Ink Master: Angels review: Did Graydon Payne defeat Nikki Simpson?
We almost feel bad for Graydon Payne. For the second straight week we had an extremely-talented artist face off against one of the Angels, but despite doing a very good tattoo tonight (albeit one that was probably a little too big and therefore unfinished), Graydon unfortunately ran into the unstoppable force that was Nikki Simpson. Her tattoo tonight, one that was right in her wheelhouse, was incredible. It was beautifully-presented, perfectly displayed, and showed technically everything that you could possibly want.
Nikki’s tattoo during the Angel Face-Off was almost so good that the editors had a hard time making some sort of cohesive argument as to why Graydon would beat her — and, like we said, he wasn’t bad by any means. This was just a pretty clear showdown. The crowd in Graydon’s home city of Seattle was nice enough to give him the vote, but both the angels and the previously-eliminated artists Nicholas Guevara and Whitney Havok both voted for Nikki as the champ.
We’ve said this before, but we’d love for there to be a way where artists like Graydon or Jose Rosado last week to make it on Ink Master in the future. If they’re not on season 10, can you make a case for either one of them being a part of the show during the upcoming season 11? It seems like a possibility.
One thing we will say is that there was a lot of irony in the way the show transpired tonight. We think that Whitney probably would’ve beaten Graydon and gone on to the final round had she simplified and not bitten off more than she could chew; however, you can say the same thing about Graydon in the finale. Okay, maybe he wouldn’t have won, but he would’ve had a much better chance against Nikki.
Where were the alumni?
That’s a good question entering this episode, given that this was by far the emptiest installment of the show when it comes to getting to see former contestants. Maybe there aren’t many in Seattle, but this episode was missing a little bit of alumni touch. It was also missing Gia Rose briefly due to a medical issue.
CarterMatt Verdict
What Ink Master: Angels does it does very well: Great tattooing and showing off of different styles all over the country. We could use a little more of a showcase of the city, and also a little less of some of the fighting between artists that seems almost programmed in. Otherwise, the show remains a nice hour of entertainment that gives us an Ink Master fix while we wait for the main show to return.
What did you think about this Ink Master: Angels episode?
Did the right person win in your mind? Be sure to share your thoughts in the comments! Meanwhile, head over here in the event you want to get some more news on this show and others we cover at CarterMatt. (Photo: Spike.)