RuPaul’s Drag Race Recap: Sketch Me Like One of Your Drag Queens

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I used to defend the idea behind RDR Live. I wrote in 2023 that while I generally dislike comedy challenges where the performers don’t write their own jokes, I actually enjoyed it at the time. But I had no idea how unfunny the show could become. Usually, the scripts are pretty bad, and the challenge is just to make them work. That’s fine. Some queens, like Bob, Symone, and Onya, were able to overcome the weak material and really shine, making them stand out as winners.

This week, it was really hard to judge who performed well or poorly because the challenge itself was so poorly designed. I was completely stunned and spent the entire 15 minutes just staring at the screen, finding it completely unhelpful. Only one contestant seemed to do anything noteworthy. The judges’ feedback on the runway didn’t make much sense, as it was unclear who had actually succeeded or failed during the challenge. Ultimately, the winner seemed random, and the show moved on.

A core problem with this challenge is that it’s supposed to mimic sketches from Saturday Night Live. Beyond the reliably funny “Weekend Update” and host’s opening monologue, I didn’t really see that connection this time. Relying on SNL formats is actually helpful because the Drag Race writers struggle with creating original sketch ideas and writing good jokes. If they don’t have to come up with the whole scenario themselves, at least the segment has a chance of being decent. It allows the queens to better develop their characters, making it easier to judge their performances. This time, though, things like the butter-churning and the “Young Michelle” bit were just typical, weak Drag Race content – and it wasn’t good.

The episode starts with the queens returning after DD Fuego’s elimination, and they’re surprised to see Mandy Mango still there – but they admit she deserved to win the lip sync. We also see that Briar is getting on Athena’s nerves, which isn’t surprising. Briar is one of the youngest queens and seems to instinctively know how to get under people’s skin. Athena, on the other hand, takes everything very personally. Personally, I find Briar irritating, but her behavior isn’t that bad – it’s just typical Drag Race gamesmanship, not even as harsh as what Mistress Isabelle Brooks usually does.

A key part of this episode focuses on Jane dealing with the pressure of becoming a clear front-runner. While I feel for her – it doesn’t seem like she’s deliberately creating drama – she’s struggling with the fact that it looks bad to brag about doing well. It is annoying to hear someone complain about how successful they are, though! Sasha Colby, winner of season 15, told me she faced a similar issue. Her solution was to privately process her difficult emotions in her hotel room. I thought at the time that Sasha’s composure was a bit of a problem – she could have intense emotional moments alone and then return to the competition without showing it. Jane, however, doesn’t have that ability, and honestly, it makes the season more interesting. At least we have a front-runner who’s visibly struggling, creating some much-needed tension.

Assigning roles is going smoothly, but Athena is stuck with a part she doesn’t like. Sarah Sherman offers some helpful suggestions, but also some less-helpful ones delivered in a demanding way, similar to RuPaul telling contestants to ‘be funny!’ Juicy, playing Michelle Visage’s mother, gets upset by Sarah’s comments, but her scene partner, Myki, helps her through it. Myki then gets emotional because she’s such a big fan of SNL. RuPaul points out Discord’s unusual walk, calling it striking and strange, but then tells her not to change it because it’s entertaining—which comes across as a bit mean.

The competition immediately falters, starting with a terrible “Butter Churning Competition” sketch. Discord and Mia have simple roles as announcers, but Discord overacts and doesn’t do well. Mia is adequate, likely just playing it safe before the next challenge. Surprisingly, Darlene does well with her butter-churning character—though it didn’t make me laugh, it was a fully developed performance. Mandy lands in the bottom because she reveals her breasts at the end of her Amish butter-churning routine. I didn’t find it particularly problematic (and actually thought it was less jarring than Discord’s poor announcing), but I was disappointed with her makeup. Overall, Mandy’s drag isn’t quite polished enough for the show yet.

Athena has a relatively simple job as host because Briar frequently interrupts with inner thoughts, creating a dynamic different from previous hosts. I was reminded of Onya from last year, who wasn’t particularly hilarious, but was incredibly charming and captivating. Athena doesn’t quite have that same effect. Briar, however, is struggling more. She seems tense and uncomfortable, and honestly, makes me feel uneasy. I don’t know if they use cue cards like on Saturday Night Live, but Briar was the only one who seemed to be visibly reading from something while on stage, and it was really noticeable.

Okay, let me tell you about “Masterqueef Theater.” It was billed as a send-up of those old Hollywood films that hinted at queerness without ever saying it, relying on innuendo. But honestly, it completely missed the mark. Everyone just openly used lesbian terminology and acted… well, gay. It was genuinely one of the toughest sketches to watch. Poor Vita landed in the bottom – they didn’t say it directly, but it was clear she struggled with the delivery of her lines. Kenya and Nini were both declared safe, which felt generous considering how weak the writing was for their characters. The only genuinely funny moment? Nini getting slapped and doing a full spin. I’ve been waiting for Kenya to really shine in a challenge, and this just wasn’t it.

