Imagine the
sound heard ’round the world if we (mostly) all saw Laganja drop into that
elevated jump split in unison. Picture the scene in bars across the country
when she kipped up from her back onto all fours, the singular tidal wave of
tweets, the deluge of GIFs and memes that remind you queer people are the
quickest and most clever people on the planet.
I’m sure the
decision to release episodes at 3 a.m. on a Wednesday as people are just
getting excited to leave their homes again was focus-grouped, and whether or
not they’re seeing more, less or the same amount of viewers, it’s just not the
same experience. It’s disappointing, especially considering what an important
touchstone Drag Race has been to keep the queer community
together during the last year.
Imagine the
sound heard ’round the world if we (mostly) all saw Laganja drop into that
elevated jump split in unison. Picture the scene in bars across the country
when she kipped up from her back onto all fours, the singular tidal wave of
tweets, the deluge of GIFs and memes that remind you queer people are the
quickest and most clever people on the planet.
I’m sure the
decision to release episodes at 3 a.m. on a Wednesday as people are just
getting excited to leave their homes again was focus-grouped, and whether or
not they’re seeing more, less or the same amount of viewers, it’s just not the
same experience. It’s disappointing, especially considering what an important
touchstone Drag Race has been to keep the queer community
together during the last year.
Team Drag Exorcists (Eureka, Kylie and Scarlet)
Kylie and
Scarlet are playing two ’80s-style aerobic trainers who use their skills to
drive the demons out in a deliciously devilish piece of wordplay that adds a
creative spin to the team’s “exorcist” video.
They smartly
leverage the concept into a story wherein they show up to get Eureka
unpossessed through calisthenics, driving out the devil by working her to
failure. Eventually, the bodysnatcher would rather quit than keep exercising.
(Basically how I feel on every treadmill.) The ending, with Eureka’s character
going from client to a member of the Exor-Size Queens is a nice touch.
The judges
love the effortless performances from Scarlet and Kylie, but they save their
most effusive praise for Eureka’s all-out physical comedy. I mean, the gal
knocked the headboard clean off during filming. It’s really nice to see Eureka
mature as a performer and learn how to better channel that big personality into
her performance.
She’s the
clear standout in the group, but, since this is being judged as a group
challenge, all three are deemed safe.
Team Drag Fixers (Pandora, Ra’jah, Trinity, Yara)
Tasked with
becoming Olivia Pope-style “fixers,” Pandora smartly steers them away from a
sort of Scandal/Ray Donovan-spoof and toward more of a
Cellino & Barnes (R.I.P.) personal injury lawyer local commercial vibe.
It’s already a
favorite genre of Ru, and Pandora has experience creating local commercials
for businesses in her native Rochester, NY.
It may be safe
to assume Pandora’s fingerprints are all over this script, since it’s loaded
with punchlines. As opposed to the other two groups, this is the only one who
took funny premises and then actually wrote a ton of jokes.
On top of a
strong script, every gurl nails her part. Pandora and Ra’Jah are flawless as
the Fix It, Bitch! fixers. There’s a great running joke about how they fix
everything with duct tape which is expertly heightened from fixing a meaty tuck
to taping down toes on a too-small shoe and then finally just duct taping wigs
to faces. Yara is guaranteed to get laughs just being Yara, but it’s Trinity
who shines brightest. She hits every beat, punctuates every punchline with the
perfect facial expression and has directors Ross and Michelle cracking up even
before takes. Just great stuff.
It’s no
surprise the team snags the top spot, and Trinity this week’s winning position
(and unenviable lip sync assignment). But first …
Team
Rent-a-Queen Service (Ginger, A’Keria, Jan, Silky)
They’re not
escorts, they’re companions! This super group seems doomed from the start. The
ideas are popping a mile a minute — much more content than ever could be
contained in such a short spot.
Silky sees the
writing on the wall, but she’s not the same queen who drew the ire of the
fandom during season 11. The blowback from fans, bookers and fellow queens has
Silky not only second-guessing her decisions, but forcing herself to stay small
and quiet.
Filming is a
bit frantic, but Ginger overdelivers in every role. First, as a lotion-applying
queen, Ginger pantomimes a little self-love with absolutely expert comic
timing, and then later has Ross and Michelle in stitches with her “Richard
Slimmons” vocal effect. Not a moment goes by she’s not nailing it.
A’Keria
stumbles a bit in her line memorization, but delivers a decent performance
alongside Jan as a rent-a-beard date for a closeted kid. I will say, Jan
absolutely Daniel Day Lewis’d the role of a closeted teen in a stupid hat. Is
this the role she was born to play? However, neither Jan nor A’Keria are too
memorable.
Silky plays a
few small parts with just a smattering of lines. She does what she’s supposed
to, but there’s not a lot of “there” there.
The group gets
the hardest critiques on the runway where this week’s theme requires the queens
to redo a look from their previous time on Drag Race. Ross loves
Silky’s second attempt at We Are Family, but … it bears almost no connection to
the original. A’Keria finally wears A’Kaftan proper, not like season 11. The
judges love it, and it is beautiful. Jan looks a bit matronly, and Ginger is a
bit of a mess, both in terms of outfit and makeup.
Ru declares
all four up for elimination, which certainly rubs star Ginger and aspiring star
Jan the wrong way. I mean, if you think Jan cracked being consistently safe,
this bottom placement seems sure to drive her over the edge.
Tensions Rise
in the Werkroom on RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars
As soon as the
Team Rent-A-Queen and Team Exorcists return to the Werkroom, Ginger drops a
delicious and devastating little barb in Jan’s direction, asking what’s it like
to break that safe streak? That’s not just reading, that’s friggin’ X-ray
vision.
