RuPauls Drag Race
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Drag Race is back, baby!
And Im back, too!
Here to walk you through this COVID-compliant season every step of the way.
This episodes lip sync battle twist falls somewhere in the middle.
Without further ado, lets meet the queens!
Next is Joey Jay, a filler queen.
Hey she said it, not me!
I dont love this branding.
I think self-awareness is an overrated trait in drag queens.
After a brief onstage interrogation, Joey and Kandy lip sync to Call Me Maybe.
In short, Kandy slays it.
True to form, its become an instant meme.
Kandy wins, and Joey Jay gets the pork chop… whatever that means.
Denali/LaLa RiNext up is Denali, Chicagos ice princess.
God, I love this show.
LaLa Ri isin a worddelightful.
The two lip sync to When I Grow Up and their differences in mindset are immediately on full display.
Denali is clearly thrown by the format twist.
Shes nervous, and the immense pressure she feels to succeed atDrag Raceis clear as day.
LaLa Ri, on the other hand, is just having fun.
She delivers an entertaining performance with just the right amount of attitude.
Lala is victorious and a devastated Denali is pork chopped.
Symone/Tamisha ImanNext up, the mononymous Symone.
Symone is quite simply a star.
She tells us: My drag is very real woman.
She sports a dress constructed entirely of chain-linked polaroids of herself.
Symone even effortlessly riffs with Ru herself when she gets on stage.
Shes what we call a TP: a total package.
Symone is matched up with Tamisha Iman.
She and Symone lip sync to The Pleasure Principle by Janet Jackson.
Tamisha bodies those Janet-at-50 dance moves (which is a compliment, to be clear!
), but its simply no match for Symones raw star quality and stage presence.
If anyone can lay claim to the title of frontrunner after only 10 minutes of screentime, its Symone.
Gottmik/Utica QueenNext, here to crash the system, its Gottmik, the first trans man on Drag Race.
Shes inspired by fashion designers, and clowns.
Gottmiks lip sync opponent is the kooky Utica Queen.
If Gottmik is a clown, then Utica is the whole circus.
Utica wears a clown-like patchwork suit and a gigantic strawberry fascinator.
Utica is funny and likeable, but the editors do their very best to convince you otherwise.
It all feels very manufactured, especially given how well Utica performs in her lip sync.
Behind her wacky persona is clearly a studied, polished queen.
It feels like a BenDeLaCreme performance in the best way.
They seem wholly unmoved by Utica, and award Gottmik the win.
Not to mention boy Rose is quite a cutie as well!
Olivia Lux is BEAUTIFUL.
She sports a two-toned dress, and an adorable little Jacquemus knockoff purse.
The tension between the two queens is immediately palpable.
Well… at least to Rose it is.
But unfortunately for Rose that wont happen today!
The pair lip sync to Exs & Ohs, and I could have seen it going either way.
But Olivia is indeed one with the music.
Shes sultry, ferocious, and it ultimately gives her the edge.
Rose is PISSED to lose to Olivia, and doesnt give a shot to hide it.
Much like her sister Jan, Rose gives great face crack.
Honestly, I live for a sore loser.
As Rose walks offstage, Olivia Calls out: Wait, Im so confused!
Me too, Rose replies.
Tina Burner/Kahmora Hall/Elliott with 2 TsOur final lip sync of the night is a menage a trois.
First up is Tina Burner.
The campy, 8-foot-tall NYC legend injects some much needed energy into the last act of this episode.
Shes quickly joined by Kahmora Hall, the self-described Mackie Barbie doll.
Im expecting great things.
As Kahmora correctly summarizes, she looks… fun.
Its hard to imagine her sticking around too long.
The three lip sync to the iconic Lady Marmalade,achoice that feels custom picked for Tina.
She claims a definitive victory and Elliott and Kahmora are sent packing.
Or… are they?
The episode leaves us on quite the ambiguous note.
While not every losing queen is being sent home, kinda looks one of them certainly will be.
