Ron Does Stuff

Yes, yes, I am an episode late. And yes, like I’ve said in previous posts, I’ve had a busy week. But I’m here to catch up now!

We saw the first “conventional” elimination of the season with Dita Garbo in the previous episode, but before I get into how the queens react to that, can I just say that the sound here is so much better than Drag Race Thailand, whose first episode I just finished watching? Vast improvement that being a colonizer brings!

After the requisite Dita Dita Da Da Da Dita remembrance, we get a celebration of Kyran’s two wins. We also get the queens — Chanel — thinking that Zahirah had a “lucky escape” this week which means Zahirah may be the star of this week’s episode. Does that mean Zahirah will triumph or will we be saying goodbye to the lone Filipina in the cast? Let’s hope it’s the former!

The next day we find out that Rileasa got her juices going for Actavia’s Hugh Grunt from the previous challenge. And I…well we get turned on by what we get turned on by there’s no kinkshaming here! Kiki also playfully comes for Kyran but I feel like they’re going to be using this for storyline purposes in this episode. Is Kiki going to be the top queen this episode?

Ru enters the Werk Room to tell them that it’s girl group week and they’re going to be singing a goth pop anthem. And I guess production wants someone gone specifically because they’re the ones picking the group. Charra Tea, Rileasa, Lil, Kiki Snatch, and La Voix are ghoul group number one and Kiki really is feeling her tzuj because she is dancing right in front of Kyran’s face. I feel like this does not bode well for her!

Actavia, Marmalade, Chanel, Kyran, and Zahirah are ghoul group number two and Zahirah tries to stir the pot between Marmalade and Chanel and the amount of screen time Zahirah is getting is making me nervous. They even show a snippet of her saying she can’t wait to be on top. Is production going to send her home? Are they setting her up for a win? Tell me!

Actavia’s team decides to call themselves Dracula’s Child while Charra’s team settles on The Things and Chanel looks like she’s going to be the weak point in Dracula’s Child because she’s a seamstress, she’s not a singer or a dancer. Let’s see if that proves to be true in the recording!

Dracula’s Child is up first and Actavia sings in Welsh and are the Welsh okay with this? I mean I am laughing but they’re making it look like Welsh is some demon language or something. But Actavia does bring the laughs and I think that’s a good sign for her. The rest of the recording looks like it went well and Zahirah once again gets a focus with a lyric asking if she can come in another person and I hope this are all omens of a positive outcome for her. Because it could just as easily be production getting all her scenes in because she’s about to say goodbye!

The Things also look like they had a fun time recording their song, with Rileasa getting particular attention. At least from the recording of their verses, it doesn’t seem like any one of them is in danger of being in the bottom.

However, it’s a different discussion when it comes to the choreography. For Dracula’s Child, it’s looking like things are going to get dicey for Marmalade and Chanel, especially since Zahirah’s choreo — I think she’s the one leading the choreo — doesn’t give them much to do. Either they’re in the bottom or Zahirah gets thrown under the bus because it’s looking like the choreo is her idea.

As for The Things, while La Voix doesn’t look as good as one would like, it’s Lill that really looks like she’s going to be in danger during the performance. I hope she makes it through because I always have a soft spot for queens like Lill and also because I really liked her conversation with La Voix the next day. It was just so fun to see the two of them laughing so much!

The queens also talk about Halloween and why queer people love it so much and Zahirah even talks about how Zahirah the character was born on Halloween, which just tells me as a longtime viewer of Drag Race that she’s not going to be safe this episode. It’s either top or bottom for her, no in between! The show won’t give you this much screen time if there’s no payoff in the end.

Also that whole Halloween discussion reminded me of Trixie being asked by that kid on that stream.

The Things are up first and I thought they did really well! Of course, the stars of that particular show were Rileasa and Kiki. Even La Voix did okay but Lill did look nervous up on the stage. Now when Dracula’s Child performs it’s all…uniform? Or maybe safe is the better word. I feel like they lowered the difficulty level so Chanel and Marmalade could keep up but it ended up dimming everybody else’s light instead? It just didn’t have that oomph.

Also, I am contractually obligated to link to the Flexbomb Girls’ performance of “Pop Off Ate” during every girl group challenge.

This episode’s runway is Call Me Mother Nature and Kiki really is constantly hobbled by her runways. She was definitely the star of their group during their performance but this outfit is not as outstanding as her performance? Especially since I have a feeling some of the other queens are going to overshadow her outfit.

Zahirah’s outfit looks good at first glance but I do wish the corset was tighter? I don’t know what to think about Chanel’s outfit because I do like the metal bustier but I feel like it was the only thing about the outfit that had work put into it? Especially when Marmalade is up next with that beautiful butterfly outfit.

And then we get the craziness that is Kyran’s outfit. Like, I don’t think it was so much the outfit itself but Kyran’s skill at toying with the judges and the audience. It was hilarious!

After the runway, the queens are told that they’re going to be judged individually since the groups are so evenly matched and I’m like…okay, sure. Kiki Snatch, Lill, Rileasa, Zahaira, Marmalade, and Kyran Thrax are the tops and bottoms of the week and since Kiki and Rileasa are definitely not going to be in the bottom I fear it’s time to say goodbye to Zahairah. She doesn’t have a plotline now!

And boy do the judges’ critiques underscore it. They didn’t like her performance, they didn’t like her runway, it just time to say goodbye basically. Lill also gets bad critiques, but only for her performance because they like her look. And with Lill talking about how she’s become quick friends with the girls when they go back to the Werk Room, I feel like she’s going to be safe.

Kiki, Rilesa, and Kyran get positive critiques and when they head back to the Werk Room Kyran is just setting herself up for a humbling arc further down the show because she is just loud about how much the judges love her. It’s not going to be this episode, but I feel like it’s coming down the pike.

Rileasa snatches the win away from Kyran and Lill and Zahirah are this episode’s bottom queens. Oh god it’s time to say goodbye to Zahirah then. I don’t know what the lip sync song is going to be but she’s been in the bottom more times than Lill and like I said, there’s no more plot to pursue when it comes to her.

Now, this is just basing it on what was shown on the final edit, but it kinda looked like Zahirah didn’t know as much of the words as Lill did? Or maybe it was just edited that way to justify her elimination? Either way I’m sad but also not surprised. It really seemed like the writing was on the wall for her.