For all the
things COVID has taken from us, at least it’s led to a few improvements
on RuPaul’s Drag Race. Chief among them may be the effect on the
beloved makeover challenge.
Along with
Snatch Game, the makeover challenge is a reliable fan favorite. (Sorry,
Ru-sical!) Typically, it occurs at a point in the season when we’re heavily
invested in the remaining queens; it features emotional stories of
transformation; and it pushes both the queens and the recipients to their
limits. The makeover challenge has provided some classic moments (who could
forget Wintergreen?),
and even spawned a few Drag Race spin-offs like RuPaul’s
Celebrity Drag Race and Drag U.
It’s too
dangerous to fly in some normies mid-pandie, so this time, we’re keeping it in
the family. Especially in the midst of this post-Drag Race, social
media-fueled drag renaissance, brands and personalities are more at the
forefront than ever before. So, embodying another fierce queen, simultaneously
transforming and being transformed, is a thrilling experience to observe. Each
queen treats the other with such reverence, such respect and love, it’s
beautiful to witness. You truly love to see it.
Luckily, we
don’t waste too much time before getting into it, but the time we spend is sort
of, more or less, wasted. In lieu of a mini-challenge, Ru sends the queen to
meet with psychic medium and author, Char Margolis. She psychic-reads the girls
for filth, channeling Utica’s long-lost pet calf, clocking Rosé and Denali’s
love connection and transmitting a message to Tina from her unsupportive
father. Just when Tina asks for her predictions for the finale — literally the
question we’re all the most interested in — Ru summons them back.
I guess the
point is that Char got a read on the queens and paired them for our next
challenge. Sure … However we get there, we get there. Ru pairs up the queens
and lays out the challenge: make over your sister and walk a mile the
runway in their shoes. Let’s break down our pairs.
First, Tina
and Rosé. The New York queens spend the entire episode like two Real Housewives
of Hell’s Kitchen, barely containing their simmering disdain despite the
constant mouth-agape wonder over how much they’re learning about each other.
For Tina, this week is about sharpening her serve on the runway to meet Rosé’s
polished precision. Rosé’s challenge is to contain her need to
over-choreograph.
When Tina puts
Rosé in Burner beat, it’s … shocking. The queens find every which way to say
Rosé is a “hard canvas,” and Tina does not risé to the challenge. The face is
bad, the dress is too big, but the wig looks good. To her credit, Rosé makes
Tina look her best in a fresh face and sexy, spiky runway. Both queens do their
best to channel the other, but neither feels like a full transformation.
Char sensed
something between Olivia and Denali, but it quickly fizzles. The two queens
have had some up-and-downs for a few weeks, and both are struggling to outshine
frontrunners like Symone and Gottmik. They bond over their influence of the
strong women in their lives, and, I don’t know, it feels like a bad sign? Even
if this isn’t statistically true, it certainly feels emotionally true that
whenever a queen really leans into their deep, symbolic connection in a partner
challenge, it means certain doom in front of the judges. The sort of mutual
energy exchange should be the subtext, not the text. It just seems like they’re
destined from the get-go to be lost in the sauce.
On the runway,
Olivia looks like Queen Elsa by way of Bratz doll. There’s a heavy-handed ice
skating motif, which does ultimately at least feel very Denali. Meanwhile,
Denali-as-Olivia looks more like Susan Sarandon-as-Patti LuPone. Whereas Olivia
typically looks effervescent and bright, Denali in Olivia drag feels heavy and
dark. The judges hate it, and I don’t disagree.
Things really
start to get interesting when we get to Symone and Utica. Of course, their
personal styles are nothing alike, but the contrast goes beyond aesthetic.
Their whole en-er-gy is wildly different. Anyone could have predicted Symone
would struggle with Utica’s kookiness, but another wrinkle here is Symone’s
insistence on sticking with a B*A*P*S-inspired runway for Utica.
Now, just last
week, Utica was so uncomfortable donning Bob Ross’s afro, she opted instead to
craft a whole new headpiece out of stuffed squirrels. (This was the least of
that performance’s problems, but you can dig into that in last week’s recap.) Anyway, Utica is obviously even more
triggered when tasked with embodying such an iconic black role. I never really
understood the psychotic pleasure of “owning the libs,” but, honestly, there is
something to watching Utica squirm.
The end result
is far from offensive. Instead, Utica manages to perfectly embody all of
Symone’s innate sexuality and power. Not only is there not an ounce of
caricature, it feels high-fashion in a way we rarely glimpse on the runway.
Utica eschews 99 percent of her tics, and the ones that remain only lend a
little flourish to an all-around flawless presentation. Serve.
Symone
delivers as Utica, as well. She ends up in a kind of restrictive silk charmeuse
straitjacket with a vascular spandex suit underneath, complete with a floral
headpiece. All in all, it looks like something Lana del Rey would hang in her
den. Instead of mimicking all of Utica’s frenzied motions, Symone delivers an
elegant, modern interpretation that is somehow more Utica than even Utica. It’s
not just high fashion, it is high art.
That leaves
Kandy and Gottmik. Unlike the other gals, most of whom are at least somewhat
close to the same body type, these two have an added challenge to alter and fit
their wardrobe. Gottmik could paint a bull mastiff, and it would look fierce as
hell, so Kandy’s task is pretty simple. Still, she overdelivers. The vocal-fry
on the runway might have been a little too “inside joke” for the moment, but
overall Kandy did the thing this week.
