Drag Race RuCap: "RDR Live!"

For the next few months, Nick Taylor and Cláudio Alves will be following and recapping RuPaul’s Drag Race season sixteen…

Last week's episode was an eleventh hour tearjerker. Everybody cried.

CLÁUDIO: As ever, I’m disappointed with the Drag Race take on comedy challenges. In this episode, the dolls reprised an idea from All-Stars 8, doing RuPaul’s take on Saturday Night Live. Indeed, they even recycled some of the archetypes and scenarios from that latest All-Stars season, causing some in the fandom to accuse one of the new queens of copying an old gal who found herself in the same shoes. But we’ll talk about that later. All in all, this was my pick for the worst episode of the season so far even before its heartbreaking finish. But I know you have more affection for Drag Race comedy challenges than I do, so your reaction may have been radically different. Was it? 

NICK: This one let me down. I suppose the mediocre writing of the bits made it more authentic to the SNL experience, but almost everyone felt ill-served by the format of the challenge and the bits as scripted . . . .

How much time did they have to rehearse? Why does no one generate an actual rapport with their scene partners? “RDR Live” is just not entertaining, delivering isolated pockets of ingenuity and comedic disaster that never compel as much as everything before and after the maxi challenge is executed.

The episode starts well enough, with the girls regrouping after Hershii is eliminated. Geneva Karr is pissed at having to lip-sync for her life, foreshadowing either a rejuvenated queen or a future trip to the bottom. Nymphia rejoices in winning her first challenge, though Q is none too pleased at placing second again. And before we cut to the next day, Plane Jane formally apologizes to Amanda for her unprovoked comments in the previous episode’s Untucked - as much as we’ve expressed our disinterest in Plane’s wannabe cattiness, it’s very funny how the other girls don’t much care for her antics. 

CLÁUDIO: I am fascinated by the way Plane seems intent on being the season’s villain, while so unwilling to actually be disliked by the cast. She obviously wants the cameras to immortalize her as “the bitch” but then is fearful of her machinations being common knowledge, eager to apologize when the room turns against her. She claims to be unbothered in the confessionals, but that’s not what’s getting across on camera.

Anyway, the next morning, Mama Ru comes to the Werkroom to announce our next maxi-challenge. “RDR Live!” will entail that the queens get it in one take, with no chance for re-dos which leaves some gals nervous while others seem eager to prove themselves up to the task. But before the performance proper, roles must be assigned. And, as ever, it’s a tetchy little negotiation with much shade thrown around and weird decisions left and right. Why would Plasma be resistant to a role so obviously perfect for her? Why is Mirage bullish about getting the only part that would leave her alone without anyone to play off of? Why can’t Plane shut up for one second? So many questions.

NICK: From top to bottom, it’s a series of Choices, and with no mini-challenge winner to assign parts, everyone gets to pick their roles and squabble amongst themselves. Plasma’s reticence is funnier than most of the maxi challenge performances, and whoever edited her Oral History of Barbra Streisand presentation with so many fades deserves an award. For once the hilarious Ross Mathews actually has good advice for the queens, advising Plasma to lean into her strengths instead of working so hard to challenge herself she sells herself short. It’s why Amanda, Dawn, and Q bull rush the Weekend Update skit together - they see their burgeoning friendship as a solid foundation to make the skit work. Megami sees this as an opportunity to show her silly side, striving to match the comedic instinct of her scene partner Plane Jane despite Plane doing absolutely nothing to help her. 

But the biggest head-scratcher of the whole thing is how many girls picked their parts without reading their scripts. Why the hell does Geneva Karr sign on to play Lady G despite not knowing who Lindseey Graham is? And no one fucking told her??? Cuckoo bananas. Mirage also realizes too late that hosting duties mean she’ll be entirely alone, and she does not like that! I don’t blame her for being nervous, but at the same time, it’s a bit surprising the Vegas showgirl can’t figure out how she could command the stage through a corny standup routine. Mhi’ya challenges herself knowing full well what she’s getting into, seeing an opportunity to push herself into a more extroverted register, yet she still struggles to really show Ru her personality. Am I missing anything?

CLÁUDIO: I think that about sums it up until Ru leaves the room. I mean, there’s some bitchiness coming from Morphine’s front against Plane, and Mirage’s insecurity makes her bristle at Sapphira’s statement that she let her have the hosting gig. But, in the end, both interactions amount to much ado about nothing. 

