BLACK INK CREW NY SEASON 10 RECAP: GUESS WHO’S COMING TO BLACK INK?
By Sidra Lackey
Black Ink Crew NY episode 5, season 10 starts off with Tatti asking, “Who are you? Why are you here?” off camera to producers about newbie Nychelle. The rest of the crew at Black Ink Brooklyn want to know if she’s a guest artist or Kystal’s replacement. Alex muses, “I wonder if she’s seen my OnlyFans…” Bux seems smitten but Young Bae tells Nychelle he has a girlfriend. Tatti assures her, “Don’t worry we’re gonna keep you safe!”
Rok and Krystal are off ring shopping. Rok wants her to think about, “the positives in life.” They discuss their sticky situation with Ceaser and Black Ink and Rok says “the last supper” meeting was “a trap.” Krystal agrees and reiterates she always brings their Gods Of Ink clients to Black Ink. She says about Ceaser, “he thinks he’s our pimp” and he’s “too flip floppy.” Krystal demands Rok step up as a boss and to talk to Ceaser. Rok complies.
Elsewhere, Ted and his wife Euni are having a birthday party for his one year old dog. Ted thinks becoming a “dog dad” has made him more responsible along with being a husband. He reveals his father died unexpectedly and how he regrets not having a chance to talk to him before he did. He expresses with sadness that their future kids won’t get to meet their grandfather. Euni says sweetly that their future children can still know their grandfather through Ted and his brother. He says he wishes things could have been different but he has to make sure his brother is good. Ted thanks Euni for being in his corner. She tells him, “forever.”
Back at Black Ink Brooklyn, the crew is still grilling Nychelle. She tells them she was a professional painter first before becoming a tattoo artist, and she’s been tattooing for nine years plus has owned two shops. She says she wanted to establish herself outside of Texas and believes she has what it takes to be a Black Ink artist. She answers Alex and Bux’s questions of what is her specialty in tattooing and what she likes tattooing: black and grey and flowers. She surprises the crew saying she also raps (and raps cutely off camera to producers) and has a small son. She has a client come in and Young Bae is already impressed. The client wants a flower. Nychelle tattoos a black and grey flower piece on the client’s neck. The client is happy with it and the Black Ink crew likes it too.
Meanwhile, Quani is at home and has an online session with a life coach. She admits her Reiki session “didn’t work” although it was “peaceful” and that she needs something with more direction. Quani tells the life coach she feels she has no path, that she’s a self-starter but doesn’t finish things and self-sabotages. The life coach tells her it’s time to get back to square one and the center. Quani cries and says she doubts herself a lot. The life coach tells her it’s time to move forward but assures her it’s not abnormal for a woman to lose herself after marriage and children. She gives Quani “homework” — to replace limiting thoughts with affirmations. The life coach tells her it’s all about Quani’s journey, her goals and what she wants. Quani agrees.
The Black Ink Brooklyn crew takes Nychelle to Manhattan to show her some of New York. Spyder however says to show her, “survival tactics.” They get pizza at a popular pizzeria, Joe’s Pizza in Times Square. Nychelle doesn’t know how to eat her pizza NY style and Young Bae tells her to just, “fold this shit in half,” and feeds it to her. The crew waits for her reaction. Nychelle declares NY pizza, “decent” to the crew’s dismay. Spyder runs down a pseudo list of “Black Ink Commandments” to Nychelle. Tatti gives her advice of, “work hard, have fun and make money.” Nychelle decides, “everyone’s crazy but I think I like it.”
Later, Spyder and Bux go to PingPod to play ping pong. Spyder, a self-proclaimed “champion” wins easily. The two talk and Bux tells Spyder he wants to do something for Black Ink. Through Black Ink Cares, Bux wants to educate people on Sickle Cell Anemia. He explains it’s a blood disorder that affects African American people disproportionately and shares he’s dealt with the condition since birth. He gets emotional when he says his mother was told he wasn’t going to live past 18 because of it. Bux says Ceaser is down with the event and thinks it’s a, “dope ass idea.” Spyder thinks it’s a great idea and he wants to be first in line. Bux plans to do free tattoos at the event but more importantly, just bring awareness to the disease.
Back at Quani’s, she has a friend over who used to work at Puma’s studio, who was seen as an “auntie” of it. She tells her friend she started seeing a life coach and her friend thinks that’s wonderful. Quani admits however she hasn’t done any affirmations she is supposed to do. Her friend bluntly tells her to, “stop procrastinating” and do it. So Quani goes into a bathroom and starts to say some of her affirmations: “My worth isn’t tied to how productive I am.” “My wants and needs are important.” “I love myself unconditionally.” She feels better when she’s done and both agree over a drink, the affirmations are a great thing.
At Bux’s Black Ink Brooklyn’s Sickle Cell awareness event, Bux thanks the crew and tells them he loves everyone. Clients start to pour in, some without the disease, some with it. One client of Bux is an old friend he knew since 12 when they met in an ER. Bux is happy to tattoo his friend who he, “went through pain with” but now can see how far they’ve both come. The tattoos the crew does is the Sickle Cell “warrior logo” — a heart with a ying yang. All the clients are moved by their tattoos and love them. The Black Ink crew are all moved by the event. Nychelle says she was glad to help out Bux who is “sweet.” Alex says he knows people who have the disease and he’s happy to support Bux. Young Bae says she had no idea what the disease was about and she was glad to bring awareness to it and support Bux too. Tatti says that a person’s health is no joke and she was honored to be a part of the event. Bux thinks the event was a “huge success” and says it means so much. He says emotionally, he’s beyond grateful to have the respect of Black Ink crew. Ceaser eventually comes into the studio and tells Bux he looks good, that he’s proud of him and he himself had to gain knowledge of Sickle Cell Anemia. Nychelle unfortunately shares she has to head back to Texas to handle family business but wants her Black Ink spot “saved.”
Rok randomly comes into Black Ink Brooklyn. Bux bluntly exclaims, “not tonight!” Rok asks can he speak somewhere privately with Ceaser who agrees. Ceaser says right away he was rubbed the wrong way and he thinks he should get a piece and percentage of Rok and Krystal’s business. Rok explains he brought their expansion idea to Ceaser before and how he was okay with it then. But Ceaser doesn’t seem to remember. He says, “This shit ain’t right.” He tells Rok he’s a “bigger shark” and can open a “bigger shop” next to Rok and Krystal. Rok says he has to talk to Krystal and Ceaser says he should. He warns Rok he wouldn’t want to see a Black Ink New Jersey in the future and think in regret how he could have been a part of it.
The final scene in this episode of Black Ink Crew NY is between Ted and his brother. It’s the first time they’re talked since their father died. His brother gifts him with a framed picture of their father that Ted never saw before. Ted thinks he looks just like his father in that photo. He admits he’s still trying to process his death but doesn’t know how to. He said he wants to cry but can’t and a, “tear almost came out” when his brother gave him the gift. Ted tells his brother he wishes he knew the good side of his father that his brother knew. His brother says their father was a, “good man” despite his shortcomings. Ted asks does he feel their father is at peace and his brother responds, “absolutely.” Ted says he needs to “sit and process” everything. But he knows he can’t make the same mistakes as his father and vows to be there for his brother and the rest of their family.
Black Ink Crew NY episode 6 sneak peek shows Ceaser telling Puma shockingly he has to close Black Ink 125th, Spyder is out of character and in a heated argument, Alex and rapper Safaree hold “auditions” for Alex’s OnlyFans, and Krystal and Ceaser finally talk woman to man with him telling her, “either you’re Black Ink or you’re not…”