Drag Race RuCap: “A Toast to Alyssa Edwards”

Who needs Oscar gold when Alyssa Edwards is serving golden goddess on TV?

NICK TAYLOR: Yes, the Academy Awards were fun, lots of gorgeous expressions of gratitude and admiration between fellow artists and fellow human beings. It was wonderful, it was funny, but did anyone give a speech as good as the queen’s best roasts? Certainly, no one matched the deranged peaks or flailing lows brought out for the "Toast of Alyssa Edwards." The diva herself looked quite good, proving all that glitters really is gold. I do need white pageant girls to stop wearing blonde units only a few shades removed from their pale, pale skin. Still, the glamour was there, and the episode was very entertaining. Were you dazzled, diva?

CLÁUDIO ALVES: I think Amy Madigan would have fun at a roast, but I’m not sure she’d be a good roaster. Maybe Jessie Buckley could thrive in that environment, as she feels like a cool lady and her speech and vague air of Olivia Colman-esque humor. We should be asking ourselves who, from the Oscar set, we want on Drag Race, and my answer is Malgosia Turzanska, who showed up to the Academy Awards covered in safety pins and would’ve surely fought for a Discord top-two placement last week. Oh, but you asked about the actual roast Drag Race episode, not imaginary AMPAS crossovers. Well…

Honestly, I’m surprised by how much the season has turned around since the story producers found purpose and narrative propulsion. Right now, I don’t see any legends in the making from this group of remaining queens, but they make for good television, their scrapiness and chemistry helping redeem many scenarios that would flop with other casts. Case in point, this messy roast episode where the winner took her prize because of charm and presence, because she knew how to be endearing and bring us all along on a journey of unashamed clownishness, rather than deliver a traditionally good stand-up set. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

The episode started on a bit of a sour note, as the girls all gang up on Discord, insisting that she cheated and should have gone home for it. As ever, Miss Addams is unbothered. There’s also some tension about Jane’s consistent top placements, but it’s all in good humor, as Myki gives us a preview of the funny voices and exaggerated delivery she’ll repeat for the roast. Next day in the Werk Room, another narrative is taking shape, focused on Nini’s out-of-pocket and out-of-place commentary, reads that come off too sharp for the other girls’ liking and often out of nowhere. I kinda think they’re making something out of nothing, exploiting their competitor’s social awkwardness to make her seem meaner than she wants to be perceived as. Thoughts?

NICK: Twitter queers have called this Drag Race’s Autism Awareness episode, which tracks for me. Nini’s penchant for throwing out piping hot zingers is not worth the fucking fuss! How is this as pressing to anyone as Briar’s cattiness? On the other side of the “doesn’t get social cues” spectrum is Discord’s blithe nonchalance, not quite taking things in stride, but filtering out the stuff she doesn’t care for so she can keep being confident in her artistry. It’s truly rare to see someone let insults roll off their back like that without pretending to be superior to her competition, and it impresses me a lot. 

The ability to read the room will be put to extreme duress in this week’s maxi challenge, but before we get to that, RuPaul presents her girls with the Product Placement For Our Sponsor mini-challenge! The queens have to film an advertisement for their chosen Scentbird fragrance, with a “before” segment out of drag and an “after” segment in drag. I’m kind of amazed season 5’s perfume ad has been pared down to a mini-challenge, one that must have taken a lot of time to film and produce. Sets, greenscreens, full drag, they went all out for this! The queens all do pretty well! Darlene, Discord, and Juicy all have scripts and production values I’d believe were actual perfume ads. Myki gets the biggest laughs in her Liz Taylor drag, and a cash prize of $2,500! Myki’s doing well with these mini-challenges! 

So, how much time do you think they had for the maxi-challenge? It’s a big one! RuPaul announces this week they’ll be toasting and roasting the one and only Alyssa Edwards, a queen who truly needs no introductions. Hey, was the perfume mini-challenge a callback to Alyssa’s Secret? I hope it was. Myki is tasked with putting together the roast order, a source of violently cartoonish tantrums last year, which is met with minimal fanfare from this cast. Were you surprised?

