Original subtitles

This season on "Ink Master,"

15 new artists enter the competition.

- This is wild.

- I came prepared. I'm ready to take over.

- We will be joined by yet another industry icon.

- Four judges.

- DJ Tambe.

He's the GOAT.

- Good to be on this side.

- I'm glad you're not on this side either.

And this season, the artists

won't be battling alone.

- Ryan, Nikko, and DJ will each coach a team.

- OK. - Yes!

- This is a fucking roller coaster.

You better strap in and be ready for the ride.

- Game on.

- Game on, boys. - Game on.

- Ooh, I'll give you one.

They will endure insane flash challenges...

- What can you make out of this crazy shit?

- Come on! - Whoo!

And push themselves to their artistic limit.

- Thinking about the shit that we could have done

ain't gonna do a goddamn thing.

- This is what we got. - We got to haul ass.

- If you are not tattooing, what the hell are you doing?

- They want me out.

- If I survive this round, I'm coming for everybody.

- If anyone is questioning what we're looking for, this is it.

- You're a clean, solid-ass tattooer.

- You fucking killed this.

- This tattoo is badass.

- Push yourself creatively.

- I've come to win the title.

It means everything.

- Competition's only gonna get harder.

The stakes are higher.

They must navigate the twists

and turns of this competition.

- Today I'm the canvas.

Damn.

- What?

Joel is the canvas?

- It's gonna get crazy.

- The game as you know it is going to completely change.

Shit.

- We're gonna have to start

stabbing each other in the back.

- You trying to take us out?

- If you guys are good, we're coming at you.

- Ksh, hoo, ksh.

- You don't really have a chance.

- Really?

In the end, only one artist

will earn a $250,000 prize...

- Time's up.

No more ink.

And the title of Ink Master.

- What? - Hey, what's up, guys?

- It feels amazing to be here.

I cannot believe that I'm just standing right in front of all

these people that I idolize.

- This is dope.

- Welcome to "Ink Master."

- Thank you. - Thank you.

- Glad to be here.

- This is where artists come

to push themselves to the limit,

proving that they have the technical skills,

the artistic talent, and the passion to compete

at the highest level.

- That's right. - In the end,

only one of you will walk away with $250,000...

- What? - My God.

- That's a lot of money.

- And the title of Ink Master.

- Yeah. - Get them. Get them. Get them.

- Let's go.

- The title of Ink Master is huge.

It's like winning the heavyweight

championship belt of tattooing.

This is a big deal.

- We are not messing around this season.

- Let's do it. - I'm fucking ready.

- And by we, I mean we, your judges...

- Damn.

- Myself... - Oof.

- Joel knows what he's looking at.

He's seen a ton of fucking tattoos.

He has a ton of tattoos.

He knows what a great tattoo looks like.

- Ryan Ashley...

- Yes. - Beast right there.

- The experience you're about to embark on

will change your life.

Make friends and all of that,

but this is business, guys.

- Let's do it.

- Nikko Hurtado.

- He's, like, a legend in color.

- Trust yourself and try not to get in your own head.

You have all these competitors,

but it's really you versus you.

- And as if we weren't intimidating enough,

we will be joined by yet another industry icon.

- Shit. - What?

- Four judges. - Wow.

- Your final judge has been tattooing for over 25 years.

He also won this competition not once, not twice...

My God.

- But three times.

- OK.

- DJ Tambe.

You've got to be kidding me.

- Hey, hey.

- DJ stands in his own category.

There is exceptional artists.

There's versatile artists.

And then there's DJ.

Nobody else touches what he does.

- He's the GOAT.

- I spent years, shed blood, sweat, and tears

being on your guys' side.

It's good to be on this side.

- I'm glad you're not on this side either.

DJ has won this competition three times.

- The judges have decided.

Old Town Ink.

- DJ.

- DJ, you do have what it takes...

- My fucking God. - To be Ink Master.

- Number fucking three.

- He knows what to look for

when it comes to a winning tattoo.

- Fucking legend, man. - Thanks.

- I am so nervous right now.

- This competition is about versatility.

It's about taking any challenge that's handed to you

and flipping it on its head to make something amazing

every single time.

- Let's go.

- But before you fight for the title,

you're going to have to fight for a shop first.

- What? - What?

Oof.

- There are 15 of you but only 12 shops.

- There are more artists than booths.

No.

- That means three of you will be packing your machines

before you even set up shop.

