RuPaul’s Drag Race Recap: Character Work

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Watching this week’s episode of Drag Race feels akin to watching an episode of How It’s Made: Each participant performs their role, I gather useful information, and there’s little drama involved. This isn’t meant as a criticism; in fact, it’s essential for shows like Drag Race or any reality show to have such episodes. These episodes help us get acquainted with the contestants, award points to the competitors, and gracefully eliminate those who aren’t contenders from our view. The aim is that, while it might not be thrilling TV, it will at least be entertaining enough to make us fond of the contestants.

In simpler terms, did you find yourself liking these contestants and wanting to spend more time with them? This show managed to captivate me somewhat, but there are some who bore me. Unfortunately, once again, one of the ones I found intriguing was eliminated, making the group less exciting. However, there’s still potential! Disregarding this week’s elimination, the show is setting itself up to highlight the most interesting competitors. Yes, there are queens on the show who might not be as entertaining, but I’m not worried about the upcoming episode.

Simplifying the episode’s flow – or its perceived lack of complexity or excitement – is because the task given this week is relatively straightforward. The girls are required to create short, 30-second music videos, emulating famous Drag Race moments and performing a lip sync. Given that these are drag queens, the request isn’t particularly challenging, and the collaboration is basic: each queen completes their assigned clip while another handles theirs. At one point, the eventual winner observes that the challenge remains individual, which is accurate.

A significant problem lies in the lack of flexibility for queens to showcase their talents more effectively. They’re not actually assigned their roles randomly; instead, they’re given predetermined groupings and parts that are written for them to interpret. It would be more fair if they could choose their own parts, as this would demonstrate their understanding of both their strengths and what appeals to the judges. While Lana Ja’Rae’s forgettable performance this week can partially be blamed due to the uninspiring track she was given, I wouldn’t criticize her as harshly if she had chosen it herself. What caught me off guard was the substantial disparity between the top and bottom performances. The range of potential outcomes was wider than anticipated, which is a crucial aspect of designing a successful challenge. However, it’s important to note that there were still many mediocre performances, but I also discovered that some queens shine brightly with a clear artistic vision (even within 30-second snippets), while others… we’ll discuss Kori in more detail later on.

In this episode, instead of following a narrative, we’re focusing on the development and progression of each queen throughout the episode and the season thus far. Let’s start with Onya Nerve, who is steadily moving towards becoming a top four contender. She delivers an exceptional performance in a jazzed-up rendition of Laganja Estranja’s stand-up set, leaving the judges in awe. The key aspect that the judges emphasize about Onya is her captivating stage presence; when she performs, you simply can’t look away, and it turns out she is an outstanding lip sync artist with a highly expressive facial range. So far, Onya’s storyline revolves around her independence — she isn’t accustomed to working with other queens, and she harbors strong suspicions about the strategic aspects of ‘Drag Race.’ I suspect this will lead to more tension in future episodes. During her time in the Werk Room, we delve into Onya’s perspective on the integration of drag and Black culture, and on the runway, she showcases this through a dress adorned with African quilts. While I might question the size of the black panel around her knees, overall, she looks fantastic. Two weeks ago, I referred to her as a dark horse. Now, she seems like a clear front-runner.

In this week’s competition, it appears that Crystal Envy is trailing slightly behind, which is quite intriguing. The early stages of ‘Drag Race’ usually assess basic skills, saving the evaluation of character development, creativity, and branding for later. As with Q from last season, it seems likely that Crystal will excel in the initial phase but may face challenges during the latter part. She’s a highly skilled pageant contestant (except for the occasional wigline), but her character remains somewhat elusive to me. In the video, she comes across as a stern taskmaster, effectively utilizing her pageant background to guide the other queens. However, I found her more appealing in the role of the human tumbleweed alongside Lana and Lydia. It would be fascinating to see her explore that quirky side further. My concern lies with her runway performances: She receives praise for an eye-catching outfit, but I’m still uncertain about her unique aesthetic perspective. Though her drag is superior to Onya’s, I could easily identify Onya’s outfit from a lineup. I’m curious to discover what sets Crystal, the performer, apart in terms of her distinctive style.