CLÁUDIO: What perfume ads are you watching with comparable production value to these green screen monstrosities? Anyway, the mini-challenge was an amusing diversion but nothing to write home about. Myki’s as good a winner as any, though I have a soft spot for Darlene’s quick(?) drag and Kenya’s flirtation with gross-out humor. Also, why was Discord doing her Pope voice again? Is that just her go-to character sound? 

To answer your actual question, I wasn’t too surprised, since we’ve already seen plenty of casting conflicts from this batch of queens, and even they must know the producers don’t like it when stuff gets too repetitive. Regarding how much time they had for the maxi-challenge, I have to imagine it was the standard two-day shooting schedule, no? Atsuko Okatsuka is a fairly popular comedian, so I can’t imagine they booked her for anything other than two consecutive days, getting it over as quickly as possible for everyone’s calendars.

But before we get to Atsuko’s workshop with the queens, they have to come up with some material to fine-tune, which gives us the funniest part of the whole episode. Darlene has decided to roast Alyssa Edwards by becoming Alyssa Edwards, reacting to her own jokes with the same sort of awed self-assurance that made that Texas dancing queen into a meme way back when. Well, there are limits to that confidence, especially when Jane gives the material a listen and can’t hide her… let’s call it, doubts. Because she’s not delusional, Miss Mitchell makes a joke out of it, and the two congregate over the heat coming off that joke notebook, the words are so fire. I could have spent another 15 minutes just watching these two be complete clowns with each other, finding ways to run faster than the anxiety monster that spends the entire episode trying to catch up with Darlene. Everyone else is entirely too subdued by contrast.

C’mon, girls, don’t be so serious. Be more like Darlene. No one’s fun anymore! What ever happened to fun? (Proceeds to defenestrate into oblivion. RIP Cláudio Alves, he died as he lived, being a bitch. ) 

NICK: Let me clarify my statement, because I realize it sounds ridiculous: These look like legit perfume ads I’d see on Instagram. Not Charlize doing her best P!nk routine up the Sistine Chapel. Darlene is either headed for a nervous breakdown or a nervous breakthrough, and only time will tell which path she’s walking down. Maybe there’s no difference! 

The final order for the roast is Discord, Jane, Juicy, Darlene, Nini, Kenya, and Myki. As per usual, Discord is more confident in herself than anyone else, as per usual, and for once her jokes seem to back up her talk. Jane’s perfect. Juicy is nervous, again not presenting a clear persona in a comedy challenge, while Darlene’s charm offensive continues to outpace any precise idea of how to wield it with intention. Michelle and Atsuko have thoughtful advice for both of them about honing their roast-sonas and committing to the bit, rather than getting lost in the void between Bit and Self. Loved Michelle teasing Discord about copying down Darlene’s awful jokes while she’s working on material, provoking our resident punk to talk smack in the confessional - is she ever more vocally emotive than when she’s expressing confusion at Darlene’s taste?

Nini’s issue boils down to establishing a bit beneath her scorching-hot insults. Frankly, hearing her grapple with anxiety about wanting to connect with her sisters without smothering her own voice is more affecting than I expected, giving some weight to a problem neither of us is really convinced by. Kenya’s just as charismatic as Darlene, and she’s got the jokes to back it up, so not too many notes there. Myki visibly reboots once Michelle emphasizes how much weight closing the show carries, and while she presents some damn good jokes, you can tell she’s rattled by the responsibility she’s given herself.

In fact, Myki’s so rattled she decides to rewrite her set the following night. As jovial as most of the girls are coming into the Werk Room, there’s none of last week’s ease and confidence. Someone is going home tonight, and they know it. Cutting the toast, runways, and judging together means we’re getting our makeup mirror shenanigans before we even hit the halfway point of the episode, which I was not prepared for, but it works.