Next day in the Werkroom, Q is embracing the brick within her, going into a marvelously nonsensical confessional monologue. And then, here come the producers to concoct a fake-ass conversation between Dawn and Mirage. At this point, alarm bells started going off in my head. There’s no way they’re devoting this much time to the Vegas queen’s history as a Mexican-American and Indigenous artist out of the goodness of their hearts. Similarly, Geneva and Xunami get into a conversation about their families’ immigrant dreams that becomes a DACA-related PSA. This is both a reminder that we’re watching an election-year season of Drag Race and that the producers are gunning for Geneva and Mirage as their bottom two of the week.

As if to cut through the seriousness, our mirror musings finish on a silly note. Like many working queens, Amanda keeps a day job to pay the bills. However, her occupation is far from ordinary, for she is a ghostwriter for OnlyFans, responding to DMs in the role of the content creator. The gender-bending fantasy manifests in our beloved pun-named queen primarily pretending to be cis women talking to their straight male admirers. If only those men knew the mug that’s on the other side of those messages. 

NICK: The way I googled to see if I could get that job while I was watching the episode. That sounds like a fantastic gig, and I wish nothing but the best for Ms. Meating. Manifesting similar joys for myself.

On we go to the challenge itself. Sarah Michelle Gellar is our guest for the week, with Ross rotating in for Carson on “Regular Judge Who is Not Michelle” duty. Where is TS Madison!

"RDR Live!" starts on very rough footing with its worst-acted sketch, as Xunami and Morphine do a New Year’s Eve ball drop on the end of the world, with Geneva’s dragged-up Lady G phoning in to invite the queens to her underground bunker. I liked Mhi’ya’s lunacy as a field reporter fighting flood waters, unequivocally the best of the opening bit. Is she actually good? Who cares, she’s entertaining. Mirage can’t muster much confidence once she takes center stage, and as much as I want to give her credit for trying to power through her nerves, it doesn’t really build. 

Highlights are somewhat difficult to pin down, insofar as it rarely feels like any group performed well together. Dawn, Amanda, and Q probably had the best rapport, though I think Amanda out-news anchored Dawn, and Q was not quite the singular sensation I was hoping for. Plane Jane knocks her skit out of the park, underplaying her fucked-out saleswoman while finding so much comedy in fluttering her eyes and slurring her dialogue. I’m still stunned at how the writing of it meant she and Megami never actually interacted with each other.

Best in show for me is Plasma, who is so goddamn funny at “playing” Babs without playing down to her - exactly the balance she was afraid of missing. Helps that she’s got a phenomenal singing voice. Nymphia and Sapphira look stunning, but to see those powerhouses get totally overwhelmed is a huge indication of how totally Plasma owned her corner of the challenge. 

CLÁUDIO: I liked Mhi’ya a whole lot, and wouldn’t think twice about naming her the opening’s MVP. The way she loses control of her wig the second she stands up in frame may be unintentional, but it cracked me up. Everyone else in that sketch was either forgettable (Xunami & Morphine) or disastrous (Geneva). Mirage comes next with another turn that’s closer to catastrophe than proficiency, telegraphing her jokes with no grace and letting us see just how uncomfortable she is. That jittery leg is a tell-tale sign in wide shots.

Megami and Plane are solid in their slutty shenanigans, but I didn’t laugh once. That said, kudos to the Boston bitch for getting in some bits of physical humor with her malfunctioning-robot eyes and somnambulistic posture. I don’t agree with those saying she’s copying Jimbo, and think they’re getting that idea because the roles across seasons are essentially the same. The QNN segment was something of a snooze-fest, though I was surprised by Amanda’s smooth professionalism. She sold the subpar material like a pro and made Dawn look rather torpid by comparison. As for Q, it almost seemed like she was doing an impression of an SNL-style performance rather than engaging with her material. 

The cream of the crop are the three-shoulda-been-four Barbras. Nymphia can’t sing to save her life, but putting her in the middle of Plasma and Sapphira makes for a winning dynamic. And yet, you’re absolutely right in saying the New York Broadway queen steals the show. My only qualm is that none of their outfits or styling choices reads as Babs drag. In the end, maybe the best turn in this whole mess was Mama Ru, our musical guest in cowgirl finery and a gaggle of hunky backup dancers. How is she 63!?!

NICK: She looks stunning! Can’t say I remember the song very much, but she’s always watchable. From the show we go straight to the runway. Category is: Everything EveryCher All At Once, and damn if this isn’t more fun than last season’s Night of A Thousand Beyoncés.

