After another non-elimination last week on RuPaul’s Drag Race (where Bosco was saved by the golden ticket in her chocolate bar) the queens come to the realization that a post lip sync save is out of the question but congratulate Bosco for enduring, even after being chosen for elimination by all of her competitors. Bosco is definitely gunning for a ru-demption (as pointed out by Lady Camden)…will she achieve it?
The next day, the queens are greeted in the werk room by Ru and a special guest, Anastasia Beverly Hills President Norvina (serving some Lady Gaga realness with a gorgeous ink gown with – oh, I hope – eyelash “epaulets”. I love this look and wish I could afford her makeup.) Ru announces that the queen-testants are going to have the unique opportunity to paint Ru’s face. (and then he brought back the “walk this way…no, really…walk this way” gag from Drag U (#neverforget.)
No, Raven isn’t on vacation, this mini-challenge finds the queens faced with two brick walls featuring the paintable faces of Ru and another beloved icon, Dolly Parton. The paint colors represent Anastasia’s new Norvina violet palette (gorgeous) and the queens have to use Gus Cutty’s Ashville, North Carolina mural as inspiration.
The queens break into two teams – De’Ja, Angeria and Jorgeous (Team Ru) and Daya, Willow, Bosco and Lady Camden (Team Dolly). The teams have 30 minutes to make art and they do pretty well, except for the “if a hot dog had a butt” nose (Bosco™) De’Ja painted on Ru. Maybe because of that, maybe not because of that, Team Dolly wins.
Ru tells the queens that this week’s main challenge is the always entertaining, sometimes cringe-worthy roast. This time around, Ross Matthews is the guest of honor. Since Team Dolly won, they get to choose the performers’ order (and they got free makeup too.)
It’s time to assign the order and Bosco says she doesn’t want to bone anyone, especially after last week’s shenanigans. Daya just wants the spot she wants and really doesn’t care about anyone else’s placement. Bosco volunteers to go first and willow says she wants to go after Jorgeous, who has already made it clear that comedy and writing jokes are not in her wheelhouse (although, Willow ponders that Jorgeous could surprise everyone and blow the judges away…we’ll see about that.)
It’s down to Lady Camden and De’Ja, who emphatically said she didn’t want to be last. Camden decides to not play it safe and wants to push herself, so she takes the closing spot. So, the order is Bosco, Jorgeous, Willow, Angeria, Daya, De’Ja and Lady Camden.
The queens start working on their jokes and Willow is terrified of embarrassment and Daya can’t get past “Thank you, Angeria.” Willow thinks De’Ja can win if she doesn’t venture into “Dad joke territory.” After the (alleged) jokes are written, the queens meet with comedy coaches Michelle Visage and Dulce Sloan (from The Daily Show.)
Bosco‘s dry sense of humor isn’t really working and vows to “give them the meat.” Willow is told to curb her “rambling absurdity” and Angeria comes in and gets in a few zingers. Daya is also terrified but delivers a few good ones at Michelle’s expense and De’Ja is told she needs some funny jokes. Uh-oh. Lady Camden cracks up the coaches and may have made a smart choice to go last. In trouble this week (not surprisingly) is Jorgeous, who wore out the shade rattle while telling her “jokes.” Could this be the week she finally sashays away?
Ru struts down the runway looking absolutely stunning (she does every week, but this look is a standout) and the roast kicks off. Bosco takes the stage in spiked black and white hair and a plaid pantsuit and kills it. She jokes about almost being sent home last week and states, “Ross is not a top…he’s a blouse.” Jorgeous looked adorable and actually got in a few good ones in between a bit of awkward silence (joking about Ross’ weight loss, she asks, “How’s the baby?”)
Willow also looked fab in a pink dress and red wig and got a few jabs in on Jorgeous as well as Ross (“a very, very handsome lesbian.”) Angeria dazzles in yellow and made me laugh out loud after she called Dulce the “diet Lizzo” and asked her “How you feelin’? Okay as hell?” Daya knows she’s not the funniest, but got one on Michelle, joking that “this is what a man in a wig is supposed to look like” but she was taking way too much time to deliver subpar jokes.
De’Ja probably would have done better if she had stuck with the Dad jokes because…oof….The newly confident Lady Camden doesn’t have to do much to outshine her predecessor, but I think her confidence sold the jokes more than the actual jokes themselves did.
On the runway, the category is “Tutu Much.” Bosco came out as a “buzzsaw ballerina” with saw blades serving as her “skirt”, shoulders, and headpiece. It’s glamor and gore and love it. Jorgeous did not come out in a dance costume, but rather a cute poufy minidress with butch touches (a leather cap, boots, and a biker jacket.) Willow’s look has many inspirations – Donatella Versace, Amanda Lepore, Cruella DeVil among them – but is stunning in a brocade and tulle “night at the opera” look.
Angeria does her “Angeria thing” and glides down the runway in a chartreuse “tutu gown” while Daya dons 11” platform heels (I am in awe) in a lovely ensemble cobbled together from recycled items. De’Ja goes pastel with a mint green gauzy dress and pink hair. Of course, Lady Camden steals the show, looking like a dreamy ballerina.
After the judges’ critiques, Ru deemed Bosco the winner – so she got her redemption. Lady Camden, Willow and Angeria were safe but Daya, De’Ja and Jorgeous are in the bottom. Three queens will enter this lip sync and only one will stay…no chocolate can save them now. Our three-way is set to the song “good 4 u” by Olivia Rodrigo. De’Ja made numerous mentions this week that she felt she was a lip sync assassin, she faded into the background as Daya and Jorgeous battled it out. In the end, Daya emerged victorious and De’Ja and former lip sync assassin Jorgeous had to sashay away.
As for this week’s MVP, again, I have to give it to Bosco. She gives such good confessional and she proved in the roast that she knew how to tell a joke and deliver a fun and edgy look to the runway. The runner-up would be Lady Camden. It was a delight to watch her confidence increase over the course of the episode and, although her roast wasn’t the top of the night, she did her best to sell every joke…and she looked so beautiful on the runway.
Well, believe it or not, we’ve got a top five! It looks like the season may finally be winding down. Until next week, remember that if you can’t love yourself, how in the hell are you gonna love somebody else? Can I get an “amen”?