Next up was “Weekend Update,” featuring Briar as a news anchor. The judges advised her to be more expressive, but she mostly struggled with her delivery, sounding robotic and missing the humor in the headlines. If Ciara wants to play a news anchor, she needs to work on her performance. That segment was pretty strange. Luckily, Jane stepped in as a guest, playing Ciara’s mom. She nailed the role, delivering her lines perfectly and even making a homemade treat. She was, without a doubt, the highlight of RDR Live and the only one who truly demonstrated comedic talent.

The last sketch of the night, “Young Michelle,” starred Myki Meeks as Michelle and Juicy Love Dion as her boss. Juicy surprisingly won the challenge, which I suspect will puzzle many viewers – it certainly puzzled me! What really stood out, though, were the judges’ comments. I’ve rewatched the sketch several times for you, and I noticed Juicy actually improved throughout the performance. By the end, she was one of the strongest performers of the night. However, the judges seemed fixated on her initial posture, which admittedly looked a little unsure and restless. While it’s okay if they wanted to reward her improvement, they acted as if she was a comedic genius, which just wasn’t accurate.

The runway challenge is ‘Animal Attraction,’ and the queens are bringing their interpretations! Discord came out as a white alligator, but the look didn’t quite land, especially with the skull detail. The concept of a handbag was amusing, but she didn’t fully embody the alligator. Her walk still needs work. Mia’s pink poodle was undeniably cute, but a bit predictable. Mandy Mango delivered one of her best looks as a deer – it was really lovely! Darlene’s cow outfit was gorgeous and well-made, though RuPaul playfully scolded her for not wearing heels. Athena’s owl costume was absolutely stunning and clearly expensive. Briar did a swan and looked good, but it felt a bit basic. The judges want to see the queens use their animal choice to reveal more about their personality and queenly persona.

Okay, so Vita did zebra, and honestly, it was pretty amazing! If I had to pick something small, the seam on the pattern was a little off-center and noticeable, but it’s a minor thing. Nini absolutely killed it as a poison dart frog – that look was the best of the week, hands down! I loved the wig and that she made the whole outfit herself. She’s seriously a force on the runway. Kenya came as a ‘pimp tiger,’ and it was a fully formed character, though the tail was a little droopy. Ciara Myst’s look just didn’t grab me. She talks a lot about her prosthetic, but I didn’t really see it transform the look in a big way? The separate back piece felt clunky, and the tongue didn’t really work. Jane’s take on a macaw was super creative – it wasn’t a literal interpretation, but a gorgeous dress! Ru has to be thrilled to see her bringing glamour so early on – she really knows how to play the game. Myki’s cheetah look was… fine. Honestly, I’ve been saying ‘fine’ about her a lot lately, and it’s a little worrying. But Juicy’s pangolin outfit? Glorious! It was so weird and beautiful, with incredible armor. And I loved hearing about her obsession with animals – it was the best look of the night, for me.

In the end, Jane didn’t have to win the challenge, even though she deserved to. It seems like the show is pacing her success. Surprisingly, Juicy won instead. Briar and Mandy ended up in the bottom two, and honestly, Briar performed terribly while Mandy just hasn’t been doing well throughout the competition. It felt like the judges were more trying to end Mandy’s run than actually criticizing her performance – she really couldn’t have done much differently. They lip synced to Lizzo’s “Love in Real Life,” and I even wondered if RuPaul might eliminate both of them. Briar had a better sense of rhythm, but her performance wasn’t amazing. Mandy seemed really stressed, and at one point, accidentally bumped into Briar, which RuPaul didn’t like. But Briar was saved! Congrats to Briar – hopefully, she gets a better challenge next week.

And also on Untucked …

I’ve been noticing everyone raving about Juicy – they really thought she was incredible! I wonder if she just performed better in person? There was also something with Briar that didn’t make it into the show, and I’m hoping the queens will talk about it later. Honestly, Sarah just had a normal conversation with them, nothing too exciting happened there.

• I profiled Sarah Sherman a few years back. Here’s that.

I’m not sure how to fix the early comedy challenges. The later challenges—like the roasts and speeches—work so well because the queens write the material themselves. However, I definitely think it’s time to stop doing RDR Live. Perhaps we could bring back the dueling sitcom sketch format from Hot in Tuckahoe instead.

Juicy Love Dion is getting creative with her post-show content. She’s been sharing videos on Instagram showing how she would have performed in each lip sync battle, jokingly imagining how she would have eliminated her opponents. It’s a really funny take on the competition!

This week saw the end of Canada’s Drag Race, with U.K. vs. the World coming up next. Everyone’s still talking about Eboni LaBelle! One friend described the show as a competition where queens who didn’t make it far on the US version face silly challenges with unpredictable judging. They thought Eboni was fantastic and praised Sami Landri. It’s a pretty blunt take, but they feel no one deserves to win without proving themselves in the Snatch Game challenge. However, another friend, Noam, enjoyed the season, calling it another fun and creative installment of the Drag Race franchise with strong queens and a good final two. He also thought the judging was inconsistent and the winner wasn’t quite right, despite being deserving.

• Predicted top four: Jane, Nini, Vita, and Juicy.

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2026-01-17 06:56