This Is the Final Season of 'Face Off' — and Fans Are Still in Denial
Updated April 27 2020, 1:48 p.m. ET
Before the premiere of Face Off: Battle Royale, Syfy surprisingly announced that this would be the final season of the prosthetic makeup reality television competition. Shortly after the cancellation was announced, fans started a petition to save the show, and it currently has more than 15,000 signatures. The host of the series, McKenzie Westmore, also shared her disappointment in the decision to end Face Off after 13 seasons.
"This show means the world to us at Mission Control, and we appreciate the loyal and passionate support of our viewers more than we can possibly say," she wrote on Instagram. "Thank you to all of the artists for bravely sharing their talent with the world, the amazing models, McKenzie, Glenn, Ve, Neville, Patrick, Lois, Michael Westmore, Derek, Mary, Peter and everyone else associated with the show. It’s been an incredible run."
The final season of the competition premiered on June 5, and the finale is expected to take place on August 7, but viewers are still in denial that the fan-favorite series is coming to an end.
"How can we save Face Off?" one fan tweeted. "I'm so upset this is the final season! I wish another network would pick it up if @SYFY can't appreciate how important art is to the fans. (I'm not a happy girl)." Another added, "I'm sad this is the final season of #FaceOff on @SYFY. What I'll miss most is the reveal song. That is my jam!"
So, why is Face Off ending?
According to one of the show's executive producers, Dwight D. Smith, SYFY hasn't give a lot of information as to why it decided to cancel the popular show.
"I personally feel like Face Off still has a lot of gas left in the tank,” he told Reality Blurred. "There’s tremendous potential for the show to go far beyond where it is now. So for us, it’s disappointing [that], at least for now, we won’t be able to do that."
He did explain how the show's concept limited the pool of possible contestants because it focused on such a specialized skillset, but Dwight believes Face Off was inspiring the next wave of makeup artists.
"One of the great things about Face Off is that we started to generate our next wave of contestants because there were viewers who discovered this as an art form, and started going to make-up schools and started to do it because of the show,” he added. "So there’s always a new wave of artists coming along."
Unfortunately, since SYFY owns the show and format, it is unlikely that another network or platform, like Netflix, will step in to save it. So for now, Season 13 will be the last — and the Battle Royale format allows fans to see the best of the best compete against each other.
And this time around, individual contestants "face off" on each episode. "I've always found it absolutely fascinating to watch people who are given the exact same creative challenge and how they approach it from such different perspectives, and where they end up," Dwight continued. "I love watching creative people work, and how their minds work, and seeing where their minds take them."
In other words, don't forget to sign the petition.
Look back at some of the best Face Off makeup of the season so far:
Mr. Toad (Episode 1 — "Face Your Fears")
Artist: Damien Zimmerman
Captain Hook (Episode 1 — "Face Your Fears")
Artist: Kevon Ward
Tinker Bell (Episode 1 — "Face Your Fears")
Artist: Matt Valentine
Hairdresser Monster (Episode 2 — "Moonlight Monsters")
Artist: Yvonne Cox
Aztec Alien (Episode 3 — "Aztec Aliens")
Artist: Matt Valentine
Aztec Alien (Episode 3 — "Aztec Aliens")
Artist: Mel Licata
Ghostly Maid (Episode 4 — "Haunted Hotel)
Artist: Kevon Ward
Ghostly Chef (Episode 4 — "Haunted Hotel")
Artist: Matt Valentine
Death Character (Episode 5 — "Death Dealers")
Artist: Matt Valentine
Dryad (Episode 6 — "Divine Dryads")
Artist: Jordan Patton
Dryad (Episode 6 — "Divine Dryads")
Artist: Walter Welsh
Underwater Monster (Episode 7 — "Maritime Monsters")
Artist: Matt Valentine