Xunami Muse is first down the runway, rocking a silver-fringe Angel ripped from an album cover. She looks fantastic wearing the headpiece and the wings, the silver contrasting gorgeously with her skin. I wish the nude illusion bodice was either more convincing or more of its own garment, but it’s a strong look. 

CLÁUDIO: I really loved Xunami’s take on the famous “Prisoner” album cover. The contrast between the beads and her deep skin makes for an arresting visual, reminiscent of Cher yet transformed by the queen into something different, something that reads Muse rather than cosplay. The makeup and nails are a nice touch, extending that contrast beyond the Bob Mackie dupe.

Morphine opted for copying Cher’s 60th Academy Awards look. Yet, I feel like she missed an opportunity for drag extravagance by dialing down Cher’s velvet wrap and choosing not to hold an Oscar down the runway. One thing I must point out is that none of the queens emulated the star’s iconic makeup, with varying success rates. In Morphine’s case, it works because she’s wearing a straightforward replica in need of some twist, some idiosyncrasy that screams Love Dion. 

NICK: Morphine looks good, though I agree the outfit is lacking in a distinctive twist. If anything, I’m surprised the see-thru fabric isn’t more transparent? Her whole thing is showing off her body, and though it flatters her figure, she’s actually showing less skin than Cher. Even the scarf looks less impressive.

Mhi’ya Iman LePaige is next, taking a biker getup Cher wore on her press tour for Burlesque. Where Morphine doesn’t really reinterpret the look, this mostly feels like Mhi’ya took a glitzy leather biker fit from home. The original Cher look is among the least distinct outfits any of the queens chose to reference, which doesn’t totally help. Glad it wasn’t exclusively a Mackiefest, but as good as Mhi’ya looks, this still feels like she missed the mark.

CLÁUDIO: This looks like a last-minute Halloween getup rather than a Drag Race runway. Because the fashion is so unremarkable, Mhi-ya should have tried to give Cher mug and hair but she fails at that, too. Honestly, I’m not convinced our Miami cutie actually went with the Burlesque promo tour as inspiration. This strikes me like a puerile attempt at serving 2009 “Turn Back Time” realness - the same as Megami.

Geneva Karr served us Ringmaster Cher, from a 1974 gig with the Ringling Brothers circus. A constant theme in these reproductions is that the queens are more demure than our beloved Oscar winner, covering arms and shoulders, and stomachs. While I understand the sleeves, Geneva would have fared better if she transformed that transparent midriff into a belt or corset. As it is, the detail makes her look more rectangular than she is without selling Cher’s semi-nude illusion. 

NICK: The lack of any exposed skin is so bizarre for this look. Geneva’s midriff piece just looks awkward, and I kinda hate the stiff feathers on her gauntlets. Cher looks like a macaw turned herself into a magician, this is just bad drag.

Mirage’s look is a nice break from the self-imposed mediocrities. She’s happy to show skin while giving this outfit just the right touch-ups to play into her showgirl persona. The swishiness of the feathers and her hair is an especially nice contrast after so many outfits that utterly lack a sense of movement when stomping down the runway. Maybe I’m too young and out of touch to give much of a shit about the wig business Ru brings up later, but I thought it went very well with the outfit. I think this top would look better with a breastplate, but other than that I’m very into Mirage’s look. 

CLÁUDIO: I kinda get Ru’s critique. In the Cher canon, this costume is very 70s but the hair is giving pure 60s. It’s an odd dissonance if you’re familiar with the references and historical fashions of this runway theme. That said, I think the mismatch works for Mirage, whose aesthetic doesn’t seem to encompass the pin-straight Cher look of her outfit’s decade. She’s paying homage but making it her own thing. I approve.

Megami went with this 2009 ensemble which, in my eyes, feels like the same inspiration behind Mhi’ya’s look. But of course, our cosplay queen gets the resemblance right, including minor details and whatnot. It’s a good effort, and I commend Megami for switching up her brow game. Though I love her straight-out devil-like design, this more traditional shape is a better fit for the Cher fantasy.

NICK: This is such a great runway. Love that she gets the right level of see-thru for her fabric, showing up Morphine as well as Mhi’ya. Hell, her hair is so gigantic it might devour Morphine whole. Better than several queens taking on similar risks, and a strong runway in its own right. Megami did good!

Up next is Plane Jane, strutting down the runway in an outfit I almost love. The sheer amount of fringe hanging off her body is delightful, but again, the increased floof makes her yet another queen wearing less sheer fabric than Cher. Setting that aside, this is so completely gorgeous, matching all of the detailing on the bodysuit. Is her mug the closest to Cher’s? I still wish her nude illusion could match her skintone better, but Plane looks fucking great. Caveat, caveat, and still she serves. 