- Yeah, that's fucked.

- What? Like, we just got here.

- Like, what's up with that, Joel?

Do you know what I mean, I come out here,

and straightaway, I've got to try and compete

just to get in the shop.

You're the one that invited me.

- Blow us away, and you earn a shop.

One false move, and you're out.

- I'm not gonna make any false moves.

I came here prepared. I'm ready to take over.

- I hope you're ready.

- Yup. - I'm ready.

- So ready.

- Because your first elimination tattoo

starts right now.

- Shit. - What?

- We just got here.

- My bags aren't even unpacked.

I literally am not ready.

I don't even know where my needles are.

- Today you have six hours to tattoo anything you want.

- What? - What?

- OK. Anything we want?

- That's it... No style restrictions,

no insane subject matter,

no crazy placement, no excuses.

- I'm ready to knock somebody out.

- It's not going to be very many times

you guys get to actually be

100% yourself in this competition.

So make sure you let us know exactly

who the fuck you are as artists.

- It's a blessing and a curse to be able to pick

whatever you want to do because of the fact

you're gonna overthink it.

Do what you do and do what you know.

- No pressure.

- Show what you're made of.

Show what the others have to compete against,

and earn that shop.

- That one's gonna be mine right there.

- You get one tattoo and one chance

to show us everything you've got.

Your canvases are completely open

and have been randomly assigned.

You will have six hours to tattoo any style

and any subject matter.

- All right. - Start designing...

- Right now?

- And good luck.

- All right.

- Do you guys know what you're gonna draw?

- Maybe, like, do two different styles together?

- I'm gonna do a sacred heart for sure.

- I think I want to do a girl head.

When it's just like, you could do anything,

it's just like, damn, what do I want to fucking do?

- Something that represents you.

- Yeah, but it's like, there's so many things

that could represent me.

I'm a very creative person.

But right now, my mind is blank.

There are so many heavy hitters in this competition.

- What you thinking?

- Definitely something Japanese in there

'cause I do a lot of Japanese stuff.

- Jon Mesa, who's literally been around for so long.

- Hand me the trophy now.

- And then you got Bobby.

His tattoos are incredible.

- I love your lady faces.

Thank you.

I mean, I got to do it, right?

- And then you got Jenna, who is phenomenal.

If we collab'd, my God, it'd be dope.

- Yeah.

- Do you want me to, like, swap seats?

I feel very much like a lone wolf.

I don't know these other artists.

I don't know their skill set.

They could be amazing.

I came here thinking I'm great,

so I'm sure everyone else is.

- You could do that in six hours?

- Yeah, man. - Damn.

- Three people are getting cut.

- No, I'm not. I'm staying.

- Keep that mentality, period.

- Hello! - Hi, I'm your human canvas.

- Yes, amazing. - I'm Jes.

- Hi, I'm your human canvas. - Jessica. Nice to meet you.

- OK, artists!

There are 15 of you, and only 12 of you will get a shop.

You have six hours to tattoo anything you want.

And your time starts now.

- OK. Come on over.

- Turn to the side, please.

- My stencils are really detailed,

so we want it to stick on here and not go anywhere.

I will have a colossal breakdown if it does.

- I would have loved this challenge when I was competing.

First challenge, they get to show whatever they want.

- That's pretty sick, bro.

- This is what you do, your style.

So it better be perfect.

- Do you ever sneak your initials in there?

Never.

- That's a good idea, though.

You shouldn't have told me that one.

- Three artists are going home today.

We ain't selling tickets to the carousel here.

This is a fucking roller coaster, dude,

and you better strap in and be ready for the ride.

- Hey, Bryan, thanks for making it sound

like a tattoo shop in here.

- Hey, you are welcome, guys.

- OK, we're gonna go with our first line.

So obviously, it's gonna be spice town.

My style is unique.

I like to tattoo a lot of vintage girly shit.

It's very hyperfeminine.

People think I'm a cool girl, but I'm really not.

I'm covered in tattoos.

I have gold teeth.

My eyelids say "Bad Bitch."

Are you still alive? - Yup.

- I'll get out of that spicy bit, like, real quick.

- It's OK, yup.

- I have the inner critic

imposter syndrome that we all do.

But now's the time for her to shut the fuck up.

- One of the reasons why the rooster was

important enough for me to make this tattoo design,

because I identify with it.

I spent about five years of my life

in the Dominican Republic.

