Episode Recap: Scene of the Crime

This week, everyone will find out who will make it to the final three. The contestants are nervous as they enter Cedar Grove in Griffith Park to learn their latest assignment. When McKenzie appears with Silas Weir Mitchell from the show Grimm, the artists have an inkling that their creations this week will have something to do with monsters. 

McKenzie tells them that here in the forest are four crime scenes that tell the story of victims killed by four different creatures. Based on clues in each crime scene, they'll have to create the creature that committed the murder. Silas reminds them how important it is to know the anatomy of the creature, and they're off and running. Nicole finds a body with slashed skin and fur under the nails and Derek claims a site that looks like a giant lizard attack while Laura and Roy try to find sites that really inspire them. Laura passes by a scene that points to "snake," leaving it to Roy, and nabs instead a spider monster concept.

At the lab, everyone's aware of how high the stakes are, but it's not affecting anyone quite as it affects Laura. She second-guesses herself at every step, and at the end of the first day, almost scraps her whole concept. The spur that keeps her going is the thought of her husband and how much he wants her to succeed.

The next day, McKenzie has yet another special guest to introduce: Barney Burman, makeup artist on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, J.J. Abrams' Star Trek, and everybody's favorite, Grimm. He likes where everyone is going, noting that he hopes Nicole will step out of the traditional werewolf mold as much as possible, and is eager to see how Laura's and Roy's work will turn out.

On elimination day, Roy chooses to put a wig on his snake woman, and though she looks tough and sexy in her biker gear, the wig wrecks the effect. Laura has blended many insect features into one monster and done an amazing paint job, which the judges love. Nicole went a little heavy on her werewolf's hair, and the judges tell her that in this case, less would have been more. Derek, who found feathers as well as claws at his crime scene, blended a lizard/bird hybrid that was wonderfully cohesive in its concept, but some of his details, like a raptor claw hastily glued on a boot, detract from his overall success.

The judges are joined this week by Grimm writer and producer, Richard Hatem, who is delighted and terrified by everyone's finished work. One by one, Glenn announces the winners: Laura, for her stellar paint job and unique vision, Derek for his skill and growth through the weeks, and Nicole for her promise. Though Roy's work was excellent, they believe this is not the right venue for him to challenge himself. They wish him the best as he goes to pack his kit, and his fellow artists give him a fond and heartfelt sendoff.