Episode Recap: Movie Magic - Part 2

After the doozy curveball McKenzie and Patrick threw after they presented their two creatures, the finalists are barely able to stand up straight, let alone create a whole new character for their short films. But they find their inner reserves of inspiration ... and also get some help from three more of their former fellow artists! Ricky, Jason and Libby join Teams Nora, Ben and Evan, respectively.

Team Nora discovers they'll have a massive clan-mate to defend The Hunted in The Prey, and they handily turn a tall model into a hulking bully. They're first to shoot their film with Patrick, and once she's on set, Nora is running around, waterproofing feet and freshening wounds while her team meets Patrick's requests before they're even made. Glenn, Ve and Neville admire their agility from a secluded producer's tent. Patrick is thrilled with the result, and Nora is thrilled that he's thrilled. Thrilling!

Team Ben's up next -- it's a night shoot for the priest, mummified monster and newly-added lady sacrifice of Resurrection. The detail on the creature is outstanding, and Ben has great ideas about how to touch up the characters to bring the classic horror movie vibe even more to the front. It's a FrankenMummy for a new age! The humanoid sacrifice character isn't waking the gods, if you will; she has a nasty chin appliance that won't stay put, and her overall look wasn't the dazzling beauty she needed to be.

Finally, it's Team Evan’s turn. They had the most work this round: their new character, a human in full thrall of the monstrous virus, mandates that the early- and mid-stage victims scale back. He manages not only to accomplish that but also to create a massive monster with menacing claw-arms and a freaky DayGlo green paint scheme. Patrick is definitely impressed by this turnaround and Evan is beyond joyful to be living his dream today.

After every Season 9 artists (except for Omar -- did anyone catch him?), judges, McKenzie and Patrick watch the films, Patrick bids them adieu with a "Glad it's not me who has to pick this one!" Indeed, everyone did amazing work, each with their strengths and weaknesses.

One team had finesse from start to finish, however: Team Nora. Her designs and execution were great on Day One, and her third character fit so well into the script that you would've thought she knew about it all along. When Glenn calls her name as the winner of Season 9, the tears spring to her eyes and her fellow finalists wrap her in hugs and congratulations, full of pride that they made it this far and learned so much. Everyone's a winner!

(But Nora gets the car.)

See you in January 2016 for Face Off Season 10!