CLÁUDIO: That’s not fringe, mama. That’s ostrich from top to bottom. 

Anyway, I find myself in the unlikely position of defending Plane Jane. Yes, she shows less skin than Cher, but this look works better as drag because of it. The allure of Mackie’s design is how it suggests transgressive nudity, bare skin beneath a thin layer of embellished mesh. It’s a whisper of a thing. For a drag queen like Plane, who pads herself into an hourglass figure, the hint would never be there, nor its elegant tease. So, instead of a cheap approximation, she changed up the ratios and the design’s emphasis. Now, it’s all about the drama of those floating plumes, enhancing the pin-up proportions rather than winking at the risk of showing too much. She hit it out of the park as far as I’m concerned.

Amanda Tori Meating took a different approach to this prompt. Rather than copying one of Cher’s runway or performance looks, she went with the star’s plastic doppelganger. In other words: Hi Barbie! Now, if only the skirt’s material was more doll-accurate and if the boa was feather rather than tulle that’s been smushed inside a suitcase and looks it. Still, this is a major improvement for Miss Meating. Even her makeup’s better.

NICK: Oh, I don’t mind the fabric choice, though the best part of the outfit is probably the cotton candy boa. Bless her for showing so much skin too. I can’t say I have a ton to add to this, but she looks good!

I still don’t know how much I like Dawn’s runway. She distinguishes herself from other references by choosing a black-and-white photo of Cher in a fur coat, with the fur lining separated by thin cuffs. Apparently there’s no colorized version of this jacket, so Dawn stamped her own colors on it, stamping teal and so-orange-it’s-red fur. She looks ready to star in an upcoming Seussical, and though I find the look more appealing with the jacket either unzipped or gone entirely, I feel comfortable saying Dawn looks the least like Cher of any of the queens.

CLÁUDIO: I would have never guessed she was supposed to be serving Cher. Treading the line between self-effacing mimesis and one’s own brand can be difficult for runway themes like this, but Dawn went too far into her aesthetic. Here would be a good opportunity to get the right wig with 60s bangs or to adapt her makeup. It doesn’t need to be a complete renunciation of the bitch’s unique paint, mind you. Remember Trixie Mattel’s Dolly Parton in All-Stars 3? That felt like a good compromise. This does not.

Q went for a classic - dare I say iconic - Cher look, complete with feathered headpiece. It’s a great recreation, doing justice to Bob Mackie’s original design while tailoring it to Q’s masculine body. I especially love the way she seems to have bronzed her skin, making that white makeup pop around the eyes. It allows the lips to pull focus while still playing with Cher’s monochromatic styling.

NICK: This might be my favorite runway of the night, give or take a few queens. You already said Qnough about this look, so let’s just say I agreed with everything you said and would have written so even more beautifully if I felt like it. Trust me.

Plasma’s look is more obviously a riff on Cher’s referenced outfit than a full-on recreation, though as with Jinkx’s Vanna White realness, I don’t think she picked a look that screams her assigned diva. Her makeup certainly doesn’t help with the resemblance, but all in all, I do think she looks good. Kinda? You’re more versed in Cher looks, does this make the grade for you, Cláudio? 

CLÁUDIO: I mean, she looks fine, but not very Cher-esque. My main issue is that the original ensemble looks draggier than Plasma’s version, its motifs on a larger scale and bolder in color. It was, after all, Bob Mackie’s spin on Indian artistry for the MET Gala. The absence of any gold feels especially mystifying.

The 1979 music video for “Ain’t Nobody’s Business if I Do” is a delight for any costume aficionado. In little more than four minutes, Cher and Bob Mackie take us on a journey through dragged-up fashion history, starting with Eve and ending in some fantastical future. For this look, Nymphia pays homage to both the Egyptian costume as well as the gold, dragon-like, outfit she wears near the song’s end. Love the Isis wings and the fact she switched the singer’s barefooted realness for some stripper heels.

NICK: Once again, Nymphia Wind struts down the runway looking like a goddamn miracle. She fully embraced the exaggerated elements of Cher’s fashion, elevating the drag further with the Isis wings. Amping the blue and gold color scheme is such a nice touch. Also, can we talk about how gorgeous her body is??? What the fuck!

