This recap of RuPaul’s Drag Race 1704 contains spoilers.
Being funny is easy. Comedy is hard. Every season queens who delight in the work room and in their confessionals fall flat with sketch or standup. And every season I hope something will change.
But first the queens are distraught after Lucky is eliminated. Arriety, Lexi, and Suzie are all crying which is a worthy and impressive mourning roster. Joella is pissed, because it’s clear these queens think Lucky had more to show and she should’ve gone home instead. I agree!
It’s a new day and a producer-prompted Lydia asks if any of the queens have impressions of each other. This leads to some gentle shading, but no out and out drama. Impressive for this crew.
Ru arrives to announce this week’s maxi challenge: commercials for Bitch I’m a Drag Queen Vol. 1 and 2, music collections inspired by famous Drag Race quotes. There are references galore with Crystal performing Latrice’s “unprofessional” speech, Lana and Lydia performing Morgan and Mystique’s “Bitch I am from Chicago” fight, Arriety and Jewels performing Jade and Alyssa’s “backrolls” fight, Joella performing Mariah’s “we write the stories” speech, Sam and Acacia performing Kandy and Tamisha’s “star quality” fight, Onya performing Laganja’s “put your lighters up” speech, and Kori performing Kennedy’s “crystallized” speech. Each of these moments has been adapted to a different genre of music as the queens are encouraged to make it their own rather than doing an impression.
I watched these reveals nervously, since I couldn’t remember when the allegations against Shangela came out and I was expecting her “sugar daddy” fight to be in there. What would they have done?? I do think as Drag Race becomes more self-referential this will someday be an issue. A lot can come out between their summer shoot and their winter season. Luckily, the allegations came out in March, so not a problem this time!
The Vol. 1 group supports each other with Crystal acting as group director of sorts. She even acts as a tumbleweed. Vol. 2 is more individual with standouts Onya and Suzie completely alone for their sketches.
The judges this week are Michelle, Carson, and someone named Julia Shlaepfer who is apparently now on one of Taylor Sheridan’s cursed rightwing TV shows and was also on one of Ryan Murphy’s cursed leftwing TV shows. (Generous.) Who is her agent and how did she get this gig? I don’t even think she’s out as queer? Whatever, by next year actors from the Yellowstone universe probably won’t even be allowed to appear on Drag Race and I will be missing this moment.
The runway theme this week is quilted for your pleasure and turns out it’s tough to lean into the quilt theme and still look chic. Personally, I’ll take Arriety looking hot and not quilted over Joella walking out in a full on mattress — a mattress that randomly has RuPaul on the back. It did make me laugh, but… more of an at her than a with her situation I fear.
Onya is the standout with an African quilt dress pieced together square by square and credit where credit is due to someone who is certainly not a fave: Sam looked good too with a really cool pillow headpiece.
As far as comedy challenges go, this is far from painful. Most of the queens do pretty well. The only two that were truly great though were Crystal and Onya.
The judges agree with Crystal, Onya, and Suzie in the top and Joella, Kori, and Arriety in the bottom. They say Jewels outshined Arriety and I guess that’s fair, but it annoyed me that Michelle critiqued Arriety for doing her signature makeup. It’s inevitable for queens with distinct looks to be asked to diversify but we’re still really early!
Luckily, Arriety is safe. Onya wins and it’s Kori vs. Joella in the lip sync to “Buttons” by Pussycat Dolls. Joella tries something where she has her RuPaul back do the Snoop Dogg intro, but since the mouth isn’t moving it really doesn’t work. It works better than the Snoop Dogg verse though because Joella tries to lip sync to that one and doesn’t know any of the word. Kori does a braid reveal and a pretty good job overall and easily wins.
It’s a bummer to see Joella go home so soon after last week. If she was going to outlast Lucky, I would’ve liked to see a reason for it. Adieu Katy Perry stan. You’ll always be an icon in LA.
Teleport Us to Mars!! Here Are Some Random Thoughts:
+ Onya seemed so happy this week! I hope she makes some friends, because I like her drag and like her a lot.
+ Ru places Joella in the bottom two before naming the winner and the other lip syncer. I’m trying to think of the last time that happened. It felt very pointed as if to say Joella was by far the worst and deserved to go home. I mean, I agree, but it still felt harsh!
+ I have to be honest: Getting the close up of Joella in her mattress for the feature image of this recap has made me like it more. It is so funny.
+ Queen I’m rooting for: Arriety (also Onya)
+ Queen I’m horniest for: Arriety
+ Queen I want to sashay: Hormona (also Sam)
