Drag Race RuCap: Better late than never, it’s the “Grand Finale”

RuPaul and Miley Cyrus welcome you to the 76th Hunger Gam... I mean the season 18 Drag Race Grand Finale!

CLÁUDIO ALVES: And just like that, it’s over. Season 18 started pretty shapeless, with a scrappy, talented cast who exuded early Drag Race vibes, only to face late Drag Race challenges that did little to capitalize on their energy. The scandal of the Rate-a-Queen Talent Show two-parter suddenly gave us narrative propulsion that elevated the second half of the season until that dreadful makeover episode derailed it all again. We never recovered, enthusiasm dwindling and a bouquet of finalists that, though not undeserving, felt vaguely lackluster. And though the lip-sync LaLaPaRuza gave the show a jolt of life last week, the finale proper couldn’t help but be a letdown, perfunctory apart from one queen’s performance that, for a moment, gave the episode some necessary purpose. 

Grand finales are seldom great hours of television, but we know, from season 16, that this same format can beget better results than what we got this year. Oh well, could’ve been worse.

NICK TAYLOR: It could have been much worse!...

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Review: You're Gonna Love "Michael" Despite What I Say About It

By Ben Miller

As I left my screening of Antoine Fuqua's Michael, I heard a woman exclaim, "That was exactly what I wanted!" This is the overall goal of this film. You will learn absolutely nothing about Michael Jackson the man, but you will get every hit song with loud and vibrant performances.

Frankly, Michael is critic-proof. No matter how much I go on about my multitude of problems, you just won't care. It looks like Michael Jackson on screen, using his actual music, inspired by his performances, and completely glosses over any issues that might make anyone uncomfortable. It's the most kid-gloves film I can remember seeing in some time. No chances are taken, nothing is learned... and it's going to make a lot of money.

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Pt 3 Reader's Ranking: Who should be the next Amy Madigan?

Pt 1 - Team Experience Votes 
Pt 2 - Team Experience Winners 
Pt 3 - AT LONG LAST THE RESULTS OF THE READERS POLL...

WHO SHOULD BE THE NEXT AMY MADIGAN?

ELISABETH SHUE in Leaving Las Vegas (1995). What would it take to get her a comeback role?

We've spent the last couple of weeks bsessing over a question from a reader (thanks, Brian!) and we got so into discussing it at TFE HQ that we asked all of you to vote on the same question. The Team and Readers were unaware of each others vote totals during voting so nobody was influencing anyone. We've poured over the ballots that came in to suss out your passions and determine rankings.  In honor of this new film year, 2026, we'll share the  twenty-six actresses you're collectively rooting hardest for in terms of an Oscar comeback after just one nomination twenty or more years ago. We've included some quotes from your ballots too and hope you enjoy and continue the discussion. After the list, some fun stats. God, we love actresses!

YOUR TOP TWENTY-SIX

just-missed: Lena Olin & Candice Bergen were on as many or more ballots than Elisabeth Shue but weren't as highly ranked on the ballots they did appear on. They almost made it.

And a reader quote I just love to kick things off...

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Drag Race RuCap: "All RuPaul-A-Paruza Smackdown"

This year's reunion lip-sync smackdown has a trickier format than usual.

NICK TAYLOR: After several episodes of confusing judging and unsatisfyingly resolved lip-syncs, this RuPaulaPaRuZa felt like a return to form for Drag Race as a well-judged variety special. The ultimate top two and winner are maybe not surprising, but the talent on display is immense, and I haven’t had this much fun watching season 18 in a few weeks. As our friend Ale said, it’s a bit of a double-edged sword to see these talented queens strut their stuff and remember how the show’s done them dirty along the way. There’s a world where Jane vs Juicy is the lip-sync for the crown, and that sounds like a very tantalizing reality, but the queen’s performances and the show’s presentation of them are operating on such a high baseline. Were you entertained?

CLÁUDIO ALVES: I was thoroughly entertained, even if I’m still sorting through my feelings about the shape this year’s lip-sync tournament took. Format doubts aside, this was a smashing hour of queer television and while I like your idea of Juicy and Jane at the finale, I’m not sure Baby Dion should be among the two vying for the crown. She’d put on one hell of a show, but I also feel she’s better suited for a future All Stars title…

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Justice for Jeannie Berlin!

by Cláudio Alves

THE BRIDE!, Maggie Gyllenhaal | © Warner Bros.

The Team Experience had a lot of fun voting on that “Who should be the Next Amy Madigan?” poll, but, lovely as the final results might be, there will always be something to gripe about. For me, the major complaint is that I was the only fellow to pick Jeannie Berlin for their top ten, a grave injustice that warrants a write-up all by itself. If you don’t buy that excuse, then there’s The Bride!’s VOD release, where this erstwhile Best Supporting Actress Oscar nominee dons a Sandy Powell-designed maid outfit to play Frankenstein’s Igor as reinvented by Maggie Gyllenhaal at her looniest. As Greta, Berlin makes for a delightful, if small, presence, hinting at a soft-spoken oddness that strikes an even weirder note than the movie’s other, more extravagant, grotesqueries. 

Fans of the actress shouldn’t be too surprised by this gentle scene-stealing, as Berlin has been doing this sort of thing for a good fifty years…

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