Product Placements and Dodgeball Flashbacks
It’s an episode designed for RuPaul to hawk her newest choices, together with an upcoming memoir and RuPaul’s final album, 2023’s Black Butta. For the mini-challenge, the queens are tasked with creating their very own guide title, cowl, and bio in fast drag. The commonplace hijinks ensue, and RuPaul ultimately selects a very arbitrary winner, Sapphira. The predominant problem is the woman group problem. The queens should divide into three groups and write particular person verses, file their lyrics, and choreograph a efficiency to a few RuPaul songs: “A.S.M.R Lover,” “Courage to Love,” and “Star Baby.” The captains are Plasma, Sapphira, and Geneva. Trigger warning: The following is each queer child’s nightmare of being picked final for dodgeball. In the tip, Megami is the final to be chosen, dwelling as much as the title of Brooklyn’s “Eeyore of Drag.” However, probably the most stunning result’s Plasma choosing mortal rivals Amanda and Plane Jane. It seems that everybody considers Geneva’s workforce, with Nymphia, Mhi’ya, and Megami, to be the weakest.
Girl Groups
As the queens work, some developments emerge. Sapphira seems to be an skilled veteran within the problem. Nymphia is hiding her skills beneath a kooky exterior. Plasma is obsessive about displaying her versatility. Surprisingly, Plane Jane compliments Amanda’s lyrics earlier than the 2 make Xunami really feel like a toddler of divorce by giving her conflicting recommendation. Both Miami queens, Morphine and Mhi’ya, shortly take the lead in choreography. When the queens lastly get to the stage, Plasma takes agency management of the session that you simply anticipated her to say, “Fame prices, and proper right here is the place you begin paying — in sweat.” The different queens watching hype up the Plane Jane and Amanda rigidity when Amanda excels on the problem. Mhi’ya’s group is the following to follow, and she or he provides quiet instruction. Megami is struggling regardless of Mhi’ya making the strikes so simple as doable. Nymphia, alternatively, reveals that she’s been in a gaggle earlier than and has dance expertise in her confessional. Sapphira, watching Nymphia, is on to her recreation of underpromising and overdelivering in challenges. Morphine takes over choreography for the following group, which fits nicely apart from Q. It’s not a lot that Q cannot get the steps, and she or he actually cannot, however her motion has no fluidity, and the others name her Frankenstein.
As the queens put together for the efficiency, Amanda feels assured that she may win. Less assured, Q focuses on resolving her drama with Plane Jane. However, as Q and Plane Jane discover a decision, the stress between Plane and Amanda solely intensifies. Sapphira, clearly the maternal pressure of the group, tries to get to the foundation of the difficulty. Plane Jane presents some fascinating arguments concerning the separation of artwork and artist and that when an artist presents their artwork, they’re opening it as much as criticism, but additionally acknowledges Sapphira’s level that it’s going to have penalties.
After the performances, Dawn is completely confused, saying it may go any manner, and she or he’s proper. It’s tough to determine who actually received this problem. It is obvious that Q is the weakest member of her workforce and that Amanda’s wig is the weakest member of hers. The profitable workforce appeared to be based mostly on the truth that nobody within the group actually tousled and that all of them did persistently nicely. It’s additionally tough to get too excited for the woman group problem so near the expertise present since a majority of the women did this precise form of expertise already. Thicc & Stick are declared the winners, leaving the members of QDSM and Lover Girlz on stage for critiques.
Russ Meyer Meets Monet on the Runway
This week’s runway pays homage to Russ Meyer’s 1965 movie Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill! and winner Monét X Change’s penchant for pussycat wigs. In season ten, Monét was criticized for her pussycat wigs, and in season 16, the queens should design a go searching them. Morphine begins with a purple pussycat wig adorned with blood crystals and a Catwoman-inspired robe. Q’s look is a Camelot warrior however might need been extra fascinating taken in a Joan of Arc course. Sapphira is the primary to insert humor when her glamourous look seems to be a reference to Dr. Evil from the Austin Powers motion pictures. Dawn’s look was one which solely Dawn may pull off, nevertheless it did not appear to trouble the judges. Plasma introduced a fever dream of Xanadu meets Y2K. In the night time’s most complicated look, Amanda got here out as a chook’s nest that was a large number conceptually and in execution. Xunami selected trend and got here down the runway wanting like Omahyra Mota. Plane Jane was sadly the one one who had a slight Meyer reference together with her latex scuba diver. Geneva’s finger-wave evoked Twenties flapper whereas her costume was Eighties technicolor leopard print. Mhi’ya’s look was comparatively easy, however she seemed good within the wig. It appears like she might need made a last-minute resolution to swap out the Catwoman look she wore within the mini-challenge. Megami’s Staten Island fairy had a attribute tough across the edges punk edge to it. Finally, Nymphia, who had the night time’s greatest look, got here out in a standard robe with a horny twist. Her wigs concerned a number of layers and double entendres earlier than a provocative last, literal reveal.
The Dreaded Question
After the choose’s critiques, it is fairly clear that the underside two are Q and Amanda. Then RuPaul asks the query dreaded every season, “Who ought to go residence and why?” It’s a query that feels too early within the season, as we’re nonetheless attending to see the queens’ charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and skills. Just because the judges’ critiques set up the underside two, the queens additionally decide on Amanda and Q, equally. Sapphira, Morphine, and Plane Jane really feel that Amanda must work on her drag aesthetic. Dawn, in a Sophie’s Choice-type scenario, determined between two buddies, takes the straightforward manner out, saying Q as a result of she’s her greatest competitors. Plasma picks Q based mostly on this week’s efficiency and to spare her teammate. Of course, Amanda and Q vote for one another. Finally, Xunami votes for Q. She claims it is for efficiency, nevertheless it’s additionally largely as a result of Q, for some inexplicable purpose, determined to choose two names when she was solely requested for one.
A Predetermined Lip-Synch
Amanda and Q lip-synch to Icona Pop’s “Emergency.” It’s as if Q is on the backside as a comeuppance for complaining about being on the prime with out profitable, and Amanda is there for persevering with to fail in her appears. Q goes the comedic route, whereas Amanda is extra dance and stunt-heavy. Aesthetics decides the win. Amanda instantly ditches the nest parts of her appears, however what’s beneath will not be a lot better wanting. A brown look mixed with an unstyled blue pussycat wig and a painted-on blue beard does not look good, irrespective of how nicely you may be dancing. After the shock of Mirage’s elimination, Amanda’s is sort of extra perplexing from a producing viewpoint. Amanda has the category drag race narrative of the underdog who may overcome or the charming however unstylish go-getter. The greatest loss to the season is the stress between Amanda and Plane Jane, which is instantly unresolved.
The State of the Race
Importantly, Mhi’ya secured her first win and confirmed that she’s much less quiet by efficiency. Likewise, Morphine confirmed that she shines on stage, receives extra time in entrance of the judges, and is advised she’s rather more than a BBL. Plasma continued an upward trajectory, and Geneva broke her lip-synching streak with a win. Nymphia, Plane Jane, and Sapphira proceed to dominate, even when the latter lastly confirmed the slightest little bit of weak spot this week.