Ron Does Stuff

Was feeling unwell yesterday and wouldn’t you know it, a good night’s sleep was all that I needed! Feeling so much better now and ready to take on the latest episode of Drag Race France!

We said goodbye to Magnetica in the previous episode, and the queens acknowledge that it’s a shock since they considered her a pretty strong competitor. Ruby also got a pretty good wake up call that this is a competition and that she needs to do better.

The next day, Nicky rocks the queens’ world as she reveals in the Nicky Mail that she’s “changed the rules.” Now which rule did she change? We don’t know yet because she announces an Olympics-themed mini challenge that will have no bearing on the overall competition anyway. Yes, I am not a fan of the Drag Race France mini challenges being inconsequential. At least give the queens money!

The queens need to compete in three “disciplines” and props to Le Filip for being so funny with the wig toss. I genuinely laughed when her tits fell out of her top. Also I would watch any Bel Ami video she’s in. But really the best part of this mini challenge is IT ACTUALLY COUNTS FOR SOMETHING. Ruby On The Nail and Lula Strega win the mini challenge and get a headstart when it comes to gathering materials for the Maxi Challenge, which is a sports-themed ball. And yes I know that sports-themed ball reads funny.

Immediately, Ruby On The Nails sets herself up as the focus of this week’s storyline by saying that she has very little sewing knowledge and that she doesn’t know if her taste will be up to par when put beside the other queens. This means she’ll either win the judges over or she’ll be the one saying Au revoir!

Leona Winter is also another one setting herself up for a bottom placement as she reveals in the confessionals that she’s in a total panic as she has no idea what to do even if she took sewing lessons to prepare for the show. Which really is one thing I commend these queens for because some of the queens on the American show know that there’s going to design challenges happening and yet make no effort to prepare whatsoever.

Sidebar: there’s a great piece of editing where one of the queens waves a piece of cloth in front of the camera that smoothly transitions into Misty talking in the confessionals. I think Drag Race France is the only one that has done this so far!

During the walkthroughs, Nicky says what I think about Norma Bell’s drag — it’s too minimalist. It’s gorgeous, don’t get me wrong, but often it’s too real for me, if that makes sense? Not that that means it’s bad, it’s just that the drag I prefer is big and loud and outrageous.

The other queens all look like they need to do some more work as well, as Nicky very nicely points out some of the things that are not working or suggests a better way to do what they’re doing. Leona Winter, in particular, is told that she should have a backup plan in place because she’s attempting to sew pants when she has no sewing knowledge at all.

AND THEN we get Ruby On The Nail practically oozing BenDeLaCreme All Stars 3 energy. She’s saying she’s not feeling the joy drag gives her in the outside world in this competition and will she be pulling out a lipstick while she’s on the runway?

Le Filip and Norma Bell also talk about how oppressive their childhoods were in LGBTQ-unfriendly locations like Croatia and the Reunion Islands. Le Filip talked about facing violence on a daily basis back in Croatia while Norma Bell has a slightly happier story to tell as Reunion Island is slowly opening itself up to welcoming the LGBTQ members of its community.

The runway show begins and the first set of outfits are…varied! Let’s say that. I didn’t quite understand the look of Misty Phoenix’s Olympic torch outfit and Norma Bell’s two looks looked great but where was the Olympic torch interpretation? Or maybe I’m being a basic bitch looking for something literal.

Leona Winter’s top looked great but the bottom was…bottoming. Edeha Noire’s outfit also looked great but just like Daphne Burki I didn’t understand it until Edeha explained it in her talking head. The judges sounded they liked Lula Strega’s torch outfit but it was just okay to me?

Le Filip, Ruby On The Nail, and Perseo close out the first runway and I think they’re the ones that look the best out of the queens since the outfits look good and are also clearly connected to the runway theme.

As for the outfits they made themselves, it’s another mixed bag. I liked the top of Misty Phoenix’s outfit but I felt the bottom half was messy? Norma’s look is good but I don’t think it really accomplished the “be draggy-er” assignment she was given.

I actually was pleasantly surprised by Leona Winter’s outfit because the walkthroughs made it feel like she was going to come out with absolute crap but she actually came out with something adequate, as Tia Kofi would say! Especially when you compare to Edeha Noire’s shapeless outfit, which I didn’t know if the judges would like or not since I’m not exactly a fashionista and for all I know what Edeha did was actually chic or something. But the judges also decried the lack of a silhoutte.

The judges looked like the liked what Lula Strega made out of yoga mats and while I am also impressed that she managed to make that without any sewing knowledge at all I feel like she was overpraised? But then again Nicky is the one getting invited by Vogue and I am a nobody so why should Lula listen to my opinion anyway?

Ruby On The Nail…well. Judging from her talking head I really feel like she’s going to self-eliminate here because that was some Lala Ri bag challenge outfit she brought out. Maybe it’s a little better but still!

AND THEN Nicky’s pink phone rings and she tells the queens that THE MAXI CHALLENGE ISN’T OVER. They’re told to run back to the Werk Room and make ANOTHER piece — an accessory for their head. Or ANOTHER accessory if their original outfit already has one. And they have to do it in an hour. Ruby is so gonna self-eliminate. THAT SAID THIS MOMENT HAD ME GOOPED AND GAGGED.

Ruby definitely is going to self-eliminate because she literally ends up in tears as she starts working on her accessory in the Werk Room. Honey, baby, if it’s causing you distress it’s better to just leave. It’s no good to your career if you burnout and end up not wanting to do it ever again. Longevity is the key! BUT she buckles up and proves me wrong and says she’s going to stick around. That’s going to entirely depend on the lip sync because I don’t think the judges liked the outfit she came out with.

Gotta say, props to Drag Race France for this twist. Again, something I haven’t seen in any other iteration of the show! I don’t think even Drag Race España has done this and that’s one of my favorite international versions! And Nicky says surprises like this are going to be happening sporadically throughout the competition. Spicy!

During the judges critique Ruby On The Nail gets it harsh and I don’t know whether she’s just good-natured or the critiques don’t sound as harsh in French but it seemed like she took it on the chin well. It’s going to be her and Edeha in the bottom and I think with how difficult it is to move in Edeha’s dress she’s going to be the one going home.

Misty and Lula are the top two queens and while I fully expected Misty to win because of the judges’ critiques it’s Lula that gets the win and the €1,000! Ruby and Edeha are no two-time bottoms now. And Ruby is not happy about it and she may just self-eliminate herself!

But will you look at that she wins this lip sync again! She’s safe to maybe feel depressed in the Werk Room another day.