By Nathaniel R
How is RuPaul's Drag Race doing it this season? Eight years into the RuVerse and despite a trainwreck of a first attempt with All Stars, All Stars Season 2 is arguably earning its rather instant rep as "Best Season Evah, Yaaaas." The first season, an ill considered 'doubles' event was echoed if you will in Episode 5's "Ru-Venge" narrative in which the eliminated queens were brought back and chose comedy partners from the remaining queens. Somehow even this unmistakable reminder of Season 1's slog of watching divas drag basic bitches around like dead weight behind them transcended the concept.
It helps I think that RuPaul is playing with the format more than ever. Usually when stars have nothing left to prove they coast. Ru did win a long deserved Emmy recently and dont you forget it. (Logo won't let you, bless.) But America's favorite Drag Superstar is making fun of coasting itself while pushing her own envelope playfully.
RuPaul scrapbooking instead of working. Hee.
The funniest meta bit in each episode is hearing what RuPaul and the judges will be doing while the competition Queens deliberate who should be sent home (since they've taken over the judging duties) -- this week it was scrapbooking. Ha! It's a delightful inversion of the "work" of a reality show panel with the open secret being that the Queen Mother and her Squirrelfriends have always been having a fucking ball. What is "work"? Oh, yes, you mean "WERQ!"
awkward hugs, villain edits, and NSFW Alaska after the jump...
Phi Phi and Alyssa hug it out. Sort of. Awkwarrrrrd.
Speaking For Us All...
That hug was like Obama hugging Donald Trump. Unh-unh.
-Coco Montrese
Best RuVeal: Phi Phi O'Hara's toxic personality was not an editing invention. A reality show can't create a villain narrative from whole cloth unless a contestant is giving them the clips to work with. Phi paid constant lip service to redemption but she was still the same shady lady inside. Even her hugs were disingenuous and when she refused to hug Alyssa a second time (awkward hug part 2 in absentia) it was yet another bright spotlight on her flaws. It was so satisfying to see her go because she's an uncomfortable graft from a lesser kind of reality show... and an earlier iteration of this one. You don't need petty infighting for "conflict" or "watchability" when you're attending a televised bukkake party in which you're already drenched in Charisma, Uniqueness, Nerve and Talent.
Phi Phi... confused by the sight of good sportsmanship and hugging.
Ginger Minj and Katya -- were they too comfortable together? It just didn't quite work.
Episode MVP: Another inversion... as much as the show plays with concept of catfights and rivalries the giddiest element of the show lately (in the flagship show's Season 8, too) is how nice all the queens actually are to each other. Reality Show Pettiness and "I'm Not Here to Make Friends" Automated Bitchery is soooo Early Aughts. Been there, Super-cutted that. Note the ease with which Alaska reigned over the competition with nothing other than her innate confidence and the smarts to zero in on Alyssa's appeal so that they could win the challenge together rather than just trying to win it for herself. Alaska was going to be funny no matter what (it's her gif... I mean gift) so why not raise her partner/competitor's game, too? It benefits them both in the long run and it's good television for everyone to be entertaining.
Best Cameo: Cut to Alexis Matteo when Alaska drops a deadpan "BAM!" from the staahge. (Why wasn't Alexis in this season instead of Coco?!)
Results: In the end Alyssa & Tatiana, who both turned it out in the challenges and lipsynch were invited back by Mama Ru and Phi Phi is finally ousted. My guess is Roxxxy is next to go. But everyone that remains appears to love each other so the eliminations will be point-to-the-heart "ouccchhh"y
Current Ranking: Since Chris has been doing these recaps this is a different ranking than you've been seeing. We all love what/who we love. It seems like we're watching an Alaska coronation this season and I cant disagree as she's slaying every week. Her rise is well timed to the release of her new album "Poundcake". Here's her new very NSFW video "Puppet" in case you haven't seen it.
Alaska Thunderfuck - Puppet [UNCENSORED] from Alaska Thunderfuck on Vimeo.
- Alaska
- Detox
- Katya (actual favorite though she never quite ascends to the challenge in they way one hopes she might)
- Alyssa Edwards back in
- Tatianna back in
- Roxxxy Andrews
- Ginger Minj OUT
- Phi Phi O'Hara OUT (Loathed her, then and now, but she's not actually 'dull' which is the worst thing to be on a TV show like this ... see #9)
- Coco Montrese OUT (weak on her season, weak still. Why was she cast for this?)
- Adore Delano QUIT (self pity is such a buzzkill. I was a huge fan previously)
Gif As Episode Grade:
