by Chris Feil
Last week, RuPaul’s Drag Race gave us a stellar episode thanks to a nearly across the board strong performance by all of the queens. This week, we got an equally great episode but for the opposite reason.
The queens are challenged with the one-two punch of the Reading is Fundamental mini-challenge and a revival of season five’s RuPaul Roast (and six's photocopy Queens of Comedy). There may not have been a Laganja-level meltdown this time, but it has its share of Roxxxy flatline drama. Until know, you may have missed that we are short a comedy queen this season - though many of them can bring the funny when needed. [extreme Patti LuPone voice] They are wonderful, you know, performers for what they do, but they are not stand-up comedians...
Which only means more fun for us seeing who can rise to the top and who falls hardest. The reading challenge wasn’t one for the history books, but Valentina was the rightful winner giving Lucy Van Pelt pouty realness in her quick biting barbs.
Best Read - Peppermint on Nina Bo’nina Brown’s massive couch cushion pads: “Goodwill pick-up is on Sundays.”
But the queens took it too far for Alexis, who was hurt by the many jokes about her size. Now I understand Ru and others’ response that she needs a thicker skin particularly on the reading challenge, but here the show is contradicting itself. Was Eureka not taken to task a few weeks ago for joking past people’s personal boundaries on the very topic of body issues? There’s nothing wrong with having one personal thing you want spared from the jokes. And also immediately jumping to Alexis’s body is lazy thinking on the queens parts - its not like Alexis hasn’t been giving them self-absorbed material all season.
The roast celebrated Michelle Visage this season, a surprise that was kept from Ru’s bestie until the last minute. Michelle seemed truly tickled and that delight carried through the challenge and critique. It was such a treat to see her be more real and not play the severe role she’s developed over more recent seasons. Michelle is just better when she plays it loose.
The Roast goes mostly smoothly, with a few high points like Sasha’s jabs at guest judge Tamar Braxton and Valentina’s kooky sexual advances to Ross Matthews. Even the best queens relied very heavily on their cue cards and nearly all of them were playing a character that didn’t make their set much better (except maybe Nina’s great aunt church lady). Farrah could have maybe used a character to help contextualize her mean-spirited set - if there ever was a time for her to play up the dumb bimbo routine, she missed it.
It was Peppermint that nabbed the win with the energy and jokes necessary to keep a roast alive. Her chill charisma finally paid off in a challenge where her competition was clearly sweating, and it was also the best she’s ever looked. Pep’s charm has been her best asset all season, unflappably positive when even describing her struggles as a trans woman, so it was exciting to see her completely own a challenge.
Elphaboobs - Last week Val gave us gorgeous lily pads, but this week Alexis gave us visible green titty pads. Those breast pads were such an eyesore, like an eclipse you can’t stare at directly or it will blind you. Alexis is having a creativity crisis, but I don’t understand how she didn’t catch herself here.
Farrah and Alexis landed in the bottom for a Dolly Parton lipsync (the show’s first!) and it was yet another close call. Both girls brought the salloon girl energy, but Alexis’s sliding split sealed the deal. Poor Farrah never rose above, but her lipsync performances were actually adorable and her most distinct work on the show.
Farrah sure seemed like she knew her time was up on Untucked. This week’s behind-the-scenes bitch sesh begins tamer with our soft-spoken safe girls Nina and Valentina, but the fireworks come when Shea makes good on those promises to lay into Nina Bo’nina Paranoia Brown’s continued externalized low self-esteem.
Now that we are down to only seven queens, this is where eliminations only get harder. We’re down to the major talents - and as much as it seems like Alexis is on the outs, I’m confident the lipsync will bring some wings to her sails. No matter how it shakes out, the next eliminations are going to burn. Maybe we should follow Val’s lead and pray to Guadalupe for our favorites.
Current Ranking:
- Shea Couleé
- Sasha Velour
- Trinity Taylor (though she's threatening Sasha's #2 spot)
- Valentina
- Nina Bo'nina Brown
- 🔺Peppermint
- 🔻Alexis Michelle
- Eureka O'Hara OUT
- Farrah Moan OUT
- Aja OUT
- Cynthia Lee Fontaine OUT
- Charlie Hides OUT
- Jaymes Mansfield OUT
- Kimora Blac OUT
Gif as Episode Grade:
Who are you praying to Guadalupe to save to the finale?