Even though
Gottmik really has a hard time giving us Kandy’s energy in rehearsals, she
manages to werk on the runway. Unfortunately, it feels like Kandy hasn’t given
us a consistent, iconic aesthetic to emulate, so, although Gottmik looks great
and gives a hilarious performance, it doesn’t have the same impact as Symone
and Utica.
This was
overall a great episode for Gottmik, who dove deeper into both transitioning
and growing up adopted. In both instances, Gottmik offered incredibly astute,
self-aware and empowering narratives. The parallel between queer chosen
families and being adopted is such a powerful reason to not only champion the
destigmatization of queer identity, but to celebrate its power to heal.
Additionally, Mik manages to distill down an incredibly layered and nuanced
conversation about gender identity and gender expression that does more in mere
minutes than a million TEDTalks. It’s honest and straightforward without being
overly wonky or feeling too “very special moment.” At this point, this is
basically a Gottmik-STAN blog.
Before Ru
issues final judgments, the queens are asked to name who should go home this
week. Tina, Rosé and Gottmik expertly couch their choice, Olivia, based on “the
challenge” and “the judges’ critiques.” Olivia conveniently uses a rubric that
involves the whole Race up until this point, singling out
Utica to go home. Denali opts instead to choose Kandy. Big mistake. Huge.
When it gets
to Kandy, she first takes a moment, and then, like Elektra in season two
of Pose, she unleashes a torrent of rage, starting with how much
harder she and Gottmik had it in the challenge due to their body types, and
then really laying into Olivia and Denali. It was super extra, but the judges
seemed almost impressed with the candor. I know I was.
Ultimately,
the judges decide it’s down to Olivia and Denali, despite their uncanny ability
to … channel each other’s love for their mothers? The lip sync is to Mary
Mary’s “Shackles (Praise You)” which is insane in this context. Denali is at a
disadvantage in the Olivia gown, but neither really outshines the other.
And yet, Ru
sends Denali home. Was it her time? Probably not, but if not her, whom? I would
put my money on Olivia over Denali, so I see the rationale. Still, it’s tough
to say goodbye to Denali, a fierce AF queen who may be able to make a splash
on All Stars some day.
Where does
that leave the rest of the queens? Let’s hash it out in our rankings?
1.
Slow clap for Symone. Not to
take too much away from Utica, but this week’s win is thanks to Symone’s
insistence on the B*A*P*S look and sheer power on the runway.
Symone had a vision, she stuck to it and she fully realized it on the runway.
That’s what makes her so unconquerable: Talent will only get you so far without
vision, and no one’s vision is as clear as Symone’s.
2.
If anyone can give Symone a run for her
money, though, it’s Gottmik. On Snatch, on Ru-sical and on the
runway as Kandy, Gottmik undersold and overdelivered. It wasn’t just an expert
performance, it was savvy gamesmanship. Mik is one of those queens that …
doesn’t need to win this. The work is so impeccable and unique, stardom is
inevitable. Still, a Gottmik v. Symone finale has all the gays’ mouths
watering, myself chief among them.
3.
Rosé had to have known she looked terrible, right? Why not say anything? Was
it too late to redo that face before the runway? Was that just ultimately the
best they could do? Regardless, Rosé sold the hell out of it, even while looking
like she was in first-time Halloween drag. With fewer queens, Rosé has a little
more space to showcase her skills. I still believe Michelle’s distaste for
Rosé’s style will ultimately keep her from the crown, but she seems more likely
for the finale as other queens stumble.
4.
The last two weeks have not been kind
to Olivia. Perhaps this humbling experience is exactly what the
divalicious diva needs to get her head back in the game. Judging on this week
alone, Olivia was likely the worst offender on the runway, but looking backward
(and envisioning the future), it’s tough to justify sending Olivia home before
a few others. One more week in the bottom though, and she may slip too far.
5.
I have yet to be really blown away by Tina
Burner, but I am enjoying her more in the werk room. It’s concerning that
she hasn’t had a big moment, and what should have been her signature challenges
— Snatch, Ru-sical — were sort of letdowns. Time is ticking to make a
statement.
6.
Utica showed renewed potential on the runway this week. Imagine if this
experience really was transformative, and she could really bring a little bit
of Symone to her performance every week. She’d be unstoppable. That seems
unlikely at this point, but it was thrilling to see this new dimension of
Utica. The way she instantly snapped into Symone in rehearsals was awesome. The
power has been inside you all along, Utica!
7.
Without a doubt, it was between Kandy/Mik
and Symone/Utica for the win this week, so Kandy’s placement here isn’t a
reflection on this week’s strong showing. I was struck by how hard it was to
imagine a signature Kandy look for Gottmik to emulate. All the other gals have
such strong identities, while Kandy has strong personality. That doesn’t
discount her immense talent, but Kandy walks into the room pers(onality) first.
8.
Again, it’s tough to slot Denali at
the bottom. She didn’t have a major flop this week, and it felt like she really
was building some momentum. It was the only call this week, sadly, with such a
strong cast left (and superior showing from Kandy). Denali could be like the
namesake of Kandy’s former Haus, Aja, and make a splash in a future season
of All Stars.
How would you
rank the queens?
SOURCE: TOWLEROAD
No comments:
Post a Comment