RPDR S8.5: Like a *Blank*
Wednesday, April 6, 2016 at 11:00PM 
Chris here, filling in for Nathaniel's weekly recap of RuPaul's Drag Race. This week was everyone's perennial favorite: Snatch Game! Past seasons have made this celebrity impersonation challenge a complete game changer, catapulting contenders like Jinkx Monsoon and Chad Michaels straight to the finals. In fact, only one Snatch Game winner has ever placed less than fifth place: season three's Stacy Layne Matthews (performing as Mo'Nique via her Oscar-winning Precious performance).
You could easily argue that this challenge is more anticipated than the season finale's crowning, and after last season's unmemorable edition, fans were hungry for this year's queens to bring the laughs.
S8.05 "Supermodel Snatch Game"
And it brings me no joy to tell you that the episode was an unfortunate dud.
The lineup of impersonations should have been a slam dunk. Half of the the cast went with easy targets: Michael Jackson (Thorgy Thor), Britney Spears (Derrick Barry, because he hasn't completely lost his marbles), Nancy Grace (Acid Betty), and Flavor of Love's New York (Naomi Smalls). Any of these should be good for some easy laughs, but they never came, except for some of Thorgy's spooky physicality. Robbie Turner was an unfortunate non-start as Diane Vreeland and Kim Chi made the odd choice of a semi-invented character ("Kimmy" Jong Un, or basically the dictator?)
The Episode Winner
Bob the Drag Queen made the big leap to switch characters mid-Snatch, and took home his second win (the first queen to do so this season). It's an already controversial choice, but clearly the risk paid off. I still argue that it's an odd choice given how solid the Uzo "Crazy Eyes" Aduba characterization was working, and then switching to a less precise Carol Channing.
But then came the Madonna runway - or as it might rightly be called Kimono Night:
If you expected four (FOUR!) queens to come down the runway in absurdly similar looks you were probably anticipating something along the lines of Desperately Seeking Susan and not "Nothing Really Matters". Sure, the queens bring what they bring and have to make it work, but how about...
This Episode's MVP - Chi Chi DeVayne
Her look is immediately recognizable, one of the most iconic from Her Madgesty. BUT, as she mentions on this week's Untucked (Drag Race's backstage companion piece that is equally essential), she made the outfit the night before! Chi Chi came without a Madonna outfit prepared, but you can't tell me any of those four queens couldn't whip out a quick Eva Peron or Breathless Mahoney when they discovered the kimono conundrum.
For my money, Chi Chi's frisky Eartha Kitt was the funniest of Snatch Game and should've taken her to another win.
Pros
Naomi finally got some backstory as she talked with Bob pre-runway about growing up black in an adoptive all-white family
Cons
Barely improving over last year's Snatch Game and easily the show's worst overall runway ever
Bonus Points - Robbie Turner
♫ We are the members of / The All American League / We come from cities / Near and Far ♫
Sent Home - Acid Betty
That's the harsh reality of Snatch Game: it can send a favorite home in the blink of an eye. Her "Bedtime Story"-inspired runway wasn't enough to save her from her non-entity of a Nancy Grace in the main challenge. Though her fellow lipsyncer Naomi Smalls needs to step her game up in a big way - no queen has ever done a lipsync on Snatch Game week and made it to the final three...
Reader Comments (29)
I have a theory that Snatch Game is going to provide diminishing returns as time goes on, because not only are they compared to each other, but every other Snatch Game before. It becomes more and more unwinnable. Also, the internet tells me that at least one queen tried to change from her Kimono but wasn't allowed to by producers, probably because of the ensuing drama that #KimonoGate would bring. That being said, I'm looking forward to the Wizard of Oz makeover challenge next week - what a good theme!
Michelle Visage had the best mainstage look of the week with her MDNA Tour drag. RESPECT.
I actually blame Rupaul for how poorly that Madonna tribute was done. It's not the queens' fault they arrived with the same (slightly obscure) look. That's a freak coincidence that producers should have addressed and fixed—make it a sewing challenge! Give them an extra day! Put Ru in the workroom to nudge some outfit changes. I'm not mad that four perfectly good kimonos happened, I'm mad that the HBIC didn't step in to force variety.