Saving perhaps the best outfit for last, Sapphira Cristal steps out in an outfit from Cher’s 2017 Vegas residency. Adorning a deep royal blue with a feathered shoulder piece, Sapphira’s runway suggests a regional variant of her entrance look. She looks stunning, embracing excess and her own stage presence to tremendous effect. Glad we ended on a queen who got the sheer fabric right. 

CLÁUDIO: Sapphira’s presentation, including her exit with a raised fist, reminded me of how much of Cher’s brand of drag has been littered with accusations of cultural appropriation. Thankfully, nobody donned one of her various takes on the Native Warbonnet, but still. Bob Mackie is also to blame, for he often includes hints of othered exoticism in his designs. This one’s no different, accented by the collar and jewelry, with the afro wig on top. But on Sapphira, the fashion both benefits from a new context and gains in celebratory energy. There’s such pride and regality to this queen that she makes a Vegas-ready outfit fit for a coronation.

But also, poor pheasants.

After the runway, Ru asks Plane Jane and Sapphira if they want to use their Immunity potions, either on themselves or some other queen. They decline the offer, keeping that trump card for later in the season. With that out of the way, it’s time for tops and bottoms, and I can’t say I agree with the judges’ decisions. Vying for the win, the panel picks Plane Jane, Q, and Plasma, while Mhi’ya, Mirage, and Geneva are at the bottom of this week’s deliberations. Because their collective efforts were so superior to any of the other teams, I think the Barbras should have had the top for themselves. On the other hand, I don’t get the hate for Mhi’ya’s performance, regardless of her subpar runway. I’d switch her with Dawn, who failed to impress in the challenge and the catwalk.

NICK: Mhi’ya’s performance was a hoot, and her godawful Cher impression should have automatically earned her the win. Her Kermit Cher should square off with Trixie’s Swedish Cher. Replace her with Dawn. I also think Mirage’s runway is strong enough that Morphine could have taken her spot, though perhaps I’m just trying to turn back time to spare her the unpleasantness to come.

I don’t mind the top three, in part because most of the alternate options aren’t wholly superior to the judge’s picks. Amanda impressed me more than Q in their sketch, but Q out-Cher’d her handily. I’m not dazzled enough by Nymphia or Sapphira in the challenge to need a group win, though they owned the runway so totally that it makes up the difference. Plane is probably the only queen to ace the runway and the challenge, a statement I am not entirely jazzed to make but still stand by.

Even though her runway was lacking, Plasma absolutely gave the best performance of the night, and when the judges announced her as the winner I was delighted for her. Hell, even the other queens seemed pleasantly surprised for their sister. Plasma looked stunned, and her tear-stricken, celebratory confessional was so moving. Yay for her.

CLÁUDIO: And thus, we arrive at the moment that has made this episode so heavily discussed and contested among the Drag Race fandom. Mhi’ya is declared safe, meaning Geneva and Mirage will lipsync for their lives. This is the third time we see Miss Karr lip sync in as many episodes, so her approach has long stopped feeling fresh. True, it’s only her second bottom two placement, but winning against her should be easy. It’s not.

The song is Cher’s “Dark Lady,” and though the pageant queen vs Vegas showgirl show-off seems balanced enough at the start, things derail soon enough. While the camera lingers on Mirage’s beautiful movement, the dancing queen’s game goes bust once we cut to closeup. Even before Plasma points it out in confessional, there seems to be something wrong with her articulation. It’s muddled and sloppy, inspiring Spice/Malaysia flashbacks in the viewership. Oh no, Mirage doesn’t know the words. As the song goes on, it becomes more of a problem, even while she tries to make up for it with interpretative dancing that’s always a microsecond too late in reaction time. Ross seems perplexed, Gellar’s crestfallen, Michelle annoyed, and Ru’s looks could kill.

Some people have argued that Mirage’s improvised choreo was so impressive that she deserved to stay, but I can’t agree. This is a lip sync, this is drag - not a dance recital! If you can’t accomplish the most basic requirement of the challenge before you, there’s no salvation. It’s not so much that Geneva won against Mirage, but the latter definitely lost.

NICK: Mirage’s dancing is fantastic. The sheer kineticism of her dress against Geneva’s stiff ringleader feathers would have been enough to secure her a win had she known the words. The editing doesn’t pretend to give Geneva much attention - they don’t even do a sound effect for her when she does a split! This is not a winning performance. But as watchable as Mirage is, and she danced the hell out of “Dark Lady”, she did fail to lip sync for her life.