CLÁUDIO: I can see so much of myself in Nini, so that might be skewing how much I feel for. Her anxiety dominates much of these Mirror Moments™, though the emotional scene is turned into something of a comedy by the girls being in half-drag, Winnie-the-Pooh-ing with alien contact lenses in place. I love when even these serious interactions are undercut by drag's inherent clownery. And speaking of clowns, Darlene continues to be the episode’s main character throughout these passages, though one never feels her insecurities are about to eat her whole, the same way Nini’s ravenous doubt will do to Miss Coco.

In no time at all, it’s time for the "Toast to Alyssa Edwards" roast and, before going into the maxi-challenge proper, I think we need to talk about the fashions. Ru is basically wearing the Digivolution of Mandy Mango’s first design challenge lewk, Michelle is a parody of herself in leopard print, the “hilarious” Ross Matthews is present, and Atsuko is a fashion goddess in some aggressive shoulder pads. As for the girls, they are a striking bunch.

Both Nini and Juicy have decided to wear big hair, and, like inverse Samsons, I can see their power waning away. At least, our self-doubting, anxious queen is indulging in some fierce shoulderpads of her own, serving 80s glamour puss in a way that I’m sure tickled Alyssa’s fancy. Jane Don’t is playing Bette Midler in Marilyn Monroe drag, Myki “Mikey Madison” Meeks had a John Waters’ 1950s-set comedy throw up all over her, while Kenya is living her pageant girl fantasy. Basic, stuff, but effective, not to mention pretty. And then there’s Darlene, who seems to be a kindergarten teacher trying her hand at stand-up. She’s also from the 80s, for some reason, as if she wandered off from a particularly badly dressed staging of Steel Magnolias. 

Finally, our guest of honor shows up, a vision in gold. The entire thing is a sculptural dream, topped by one of those shelacked and bejewelled blonde units she’s been obsessively sporting since Global All-Stars. There are other hairstyles available, girl! No matter how repetitive it seems, she looks great. Better than she ever looked on the Drag Race stage, to be honest. Were you feeling the fantasy, Nick? Or were you dumbfounded by Alyssa’s secret?

NICK: Alyssa’s been wearing this pageant goddess thing a lot, but damn does it look good on her. She’s also a pretty great roast subject, cackling along and throwing shade at the queens when necessary. To the queen’s credit, all of them made me burst out laughing at least once, and that includes Alyssa!

First up is Discord Addams, and I can’t believe you didn’t say anything about her party outfit. She’s got a hooded black robe, red contacts, and a silvery, bedazzled bra thing with straps all over her body, showing off her tattoos. Discord looks like an anime villain, and as dissonant as the look is to the vibe of a roast, she gets off to a great start. Her confidence mixed with her autistic rizz is disarming enough to carry out her routine - the “on her” bit climaxes to such a crude finish it leaves Alyssa speechless. I was half expecting a full Lydia B. Kollins moment for Discord, but those dreams are dashed when she accidentally knocks over her drink, throwing her irreparably off her rhythm. The material’s still proficient, but she’s not pushing it with the same energy. 

Jane Don’t fares much better. It’s the best roast routine we’ve gotten in years from the mainline US Drag Race series, hitting us with a spectacular “RuPaul is so old” line topped by referring to the other judges as her elder care specialists. I’m really awed by Jane’s comedic timing, putting over some fantastic insults through variations in her line deliveries and pretending to re-read her notecards. “I don’t wanna talk about her teeth” is pristine. Juicy’s not so lucky, getting off one great punchline answering Ru’s question about who she is from a few weeks ago, but otherwise coming across as hesitant in delivering her material. The biggest laughs in Juicy’s set don’t even come from her. Jane’s introduction as “the child George Bush left behind” is a killer, and after Miss Love Dion talks smack about Alyssa competing on Drag Race three times to win the crown, she throws shade right back, saying it’ll take Juicy longer than that at this rate. 

Darlene Mitchell does not do a good roast. Instead, she delivers a comedy routine untethered from the challenge’s parameters, punctuating her corny jokes with props, sound effects, and physical comedy that wouldn’t work if she weren’t wearing the biggest, most deranged grin throughout. I’m amazed it works at all, yet Darlene gets the other queens cheering for her in real time like she’s coming from behind to win the Tour de France. There’s a great arc to her nutty energy, without her ever losing total control. Gerbils aren’t off the table for this bitch! Even the bad jokes are elevated to weird performance art, which makes the straightforward, bitchy joy of her closing joke - taunting Michelle with those red heels of hers - a pretty fabulous closer. 