I remember as a kid, there used to be, like,

cockfights in the middle of just random streets.

- Yeah, we don't get that here.

- I'm hoping to show the judges something fresh.

I've created this whole different style

with a bunch of lines and building values.

But that could either bite me in the ass,

or they can absolutely love me.

I would think of myself as, like, a gallito,

- a small rooster. - OK.

- I think, in the competition, having that fighting spirit,

man, people got to bring it.

- Yeah. - 'Cause I know I for sure am.

- A lot of my drive comes from just, like, the fact

that there's not really much artistic opportunity

out where I live.

You know, it's a very small town.

I'm a queer tattoo artist who had many obstacles

to get to where I am today.

And I'm here to showcase that no matter

what you go through,

you can make shit happen.

Like, it's always been a dream of mine to be here.

This was the competition that made me

fall in love with tattooing.

My strength is in black and gray and color realism

but with a little bit more of an illustrative twist.

I hope that, you know, people see my art and see me for me.

You'll be noticed.

- Especially in this bright-ass red shirt.

- True, true.

- Three people have to go home.

I'm freaking out internally.

My butt is clenched.

- Artists, you have four hours left.

Your life in this competition is on the line.

- My God, it's like a convention in here.

- It does feel like a tattoo convention.

Till you guys earn your shops?

I am one of the best jewel artists in the world,

anything beautiful, pretty.

- The last time I saw you was when

we did that collab in London.

- It's been ages.

- Jenna and I have done a lot of collaborations

because we tattoo very similarly

and we have a similar vision.

I'm really glad you're doing your thing.

Some people say we look a little alike.

I don't see it necessarily.

- Fingers crossed.

It's all going to be good. - Clock's ticking.

- It's all gonna be good.

I desperately want a shop.

And I will get a place in the shop.

- I'll keep my fingers crossed. You just keep tattooing.

- I'm really stoked to see so many female artists coming up.

- There's a lot more now.

- The first tattoo shop I ever walked into,

it was all biker dudes.

I was told that no one wants tattoos

that look like a girl drew it.

Everything that I was told tattoos shouldn't be

is what I put in my tattoos.

I'm here to prove all of those haters wrong.

Hopefully, here I'll stay.

- Thanks!

- Went big!

- It's, like, a water dragon.

You see all the finger waves are coming off

the face and everything?

- I've been tattooing for a long time

and made it a point to try to get good at every style.

I love bold tattoos that you can see, like,

look at that dragon over there.

My son has autism.

And $250,000 would really change a lot for us,

being able to get him special care, special programs.

I need to win this.

- I really dig her face, man. That's so unique.

- Yeah, it's crazy that traditional tattoos have been

around for a hundred years but we still get

the same white lady heads.

I specialize in a style that I coined Afro-Americana.

It is traditional tattoos including

Black people, Black culture, and Black history.

Well, we got to bring some diversity, some representation

to this shit, you know? - I dig it.

- I just want Black people to have art that they can feel

represents them on their bodies.

You know, "Afro-Americana" just sounds nice.

It's like, that'd be... - It's got a ring to it.

- Yeah, you know?

- Artists, you have three hours remaining.

- What's up, B? - Not much.

Just trying to fight this clock right now.

- Dude, you see what happens in here, right?

- And I'm stressing.

- I love Bobby.

He's one of my favorite tattooers.

He does these elaborate, illustrative,

neotraditional tattoos.

I'm looking here; I didn't even see

the girl in the back. - I know.

I just sneaked that in, bro.

I want to prove to the judges that I

don't just do lady faces.

I can design a tattoo that has thought

in every single aspect.

From the beginning to the end, from the frame to the inside,

I want everything to be perfect.

- That's sick. - Let's see if I can finish it.

- How are you finding "Ink Master" so far?

- Well, I'm a bit angry with you.

You know, get invited out here, and we got to fight for this...

- Yeah, it's...

- Straightaway.

- Guilty as charged.

- But to be fair, I get to do what I do

every day. - Yeah.

- I see things in shapes and lines,

and I create movement.

I like doing mandala artwork and black work

'cause it seems timeless.

You know, quite a few people doing the same sort of thing

and don't feel like I'm competing.

I'm just doing my thing, enjoying it.

- Such a distinct style you have.

- I like things to be, like, playful.

Like, you take something, and then, like,

you kind of do it really well and then just,

like, doodle over it.

I don't really have one word to describe my work.