All four
bottom girls immediately launch into their pleas, but Trinity stops them to
remind everyone that she graciously congratulated the previous weeks’ winners.
She hasn’t won a challenge yet, and she’s owed a little feting as well
(#fetlife).
Once she gets
her due, she has a tête-à-tête with all four ladies in danger
(#tête-à-têtelife). She’s overly flattering and clearly tells some queens they
have nothing to worry about. But somebody’s got to go!
The gang
returns to the mainstage to see this week’s lip sync assassin revealed. There’s
a long pause as the curtain drops, uncovering an otherwise blank entrance.
Suddenly,
falling from the heavens, Laganja Estranja lands in a thundering split. It’s
pure magic. Having recently come out as a trans woman, this Laganja radiates so
much more confidence than when we last saw her.
The lip sync
is to — gasp — Dula Peep’s “Physical,” a dancefloor banger
whose potential was another COVID casualty.
However, this
lip sync may save the song and etch the track forever in the annals (I said,
ANNALS) of queer herstory. Laganja is on a whole other level, hitting stunt
after stunt after stunt. She strips, she dips, she splits. It’s incredible.
Trinity is no slouch, either. It’s clearly Laganja’s win, but boy is it fun to
watch!
Ru agrees,
awarding the W to Laganja, and adding $10k to next week’s pot — Laganja pun
wholly intended.
With that,
Laganja pulls out the lipstick to reveal it’s Silky getting the boot. Even Ru
seems disappointed.
Of course, we
know that’s not necessarily the end of Silky’s journey, depending how this
whole “game within a game” thing shakes out.
But, for now,
let’s take a look at where the queens landed in this week’s ranking.
The RuPaul’s
Drag Race All Stars Rankings
1.
When the cast was Ru-vealed, I didn’t
have Ra’jah picked as a frontrunner. She continues her
redemption arc after last week’s win with a very strong show in the commercial.
She elevated her tree runway from season 11 successfully. We’re only three
episodes in, but Ra’Jah has certainly stepped to the front of the pack.
2.
Right behind her, Trinity is
another one of this season’s All Stars who were not fan favorite the first go
’round, but is thriving now. TKB exceeded all expectations in the commercial
shoot, whether the camera was rolling or not. She looked beautiful on the
runway, but that’s sort of expected. It’s her more polished, confident
performances that will grab the judges’ attention. Growth, we love to see it.
3.
Speaking of growth, Eureka also
appears to have hit a new level. She’s still got the big personality, but it’s
not the zamboni it once was. She single-handedly carried her team’s videos,
carrying nearly 100 percent of the laughs. Michelle clocked the proportionizing
(#tbt) on her runway re-do, but it was a very slight critique for an otherwise
strong week.
4.
This challenge was well-suited for Pandora.
The queen’s campy humor is exactly what the assignment calls for. The script
certainly sounded like Pandora wrote it, but even if she didn’t, she was funny
enough when she had focus to deserve all the praise. I thought the runway was
still sort of ugly and not super well-tailored. My concern is her fashion may
be her downfall.
5.
Yes, Ginger had a great
performance in her video, but she also was there for all the other decisions
made in that workroom that led to that not-so-funny final product. This is
purely speculative, but it does seem like Ginger took a gamble only watching
her own behind assuming they’d be evaluated as individuals. Like Pandora, it
will likely come down to a fatally flawed frock.
6.
I wasn’t a big Scarlet fan
in season 11, but so far, so good this season. She had far and away the best
runway this week, and has looked consistently stunning. She did an admirable
job in the video, but no one could touch Eureka.
7.
Similarly, Kylie has been
good, but not great thus far. She needs a big, dominant win or memorable
moment.
8.
I know, I know, we shouldn’t tease Jan.
It’s just hard not to root against her when she’s so desperate for the crown,
and, honestly, has all the charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent to get it.
She is still just trying so hard — even trying hard at NOT trying hard — it
takes away from the present moment. (Sort of the inverse of the compliment
guest judge Tia Mowry gave to Scarlet.)
9.
It may seem strange to see week one
winner Yara this far down, but I’ve got some concerns. She’s
beloved for her kooky, wild energy, but that could just as easily be her
undoing. Imagine if she didn’t have teammates there to stop her from her first
draft tuck joke? (For the record, I personally loved it, but you can hear Ross
and Michelle’s potential admonishments.) It’s not that raunch is disqualifying,
but it’s got to be sharp.
10. I’m not convinced A’Keria’s weeks are numbered. She
could potentially rise like a phoenix next week, depending on the challenge.
This week, it’s hard to justify a higher placement. She brought very little to
the commercial, and she struggled more than any other queen shown. I’m glad
she’s still here (officially) to bounce back.
11. Sigh. I also wish we could see Silky’s rise, but that
journey is over — for now, at least. Drag Race fans have a
specific and ample amount of vitriol for certain black queens, big queens and
big, black queens. I’m not saying Silky is without her faults, but I would not
want to be on the receiving end on what I’m sure are just crushing amounts of
hateful dms, etc. It’s one thing for her to go home on her terms, but it’s
extra sad to see her sent home for shrinking all the parts of her people shouted
into submission. Unfortunately, she was the right pick this week.
What did you
think of the episode? How would you rank the queens?
SOURCE: TOWLEROAD
Hey, you know what they say... 😏 Sh*t happens. 🤷♂️
ReplyDeleteAnd it's also great for the ratings. 👍🏻