Episode Recap: Creature Carnage

Here at Face Off, we make childhood dreams come true. How, you may ask? By bringing the final four contestants to DC Stages, the studio where humans become superheroes, animals become monsters, and makeup artists become legends. DC Stages is home to productions such as Alias, The X Files and Iron Man 2, and in this episode it's where the final four will conceptualize the makeup that will make or break them.

Childhood dreams are fulfilled as the artists get to create their very own giant monster, just like the beloved King Kong and Godzilla. Cig is so excited by the news that he almost passes out! McKenzie gets some help from someone who knows a thing or two about a "Thing" or two: Clifton Collins, Jr., star of Pacific Rim and the re-imagined Star Trek. He tells them to focus on the details to make the story shine.

Dina wants to get one thing clear: She's not just good at making pretty things! She's as pumped to be making a freaky giant monster as she was about her fairy and goddess. She chooses the Praying Mantis destroying Paris, claiming that this female of the species ate the heads of so many mates that she grew to be the size of the Eiffel Tower. She creates a face, cowl, butt, extended arms and a leafy bikini that’s simply smashing.

Cig also has a ton to build to make his Yeti Crab fierce enough to take down the Kremlin – face, crablike carapace, furry arms and legs and a back shell with gradated protrusions. However, when Mr. Westmore tells him that his design is too simian, Cig is stumped. He takes a break from his work in order to see it with clear eyes and comes back with a sparkling vision.

Drew and George are loving their assignments (Giant Sloth squashing Shanghai and Deadly Squid destroying Dubai, respectively) but they both hit some pretty big obstacles. George focuses on the beak of the squid as the terrorizing factor and puts a lot of work into sculpting the rings and details around the whole of it. When he opens the mold, it's still raw (meaning it didn't have enough time to become solid) and he has to repair it with polyfoam. Drew goes deep making the face of his sloth as it needs to be scary rather than cute and discovers he doesn't have enough time to lay all the fur needed to complete the body of his character. He finds a workaround by laying down burns along the arms and torso (as the Shanghai army has been shootin' flamethrowers at the monster).

The big reveal comes and all the artists are crossing their proverbial fingers. It's a tough call for the judges as each artist's work is so strong, but there's only room for three in the finale. The judges are impressed by Drew's transformation of a cuddly creature (sloths are pretty cute, after all) into a force of destruction, but they wish he had handled the burns with more finesse. George's Deadly Squid is menacing with its many tentacles and inky beak but loses some ferocity with the bright pink coloring. Dina's Mantis is a vision in detail and form and the judges are impressed not only by the amount of work she put in but the skill with which she accomplished it. And Cig's Yeti Crab looks ready to take on the world, though the crab element is much more prominent from the side than the front.

Taking his excruciating time, Glenn calls the names one by one: Dina. Cig. Drew. The finalists are moved to tears and George celebrates their success with love. They bid him adieu, only to find their next challenge is starting right away! The reveal stage is remade with swords in stones and family crests on the walls ... but if you want to find out what lies in store for them in the finale, you'll have to tune in next week.