Painterly, graphic, colorful,

slightly realistic, weird stuff.

- Big tattoo for six hours, especially considering

you're doing two color realism faces,

not one black and gray realism face.

- That would take longer. - Two. Two.

- I have no clue how to do black and gray.

- You what?

- I've never done a single black and gray tattoo.

- So it'll be a... - My God.

- It'll be a first here when I...

- I can't believe you're saying that to my face day one.

- If you've never done black and gray

and you come to compete on "Ink Master,"

why would you ever say it out loud?

- I'm not nervous, though. - Wow.

I'm gonna tell on you.

- Should I not have said that?

Maybe that was a mistake.

- How long you been tattooing?

- Seven years now.

- Mainly black and gray?

Or what's your go-to?

- Yeah, only black and gray.

- Yeah?

- My style is black and gray realism,

black and gray fine line.

I do a lot of traditional Hindu tattoos.

You don't see too many Indian folks

out there running around with full sleeves,

neck tattoos, and all that.

I'm gonna change that.

- Chose, like, a Ganesh? - Yeah.

This tattoo is supposed to look like a stone statue.

So building this texture and this look takes time.

- How are you feeling on time?

- Like a turtle, but I'm moving.

- I've always had a really big passion for doing faces,

like, sad faces.

- Wow, you are a fast tattooer.

- I would describe my black and gray as soft and balanced

but also edgy and dangerous.

- This one up here, you gonna do darker,

or is it gonna be negative as well?

- I think I'm gonna go negative as well

'cause there's gonna be a lot of black in the hair.

- It's very cool that you freehanded something

on the first day.

It's ballsy. - I appreciate it.

- My style is called cosmic colorism.

It's not standard or traditional by any means.

I hope to change people's perspective

on what tattoo means.

- It's a pop. - For me, color is, like,

I use it to show the energy of the story that I'm telling.

I'm originally from Ukraine.

In my culture, the wolf represents a warrior spirit.

And right now, I need to find that inner warrior inside me.

- Artists, you have one hour left.

We're going full color...

- Black and gray opaques.

- Watercolor. - Wow. Three styles?

Boom, boom, boom?

- We are risking it all for the biscuit.

And I am definitely not playing it safe.

I do all the styles.

I wanted to show that in, like,

an adaptable animal, you know?

I do all sorts of styles,

ranging from color to black and gray

to pointillism to realism.

I've done it all.

And that's what's going to set me apart.

Do you miss your baby?

- I miss my baby.

You have two little girls?

- One's a full-on toddler.

One just turned one.

I sacrificed a lot to be here.

And as much as I want to be home right now,

I know that this is exactly where I need to be

to push our family to where we want to be.

I miss my family, but I know I'm here to do my best.

- OK, artists, there are 30 minutes left.

30 minutes?

- Saddle up, buttercup.

Here we go.

Yee-haw!

- Hanging tough?

I come from a street shop.

I don't have a style.

I replicate things that are picked off the wall.

I'm a tattooer.

I'm not an artist.

All right, this is the white that's gonna make it pop.

My strategy with this design is to do the bare minimum

and to hit my mark.

What I'm hoping is that another contestant

will bite off more than they can handle.

It's a calculated move.

I think this works.

- Literally, this is insane.

- 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.

That's it. Time's up.

No more ink.

Holy shit.

I'm so proud of you.

- She is a baddie.

- She is a baddie, exactly.

Let's hope this baddie lands me a shop.

- I haven't even seen a bad tattoo, bro.

- There's a bunch of good tattoos.

But at the end of the day, it's like,

who's in the bottom?

Jenna's looks muddy.

It was just muted on muted on muted, too many muted tones.

- You don't think he finished?

- I don't think he got to finish it, finish it.

- It fit his anatomy, but I don't know

what the judges are gonna say.

'Cause, fuck, like, I wish

I would have been able to tilt it,

'cause the face just looks, like, down.

- At this moment, do you feel proud that you finished

a tattoo on "Ink Master"?

- I'm trying to.

- Can I give you a hug?

It's gonna be OK, babe.

This is not easy.

Wow.

- Whoa. - Look at this.

- Nice. - My God.

- Whoa.

- This is the "Ink Master" lounge.

- Yeah, yeah, it's dope.

- Well, that was the longest day ever.

- Yeah. - Yeah.

- I think today the judges gave us a key with this challenge.

You are your own worst enemy.