CLÁUDIO: My apologies for not acknowledging Discord’s outfit, which is, as you described, an anime villainess displaced from her evil domain and thrown onto a stage she does not quite belong to. Or maybe she’s a Bene Gesserit gone wild. The whole thing feels a bit out of place, yet I can’t complain when it’s such a bizarre thing to look at. More often than not, watching the geometry of her fit was more interesting than Discord’s jokes. Though I’d agree that she had good material. The delivery in the second half was the real issue here. She was thrown off and never recovered.

Jane is the peak of professionalism, delivering her roast like a pro who’s used to this scene and has maybe started to sail through her routine on autopilot. Don’t get me wrong, hers was a spotless bit of roasting - with a pitch-perfect use of profanity - but I was never surprised. There were laughs, yet they were mostly chortles. Which is a big contrast to Darlene’s messy nonsense, which was one surprise after another. Unlike Discord, this country gal used the dead air caused by her doing badly to fuel the routine, pitching a crescendo of absurdities that culminates in the shoe business. I never knew where Darlene was going and found myself laughing at gags that, out of context, would have landed like a lead balloon. I almost wish they had someone like Sarah Sherman on the panel this week, since that style of comedy is much closer to what Darlene was trying to pull off than the more standard stand-up Atsuko Okatsuka practices. In other words, I kinda want to see Miss Mitchell mentored toward this chaos-clownery rather than trying to fit her into a traditional roast model.

I skipped Juicy mostly because I don’t want to beat a dead horse. Nothing here works for me, apart from Alyssa’s comebacks. Nini comes after Darlene, and she does get some laughs, though her sisters give her nothing to work with. At most, there’s a polite chuckle thrown her way. Which makes me wonder if she wouldn’t have done better with an actual comedy show audience like queens from pre-COVID seasons got. If Nini’s problem was getting her sharp jokes to resonate with an audience giving her zilch to work with, Kenya Pleaser doesn’t let that get her down. The bitch is met with total silence, yet continues to deliver her act as if she’s Tina and Amy hosting the Globes. As Myki says, energy is at 100, jokes at zero. 

And speaking of Myki… well, I’ll let you tackle her first since you’re much funnier than I and can better dissect comedy. Tell me what you thought of the back half of these bitches. 

NICK: Nini had some decent jokes, though I think her self-confidence issues got in her head more than anything else. Or maybe her “meanness” became a self-fulfilling prophecy for her and her audience, regardless of the material. What about Nini’s overbite joke is actually harsher than Jane’s own line about Alyssa’s teeth, regardless of their delivery? I bet she could do good crowd work. Kenya got better laughs from me when she was in the audience, swatting down Discord’s joke about her being fat. I can see the potential in her Riga Morris comment, but it’s one of many ostensible punchlines that just fall flat despite her energy.

Myki Meeks would come out smelling like roses even if she wasn’t following Kenya, but she does a fabulous job of varying her delivery. I love the Debbie Downer way she leans into her punchlines, schmoozing it up so completely she transcends bad taste. It reminds me of how Elvira can make the quality of her material part of the joke, pushing the groaners hard and daring you not to laugh. Myki’s got great material, and she weaves the highbrow and lowbrow like nobody’s business. The way she seems to earnestly indict Alyssa for not knowing about global events before sliding into an easy joke about trade is seamless. Also, beautiful moment to bring back her Drew Barrymore snatch. Do you have anything to add about Myki? Or shall we get into the runway?

CLÁUDIO: I loved Myki’s set, to the point that I feel this episode could’ve ended on a lip sync for the win between her and Darlene, each representing a different but no less effective approach to this classic Drag Race maxi-challenge. I’ll always appreciate a girl who goes silly and does funny voices, yet remains in perfect control of the room and herself. Myki’s trajectory in the second half of this season is approaching Bimini levels of mid-season Rudemption.

