Episode Recap: Freak Show

The contestants enter the lab to find the models fitted with colorful weaponry, and they’re like, "Oh snap, is it Fight to the Death time? But we just had The Gauntlet!" Fortunately for the models, it's a Foundation Challenge where they'll be decorated from crown to waist with battle markings such as scarification and intimidating designs, inspired by the tools of death they wield. Judging the contest is Robin Mathews, who won an Oscar for her work on Dallas Buyers Club.

Meg is one of the Top Looks with her hand-painted, complex color scheme. Since Mathews is one of her heroes, she feels like a winner already. But really, Scott won. He did this cool thing where he made the paint look like mud; we're not really sure how, you'll have to watch that part in slo-mo to really get the concept. Anyway, it really looked like an indigenous warrior was going into battle, so he wins immunity going into his battle in the Spotlight Challenge!

And that battle is a circus. Well, a sideshow, to be precise. The artists spin the Wheel o' Fortune to find out which freak – er, sideshow attraction – they'll be reimagining. Nora is not loving the direction Lobster Larry is headed, so midway through the day she scraps the face and starts over. Normally, this would worry us, but Nora's been down this road before and we know she can pull through. Come see Lobster Larry, the erstwhile mob enforcer who'll crack your knees with his steely claws! Her mottled paint job, symmetrical sculpt and excellent application put her in the judges' favorites this week.

Stevie also has to do an overhaul of sorts after Mr. Westmore's walk-through – Icicle Irma is looking more like Weeping Out of One Side of My Face Irma. With some reimagining and an awesome beauty makeup, she lets her character shine. Mr. Westmore cautions Evan that his cowl and face don't match up, the former being bold and the latter being meek. His Moon Girl got hit in the head with a crater, and has craterous acne, and in taking Mr. Westmore's advice, Evan decides to make the forehead and chin more prominent in a crescent moon shape. The judges find the many concepts to be disorienting (in a bad way) and he winds up in Bottom Looks.

Scott's using his immunity to go big on this one – he finishes the cowl and face with tons of time to spare, so he gets to work on a chest and arm piece for Twisted Tom, a man whose very flesh swirls like a tornado 'round his body! But the judges aren’t loving or hating it – he's Safe.

Meg has one of the toughest characters – Inside-Out Oscar – and attempts to sculpt a monstrosity whose skin sloughs from his face in a perpetual molting season. But she takes on more than she knows how to handle, especially considering her relative lack of facial anatomy. Oscar is not impressing the judges and Meg goes home.

Ben is determined never to be in Bottom Looks again, so he pours every ounce of concentration into The Human Peacock, and creates a man with a form of elephantitis that makes his face look like a beak. He's the emcee of the show, grotesque yet still alluring, and exactly the balance of human and animal the judges were looking for. Glenn proclaims that there is only one Top Look this week, and that is Ben! He's relieved and honored ... and inspired to keep going.