in new teams NOW.

[Diane Mars]

I really thougt it was a hyena, lol !

ETA : but (im my head) : there wasn't any hyena ?! WTF ?!

Edited June 9, 2017 by Diane Mars

[Inkmaster0345]

Bringing back new teams? No no no no no please god no. Infuriating setup. Tag team tattoos? Another atrocious idea. You heard it from multiple artists during the episode: tattoos inherently aren't meant to be a team effort. Not surprising at all that the overall quality of the tattoos was lackluster. Also, for someone who comes back to Ink Master time and time again to admire the artwork, I HATE team tattoo challenges because it cuts down on the amount of art we, the viewers, ultimately get to see. Hate it. 

 

Also, does this cast feel incredibly young to anybody else? Except for the guys from black anchor it doesn't sound like anybody is especially well known in the business. Seems like theres a lot of artists with only 5-8 years experience.

 

Sidenote: Went back and rewatched season 3 recently and my god what a season. Joey, Jime, Tatu Baby, Josh, Jason, Kyle, Craig, and hell even Jackie. Absolutely stacked season. Whatever season 10 is I hope it's a bare bones battle royale like the early seasons. Probably not. Oh well, a man can dream. 

[azshadowwalker]

20 hours ago, Inkmaster0345 said:

Whatever season 10 is I hope it's a bare bones battle royale like the early seasons. Probably not. Oh well, a man can dream. 

I talked to Anthony Michaels on Facebook a while back. He mentioned how much the artists hate the themes and related bullshit. 

As for season 10, I am wondering if they will be working the women from last season in, since Angels seems to be a casting show for 10. 

[CoyoteBlue]

On 6/7/2017 at 7:47 AM, MuMuGuy said:

I hate it when competitive reality shows let people enter into the competition midway for the reason you stated. They're effectively skipping challenges. Ink Master: Revenge (S7) was terrible because it was heavily stacked in favor of the vets.

It would be more interesting if they rotated groups of artists, so a different set of shops would alternate and then merge when the field got small enough at the end. That way everyone gets more rest and everyone is in for the same length of time. Or what if there were a small pool of artists and when you won a challenge, you got sent to the back of the pool to chill until you were up again and it would get backfilled by the next artist from the pool. Although I guess that wears down the crappy artists faster, while giving already successful artists more rest....

[sourpickles]

Sounds like a good idea, but I always chafe at someone(s) not competing in every challenge.  One person immunity, ok, though I don't even care for that.  Hanging around.....that's what they did with the vets/newbies thing.  The newbies did everything and the vets came in one by one and sometime got knocked out right away, not even justifiably sometimes, and it was a foxtrot to me.  TO ME. I have strong feelings on that, everyone is welcome to disagree, obviously.  You want a competition? Give me one, and I'll keep watching. 

[sourpickles]

On ‎6‎/‎10‎/‎2017 at 9:07 PM, azshadowwalker said:

I talked to Anthony Michaels on Facebook a while back. He mentioned how much the artists hate the themes and related bullshit. 

As for season 10, I am wondering if they will be working the women from last season in, since Angels seems to be a casting show for 10. 

I can believe that.  I don't mind the themes, but I can see how the artists would feel suffocated.  It will limit what they can show of their own devices.  BUT, some of the challenges have gotten out of hand.  Sand castles come to mind.  I get it, but still, really? 

 

If they can get a woman artist on there I like, then I'm in.  Those four from last time....I liked Kelly, and that might have been hometown nostalgia, but......Gia was ok and then annoying, Ryan, geez, by epi 2 you knew she was winning, even though she was well spoken and put together it drove me nuts and  Nikki.  God, Droopy Dog.  If she's 24, so am I.  She bugged me.  I'm sure the personalities will  change for this show and I might be totally charmed, but.................

[zxy556575]

On 6/10/2017 at 9:07 PM, azshadowwalker said:

I talked to Anthony Michaels on Facebook a while back. He mentioned how much the artists hate the themes and related bullshit. 

Seems like a lot of the artists expect to just show up and tattoo their favored subjects in their own style on easy body parts every week. I don't give their complaints a lot of sympathy. Dance for me, puppets, dance!

[candall]

Pardon me?  Inkmaster came up with a fresh concept?  With no arrogant alpha males from past seasons right off the bat?  And the judges aren't predisposed to campaign for one team over another??  What is this show I'm watching?!?

 

Those two starter challenges were both interesting and the "live" art element was a nice veer from the expected.

 

Hard to believe the judges kicked out the tattoo you could live with instead of that short-snouted croc/snake/sock-with-eyes.  Ah, there's the Inkmaster I'm used to.