Alas, Alyssa must have the last laugh, closing out the roast not with a set of her own jokes, but a lip sync to a bitchtrack made from some of her iconic phrases. I don’t mean to be shady when I say this is a good reminder that the Global All-Stars winners are rarely a comedy champion, always funnier when she’s just being herself and accidentally stumbles on a good lark than when she’s actively trying to sell a joke. And there’s something to learn from that for this new batch of RuGirls, which made it all the lovelier when Alyssa came to have a chat with them on Untucked. But wait, I’m getting ahead of myself again. First up, we have a runway presentation to judge. Category is… “Swept Away,” a look that moves with the wind (machine)...

Discord Addams is first on the runway, modelling a crossover between Mugler and Hot Wheels. Unlike the judges, I liked the tangerine flame fantasy and found it to be dramatic enough when energized by the wind machine. My issue is more with details, like the way the wire frame for the pleated organza encroaches too much on Discord’s body when it would look better as an element that’s only framing her from behind. I also don’t get the wig, nor the odd separation between her un-mascared real lashes and the falsies on top. For once, I’m not convinced by Miss Addams’ mug. 

NICK: The graphic impact of the organza flames and the motorcycle bodice is incredible enough for me. Even the image of Discord revving up her handlebars was selling the fantasy, and very nearly justified her posture. I’m maybe surprised by the lacefront styling, but this is an instance where, as much as I agree with the nits you’re picking, the big picture works well enough for me.

Meanwhile, I absolutely love the lunar serenity Jane Don’t is serving. Admittedly, the 20 lbs of sequined fringe is too heavy to really blow in the wind, but it’s on the right side of opulent impracticality. I’m fascinated by the Art Deco marble pieces carved on her bodice, which make her look even more like a Greek statue come to life. It reminds me of her red carpet challenge design, taking what could have been a streamlined silhouette and giving it some unexpected ridges. The hat is fantastic. The red wig peeking out is on-brand and contrasts marvelously with all the white and silver. 

CLÁUDIO: Jane’s ensemble is inspired by the same kind of Erté illustrations that Chappell Roan referenced for her fringed SNL gig, and I love it for it. However, I do not love the weight of it, mostly because it spoils what’s so delightful about Erté’s artwork, which has a lightness to it even when depicting heavy drapery, furs and Follies-ready headpieces. The boots don’t help the situation, though I get she probably needed some extra support in her footwear, considering the sheer heft of all that fringe.

But, at least, Jane’s look is gorgeous and coherent. Juicy Love Dion’s could take some cues from her Seattle sister, because this ain’t it. Everyone under the sun has already mocked this Florida baby for how much it looks like she’s dragging around a fitted sheet, but it’s worth repeating. I understand this is likely a reference to 2002 McQueen, but there’s such incongruency between the white parachute-like… thing, and the sunset pink and orange fringed dance costume that everything can’t help but look slapdash. The fitted sheet moves beautifully, so there’s that. Can’t say the same bout the rest of the fit.

NICK: I’d have gone wild if Juicy dressed up as one of the characters from Nope and kept the fitted sheet. It brought the drama when the fan kicked on, but her actual garment doesn’t fit well with it. I’m much more taken with Juicy’s white ensemble in the YouTube video she made while performing this week’s lip-sync song.

Darlene Mitchell continues her hot streak with this tacky magnificence, finding the exact middle ground between Mary Poppins and The Nanny in her slashing cool color palette and furry hems. Her billowing scarf has more body to it than I expected, but the umbrella is an even better gag, as Darlene fights for dear life not to get blown back into the Werkroom. She sells the garment and the character like nobody’s business, and the makeup is on point.

CLÁUDIO: She looks like a cartoon come to life. Somehow, this looks smashing in movement, but really drab whenever she’s standing still without the aid of the wind machine. Then again, that’s exactly the right approach to this challenge. My one serious critique is that the nude thighs are a completely different skintone from her face and breastplate.

