The Underbakers won the last Small Scare challenge of the season with a depiction of a creepy-crawly contest between a beetle and a centipede. "This thing is nightmarish," declared judge Don Mancini. "The way the beetle has killed the centipede — it's making me worried about what it's going to do to me."
I Do … They Don't
"This has definitely been the most-rewarding feeling I've ever felt in my life," Al said after his team, Sugar Psychos, claimed the coveted grand prize of $50,000 after an impressive first-place finish on Halloween Wars. In the finale Spine Chiller challenge, he and his teammates created a three-character wedding display featuring a knife-wielding bride at the helm, and the judges were smitten with the design. "You guys are really, really masters at creating tension," judge Shinmin Li told them, "and it's because of the dynamic movement that we can see in these characters."
Week 4: Paging Doctor Halloween
The remaining three teams had to bring to life the scene of a villainous doctor, and Crypt Cookers earned the judges' top praise with its depiction of a rabbit-turned-horrific-bat-rat. "It's really demented," notes judge Don Mancini. "He seems really threatening."
The Inner Workings of a Mausoleum
For the fourth week in a row, the guys of Sugar Psychos took home the Round 2 win, much to their delight. In a mausoleum-focused design challenge, they showcased evil bakers in a postmortem world, and the judges were smitten with their achievements. "I love the storyline. It's really clever," judge Shinmin Li told them. "I love the detail of that [baker] Sal has apparently pulled his own eye out and he's going to contribute his eye to the cake," Don adds.
Week 3: Gardening Gone Wrong
"You've actually created a character that really exudes a lot of personality," judge Rob Mancini told the Crypt Cookers of their Round 1 design, which featured a gory gardening scene with a crazed plant at the helm. The team earned top honors in that Small Scare challenge and an advantage in Round 2.
Double the Faces, Double the Fear
Once again the winners of the second round, the guys of Sugar Psychos created a face-on-face representation of a grandma-turned-alien that was tending over a child. Their depiction wowed the panel, as judge Shinmin Li explained to them, "You guys are so good at creating an environment that sucks us in." Judge Rob agreed and told the Sugar Psychos that the display looked "like a sugar-fueled nightmare."
Week 2: A Medusa Moment
In the Small Scare challenge, the teams were tasked with reimagining Medusa's hairstyle, and what team Food Phantoms created, with grisly yellow teeth and a line of snakes a la a mohawk, was downright impressive to the judges. "The head and the body have got an attitude about them," guest judge Sid Haig noted.
Checking In and Freaking Out
"[You have] just been really consistent with creating characters that are just so vivid," judge Don Mancini told the members of Sugar Psychos of their motel scene for the second-round challenge. The intricate design featured dismembered body parts, bloodlike splatter and a red-eyed dog, and it ultimately earned the guys the win.
Week 1: A Selfie of a Spooky Sort
The guys of Sugar Psychos had reason to smile — and not just for a selfie — following the Small Scares round. They earned the win in that preliminary heat, thanks in part to their selfie-stick-wielding character, who pleased the panel. "The look of surprise on the girl's face is — it's just haunting. It's really, really strong," judge Don Mancini told the teammates.
Beginners' Luck or a Magic Spell?
Once again, the Sugar Pyschos team members had reason to celebrate, proving their chops with a second win this week. Their depiction of a witch and a warlock facing off in the virtual reality world of gaming wowed the judges in the Spine Chiller Round. Don noted of their creation: "You right out of the gate have created characters that are camera ready. They have so much personality."
Want More Halloween Wars?
Head to Food Network's Halloween Wars headquarters to meet the teams, get the winning recipes and learn all about this season's panel of all-star judges.
