RuPaul’s Drag Race Recap: Feeling Faint

by

Okay, now we’re talking! This week’s RuPaul’s Drag Race was a total rollercoaster – gorgeous gowns, some truly questionable outfits, plenty of drama with queens fighting and breaking down, even someone collapsing (and then being accused of faking it!). Plus, the amazing Annaleigh Ashford gave us a song about… well, boobs. Honestly, only four episodes in and this season is already delivering. I’m really hoping it keeps this energy going – it’s exactly what I want from Drag Race!

It’s no surprise to me that the season’s strongest episodes—this one and the first—focused on sewing, letting the queens simply be drag queens without unnecessary interference. However, this isn’t a great episode because of the challenge itself; it’s overly complicated, unpleasant, and feels like the producers were trying to make up for denying Vita a win in the first episode. What makes this episode good is the fantastic cast and how much fun they have interacting with each other. The song performances were bad, the scripted scenes were awkward, and the challenge is just strange. Ultimately, the success of this season depends on the queens, not gimmicks, and if the producers can avoid messing things up, the rest of the season should be really enjoyable.

This week’s episode starts with a surprisingly genuine and heated argument during the mirror session. Unlike usual, where the show relies on exaggerated sound effects to create drama, Briar, Mia, and Athena are truly upset with each other. The conflict stems from Briar disrespecting Athena’s personal boundaries while simultaneously expecting Mia to instinctively understand hers, especially regarding her past relationship. Adding to the tension, Mia believes Mandy was more deserving of staying in the competition than Briar. To make matters worse, it’s revealed that Briar has been causing trouble for Athena behind the scenes, even affecting her relationship with her drag daughter, Juicy.

Much of the conflict happening this week, especially among the queens, involves conversations and events we didn’t see on the show. For example, Mia’s joke about Briar being responsible for her breakup, Briar calling Mia out for going too far, and Briar’s comments about Juicy and Athena’s relationship all happened off-camera. Drag Race usually has strict rules about keeping contestants separated and quiet backstage, but that doesn’t seem to be happening anymore. This is the second time we’ve seen behind-the-scenes drama play out between these queens, following the glove incident during the premiere.

You know, I’m actually okay with how things are going with the show. It seems like the queens are careful about causing big on-camera conflicts because they’re thinking about their careers, but let’s be real – they’re drag queens, so there’s always some kind of drama happening. It just doesn’t play out while we’re watching. If keeping the messiness behind the scenes means we get compelling storylines when the cameras are rolling, I’m all for it. Just please, give us enough context to understand what’s going on!

This week’s challenge begins with the queens teaming up with their friends, but quickly pits them against each other in a “Who Wore It Best” competition—an idea borrowed from season two of Drag Race U.K. (if memory serves). It’s a good, messy challenge, reminiscent of Tia Kofi’s iconic dress malfunction, but thankfully, it won’t likely send a strong queen home simply because she loses to her partner. The format also streamlines the challenge to a runway walk, giving the judges extra time to critique each contestant – a clever move, in my opinion. As the competition moves forward, it’s clear that every queen will have a personal storyline developing with the judges.

This week’s sewing challenge requires the contestants to combine elements from two different red-carpet outfits. It’s unfortunate this was recorded last summer, as it allowed them to feature looks inspired by Nicki Minaj. Here are the assigned pairings and outfits:

➼ Briar & Juicy: Lil Nas X’s pink cowboy suit and Rihanna’s Guo Pei Met Gala coat

➼ Discord & Jane: Cher’s Oscars black two-piece and Sarah Paulson’s green Prada spikes

Myki and Nini are referencing iconic fashion moments: Jennifer Lopez’s famous green Versace dress and Nicki Minaj’s leopard-print outfit from the Grammys – though I hadn’t seen that particular look before.

➼ Ciara & Kenya: Lady Gaga’s meat dress and Britney Spears’s all-denim dress

Mia and Vita are referencing iconic fashion moments: Katy Perry’s elaborate chandelier look at the Met Gala and Lil’ Kim’s daring purple outfit from the VMAs, known for its revealing design.

➼ Darlene & Athena: Kim K.’s floral extravaganza and Zendaya’s Mugler robot

Things got emotional in the Werk Room, with Briar breaking down to Juicy about the drama and feeling targeted – which is understandable. It’s interesting that this is happening with the younger queens on the show, especially since Juicy has a strong alliance with the Florida queens. It seems like Briar is mostly acting her age, and aside from that, everything in the Werk Room is pretty lighthearted. I’m really starting to root for Mia; she knows she’s up against a tough competitor in Vita, but she keeps trying her best and staying positive. Jane and Discord are sizing each other up as potential rivals, both confident in their looks. Juicy continues to ask for assistance, and Vita revealed she regularly recreates celebrity outfits at home. It’s almost like the challenge was specifically made for her – and honestly, she deserves a win!

The competition is heating up, and Juicy and Briar are the first to present their looks. I’m really impressed with Juicy’s outfit – it’s a huge improvement from her first attempt! It features a playful hood and some nice faux fur trim. The judges did point out the fur could be fuller, but considering it’s a sewing challenge, I don’t think it’s a major issue. Unfortunately, Briar’s look just doesn’t work. A neon-yellow bodysuit is a strange choice, and for a glamorous, traditionally-shaped drag queen, leaving out breasts feels off balance. The whole outfit feels disproportionate, and I suspect she wasn’t fully focused this week.