Kenya Pleaser looks great from the neck up. Sadly, it’s all downhill from there. I guess the color’s nice, but those sleeves are way too heavy, the wings don’t read especially well as fairy wings and the whole things as the air of a princess fairy party costume someone modelled after what a seven-year-old would sport. It’s maybe my least favorite of all the outfits Kenya brought from home. 

NICK: The worst part is when Kenya’s chilling in Untucked without the wings, and the outfit is so much better from that alone, you wish she hadn’t worn it. I don’t even like her outfit from the neck up. Or maybe the scalp up? The pigtails add to the kid’s costume party look, even if her makeup is as good as always.

Myki Meeks manages the flowing fabric and matching bikini much better than Juicy does, in an orange Vegas-ready ensemble I like but can’t decide if I actually love. Does she have a blonde wig? The nude illusion and drawing of the brows don’t totally click for me, and while I like the costume fine, I’m not sure how well the color works for Myki. It’s ravishing, and she knows how to model it, but I’m not sold.

CLÁUDIO: She owns one blonde wig that we know of - beige runway, anyone? - and I, for one, hope she avoids it for the foreseeable future. Some folks just look better as brunettes, and her predilection for using her own hairline further cements her predisposition to these dark units. Anyway, she looks tremendous here, even if there’s no deep concept beneath the superficial glam of it all. Also, the orange works for me and I’m betting it also worked for orange-loving Mama Ru. Mikey Madison stays winning.

Nini Coco comes last on the catwalk, but first in my heart. This is perfect in every regard, from presentation to the most minute details of styling. Moreover, it takes advantage of this runway prompt better than any of the other outfits on display, basically coming up with a performance and fleshed-out character gag while still serving cunt. The fluttering feathers, the white edges on the veil and train to better delineate movement in the dark stage, the way the flash of thigh at the end has extra impact because the whole ensemble is so covered-up… Nini killed it.

NICK: She’s giving Jessie Buckley to me, for some reason. Maybe it’s just the shape of her face? Either way, Nini’s runway is marvelous, chic and sad and just a little bit horny with those garters. The gag is phenomenal, with those ashes landing better than any of her roast jokes. All the feathers floating around her face rhyme nicely with the ashes and her signature lash, and I can’t imagine what prompted her to put that bouquet of apples on her head, but somehow Nini makes it divine.

After that, the judge’s critiques commence. I don’t get all of their notes, namely how they seemed to like everyone’s runways, but I broadly agree with how they rate the queens. Ru telling Darlene she’ll be able to do this act for the rest of her life was such a sweet moment of recognition for our favorite underdog, while her repeated refrain of “You’ve already got everything it takes!” to Kenya was very “wake up, Pearl!” of her, minus the degree of facial expressiveness she had ten years ago. I can appreciate Ru shaking Kenya by the shoulders to invest in herself, especially after two consecutive weeks where she could’ve won the maxi challenge, though it’s surprising to hear this one outburst so late in the game. When was the last time she went off on someone like this in the top seven? Is it too much too late, or too little? Kenya might’ve needed this more after Snatch Game. Or, given that she kept Kenya over Mia, maybe Ru thinks she has what it takes to send Juicy packing, since they’re clearly the bottom two this week.

Also, can we talk about Jane real quick? Does she feel like she’s getting a winner edit, and if not, does she expressly need one given how well she’s been doing? Jane’s got a much better edit than Nymphia or Sasha Colby did, she’s clearly a star of the season, and Ru’s managed to spread the wealth among a talented cast without taking her versatility for granted. I’ve seen folks fretting she’ll get bumped off before the finale like Suzie Toot last year, which feels insane to me, but then again, I didn’t believe they’d send Suzanne home until the very moment Ru told her to sashay away. Myki’s got the strongest narrative of the bunch, but Bimini still lost the crown to Lawrence Chaney. No one’s dominated a season of Drag Race quite like this, and I can’t tell if that’s become a sword of Damocles hanging over her Erté hat. Am I delulu to wonder? Or are you harboring similar suspicions?

