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...