You have to defeat yourself.

- They gave us a rope.

And you can either pull yourself in

or just hang yourself.

- I nailed mine. Trust me.

- You did a four-hour line work tattoo.

Like, is that really "Ink Master" -worthy?

- And it's a fire-ass line work tattoo.

Did you nail yours, though?

- I feel like it's the best design in the room.

Listen, I'm confident.

All y'all should be confident at the same time.

One of us is going to win this $250,000.

- But way before that, somebody's gonna go home

'cause their design did not rock today.

- Three people.

- So you still just got to get a shop.

- For your first elimination tattoo,

you had six hours to tattoo whatever you want,

any style, any subject.

Let's see how you did.

Jozzy, you're up first.

I love a pretty face.

And I think the face is beautiful.

- I love that you didn't just do a lady face.

You tried to really make it your own

by freehanding that cool script over it,

which is a ballsy move

in the first challenge of a competition.

- Can I ask you why you ended up shading into the lettering?

- I took too much time, and I just... I overthink it.

- Trust your gut and just leave it negative.

It would have made them jump even more forward.

It's a big, bold, ballsy tattoo.

And I commend you on going hard for your first one.

- Thank you.

Thank you.

- Charlene, you're up next.

- I'm really impressed that you took on an octopus.

You get canvases at home that want octopuses,

straight to the trash folder, you know what I mean?

Put it to spam.

- Is that why you didn't email me back about my octopus?

- It's a beautiful tattoo.

My goodness.

- Those tentacles, you actually went in

and used so many different color lines,

so much detail.

- I like that you chose a few different styles

to put in this tattoo.

'Cause that's what this competition is about.

That took some guts. - Thank you so much.

You guys, I'm so surprised.

- Jon.

- I love this thing.

The dragon made of water,

I think it's really cool.

I do like the color you added.

But I feel like the black and gray

that you put in this tattoo

are all the undertones for color.

If you're gonna go black and gray,

you go black and gray.

- To me, it looks unfinished.

The finger waves either need to be filled in,

or there needs to be something behind them

that actually makes them stand out.

- But personally, I think if you did that,

you would start to lose

the shape of the dragon's head.

- It doesn't have that oomph.

It doesn't have that contrast.

I just feel that way.

- Dragons are a killer in this competition.

And I think you did a great job.

- Jessica, you're up.

- The face is really beautifully done.

The lips, amazing.

You have the top highlight, and then

the reflective light underneath that

creates that, like, real wet look.

- But I think you put too many elements into this tattoo.

- You don't need a rose, a scorpion, a mouse,

a sun, a moon, petals.

'Cause it kind of looks like you got your crayon box

and you shook it up.

- Yeah, it's like the kitchen sink.

- Yeah, yeah, exactly.

- Aaron.

The tiger is badass.

But when I look at the lady, I can't tell.

Is she wearing it? Is she riding it?

- You have this crazy, ferocious, aggressive

tiger lunging.

And she's just straight chilling.

- I feel like it's the way her hands are.

The bottom hand, it's kind of hugging.

The top one is, like...

- Yeah. - Very caressing.

- Like, it doesn't look like a hug.

- It brings too much question to it.

And whenever you question things too much,

it gets confusing.

- David.

- I love your illustration.

It's refreshing to see something

a little different out there.

I love all the small line work,

but I feel like it's a little overused.

- It's just too much texture.

When everything is stripes,

what are you supposed to look at?

- You get lost in it. - You get lost.

And this beautiful thing that you did

doesn't get to be appreciated.

- Koral.

- I love this tattoo.

I like that you used your own voice.

And it's different than anyone else's.

- When you're doing this type of stuff without outline,

you're gonna lose parts of this tattoo

faster than others.

Five years down the road, dark blue

might be there longer than that light blue

without the outline holding it together.

- You don't need an outline.

What you need is that contrast.

- I think a good representation of it

would be the darkness of the eye.

It reads really well. - Yeah, you can see the eye.

- If you put that around, you know, in different spots

of the tattoo, it'll just make your tattoo work

even stronger.

- Thank you.

- Glenn, you're up.

- Overall, this tattoo fits the leg really cool.

I absolutely love that gray wash

separating the elements,

because it gives it a foreground and a background.

- My eye does really draw to the center of this tattoo.

It's different than everybody else.

And it stands out.

- Dave.

- There's clean line work.

There's really soft shading.

And it just seems that it's missing a layer.