Now we have Discord and Jane. I really don’t like Discord’s outfit at all. She’s aiming for a high-fashion drag look with a lot of exposed skin, but the top part of her dress doesn’t fit well, making it look more like a man wearing a dress, as one judge put it. The extra fabric hanging from the bodice and her green furry skirt aren’t flattering, and her makeup is too severe. She also didn’t walk well. Jane’s outfit is much better, but I’m not as impressed with it as the judges seem to be. The length is strange, and the dress doesn’t really connect to the original inspiration beyond the colors. It doesn’t capture the essence of Cher and Sarah’s look like Auntie Mame would. The length is just off. She’s still a strong contender, but this isn’t her best week.

Myki and Nini struggled to make their leopard and green fabrics work together, resulting in some of the weakest looks of the week. Myki’s glamorous outfit feels cluttered with too many accessories – it’s not terrible, but it doesn’t stand out. She needs to bring more energy to her designs. Nini’s look is a letdown; while the leopard bodysuit and green sashes are well-crafted, the overall effect isn’t flattering.

Ciara Myst has truly outdone herself with this competition’s challenge. She created a striking bodysuit that looks like raw meat, then layered a denim cocktail dress over it, finishing the look by playfully tying herself up. This is exactly what I’ve been hoping to see from her – it’s wonderfully strange and unsettling, a departure from the artificial, store-bought Halloween costumes she’s done in the past. I’m really impressed! Kenya also improved on her initial design, making a red and denim mermaid dress, but it wasn’t captivating and didn’t really connect with the ‘meat dress’ theme.

The judges seem to really like Mia’s dress, even though it’s quite revealing, but I personally think it’s just average. She fulfilled the challenge, but I don’t like the random purple fabric detail – it clashes with the overall look. I’m not sure what everyone sees in it. However, Vita’s outfit is absolutely breathtaking. It’s one of the most incredible gowns I’ve seen created on the show – even better than many finale looks. She truly deserved the win.

Lastly, we have Darlene and Athena. I strongly disagree with the judges’ decision regarding these two. I absolutely love Darlene’s outfit – she looks fantastic! Being tall and having a natural poise definitely helps, but her futuristic cowboy look is both unique and stylish. The judges criticized her shoes, but I think her creativity more than makes up for it. I wasn’t a fan of Athena’s look at all. It was just a dress with a cape, and honestly, her drag always feels technically proficient but ultimately uninspired. I’ve seen this same concept so many times, both on and off the show.

Okay, let me tell you, the critiques were brutal, but Briar took the worst of it – by a mile. Just when it seemed like Juicy was about to win, Briar actually fainted. It was a genuinely shocking moment, one I won’t soon forget. And honestly, the image of… well, let’s just say a wardrobe malfunction was revealed as she fell is iconic. It really reminded me of Rebecca from cycle four and the doors she opened! Immediately after, the girls started questioning if it was a genuine faint or an act, and it was wild to watch. Vita was quick to call it fake, while others were more hesitant to say so on camera, though they definitely seemed skeptical. I can’t really weigh in on that since I wasn’t there myself, but the whole thing was pretty mean-spirited… and, I’ll admit, totally captivating to watch.

Jane, Vita, and Ciara finished as the top three contestants. While I disagree with Jane making the cut, I would have preferred Juicy or Darlene instead. Vita deserved to win weeks ago, and it’s great to see her finally take the top spot. Kenya, Discord, and Briar were the bottom three, with Kenya and Briar in the most danger. I think Discord should have been in the bottom two with Briar, as her performance didn’t quite connect, even though it was technically well-executed. The song they performed was “Lights Camera Action,” a track reminiscent of Kylie Minogue’s later work. Honestly, the show feels pretty much the same as always. Neither contestant had a perfect handle on the lyrics, but Kenya was far more captivating. She’ll stay in the competition, while Briar was eliminated shortly after briefly fainting on stage – though Vita jokingly said she was just falling for fun.

Also on Untucked…

The contestants are mostly worried about whether Briar will be healthy enough to continue, and who might unfairly be eliminated if she can’t. I really enjoyed seeing them interact on Discord – it’s been a fun experience overall. I’m genuinely enjoying this group of contestants, and I think the show could be great if it focuses on what they do best.

• “I don’t want to squabble this opportunity” is very funny.

Briar and Mia spent time opening up about their past traumas in an attempt to reconnect, and it was good to see them having a heartfelt conversation. However, the scene felt a bit contrived, like it was pushed by the show’s producers, editing, or even the queens themselves. While both shared very emotional stories, the whole segment didn’t feel entirely genuine.

We’re still predicting Jane, Juicy, Vita, and Nini will be the top four. However, Nini needs to step up her game and develop a stronger storyline quickly, as the others are quickly gaining ground. Being seen as an underdog can only get you so far, especially when that underestimation came from Discord.

Read More

2026-01-24 05:57