Times have changed! Whose on top one week, can be on the bottom the next. Anything can happen on Drag Race if it makes for good TV and a producer-approved conclusion.
Following last week’s double save, everyone is happy except Sam. While Lexi and Suzie seem excited to have witnessed a great lip sync, Sam would really prefer to be in the top four. I don’t blame her. If someone had gone home, there’d be a good chance based on prior seasons that everyone remaining would be going on to the finale. She is happy about winning though. And as a gay who sometimes randomly references men’s sports, I did appreciate her saying shoutout to Charles Barkley for the rebound of all rebounds going from the bottom to the top. Meanwhile, after her first lip sync, Onya says she’s ready to fight.
It’s a new day in the work room and the queens are wearing cowboy hats! Or, at least, Sam, Onya, and Lexi are wearing cowboy hats. Suzie is wearing a 20s flapper hat and Jewels is preserving her curls.
The final maxi challenge is an audition for RuPaul’s Drag Race Live! They’ll be taking publicity photos, making a promotional video, sitting down for an interview with Latrice Royale, and a performance of a new number called “Gift Shop.”
If the makeover challenge was made easier with a consistent brand, this challenge is made harder. The brands they’re selling here are RuPaul and Vegas — not themselves. The challenge is how can they fit themselves in. But, of course, this isn’t communicated to the queens, because Drag Race is psychological torture. Sam says she’s leaning into country since the judges have like that and Suzie says she’s leaning into Toot because every time people have doubted her it’s paid off. Fair assessments! But, this time, wrong!
Albert Sanchez is the photographer for the publicity photos and Jewels sets a very high bar. She’s a natural in front of the camera and Ru is having a blast working with her. Onya and Sam are fine. Suzie and Lexi seem super uncomfortable and are struggling.
Based on the edit, it seems like Sam is the standout of the interview with Latrice. Or, at least, she seems like Latrice’s favorite. Jewels also does a good job, even if she has no answer when Latrice asks where she sees herself in five years. To be fair, she’s 23 so five years is basically an entire other lifetime for her. She recovers well, saying that Drag Race was the dream so now she needs to start thinking of new dreams.
Onya talks about being a cook and not doing drag full time, but then her interview seems to fall apart a bit. Latrice, at least, doesn’t seem that taken with her. Meanwhile, Lexi is good at the vulnerability, blaming estrogen for being a cry baby. (I think that might be the trauma, babe!) And Suzie, once again, blames her Snatch Game flop on being too niche. Ellen Greene in Little Shop is not niche!!!
Back in the work room, the queens talk about their first impressions and bonding despite not liking each other at first. I’ve said it before, but I really do love how these last weeks often force very different personalities to form connections. This is the way RuPaul’s psychological experiment is good.
The “Gift Shop” number is fun! It’s hard to tell how well everyone is doing, since we don’t spend any time with them during the rehearsal, but no one seems to be flopping. Personally, I was watching Jewels, but that might just be because I know she’s a good dancer and she’s cute.
The runway theme is Opulent Outerwear. Jewels is gorgeous in white feathers and diamonds and balled blonde hair. Really all the runways were good this week — except maybe Sam in an orange dress with a glass rhinestoned cape that I found a little underwhelming. Lexi is in a two piece of metal hearts and a big sleeping bag coat. Onya has giant gold earrings and a head wrap with a multi-patterned coat covered in golden medallions. And Suzie is in a red cocoon coat with a round hat with a feather on top.
Onya and Jewel’s promotional videos are by far the best, followed by Sam, with Lexi’s by far the worst. Suzie wins best promotional video for Anything Goes which was not the assignment so I do understand why the judges were displeased.
Overall, I didn’t disagree with the judging, but I was surprised by it! For one, it’s the last episode before the finale (not counting the LaLaPaRuza Reunion) so I understand why Sam and Suzie thought they should lean into their brands. In general, I was surprised by how harsh they were on Sam. They’ve been so generous to her all season, but this week Michelle said Sam was too cocky in her interview. Of all the challenges this week, the interview seems like the one Sam killed. I do think the double save last week meant this week had to have tougher judging than the sunshine and rainbows of many penultimate episodes.
Jewels wins! And she’s invited to join Drag Race Live! Hey, maybe that’s the perfect gig while she thinks about what she wants out of the next five years. Onya is safe, which duh, but so is Lexi. That means it’s Sam vs. SUZIE. A big surprise! The guest judge is Tracee Ellis Ross so they lip sync to “Love Child” by Diana Ross and the Supremes.
The lip sync is solid with neither queen doing much better than the other. The producers had every right to do the logical thing and send Sam home… but nope. Sam moves on and Suzie sashays.
She handles it with a surprising amount of grace and professionalism. She had every right to be pissed. Until this episode she had NEVER been in the bottom. I understand critiquing Suzie for being too Broadway for a Vegas challenge, but sending her home??
I don’t even think Sam will make a better finale for them. Suzie is a totally decent lip syncer! This really is one of the most baffling eliminations in years. But Suzie is right — she’s going to be just fine.
Teleport Us to Mars!! Here Are Some Random Thoughts:
+ If you want more Latrice Royale, I do think season four is an excellent Drag Race season despite the eventual winner. But I also think it’s the rare season where Untucked is better than the main series so don’t skip it.
+ Latrice with a Roxxy Andrews reference telling Suzie to throw some bitches under the bus or leave them at the bus stop.
+ Queen I’m rooting for: Onya
+ Queen I’m horniest for: Jewels
+ Queen I wanted to sashay instead of Suzie: Sam or Lexi
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