[sourpickles]

8 hours ago, Lord Donia said:

Seems like a lot of the artists expect to just show up and tattoo their favored subjects in their own style on easy body parts every week

Yeah, and they've been busted on that for seasons now.  You want the exposure?  Get ready for some random s***.  Random challenges, random body parts, etc.  I too feel zero empathy.  I mean, if you are good (how I miss you previous seasons!) then you are GOOD.  Consider it done.  IM has spoiled me for a tattoo that I have wanted since I was 19.  I won't talk about how long ago that was.  TG I didn't get it before now, because this show has taught me what to look for, and I've yet to find an artist in my area I totally trust.  Thanks, show.  That's why I stick with you.......

[Charlesman]

9 hours ago, Lord Donia said:

On 6/10/2017 at 6:07 PM, azshadowwalker said:

I talked to Anthony Michaels on Facebook a while back. He mentioned how much the artists hate the themes and related bullshit. 

Seems like a lot of the artists expect to just show up and tattoo their favored subjects in their own style on easy body parts every week. I don't give their complaints a lot of sympathy. Dance for me, puppets, dance!

 

Exactly. Tom Colicchio said as much on an episode of "Top Chef" (which is pretty much the same show as this). One of the cheftestants bitched about the faux structure, the dumb challenges, and the hyped up drama. Tom's reply was basically: "If we were judging 'best chef in America', we'd just show up at your restaurant one night and eat. But there's no show in that. This is for the Title of Top Chef, this is how you win that."  And he's right. If this show was about finding 'the best tattoo artist in the country', they'd just go to each shop and check out their work and go home and there would be no show and no prize money in that. Instead, it's a show about "winning Ink Master" and doing that requires jumping through all the stupid hoops and still coming out on top.

[sourpickles]

I agree, to an extent. Some of this shit has gotten out of control.  On IM, on TC, on Project Runway, etc.  Maybe that is the nature of the beast but c'mon......I'm tired of predetermined outcomes.

[azshadowwalker]

I don't agree with it at all. When you're setting people up to do shitty work, I think you're doing a disservice to the viewers, the artists and the people getting work done.  This isn't a bad meal at a restaurant, either. It's permanently marking someone's body. Creating bullshit drama instead of showing people actually tattooing isn't my thing. It's the absolute worst aspect of the show, and it always will be. The skull assignments segment is also stupid, and it's the reason this show became so alliance-driven. That's available on Survivor. It shouldn't be on Ink Master. Shitty personal drama is available on Big Brother. There's a reason I don't watch that shitty show, and I don't want to see it in this environment.

Watching people do leather working or ice sculptures isn't particularly impressive, either. Tattooing. That's what I'm here it watch. Good tattoos. Who does the best tattoos that meet the challenges. Not alliances. Not drama and shit-talking. Not seeing if you can get an artist to give someone a shitty tattoo, so they can show up on Redemption. This show isn't interested in that, though. 

Edited June 14, 2017 by azshadowwalker

[Charlesman]

17 hours ago, azshadowwalker said:

I don't agree with it at all. When you're setting people up to do shitty work, I think you're doing a disservice to the viewers, the artists and the people getting work done.  This isn't a bad meal at a restaurant, either. It's permanently marking someone's body. Creating bullshit drama instead of showing people actually tattooing isn't my thing. It's the absolute worst aspect of the show, and it always will be. The skull assignments segment is also stupid, and it's the reason this show became so alliance-driven. That's available on Survivor. It shouldn't be on Ink Master. Shitty personal drama is available on Big Brother. There's a reason I don't watch that shitty show, and I don't want to see it in this environment.

Watching people do leather working or ice sculptures isn't particularly impressive, either. Tattooing. That's what I'm here it watch. Good tattoos. Who does the best tattoos that meet the challenges. Not alliances. Not drama and shit-talking. Not seeing if you can get an artist to give someone a shitty tattoo, so they can show up on Redemption. This show isn't interested in that, though. 

I agree with you in that I'd like to see less personal drama, infighting, and shit-talking. I'd also like to see good quality tattoos, but within some "jump through hoops" structure. Not hoops of "screw people over", but "meet this weird challenge restraint by using your creativity". On that I agree 100%.

[Inkmaster0345]

On 6/13/2017 at 8:58 PM, azshadowwalker said:

Watching people do leather working or ice sculptures isn't particularly impressive, either. Tattooing. That's what I'm here it watch. Good tattoos. Who does the best tattoos that meet the challenges. Not alliances. Not drama and shit-talking. Not seeing if you can get an artist to give someone a shitty tattoo, so they can show up on Redemption. This show isn't interested in that, though. 

Absolutely nailed it here. I (and likely most of us) watch the show to see tattooing. Every once in a while the flash challenges are relevant, but unfortunately that is the case far too infrequently. This is a tattoo show, do tattoo flash challenges. There are flash challenges on top chef and guess what? They cook! Imagine that, a cooking show doing cooking challenges. What a concept. Apparently the boys over at spike haven't gotten the memo. 

On 6/13/2017 at 8:58 PM, azshadowwalker said:

I The skull assignments segment is also stupid, and it's the reason this show became so alliance-driven.