As a movie reviewer, I found Suzie Toot holding her ground at the top, and it’s clear Michelle took notice of Suzie’s creative streak with her runway transformations, especially her rocker look that cleverly mimicked a rock star persona. While she might not have stolen the show, Suzie certainly left an impression, hinting at a promising journey for her throughout this season. Admittedly, I wasn’t particularly wowed by her outfit, but her makeup was undeniably captivating, suggesting that Suzie could be one of the key players in this season’s storyline.

Currently, it’s still acceptable to make do with minimal effort, but next week might be the final chance for that approach. At this stage, it’s clear that Lana and Lydia haven’t had their defining moments yet, while queens like Lexi, Onya, and Jewels have been stealing the spotlight effortlessly. In the music video challenge, they were both outshone by Crystal, who performed like a human tumbleweed. I appreciated Lydia’s fashion this week, as it was less excessively ruched, but I found Lana’s leg warmers rather unattractive. Despite these issues, both young queens seem to be heading towards a position of being eliminated from the competition.

Despite both Hormona Lisa and Acacia Forgot currently holding lower positions, it’s worth noting that Hormona has been outperforming Acacia this week. If any of the queens yet to reach the top decide to make a comeback this season, I believe Hormona could be a strong contender. The transformation of Hormona from “Porkchop queen” to potential frontrunner is an intriguing narrative, and she is known for her wit and humor, even if it wasn’t fully showcased in the talent show. In contrast, Acacia seems to be consistently overshadowed by Sam Star this week. While Acacia has a distinctive “ugly-chic” aesthetic that sets her apart, she hasn’t been able to turn her drag perspective into success in the challenges so far. Hormona’s runway presentations are appealing and non-controversial. Her most impressive look was still the one she created earlier.

In last week’s victory, Sam Star experienced a more subdued week, but her true character began to surface, particularly during Untucked. She has primarily shown a strained positivity so far, yet Trinity the Tuck, her mother, was admired for her fearlessness in delivering harsh truths when necessary. It appears that Sam might possess more of this characteristic than she’s revealing at present. Given my belief in her longevity in this competition, I hope to see more of her unfiltered self. Her runway outfit this week is another grand costume creation, but her “I woke up like this” once again demonstrates a lingering attachment to the early 2010s. Her video performance was nothing exceptional, but she clearly outshines Acacia in this aspect.

This week, standout contestants Lexi and Jewels receive significant focus in the Trauma Makeup Corner segment. Notably, Jewels makes her second appearance here. Both queens deliver strong performances in the video, although there seems to be a discrepancy in the narration of Lexi’s musical-theater-ballad Jasmine Kennedie performance, as she performs exceptionally well despite being portrayed as struggling.

In terms of competition standing, both Lexi and Jewels are clearly among the frontrunners. Lexi has already won a challenge, while Jewels finished in the top two during the first week and outperformed Arrietty in this week’s Alyssa Edwards-themed dance track video. Both queens excel at capturing screen time.

On the runway, Lexi once again dazzles with a high-fashion ensemble, albeit one that doesn’t quite fit the challenge criteria. Jewels presents a polished look, though it may not be as innovative. Given their performances, it’s evident that both these queens are strong contenders to reach the finale.

However, there is a potential concern with their storylines: neither has yet had a chance to interact with the judges due to the Rate-A-Queen segment. If the show had chosen to place either of them in the top this week instead of Suzie, they could have established a connection with Michelle and RuPaul. It’s worth noting that this could be something to watch closely as the competition progresses.

Arrietty experiences a slight setback following her impressive second place finish in the previous round. Critics often remark that she seems overshadowed by Jewels, although this observation may not fully capture the essence of the situation. It appears that Michelle has a personal dislike for Arrietty’s makeup, which is surprising since Arrietty demonstrated a willingness to tone it down in the last round – a choice I found particularly appealing. However, it seems Michelle dislikes everyone’s signature style, and I can’t help but question whether this is fair. As more time passes, I find myself leaning towards the viewpoint that “Drag Race” is not just about drag; it’s about Drag Race-specific drag. So, don’t be upset when they don’t appreciate something you knew they wouldn’t like. While I am not suggesting that their closed-mindedness is justified, I do believe it’s a pattern that has been observed. Arrietty’s overall look, however, receives criticism for not adhering to the quilt-like aesthetic, but even so, it still surpasses most of the other contestants’ outfits in quality.

