RuPaul’s Drag Race Recap: Joella’s Dynasty

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This week for the first time in a while, the saying of Untucked held true: If you’re not watching this show, you’re only getting half the picture. The narrative that I can’t get enough of is the extraordinary delusions of Joella. Honestly, it’s been ages since we’ve had a queen who’s as oblivious to her on-camera presence, as bold, and as instantly memeable as Joella. In recent seasons, very few contestants have said something that left me utterly astonished. Yet, Joella manages to do so multiple times in this episode, reaching its peak when she said something incredibly heartless to another contestant who was visibly distressed. To put it lightly, Joella held Lucky Starzz’s hands, looked into her tear-filled eyes, and declared: “I’m going to be honest with you, I feel confident that I’ll still be here next week.” Oh my! That’s quite a statement! She’s truly insane. And here’s the kicker… I can’t help but adore her.

This episode, essentially, serves as a stepping stone towards a significant moment, although it deserves at least one, maybe even two stars in my rating, considering Untucked‘s performance this week. I’ll delve into all the other occurrences, but let me first highlight that exceptional episodes of Drag Race often function like breadcrumbs guiding the audience towards something memorable. It’s a fundamental aspect of storytelling, and Drag Race excels at it more than most competitions. This is what makes the show so captivating – it weaves understandable stories that culminate in iconic moments. In this week’s installment, the main narrative revolves around the bottom girls. For Lucky, it’s a tale of woe, and for Joella, it offers a deep dive into her character.

As a movie enthusiast, let me share my perspective on the unfolding drama involving Joella in this episode. It all started when Lana called me out at the beginning for being impolite during Untucked regarding my song. To be honest, I found it somewhat unjust as Lana herself acknowledged she could handle criticism and even referred to herself as a “big girl.”

The unexpected spat between Hormona and Joella that followed caught me off guard, reminding me of the phrase “mid-off” – a momentary confusion in the narrative. I must admit, it was an entertaining spectacle!

Throughout the episode, Joella made a series of bold statements, such as hinting she would change her outfit following RuPaul’s suggestion but ultimately deciding not to because she lacked the necessary skills. I found that quite intriguing.

In Untucked, Joella didn’t just exchange heated words with Lucky, but also shared one of my favorite lines a meh queen has ever uttered on this show: “I’m really scared for the girls back home to see this because in L.A. I’m literally known for my looks. I’m known to be opulent,” followed by tears as she admitted, “And I feel like I’m not doing as well on this show as I wanted to, and it was one of my biggest fears: because I feel like so many times, someone who’s considered an icon in local drag comes on this show, and then they disappoint their community.”

To call Joella an “icon” in local drag is simply astonishing. Wow. If this revelation didn’t captivate you, then perhaps we are tuning into Drag Race for different motives.

For a moment, let’s focus on Lucky, Joella’s competitor this week, as I’m taken aback by the turn of events. While Joella exudes unwarranted self-assurance, Lucky seems to be a casualty of her own insecurities – shunning her talents and charging headlong into her weaknesses instead. Last week, I predicted she’d be among my top four; this week, she’s out of contention. However, allow me to clarify my stance, as it appears that Lucky faced some unexpected challenges: She has trouble sewing, which took me by surprise, and her mind wasn’t fully engaged in the competition. The show delved into Lucky’s personal circumstances early on in the season, not just to evoke our sympathy but also to shed light on the series of unfortunate decisions she made this week. Despite being a gifted artist and intriguing performer whom I’d like to see progress further in this competition, it seems that ‘Drag Race’ is signaling that Lucky was ill-prepared for the competition mentally, and her judgement was impaired. It’s disheartening to see a queen with evident potential leave so early, but unfortunately, she left the show no other option: She performed poorly in the challenge and lost the lip sync battle. It’s unfortunate! It’s regrettable! But it promises an engaging week of television!

This week, it seems like Lucky and Joella will dominate most of our discussions, but there are at least two more captivating narratives to explore. One is the Jewels versus Onya saga, and another intriguing tale involves Hormona’s current situation. It’s a rich tapestry of stories, the kind that reminds you why extended episodes can be so rewarding.

This week’s task is a Monopoly sponsorship, which seems rather ordinary to me. I must admit, I was expecting an unusual materials challenge involving board games or similar, but perhaps they plan to save that for later. In any case, this assignment provides a solid showcase of the queens’ combined sewing and design skills (impressive, although not quite as remarkable as last season’s contestants), and there’s certainly enough drama arising from the challenge itself to keep things interesting. Overall, it seems like a good choice in the end.