Not only was it tacked on to Snatch Game but now Madonna has a good reason NEVER to appear on the show—it's not just "too small" for her, but they legitimately did not do her justice. With a "welp, I guess that's the best we could do" shrug.
Oh, and I know they're on a budget but "Causing a Commotion" at the end was such a pitiful lip sync choice. The last 20 minutes reeked of "We can't be bothered to do this right."
Sorry, last post, but also—Gigi Hadid and Chanel Iman for this episode? I choose to believe that Debi Mazar was busy hanging out with the actual Madonna. And that Sandra Bernhard was in bed with her Madonna voodoo doll. GOOD GUESTS MATTER.
thorgy was born to give us jo anne worley in snatch game; her odd decision to do michael jackson topples her from the top spot in my rankings, overtaken by the feisty chi chi [the undisputed star of untucked]
i find bob exhausting but she seems as inevitable a winner as bianca was, which dulls the season somewhat
i'm guessing kim chi will make up the top four as derrick, robbie and naomi are circling the drain...
I don't even know where to begin with this one. KimonoGate will go down as in one of the most bizarre mishaps on the runway. I mean WHERE TO BEGIN. I was hoping for a Dita look, a Vogue look, a cowboy look during the Music era, the soldier look from American Life, Frozen, Material Girl. Ugh...allegedly Thorgy said at a viewing party, that he wanted to change his after seeing three other kimonos, but producers told him not to. Thank god for Acid Betty, though I'm devastated we lost her. We saw a soft side of Betty in the episode and Untucked that revealed the complex queen she is. Sure she could be abrasive but she had the nerve and talent to back it up, and frequently it was just her being straight forward and determined - the Trixie thing excepted.
Have you guys seen Fashion Photo RuView with Raja and Raven? The only silver lining about that runway was that it hilariously caused Raja to lose her shit.
I don't always like Michelle's critiques (Her nitpicking Acid Betty anyone?) but she nailed what bugs me about Bob. Showboating. That said she WAS funny as Carol Channing, her Uzo was a good impression but didn't laugh much at it. Season 6 is still the gold standard for Snatch as a whole, and no one has individually yet topped Jinkx in Season 5.
Naomi needs to step it up majorly. Tired of the flowy gowns/robes and two pieces. Same silhouette every week like Robbie said in Untucked.
And speaking of Robbie. Super let down that she didn't continue the legacy of his Seattle sisters. I've met her and she's talented but just didn't come through. Should have done Liza.
Anyway, Thorgy for the win! That was some SHADY editing when Ru announced Bob as the winner.
i can't help but feel that the whole runway is like a sustained shade to madonna. like it's saying "this is what the new generation of drag queens know about you!"
i was so disappointed. these bitches should have brought at least three options. i was most disappointed in kim chi because this bitch knows what she's doing look-wise. look at her instagram and i couldn't believe that it's the only madonna look she can pull out.
snatch game was okay. it was missing a really great characterization (like little edie) but it was basically in the same level of ho hum-ness as season 5 or something.
"That's a freak coincidence that producers should have addressed and fixed" -- no way. I have no sympathy. They're in a competition, as Raja said in the Fashion Photo Ruview, when you see two or three other bitches pulling out the same thing as you, you change it up! Pull something out of your ass! Sometimes life works that way, you try to be all reverse psychology "no one else will think of this!" but apparently everyone had the same thought as you lol. But in a competition you have to be quick on your feet and take whatever's thrown at you and make it work. Chi Chi made her outfit the night before/morning of. Those other queens, at least one or two of them could've figured something out.
Also GAGGED that Acid Betty left. Sure, her snatch game was awful, but so was Naomi's and she had been consistently on the top performance-wise and served amazing looks on the runway. Naomi, however, has been consistently middle of the pack.
Seriously, there were 8 queens left, and they didn't ask each other what they were gonna wear for the Madonna challenge? That's unbelievable.