At the bottom, you’ll find Kori King, who seems to be going through a dip in self-assurance. Despite projecting an air of a true competitor, which can certainly take you far, her work has fallen short of the high standards she sets for herself. This week’s video is quite poor, and despite her talent for capturing the camera’s attention, she demonstrates genuine problems in understanding what works on-camera. Watching it is rather awkward, and her attempts at humor don’t resonate. It appears that this queen may be all style over substance. The flaws Michelle points out with Kori’s look this week are also significant concerns: The bottom of the breastplate is exposed, her undergarments can be seen in the back, the hairpiece doesn’t fit correctly, and so on. While such oversights might fly at venues like Jacques’ or Lizard Lounge, they’re a tougher sell on television.

In summary, Joella is leaving the competition this week not due to her gospel performance being inferior to Kori’s, but because of her unique runway choice. Instead of following traditional drag, she presented as a quilt, wearing only a large piece of quilting fabric. This unconventional approach intrigued me, and it was interesting to hear the judges critique this outfit as if it was an unsuccessful attempt at emulating Crystal Envy’s style. Their response, “You have no shape!”, reflects their disappointment with a simple rectangle. While I believe this outfit might not be suitable for the competition, I must admit that I found it both amusing and impressive. This is a more creative expression of “stupidity” than Burger Finger ever managed.

In the end, Onya triumphantly clinched the contest, leaving Crystal disappointed. Meanwhile, Kori and Joella mimicked the Pussycat Dolls’ “Buttons” performance. By the time the music kicked in, few believed that Joella could pull it off, but any remaining optimism dwindled when she attempted to simulate RuPaul dancing on her quilt costume by shaking her rear to Snoop Dogg’s verse. However, I must admit, it made me chuckle. Kori clearly outshone Joella in this round, yet I can’t help but feel a pang of sadness at her departure. She consistently managed to captivate my attention whenever she appeared on screen – quite an accomplishment! Farewell to a genuine queen.

Also on Untucked…

This week, Untucked isn’t as enjoyable as usual, but it still manages to be entertaining. Sam Star becomes quite snarky, which adds an amusing touch. Despite this, I believe the most memorable moment is Hormona sharing her story about her mother hand-quilting her outfit after accidentally chopping off her fingers – that’s classic rural spirit!

It appears that the inspiration for this task might have been the style of B. Ames’ Drag Race remixes, but unfortunately, the results didn’t come close to matching the caliber of her work. I would suggest taking a look at the Alyssa Edwards remix again as a point of reference!

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=qpOl9tld5zg

In my opinion, one remix moment I wasn’t entirely acquainted with was the Mariah monologue that Joella lip-synced to, which coincidentally appears in the same episode of Untucked as the sugar daddy altercation. I can’t help but wonder if they intentionally skipped over the sugar daddy situation due to Shangela’s current toxicity. Food for thought!

As a passionate cinephile, I must say that the close-ups of Joella’s quilt sprawled across the runway, filling the entire screen, are some of the most captivating shots I’ve seen on “RuPaul’s Drag Race” in quite a while. The cinematography was truly top-notch!

I really enjoyed a witty comment made recently by Carson, where he described Acacia’s outfit as ‘the top-selling Amish representative for Mary Kay.’

• Corner of transformation tales:

Lexi and Jewels discuss their motivations behind embracing drag. For Lexi, it served as a means to physically endure after being forced out by her mom. On the other hand, Jewels found drag as an outlet for expressing their gender identity.

Kat sent me this excited message during the live episode, which I’ll share with you now: “There’s hardly anything to criticize about Joella’s outfit except that it’s TOO fabulous and awesome! People have been asking for more confident queens with a unique perspective, and then Joella delivers exactly that, and yet you say it’s bad? It’s so mind-blowingly original that you can’t help but admire it. She really said the best way to showcase WHO SHE IS on the runway is through a massive quilt with her face peeking out. And I say THANK YOU JOELLA!!!” To which I would respond: I couldn’t wait to see it fall apart.

• Predicted Lead Four: Lexi, Suzie, Onya, and Sam are holding their positions, but there’s a bit of uncertainty. Could the initial four challenge victors be the final Top 4? Should I perhaps replace Sam with Jewels instead?

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2025-01-25 07:54