Slightly disagree with you here. The skull assignments have only become stupid because has allowed them to. Back in the golden days of ink master (S2-S4 imo) the worst thing you'd see among the human cavases was a rib tattoo (I remember how the artists used to freak out, "OMG WHO'S GONNA GET THE RIB TATTOO!?!?!"). But these days it's become "I want a giraffe playing volleyball on my butt and I'm not open to changing my mind". It's ridiculous. Back when the show put on reasonable canvases the skull pick was rarely ever a point of drama--now it's a weekly occurrence. No thanks 

[WookieeCookieez]

I think if they just randomized the skull picks it would help cut down on some of the baloney. If someone gets the first-time canvas who wants that sporty giraffe tushie tattoo, it's just a matter of chance rather than manufactured drama. For that matter, they should probably stop encouraging the canvases to come in with such ridiculous requests. I think having someone you've never met before add something permanent to your skin is risky enough without trying to set them up for failure.

[Charlesman]

On 6/13/2017 at 5:58 PM, azshadowwalker said:

I don't agree with it at all. When you're setting people up to do shitty work, I think you're doing a disservice to the viewers, the artists and the people getting work done.  This isn't a bad meal at a restaurant, either. It's permanently marking someone's body. Creating bullshit drama instead of showing people actually tattooing isn't my thing. It's the absolute worst aspect of the show, and it always will be. The skull assignments segment is also stupid, and it's the reason this show became so alliance-driven. That's available on Survivor. It shouldn't be on Ink Master. Shitty personal drama is available on Big Brother. There's a reason I don't watch that shitty show, and I don't want to see it in this environment.

Watching people do leather working or ice sculptures isn't particularly impressive, either. Tattooing. That's what I'm here it watch. Good tattoos. Who does the best tattoos that meet the challenges. Not alliances. Not drama and shit-talking. Not seeing if you can get an artist to give someone a shitty tattoo, so they can show up on Redemption. This show isn't interested in that, though. 

 

Also, I realized after I posted that I fast-forward through all of the back-stage talking segments, in their entirety, and never watch a second of them all season long. I mash my FF button until I see the "Flash Challenge", "Elimination Challenge", and "Judge's Review" interstitials. In addition to skipping the infighting, which adds nothing to the show or the story, I can also breeze through an episode in 20 minutes or so.

 

Which means my perspective of this show is probably a lot different than most other people's :)

[azshadowwalker]

6 hours ago, Charlesman said:

 

Also, I realized after I posted that I fast-forward through all of the back-stage talking segments, in their entirety, and never watch a second of them all season long. I mash my FF button until I see the "Flash Challenge", "Elimination Challenge", and "Judge's Review" interstitials. In addition to skipping the infighting, which adds nothing to the show or the story, I can also breeze through an episode in 20 minutes or so.

I have taken to doing a lot of that, too. If I didn't, I would come to hate the show before long. It's actually my favorite reality show, so I want to enjoy it as long as I can. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I am not a fan of team challenges, let alone an entire season of teams, but I was willing to live with the pairs. But bringing in a new pair every week? WTF?

As much as I enjoy the non-tattoo challenges (I still remember some from past seasons that were really cool), I felt like having ice challenge plus the metal sign challenge plus the tattoo challenge was cramming too many things into one episode. I am fine with the winners of the non-tattoo challenges getting immunity but they should still have to participate in the tattoo challenge.

Heh, the other reason I enjoy the non-tattoo challenges is that at least if someone fucks up, they haven't put an ugly sock alligator on someone's skin forever. A bad ice sculpture will melt and it's no big deal!

[Kathira]

I actually like the non-tattoo flash challenges. I like the quick tattoo ones, too, but overall, I love to see the creativity and artistry that some of them can come up with even in the most difficult media. I think testing general artistic ability as well as the ability to plan a large piece and execute it is a valid part of being Ink Master.

[azshadowwalker]

I don't think they are really testing the skillset with non-tattoo challenges. To me, it's like asking someone who fixes computers to fix the engine in a car. It's not what they do. It is only tangentially related. 

[sourpickles]

5 hours ago, azshadowwalker said:

I don't think they are really testing the skillset with non-tattoo challenge

I'm so tired I honest to God saw "skillet" and thought "GREAT!  Who's first!"  Oy.

[SuburbanHangSuite]

So realizing that I'm extremely late (I had the first 4 eps DVRd) I just dropped by to say I'm still pissed that the sock-gator didn't go home.  WTF?!  There were a dozen other animals that shit looked like (dog, snake and my personal fav from Diane Mars, a hyena!) but a gator???  I don't know if I should even watch the other saved eps if I'm this angry on Ep.1.

[sourpickles]

6 hours ago, SuburbanHangSuite said:

 I don't know if I should even watch the other saved eps if I'm this angry on Ep.1.

You really should, just to catch up with the insanity we're all dealing with!  Besides, if you go into it already knowing, you'll be less surprised and way less pissed than most of us from week to week.....right?  I mean, that makes sense, yes???  Maybe........or this season could well be all done!