The crown's really flat because you have

a lot of skin and black.

You know, there's no really, like, shadow or dark to it.

- I'm a very slow tattooer.

- If you don't develop black and gray enough,

it's too confusing and it's too convoluted.

You just bit off more than you could chew.

- I agree.

- Bryan.

- I am a little underwhelmed by the composition.

It's hard when there's so many different pieces

that don't have interactions with each other

for it to feel like one cohesive piece.

- I have to say this.

Application of this tattoo, when I look at it,

feels better than a bunch of the other tattoos.

- That's what I was just trying to go for.

- I just think the design tripped you up.

Sydney.

- The line work on this tattoo, it's crazy,

some little lines on the swords.

Do they make, like, half needles nowadays?

- I source my singles very hard.

- It was a single needle? - Most of that is.

- Anyone who's ever tried to work with single needles

understands how hard it is to get any lines clean.

That is insanity.

I'm obsessed.

- Jenna.

- The crystal itself seems flat.

- It's almost going inward instead of out.

- And I don't think we got that oomph

because you couldn't take the whole day to do it,

which is what we normally do.

- I went too far.

I actually thought I'd simplified this piece.

- I love that you do have all those little lines.

I do think you could have got away without using any of that

and wasting the time on that for this.

Keeping it simple would have been better.

Just adjust.

- Freddie, you ready?

- Ready, Freddie.

- It's super cool.

I love the Sharpie-looking flower.

The little pin drawings,

it's like you sketched them in.

- Your saturation is solid.

Your color play is solid.

I didn't think it was gonna be possible

to pull off what you did, but you did.

It's really cool.

- Bobby.

Overall, I think this is a really great tattoo.

The colors you chose are great.

- The wing transparency, like, you can see

into another dimension, really beautifully done.

Design wise, amazing.

- Joel.

Tell me why you chose this.

What about it shows us who you are as an artist?

- Sorry. Give me a second.

- Breathe. All good.

- Just seeing it on the screen, it's like,

I could have done this differently.

- We are all our own worst critic.

- The truth is, is that you're a technician.

The hoop earrings that she's wearing,

the fact that you got those really, really thin lines

to be so perfect and so delicate.

- Your fine lines are really good.

But I wonder why she's looking down.

- It's almost like she has, like, a rubber neck.

- I feel like that was the wrong choice.

It's hard for me to get on board with the rest of it

because of the way you have it laid out there.

15 artists, 15 tattoos,

12 shops.

Based on your tattoos and the decisions you made,

three of you will be going home.

As we've seen today, this competition

is about more than artistic talent and technical skill.

It's about making smart choices and having a winning strategy.

But there is one more thing

that can help you succeed in this game.

- The anticipation's killing me.

- A coach. - OK.

- Yes! Yes!

My God.

- This season, Ryan, Nikko, and DJ

will each coach a team.

- This is literally what I need in my life.

- Secure a spot on their team, and they will guide you.

They will push you.

They'll help you put your best foot forward

in hopes of leading one of you to victory.

- This is crazy.

- You guys are great tattooers.

But there's things you don't know.

I know them.

Not just guiding you through the competition,

just being that extra set of eyes on your work

that just gives you that little edge over somebody else.

- I've been competing since I started tattooing.

I will make that dragon inside you come alive.

This will take you to your glory.

- I understand what makes great tattoos in every category.

I've competed. I've succeeded.

And I'm not trying to let DJ win again,

to be honest, so let's get it.

- And let's be real about this.

Having these coaches, it's going to elevate the artistry.

And it's going to make it a tighter competition.

- This is crazy.

- We are going to rank each of your tattoos.

Based on your rankings, you will get to choose

which judge you want as your coach.

- All right. - Let's go.

- The artist with the highest ranking

will get to choose first.

And the three artists with the lowest rankings

will be eliminated.

Head to the shop, and we'll call you back

when we have the rankings.

- Wow, this is crazy.

- Fuck.

- Now it makes sense, bro.

Everything's colored.

- Damn.

That was crazy. That was a crazy critique.

- You think you're bottom four?

- I don't think my fucking fundamentals are bottom four.

- They're 100% not bottom four.

- Honestly, a lot of people are not fucking safe tonight.

But I feel like I'm staying.

- So who do you think is definitely in the bottom?

- Bryan is definitely in the bottom.

Dave, I think, is in the bottom.

Listen, we all made mistakes.