CLÁUDIO: I cannot see her missing the finale unless she somehow lands low or bottom two for the next few episodes in a row. She hasn’t struggled with anything so far and, at this point in the season, that means she’s excelled in a variety of challenges, ranging from comedy and acting to pure style and serving cunt. Then again, next week, we’ll have a makeover, the type of episode where the judges regularly go insane and bring the show along with them into crazytown. I don’t think you’re delulu, but I also feel Jane is safe. My thing is that the only comparable track records in the main franchise are Sapphira and Gigi. We all know how it ended for those gals. 

Moreover, though Jane and Myki get comparable praise this week, there’s just a higher tenor of effusiveness for the Florida queen. Still, this is Darlene’s episode, so she deservedly wins. Discord and Nini get dinged a bit by the panel, but they’re ultimately safe, leaving the obvious bottom two to lip sync for their lives. But before that, I must point out that the judges living for Juicy’s sheet was maybe the biggest shock of the episode.

Anyway, Baby Dion battles against the Winx Club reject to the sound of Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” the song that, once upon a time, gave Krystal Versace her first win on Drag Race UK and blew Victoria Scone’s knee to smithereens. Neither of the season 18 queens delivers the drama that the British twink in cheetah spots brought to the BBC, but they still put up a good fight. This time around, Kenya’s issue is that she mouths too many words, choosing to do the male voice in the track along with Tyler’s responses. It’s a sloppy move that costs her dearly, as Juicy performs with precision and intention, making the most of that faux parachute. So, it’s another fair victory for a gal who’s starting to look impossible to get rid of within the present Drag Race system. It’s obvious Ru wants her gone, with critiques on her personality that are starting to border on cruel, yet she’s undeniable in most of these lip-sync smackdowns. I don’t even care about fairness anymore, they have to come up with one of those “Jinkx does Yma Sumac” situations that are pre-planned from the start of the season to benefit one queen over the rest. Get her against Jane to a Bette Midler song or something! Or, better yet, Juicy could Rudeem herself in the next few maxi-challengers. That would be ideal, even if I’m not seeing it for her.

Oh well, it’s time to say goodbye to Kenya Pleaser, whom I’ll miss A LOT. She’s been a constant source of joy for me throughout the season, even when the show wasn’t firing on all cylinders early on. What say you, Nick? Did she deserve to go home this episode?

NICK: I will miss Kenya dearly. As much as I think she should’ve been sent home against Mia, she’s been such a joy the past two weeks, and really throughout the competition. Not a delusion bone in her body, and I hope she hones herself to match her indelible charisma very soon.

Juicy won this lip sync completely, using her cape to very dramatic effect while matching Bonnie Tyler’s explosive longing. I imagine she could redeem herself if she makes it to the RuMix challenge, and given how Juicy’s excelled at ballads, pop numbers, and dance-heavy performances, I frankly don’t know who in this cast has the goods to vanquish her. Maybe Nini, based on her talent show and her Cardi B lip-sync? Juicy and Myki are the only girls left who have ever lip-synced for their lives, but does that make either of them more vulnerable than Discord’s 4evaSafe track record? With only six queens remaining, the margin for error is about to be very small.

Condragulations to Darlene for finally pulling a win in the competition, though if Ru had any sense, he’d have rewarded her at least once already. The makeover episode is as much about coronating a finalist as it is throwing away a diva at random, but then whoever wins that challenge also bottoms the week after, so really, who knows! Whatever else happens, I just hope it’s funny.

Previous RuCaps:

• Episode 01: "You Can't Keep a Good Drag Queen Down!"
• Episode 02: "Q-Pop Girl Groups"
• Episode 03: "RDR Live Returns!"
• Episode 04: "Red Carpet Mash Up"
• Episode 05: "The Rate-A-Queen Talent Show, Part 1"
• Episode 06: "The Rate-A-Queen Talent Show, Part 2"
• Episode 07: "Drag Queens for Change"
• Episode 08: "Snatch Game of Love: Island Edition"
• Episode 09: "Fannie: The Hard Knock Ball Rusical"
• Episode 10: "Drag in a Bag"