Apparently Thorgy saw that other queens were going to wear a kimono and was about to create another outfit, and someone in production told her not to change. Did the producers of this show really think that having four similar (and mostly obscure) outfits on Madonna night was going to be a funny thing? There was maybe one (attempted) iconic look among all of them. It was disastrous, and I demand a do-over. Outrageous. You should all be fired. Sashay away you dilettantes.
I don't like Bob, she not bad just she's just trying too hard.
I'm still bummed that Thorgy Thor didn't do Gilda Radner
I wonder how much time they had between finding out they were all wearing kimonos and the actual runway itself. Chi Chi had the night before because she was unprepared. Someone said Bob posted that there was 2 other eliminated queens who also brought kimonos for their Madonna looks.
@Phillip—
Initially, the onus was on the queens to do something to fix it. Point is, they didn't.
If your crop of contestants isn't strong or motivated enough to step it up, it's a producer/ringleader's job to save the episode. He cast them, and this is what he got. Ru's show and reputation are on the line at the end of the day, not theirs. He is the one passing this off as must-see entertainment, not them.
RPDR is not a democracy—it's a benevolent dictatorship. There are weak weeks but this was beyond. Everyone involved dropped the ball. The show—not just the queens—failed hard.
Olivia I totally agree, I started noticing it last year, yes Ginger;s 'Adele' was amusing, but a lot of the food schtick was already mined by Latrice's Aretha Franklin from s4. Derrick's Britney was a pale companion to Tatiana's, same with Bob's Carol Channing compared to Pandora's etc.
Whoever would have guessed that the iconic conical bra look- arguably the definitive Madonna look, the one that forever will come to mind when she is mentioned- would be the bold choice on this runway?
C'mon queens! Now really, every contestant knows ahead of time that the Snatch Game is coming up. There's just no excuse for this level of unpreparedness and amateurishness. No excuse AT ALL!!!
Naomi should have been sent home for her wretched New York (worst SG performance in herstory!) AND wearing a kimono. And after picking such a promising character as Diana Vreeland, Robbie totally flatlined. Shades of Max's Sharon Needles. Sure, Acid Betty's Nancy Grace wasn't much better - and the wig made me think more of Rosanna Rosannadanna - (hey, that would've worked), but her runway look was inspired and should have saved her. Chi Chi's Eartha was a near miss -- all those cat references came off as more kooky than inspired. I liked Thorgy and Derrick, but they really could have stepped it up a whole lot more. In a normal SG they would have been in the middle Like how about gum-chewing barefoot white trash Britney or shaved-head Britney? How about "Billie Jean was not my lover, just a surrogate" for an answer? And Bob didn't really impress me - ok, his Crazy Eyes was fun, but he neither looked (surprise!) or sounded like Carol Channing. (Pandora, your legacy is safe) If he was going to do a second character, it should have been Whoopi. And although he looked great, his runway look was an even more obscure Madonna reference than the kimonos.
And the two supermodel judges were total disasters. Rumor has it that they pissed Ru off so much with their awfulness, he stormed off the set and made the producers feed them answers.
The highlight of the show for me was Carson Cressley's Nancy Grace.
Snatch Game: What a disappointment. Bob was funny, but not overly so. Thorgy had good impersonation, but the Blanket thing felt average at best, like in a show she'd bring the baby out and then immediately ditch it because it's such an easy gag. ChiChi's Eartha Kitt... I dunno, is pretending you're a cat a shtick? As for Acid Betty's Nancy Grace, I now watch Carson Kressley to show up on next week's show doing a Nancy Grace impersonation. And lastly, look, I get that these reality show characters/contestants/things like Desperate Housewives and Flavor of Love or whatever are popular within certain circles, but if you're going to show up dressed and impersonating a vapid, bland waste of space you still have to make her funny. Naomi isn't the first to have done one of these characters and then just sit there flciking her hair and checking her make-up and not engaging because that's a shtick. It's boring. As much as I didn't care for Pearl last season, at least she did something amusing with Big Ang.