As a devoted fan, I must say that the subplot of the week, which could easily be labeled as the main event in the Werk Room segment, revolves around a heated confrontation between Jewels Sparkles and Onya Nerve. Both of these contestants prove to be captivating figures on screen. Surprisingly, Onya possesses sewing skills but lacks experience in crafting garments, while Jewels is an accomplished seamstress and designer. In a twist, Onya seeks assistance from Jewels, then queries if she’s using a spool of trim. Jewels confirms she is; however, Onya proceeds to use it regardless. Later, Jewels engages Arrietty in a conversation about the situation. I believe Jewels is justified in this instance as Onya asked for permission and was denied its use. Nevertheless, after this argument and following Untucked, Onya has piqued my interest more this season. She exudes an alluring stage presence that Jewels may not have honed yet, she excels at developing well-rounded characters, and she demonstrates the ability to defend herself. Definitely a queen to keep an eye on!

The “C-plot” of this episode seems underdeveloped. Towards the middle, the contestants enter the workspace for runway day, and it’s revealed that (off-screen) Lexi discovered Hormona used stones not supplied by the show to decorate her outfit, but it’s unknown if she reported this or scolded her. Lexi mentioned she “gave her a piece of her mind this morning,” but unfortunately, we don’t get to witness this exchange. Normally, “Drag Race” handles such conflicts well, but here, the issue doesn’t arise on its own, which is unusual for them. I would have liked to see the confrontation, but the footage of Hormona removing stones from her dress is still engaging. This stone-related drama could have been a repetitive “A-plot” in a weaker episode, but this week it’s more like background noise. Incredible!

This week, the queens receive their performance evaluations, or Rate-A-Queen report cards. Considering their usual dramatic reactions to most events, it’s rather understated. Sam Star is slightly upset about being ranked last by Lydia, but it’s no big deal. I was taken aback by Onya’s low ranking, but she has a point – the judges have shown clear favoritism towards her.

Alright, let’s move to the stage now. Unfortunately, it seems Lucky Starzzz isn’t off to a strong start tonight. It appears that the judges had no other option but to select her as the first queen to exit, despite perhaps everyone in the studio wishing otherwise. Her ensemble this week is unimpressive, and she fails to make it stand out on the runway. She barely manages a smile throughout, and her posture is poor.

The decision to apply “pretty girl” makeup before being instructed by the judges to do glamour is puzzling, especially given that she lacks the skill for this style. This week’s face from Lucky is one of the worst I’ve seen on Drag Race in a while. It’s truly awful, and there’s no way production could have manipulated it to save her. To add to her struggles, the flat wig with visible bobby pin doesn’t help her case either.

1. Hormona’s attire appears well-tailored with a trumpet skirt; it’s clear she has sewing skills, but the design isn’t particularly remarkable. Lexi’s look is reminiscent of Moschino’s SS19 runway, where a model threw fabric for her train. I admire the reference and enjoy the sleek hairstyle. I’d say Lexi was quite secure this week.

2. Suzie Toot crafted a functional red gown, but the highlight is the horned wig she designed in the Werk Room. A safe choice from her! I’ll hold Arrietty for another time.

3. Lana’s outfit is rather unattractive, and I find it unfortunate that the fabric restricts her collar bone. However, she managed to create a dress fitting the category, which is commendable. I feel Lana achieved what she intended with this design, but it’s not something I would aspire for.

4. Acacia seems to have met the objective she set out for herself with that dress. Nevertheless, I question whether this was a goal worth pursuing in the first place.

5. Kori finds herself in the bottom three, though it’s evident she won’t end up in the bottom two. Her outfit is well-made as she aimed to simply progress through this week, which she did achieve. I’m still waiting for a strong performance from her. She has potential, but hasn’t demonstrated it within the competition setting yet.

6. Lydia designs another ruched patchwork dress, similar to last week’s, only this one is less appealing. I dislike the hat and am still hopeful she can prove herself beyond being mere ‘cannon fodder.’

