Well, RuPaul’s Drag Race fans, we were once again treated to another week of lewks, laughs and a little bit of drama on this week’s episode. As we open the episode after Orion Story’s elimination, Jorgeous, who killed the lip sync, has a fire lit under her and refuses to be in the bottom two again and last week’s winner, Bosco, is “walking on sunshine” and ready to dominate the competition. Daya is noticeably disappointed that she wasn’t up for the win last week and draws a battle line in the sand with Deja. Jasmine suggests the former change her name from “Daya Betty” to “Bitter Betty”.
The next day, Ru sweeps into the werk room with a fresh new maxi challenge for the queens (and may I state here that the lack of quick drag so far this season has been disappointing, to say the least?) Ru explains that Michelle Visage often gets strung out on “Glambien” and takes her compulsive shopping urges out by ordering from “Glamazon Prime.” The Pit Crew then arrive with huge packages – and a lot of boxes filled with “the wreckage of shopping past.” The queens have to select from hose, fun fur, clothespins, and lots of unconventional materials to create an unforgettable look. Yep, it’s a sewing challenge. The queens tear through the boxes, with Jasmine seemingly auditioning for a new season of “Extreme Hoarders”, Maddy expressing interest in a blow-up doll and poor Willow scavenging for scraps because she’s unable to get the boxes open. Daya declares that now is the time to be “selfish” and fights Willow over a proposed baby doll look. Not one for drama, Willow goes another route.
While the queens are attempting to put together their looks – and Maddy proposing matching outfits for she and her adopted blow-up doll – Ru and Carson take some time to chat with them about their fashion choices. And yes, we do get our (fortunately lone) instance of Ru doing that awful “not a big pill, just a Willow Pill” catchphrase – that is not going to happen. Ru offers some sage advice to the queens, especially to Daya, who needs to stand out from her drag inspo, Crystal Methyd. When told she needs to “get out of her Crystal shadow”, Daya goes all ”Bitter Betty” and complains that she didn’t know that Crystal “owns color” as she works on yet another brightly hued ensemble.
Over on Team Jorgeous, our queen is having trouble working with fun fur, which apparently has no place in a sewing machine. Angeria steps up and helps save her from a “potato sack disaster” by giving her some floral print fabric she wasn’t using to replace Jorgeous’ already shedding outfit. #queenshelpingqueens
This week in “getting to know the queens” Kerri, Jasmine and Lady Camden talk about coming out. Jasmine said that while her Dad accepted the fact he was gay, she didn’t accept her doing drag. Lady Camden did a “drive-by coming out” to her family, declaring “I’m gay” as she left her parents’ car after arriving at boarding school, to which Bosco noted that it was amusing she had to reveal this as she was being dropped off at “ballet boarding school.”
Lights up! It’s time for the Glamazon Prime Time.” I haven’t been talking about Ru’s runway, but they have all been dazzling. She’s serving a Clueless/Legally Blonde fantasy this week with a pink plaid corset top and matching mini and Raven’s makeup skill is once again on full display. This week’s guest judge, Taraji P. Henson (COOKIE!) also looks stunning (but she always does too.)
Lady Camden takes the stage in an absolutely beautiful pink and blue pastel creation, with a bodysuit featuring strips of a former kiddie pool and wings crafted from tent poles and tulle mosquito nets. Jasmine also used the netting to create a diaphanous look she likened to a look Samantha from Sex and the City would sport. I don’t see it, but, okay. Daya gave us a full Muppet fantasy, complete with a puppet she dubbed “Daya Rhea”. She was definitely giving off Big Bird vibes and was still quite firmly “under the Crystal shadow” here – but I don’t mind.
And then there’s Maddy. Oh, Maddy. I kind of can see what she was going for, as she described it, “a rodeo clown, but make it classy,” but the color block ensembles she created for she and “Daddy Morphosis” were pretty tragic. Willow definitely made lemonade out of the lemons she was dealt, looking like a kids’ toy with a sinister side thanks to outrageously long, furry arms. Bosco was all in blue, giving “Billy Idol as an anime supervillain wearing culottes” (I would totally watch that movie.) Daya channeled her inner Grecian goddess in a toga-esque look that the judges liked, but Bosco (kind of accurately) described as “whelming” and Angeria once again proved she could do no wrong in cocktail couture made from a still black satin material and fans of blinds at the shoulders (Taraji and I both were majorly impressed.) Jorgeous also made the best out of a tough situation, crafting a tropical masterpiece from the fabric she inherited from Angeria and some star-shaped cookie cutters and, lastly, Kerri stunned in a corseted bodysuit crafted from plastic umbrellas and yarn.
Ru declared Daya, Willow, Bosco and Kerri safe, with Camden, Angeria and Jorgeous in the top three. With all of the “I need a win” confessionals this week, I thought Lady Camden would be the winner, but Jorgeous won the judges over with her hastily improvised look. This left Jasmine and Maddy (no surprise there) in the bottom two. The pair lip synced to “Suga Mama” by Beyoncé and, as much as I hate to say it, Jasmine mopped the floor with Maddy. Poor thing didn’t stand a chance. And, since she didn’t have the golden ticket in her RuPaul bar, Maddy has a little chocolate snack to enjoy while she packs up her stuff (and she stole her exit line from Elvira…which I am not mad at all).
As for the MVP of the week, the fashion winner in my book was Lady Camden. Her outfit was just breathtaking and filled me with joy. I loved hearing about her coming out experience and she’s listening to the judges and looking even better than she has. Taking Ru’s wise advice and drawing her upper lip bigger made a noticeable difference for the better. I am glad she’s getting more time in the spotlight. My honorable mention this week is the new confessional queen, Bosco. Calling Daya’s goddess look “whelming” made me snort laugh and I think she needs more time in front of the confessional camera. And, before I leave, I just have to say that I am really sorry to see Maddy go. She was an outsider since she walked in the werk room and I feel like she was just overwhelmed the entire time she was the show. She contributed some great ideas for the acting challenges and did paint a mean mug, I just feel like she has so much more to offer and I am here when she’s ready to show it.
And that wraps up this week’s episode. Next week, the queens have another acting challenge, this time taking on the (equally manufactured) drama of soap operas. I am sashaying away next week for a much-needed vacation, but I will be back to recap episode eight in two weeks. Until we meet again, just remember that if you can’t love yourself, how in the hell are you gonna love somebody else? Can I get an “amen”?
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