- It's better than your tattoo.

You're definitely in the bottom.

- I don't know.

- Yeah, there are other artists

that fell short on other things,

so I don't feel like I should necessarily

be ranked that low.

- Right now, it's a fight, man.

- Dude, you have to fight for yourself.

- One thing that will set people apart

in this competition is your adaptability.

And if you can learn faster than other people,

you could be in the bottom today and top tomorrow.

- You could win.

But you can't win if you don't go in there

and just fucking fight, dude.

You have to go fight.

- Your boy's fucking charged up.

- This week, you put it all on the skin,

tattooing for a shop in this competition.

Each of your tattoos have been ranked by the judges.

One by one, we will reveal the rankings.

- Ready.

- If your tattoo appears on the screen,

you will get to choose who you want as a coach.

There are only four spots available per team.

- That's crazy.

- Once the team is filled, no one will be able

to join that team.

The three artists with the lowest ranking

will be eliminated.

- I'm gonna have a panic attack.

- It's time to reveal the rankings.

Please reveal the highest-ranked tattoo.

- Let's do this. - It's you.

- Wow. Yeah. - Wow.

Yay!

Congrats.

- Bobby, congratulations. Top-ranked.

- Feels good. I wasn't expecting it.

There was good tattoos.

- You get to choose your coach, three very different choices,

all very strong for different reasons.

- I've been around the world, and I've tattooed everything.

I know that I can give you a fresh perspective.

- I spend a lot of time trying to master every style.

What I can do is help you in every single category.

- Obviously, we're all gonna want you, Bobby.

I've played this game not as many times as DJ,

but I did beat DJ once.

Remember that?

Vaguely.

- Whoever's tattoo pops up on that screen

wins $25,000.

Whoa!

- You beat him with a swan.

- Let's be swans together, Bobby, birds of a feather.

- She's so good.

- Bobby, who do you choose as your coach?

- It's tough.

I got to go with DJ.

- First pick, first shop.

- Let's ride it out, bro.

- God damn you, DJ.

- Hell yeah.

It's on now.

- Please reveal the second-highest-ranked tattoo.

Sweet.

- Freddie, congratulations.

- I guess that will do, second place.

- Freddie was ready.

- I'm ready for Freddie.

- You want to coach him?

- Yeah, because you pulled a lot of tricks out.

The one thing you haven't done is black and gray.

And it's my true love.

- Yeah, I would love to have you too, man.

I'm the underdog in this fight,

and I'm down for whoever wants to be with me.

I'm fucking riding till the end.

- Man, you're a great tattooer.

All you need is direction.

- DJ, you already got the first pick.

Why don't you save some for the rest of us?

- Freddie, who do you choose as your coach?

- I'm choosing Nikko.

- Really? - Ooh.

- God damn it, what am I, chopped liver?

- Bro!

- You said you're, like, the underdog.

And I'm just like, that's how I feel.

But I know we can win it, so...

- Dude, I will do everything I can for you.

- Thank you. - Let's fucking ride.

- Good job, Freddie.

- This roller coaster's gonna be fucking rad.

- Man. - Hey.

- Please reveal the third-highest-ranked tattoo.

- Yes! - Yay!

- Sydney, who do you choose as your coach?

- All three judges are top-tier legends.

DJ, you know I've known you for some time.

And I'm gonna go with you.

- Yeah. - Yeah, congratulations, dude.

- Three artists have earned their shop.

Two on team DJ, one on team Nikko,

and nine shops left.

Please reveal the fourth-highest-ranked tattoo.

- Charlene. - Hell yeah.

- Charlene, congratulations.

Who do you choose as your coach?

- I'm gonna have to go with Team DJ.

- Whoa. - Whoa.

- DJ's on the stride.

- God, who let you back in here, DJ?

- I know. The man's playing.

- My goodness. - Dude, congrats.

- Ooh, saved the best for last. I'm ready.

- You are the best. - Thank you.

Can you say that to them?

- One spot left on Team DJ.

Team Nikko has one artist.

Team Ryan still in the hunt.

- In the hunt.

- Please reveal the fifth-highest-ranked tattoo.

- Whoa.

- Congratulations, Jon.

Who do you choose as your coach?

- I have so much respect for all of you guys.

But ultimately, I feel like I have to go with the tattooer

I would like to be one day.

And that's DJ.

- Yeah. - Man, that's badass, dude.

- Wow. - That's a great compliment.