Mirage is so heartbroken she starts crying on the stage, and the rest of the cast is sobbing with her. I can’t remember the last time a contestant left Drag Race so nakedly defeated. Remember how chipper Hershii was last week? I’m betting we’re gonna get a lot of “oh shit, this is serious” type confessionals next week, especially from Geneva. Never in a million years would I have guessed Mirage would go home second after that talent show performance. There’s something to be said for this season already feeling less predictable than this point in season 15, I just wish they’d stop eliminating queens I like. 

CLÁUDIO: An episode full of failed comedy concludes like a tragedy. There’s no witty exit line or any mirth to lessen the blow. We’re left just as the queens, shaken and feeling for Mirage. Farewell, you showgirl star, may you continue to heel-clack your way into people’s hearts beyond Drag Race.

Next week, it’s Girl Group time. Let’s hope for such heights as UK season 2 instead of last year’s geriatric parodies. Fingers crossed.

Previous RuCaps: 

• Episode 1: “Rate-a-Queen”
• Episode 2: "Queen Choice Awards"
• Episode 3: "The Mother of All Balls"

Comments

[whunk (he/him)]

Plane Jane doesn't care a lick what the rest of them think of her, other than her desire to not make enemies. At first, because of the voting, and now to form alliances for the future just in case.

[Philip H.]

Mirage was my eye candy of the season out of drag, so I am selfishly disappointed...

She easily would've won the lip sync had she known the words. Just as perplexing as it is to see queens still coming to Drag Race this many seasons in without knowing how to sew a stitch, the same can be said for not knowing the lyrics.

Of course you don't want to ever plan on being in the bottom, but this is a tv show that sends you on an unpredictable journey. The bare minimum you can do is once you get that list of songs, listen to them non-stop.

I'm sure that's partly why she broke down like that, because she really dropped the ball. She couldn't handle that hosting gig and I think once she won the part, she knew it. She could've easily been safe in a group. And then, despite it being Geneva's time to go, Mirage didn't know the words to the lipsync...

Someone online said three episodes in this is the third time I've seen Geneva Karr lip sync and I've yet to be impressed, and I couldn't agree more tbh.

I also agree that the only team that impressed / entertained me at all were the Babs trio. But I also don't think the writing helped anyone at all (similar to SNL). The whole thing was rather unfunny.

Plasma had annoyed me in previous episodes, and I never thought she would've won a challenge tbh (filler for sure, not chance of winning), but I admit she deserved to win this episode hands down. Her look was not great, but her performance was easily the best.

[NATHANIEL R]

I have the same problem this season that I have in all seasons. The judges appear to judge each challenge as if they're judging all challenges. So if they like you from the previous challenges they still like you even if you aren't particularly good that week (cough "Dawn / Jane") The judging is a mess. Mirage should NOT have been in the bottom two and I don't understand why Mhiya keeps being declared safe when she's deserved bottom two for two consecutive weeks.

Also heartily disagree that Plain Jane is not copying Jimbo. All I could think was that she was just 'doing' Jimbo again (this time in terms of sketch comedy, previously). That said I am kind of amused that people are taking her bitchiness seriously as if it's anything other than strategy to get camera time (which has succeeded wildly... the other queens play right into the trap, talking about her incessantly rather than just ignoring her trolling)

final note: Geneva Karr is very dull so that was also disappointing to see her Shantay You Stay two weeks in a row despite not impressing in either lipsynch.

[Cláudio Alves]

NATHANIEL R -- I was checking the dates, and you might be right about Jane and Jimbo. Apparently, filming for this season started in May 2023, with some stating that the queens started their "quarantine" on May 17th. That means the last Drag Race episode this cast could have watched before losing access to social media, etc., was the one where Jimbo won this same challenge on All-Stars 8.

[Philip H.]

Nathaniel -- Agreed on Mh'iya. It's incredibly confusing how she keeps squeaking by. She's clearly not cut out for drag race (she can do the flips, but her personality is not shining on tv).

[Glenn Dunks]

Geneva Karr is this season's required "but i am fierce honey" queen who never shows that for a second. And watching Jane say something mean only to then look shocked or worried whenever anybody calls her on it... ugh. Even in the "next week on" segment she does it again after apparently only just apologising to Amanda. Good TV..? I dunno.

I don't think Mirage should've been in the bottom three. Sure, she wasn't great in the challenge, but level of difficulty compares to some of the others I thought should've saved her. I think it was the hair that did her in more than the challenge tbh. She shoukd've come out on stage doing tricks while telling her monologue. If you know it ain't that funny, distract them!!