Joella primarily dons what she’s skilled at crafting: a leotard. It leaves much to be desired, and I can’t fathom her devotion to this type of footwear. Onya, however, presents a fully-developed character: she embodies the sophisticated matriarch from the Emerald City, complete with a cigarette holder. In Untucked, Crystal becomes irked that Onya landed in the top, given her perceived incompetence compared to some other contestants. What Crystal fails to grasp is that Onya designed an ensemble not only tailored to the challenge’s brief but also brought a fully-realized character to life, which she successfully sold to the judges. Jewels, on the other hand, was anticipated by her peers to be among the top contenders, and her attire is simply breathtaking. Yet, watch as she saunters down the runway in the dress. The ensemble is exquisite, but her strut is more cute and playful—and frankly, not regal or fabulous. Lastly, Crystal appears on stage in an outfit that meets the challenge’s requirements. She looks great! I have no more to add.

Sam and Arrietty were the standouts of the competition this week, with Sam ultimately taking the win, which came as a bit of a shock to me. The show seemed more focused on adding points for Sam than it did on her outperforming Arrietty. Arrietty’s outfit had a Mexican-inspired theme and an impressive wig, making it seem well-crafted and complete. She truly brought the look to life on the runway. Her signature makeup, which isn’t always my favorite, was toned down this week, giving it an otherworldly feel without being too overpowering. Sam, on the other hand, looked great in her Southern belle dress with a dropped waist, and her hat was stunning, but it felt a bit simpler than Arrietty’s outfit. While Sam is undeniably talented, I haven’t yet developed the same level of fondness for her as the judges, particularly Michelle, have. Her drag presentation is flawless, but there’s something about her persona, both in and out of drag, that feels a bit outdated. Queens like Jaida Essence Hall, Sasha Colby, and even Sam’s mother Trinity have demonstrated an ability to update pageant drag to showcase more than just skill, but also a unique perspective. So far, Sam hasn’t shown this, and I couldn’t help but feel that Arrietty did this week. I was left feeling a little let down.

Joella and Lucky found themselves in a lip sync battle for Paula Abdul’s “The Way That You Love Me.” For a brief moment, I was hopeful that Lucky would emerge victorious. However, things took an unexpected turn when Lucky lost his shoes and seemed to forget the lyrics. A hilarious dance move from Joella, involving elbow bends and sideways bobbing, caught everyone’s attention – it was a maneuver I hadn’t seen before, likely due to its unconventional nature. Joella also strategically positioned herself in front of Lucky during judging, making it difficult for the judges to assess her performance. This cunning move, while questionable, seemed fitting given Joella’s unique personality. Despite my initial belief that Lucky was one of our strongest queens this season, she was the first to be eliminated. Although there is still a lot of content left in this season, this episode can only be seen as a success for Joella.

And also on Untucked…

I’ve discussed the episode extensively, but I haven’t pointed out that Sandra Bernhardt made an appearance yet. It seems to me that the girls were unfamiliar with her. They should have had them perform a part of “Without You, I’m Nothing, With You, I’m Not Much Better” for their lip sync challenge instead.

Could it be that the improvement in “Untucked” this season is primarily due to the fact that the contestants can converse individually rather than just within a large group? That could potentially be the reason.

This week, Kori hosts the lip sync confessional and announces the Rate-A-Queen results. I can’t help but ponder if she excels more on television than she does in Drag Race, a challenge that even troubled Kori’s main drag inspiration, Monet, during her first season.

Without Lucky, Arrietty’s story seems to lack direction, much as I found myself when my plans didn’t unfold as expected. I imagine we both held hope that our connection with Lucky would last longer than it did.

• Trauma Makeup Corner: No time! Too much drama!

• Diverse Personalities among Coworkers: “My colleague Jennifer Zhan from Vulture recently shared some thoughts with me this week, saying: ‘Joella’s self-assuredness/delusion is almost admirable in a way. Perhaps it’s something we should all strive for – the ability to see ourselves as icons even in our darkest moments. However, her tendency to criticize others is quite extreme and leaves me questioning if she should contribute her thoughts to scientific research.’ She further expressed that Joella’s actions towards Lucky, who lost her home and support system, were insensitive and unwarranted.

• Forecasted Final Four:

I’m eliminating Lucky from the equation, and to keep things straightforward, I’ll replace him with Sam Star. Now we have Suzie, Lexi, Jewels, and Sam. However, I’ve started having second thoughts about Jewels. To add a bit of excitement, let me venture a guess and predict Onya for this week instead. That gives us Suzie, Lexi, Sam, and Onya – not too shabby if it turns out to be true!

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2025-01-18 07:54