Ink Master Season 5

Ink Master Season 5 has become appointment viewing on and for anyone who enjoys watching people under real pressure. Across 1 season, the show has had time to find its rhythm and keep it. With 90 viewer ratings on TMDB, this is not a title flying under the radar. Dave Navarro is a big part of why it works, but the format itself is the real star. Start it whenever you need something guaranteed to land.

Whatever else is competing for your attention this week, Ink Master Season 5 is worth clearing space for. What separates Ink Master Season 5 from the rest of its genre is a genuine understanding of what its audience actually wants to watch. 16 top tattoo artists from across the country will compete in extreme challenges proving their skill and grit in an epic battle for $100,000 and the title of Ink Master. Dave Navarro and Chris Núñez lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was aired in 2014. The format has been replicated endlessly since Ink Master Season 5 first appeared, which is its own form of tribute. It rarely drops the ball, and when it does, it recovers fast.

If the format appeals to you at all, Ink Master Season 5 is one of the stronger examples of it. It has built its own audience without needing a direct comparison. It is a manageable watch, easy to fit into a single week. The format has been copied endlessly since Ink Master Season 5 first appeared, which is the most honest tribute the industry knows how to give. Impossible to watch casually.

🎬 Ink Master Season 5 — Episode Guide

Inking With The Enemy

2014-09-02

18 Rival Artists enter for $100k and the Ink Master title. It's their worst nightmare as they're forced to ink with their enemy.

Pin Up Pittfalls

2014-09-09

Semi-nude models bring the heat and a game changing twist is revealed. Jacked pin ups make the critique a bloodbath & rivalries flare.

Head to Headache

2014-09-16

Josh ignites rivalries while two artists receive an advantage no one in the competition has ever had and their cutthroat strategy has tension soaring.

Geishas Gone Wrong

2014-09-23

Vendettas have the artists at each others' throats. The skull pick gets personal and the pressure is on when the artists tattoo Nunez's specialty.

Glass On Blast

2014-09-30

The artists must make incredible art by sand blasting glass while trying to survive working in teams. Rivalries explode when they tattoo head to head.

Cheek To Cheek

2014-10-07

In one of the craziest challenges ever, the artists must ink 12 hour gluteus maximus tattoos. A medical emergency may cost one artist the competition.

Three's A Crowd

2014-10-14

The pressure is on when the artists take on Oliver's specialty - and it’s tripled when they have to work in teams.

Ink My Oosik

2014-10-21

The artists are taken out of their comfort zone when they must scrimshaw walrus penises. One artist totally loses their cool while another artist loses their shot at $100K.

Virgin Blood

2014-10-28

Picky virgin canvases get inked and Jason's anxiety threatens to take him out. The artists battle head to head and Josh plays dirty, putting his opponent on the chopping block.

E10

Cold Blooded

2014-11-04

In the flash challenge, the artists use a different kind of ink to make art... blood. Then, they go head-to-head against guest judge Tommy Montoya while Emily goes over the edge.

E11

Up In Smoke

2014-11-11

Josh causes a controversy that could get him kicked out of the competition for good. The Artists tattoo amputees where their limbs once were.

E12

Heads Will Roll

2014-11-18

The artists fight for an opportunity to ink NFL star DeAngelo Williams as he honors his mother who died of breast cancer. Head tattoos send one human canvas over the edge.

E13

Painstaking Portraits

2014-11-25

Artists go head to head tattooing the same portrait on two family members. Some family members are left with jacked tattoos as the portrait subject overlooks.

E14

Firing Squad

2014-12-02

It's down to the wire as the artists battle for a top 4 spot - to survive they must impress 3 tattoo heavyweights criticizing their every move.

E15

Fight To The Finale

2014-12-09

Emotional outbursts, explosive fights, incredible tattoos and epic fails. It’s the end of the line and the sparks fly as the last 4 Artists standing battle it out for a spot in the Live Finale and a shot at $100K.

E16

Ink Live

2014-12-16

The final 3 artists reveal their 35 hour back pieces and the sparks fly when all 18 rival artists return to give the lowdown on whose rivalries still burn.

📡 Where to Watch Ink Master Season 5

🎬 Ink Master Season 5 — Episode Guide

🎭 Cast of Ink Master Season 5

📋 All Seasons of Ink Master

Never Lose Track of Ink Master