Runway: Yikes! Yes, Thorgy wanted to change, but they wouldn't let her. I guess they figured they still would have had three so just make it four and make it even more of a Thing. But then I can totally sense her frustration at Bob winning when she wasn't able to change and potentially blow Bob's runway look out of the water. You never know what she would've come up with. And I actually didn't like Chi Chi's look. The cones were *way too big*. Giant. The whole thing was a disaster, really, and such a shame, too. I can only assume they all thought everyone would be doing cone bras or catholic crosses and lace or a Hung Up leotard and they all thought they were being so smart with the kimono.
I'm not too fussed about Acid Betty leaving. I hadn't liked her off the runway (at which she typically excelled), but it was a bit of a shock.
Poor Naomi, I think her Color Purple Whoopi would have been really good (from what little we saw of it) and Bob totally messed with her confidence by taking out his Whoopi in the work room and never actually doing it in the game, she got psyched out plain and simple.
I wish we lived in an alternate universe in which the Sedaris siblings were the guest judges on THIS episode.
Olivia - 100% same on the diminishing returns. It's not like they can cast the show around this challenge to make it improve, but you'd at least think the queens would be better prepared.
Chris -- i think they'd be smart to put that game to pasture. the show has bought into its own hype about that episode and while it always makes for somewhat compelling watching in the odd mix of surprising fun and total humiliation (there are always disasters in the mix) it's rarely been the absolute highlight the show thinks it is. I'd much rather they tried to build up some of the other challenges as "highlights" or did something totally off the wall and unexpected for a challenge WITHOUT warning the queens (i know they get some sort of prep lists of challenges.)
i think they could do some sort of better verison of their recurring acting challenges. The Empire spoof wasn't what it could have been but the idea was great. and that John Waters challenge was perfect for the show.
one of my personal favorite challenges that i don't think they ever repeated was the selling of their own personal fragrances? It was so weird but totally funny. And sometimes the mini challenges are so fun you'd think they'd make them maxi challenges.
To go off Nathaniel's point, I think the biggest fan of Snatch Game is RuPaul and that's why it's so hyped. As much good as Ru has given us, I truly believe that he's a sadist and there's no better game at making the queens squirm than snatch. He loves it and you can tell! And if Ru says over and over again that it's everyone's favorite we're kind of lulled into believing it....until it actually happens.
I know there'd be potential copyright problems, but all I want on this planet is a Clue inspired acting challenge. It could be so beautiful.
I'd like to see a combination of "Reading Is Fundamental" and "You've Been Served" team challenge
When is Jennifer Lawrence going to be portrayed by a drag queen? She's already a parody.
Nathaniel - I love that challenge too, especially because it tested the queens on more than one thing! BUT I think one of the downfalls the show is going through right now is being too self-referential. I always hope for more sewing challenges just because it allows for more workroom interaction, which is often a part I think the show undervalues in itself.
Olivia - I wouldn't put something like a Clue or licensed entity challenge out of the question. They got San Rio on board for Hello Kitty
Olivia -- what a great idea. Image the Miss Scarletts and Mrs Whites and gender flipped Professor Plums. I AM OBSESSED WITH THIS IDEA NOW. thanks.
I aim to please =)
Olivia now that you mention it so many movies / games ; cultural etcetera could lend themselves to group visual fun: CLUE, STAR WARS, DISNEY PRINCESSES (that may be overdone with fan art and online everything but for RPDR it could be insane / great) or just FAIRY TALES in general. or MOULIN ROUGE. or SUPERHEROES (image drag queen gender subversions of all that hyper masculinity) or...
at any rate. I think the show needs someone on the inside who's willing to suggest some out of the box NEW challenges.
It's just sad they'll never do a Madonna challenge again since this one flatlined despite being an A+ opportunity.
Those are all great! I've also kind of always wanted a Tennessee Williams-esque acting challenge where everyone could be southern or drunk or both and it would lend itself to OTT. And, not that this has anything to do with acting, but I really want there to be an internet or YouTube based challenge because that's something that queens *actually do* post-show. Also just so something could be titled "Not Suitable For (You Betta) Work."
@RuPaul we are right here waiting. Hire us!!!