Ink Master: Angels review: Did Amelia Whitney defeat Kelly Doty?

Ink Master: Angels

What happened on Tuesday night’s Ink Master: Angels episode can be best described as follows: Praise for the editors. What they were able to present over the course of the episode was a rather intense, entertaining showdown between multiple artists and also, by the end of it, give you a captivating showdown between artist Amelia Whitney and Angel Kelly Doty.

Yet, did the Angels and the fellow Phoenix artists make the right choice? This is probably the time this season we’ve felt the most like the wrong decision was made … and this is probably also a reminder of why we’re not a judge. When we look at a tattoo, the first thing we think about is what sort of reaction it invokes. Does it make you feel something? Will it make you talk about it to your friends? If we were an artist, there would be two things we would be trying to achieve more so than any other: To get people talking about our work and also to bring in more clients because of it.

The tattoo that Amelia created on her canvas, a man who lost children due to a drunk driver, was one of the most powerful, striking images that we’ve seen all season long. It may be one of the most memorable Ink Master: Angels creations ever and, from our vantage point, memorability often trumps technique. We understand if the Angels / other artists don’t feel that way, but Amelia showed so much versatility and courage through this episode that it would’ve been great to have her in Ink Master season 11. She deserved it, and she also presented herself as innately likable with her story.

Couldn’t the show consider a second chance round at the end of the season? Think about this as a fun finale — bring back all of the artists who made it to the Angel Face-Off at the end of the season for one last competition. The winner of that, in turn, gets to join the other winners on Ink Master next season. Angels in its current form is an engaging, well-produced show, but we do also think that it could be something more with the right packaging.

Honorable Mention

Ray Ray, the artist who finished in second place tonight, was nothing short of a dynamo. He’s got a huge personality and we feel like him not making it to the final round is proof that producers aren’t just setting this up so that the biggest personalities go far. Can you imagine this guy and his confidence/cockiness on Ink Master in the future?

CarterMatt Verdict

This was a very good episode, but also one that proves that even if you like a contestant, they don’t always win. Such is the game on Ink Master: Angels — oh, and it’s also a great reminder that the judges are judges for a reason, since we’ll probably always just lean towards the design we like the best so long as it is not a technical disaster.

What did you think about Tuesday’s Ink Master: Angels episode, and did the right person win in your mind? Share in the comments!

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