Vanessa's Obsession
Vanessa is the first client in this episode – she just turned 18 and is in to see Nuñez for her first tattoo. She’s a Scorpio and feels a connection with the moon and stars, so she chooses a half-moon face design with stars and delicate scrolling. Nuñez helps her to perfect the idea and inks a beautiful piece on the front of her right hip.
Harold Hunter, R.I.P
Harold Hunter was the next customer to show up – gliding down the sidewalk on his skateboard. A member of the Zoo York team and a legendary skater, Harold recalled how important the World Trade Center was to him and his friends. He became a pro skater there, and they would actually skate in the WTC lobbies. When the buildings went down, he felt a big part of his own history was lost. He knew Garver from back in the day and had a reunion while getting tattooed – the twin towers with the profile of a skater flying through the air in front of them and the words Sk-8 or Die in script underneath. Unfortunately, Harold was found dead on February 17, 2006 in his East Village home. There seems to be some controversy as to the actual cause of his death – most reports and family claim that he had a heart attack, while other sources are citing a cocaine overdose. Whatever the cause, a legend has been laid to rest too young – he was 31.
Darren's Special Client
Darren gets a special visitor at the shop – he knew his brother Ryan would be coming, but he didn’t know that Ryan would also be bringing their father, Richard. Not only did Richard come to the shop to visit his son, but he surprises him further by telling him he has decided to get his first tattoo from his favorite artist – Darren himself, of course. Darren is shocked – he can’t believe his dad is actually going to do it. Richard is such an adorably sweet man. He has a figurine of 3 penguins that Ryan gave him two years ago, and to him it represents the three of him. So, he has Darren tattoo a father penguin holding his two young penguins close to him, and of course Darren does a wonderful job on it and Richard just beams with pride at his son.
Danyel Remembers Her Mom
Danyel wants a tattoo in memory of her mother. He mom was diagnosed with cancer and lived with Danyel for 2 ½ years until she passed away. When she passed, Danyel’s brother had brought two white tiger lilies and that is what Danyel decided would be the best representation of her mother’s beauty. Nuñez does a really good job giving depth to a white flower on Danyel’s foot.
Ping Pong Champions
Ami and Yoji attend the Jason Taylor Foundation Ping Pong Smash at the Hard Rock Seminole. Yoji’s quite the champ and it’s really funny seeing him jumping around like a maniac and spiking ping pong balls.
V-Butterfly
Another Vanessa approaches Nuñez at a bar and says she’s been dying to meet him because she wants a tattoo from a really hot guy. She’s a DJ and her on-air name is V-Butterfly, so she wants a girl with headphones and butterfly wings. Nuñez sees her going down the fairy road and tries to change her mind. Well, it works. She changes her mind about 3 or 4 times and ends up with….a fairy with butterfly wings.
Color in a Colorless Land
Jose is a civilian fire fighter who is on leave from Iraq and is preparing to return soon. He describes Iraq as being a very colorless place, so he chooses a tattoo full of color with Mt. Fuji in the background, a bright sunset and a huge ocean wave freehanded by Ami.
Domestic Party
Despite Ami’s chagrin about Darren’s life being ruined by the appearance of his wife, he seems to be handling the domestic life OK. He and Yoji cook for the wives one evening while they sit and sip wine. But the guys also inform them not to get too used to it.
Next Week: "Made in Japan" - Ami does a memorial tattoo to help a girl remember her grandfather. Darren tattoos a musician, Garver gives a customer a skull and Ami does a custom design, sparing no details.
Miami Ink airs on Tuesday nights, 10/9c, on The Learning Channel.