- Makes me feel some type of way.

I'm not gonna lie.

- I'm just glad DJ gets to stop campaigning now.

- Here we are.

- DJ's team has been filled.

You can no longer choose DJ as your coach.

There are seven shops left.

Please reveal the sixth-highest-ranked tattoo.

- Congratulations, Jozzy.

Great tattoo.

You earned a shop. - Thank you.

- Who do you choose as your coach?

- I choose Ryan. - Yes.

- Badass. - Hell yeah, Ryan.

- We're gonna get it.

- First artist on Team Ryan.

Congratulations, Jozzy.

- Thank you.

- We have one artist on Team Nikko

and one artist on Team Ryan.

There are six shops left.

Please reveal the seventh-highest-ranked tattoo.

Glenn, congratulations.

We have two coaches left.

Who do you choose as your coach?

- Well, Ryan, you know, I look at your work

and I identify with it.

Maybe this stage in my career,

I need something that's completely different,

something that I aspire to do with the color.

So I choose Nikko as my coach.

- Awesome, man. Let's do this. Fuck yeah, dude.

- I know, man. I'm getting nervous.

- All right, there are two spots left on Team Nikko

and three spots left on Team Ryan.

Please reveal the eighth-highest-ranked tattoo.

- Nice.

- Congratulations, Koral.

Do you have an idea of who you want to coach you?

- I'm sorry, Ryan.

But I have to choose Nikko.

- I'm honored. - Thank you.

- There are four shops still available.

Please reveal the ninth-highest-ranked tattoo.

Jenna, congratulations.

- We're, like, the same person.

We can survive this competition.

I've done it, and I will make sure that you do it too.

- Who do you choose as your coach?

- I think I'm going to go with Ryan.

- That's badass. - Twinning.

- It is. - Yeah.

- All right, there are three shops left.

Please reveal the tenth-highest-ranked tattoo.

David, congratulations.

Who do you choose as your coach?

- I choose Ryan. - Great choice.

- Hell yeah. That's awesome.

- All right, two shops left.

Please reveal the 11th-highest-ranked tattoo.

Fuck.

- Jessica, who do you choose as your coach?

- Girl power. - Yes.

I am so glad.

- Thank you.

- I'm stoked with my team.

- 11 artists have secured their shops.

Four artists remain,

but there's only one spot left.

That means three of you will be going home.

Please reveal the lowest-ranked tattoo.

That artist will be eliminated.

- What? Really? - No.

- Joel, you do not have what it takes to be Ink Master.

- It's OK, baby.

- Joel, pick your head up.

You're a solid artist.

- There's great technical ability in this tattoo.

It's really just composition that puts you behind.

- I just feel so disappointed in myself.

- This kind of disappointment is what happens

when you're going for greatness.

When you get to the other side,

you realize that all the failures that we had

defined us, our strength, our ability to be resilient.

- I am very thankful for this experience.

And I'm just happy I got to be here.

- Please pack your machines and head home.

- This is always the toughest part of this competition.

We do have two more artists that will be going home.

Please reveal the 14th-ranked tattoo.

This artist will also be going home.

- Aaron, you do not have what it takes to be Ink Master.

- Overall, I think it's, like, a really solid tattoo.

It just got lost on what's exactly happening.

- I started tattooing a little under four years ago.

Watching this competition,

it really helped me grow as an artist.

I'm glad to even be in this room,

'cause I didn't imagine myself being here.

- You're gonna pave the way for this style of tattoos.

Keep going, man, and strive for the stars.

- I really appreciate it.

- Please pack your machines and head home.

- Thank you.

- Dave and Bryan, one of you have earned your shop,

and one of you will be going home.

Please reveal the 12th-ranked tattoo.

- Shit! - My God.

Shit!

- Based on the rankings, we have a tie.

- Put the gloves on, boys.

- Judges, we have to break the tie.

Fuck.

- One artist is going to earn their shop,

and one artist is going home.

On the next episode of "Ink Master"...

- The teams are set.

- I don't think we're agreeing on anything.

- Say what you want to say, bro.

- Guaranteed there's going to be some shots fired.

- I don't know where this is about to go.

- There is zero artistry.

- What I can see is a skull in two of them.

- Neither are good, though, DJ.

- If y'all not on Team Ryan,

y'all got to watch y'all back.

- You're gonna get it, 'cause you talk a lot, bro.

- The battle is just beginning.