The second episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under has arrived with a dramatic splash. The first episode of the new franchise was a bit underwhelming, but the second episode is surprisingly great. This episode brings us the Snatch Game, better runway looks, and a very shocking elimination.
Last week, JoJo Zaho was the first queen sent packing from Drag Race Down Under. Karen From Finance won the first mainstage challenge, and a little rivalry developed between Miss From Finance and Art Simone. Art Simone says she knows she has the best looks in the competition. She is coming off a little cocky, but listen to the beep, beep, beep of the truck because this girl can back it up! Art Simone's looks on Instagram are better than anything the rest of the cast has presented so far.
RuPaul announces that, this week, it is time to play the Snatch Game! Other international franchises have either served legendary snatches (RuPaul’s Drag Race UK) or less than stellar Snatch Games that were heavy on cheap gags and light on elevated humor (Canada’s Drag Race and Drag Race Holland). This Snatch Game episode from Down Under unfortunately falls in the not-great pile. After the performance, Art Simone thinks that she did well as Bindi Irwin, but Karen says in a confessional, "She looked amazing but I don't know anything more about Bindy Irwin." In turn, Karen From Finance's Dolly Parton did not Dolly... land. She gets a Dolly pardon this week, but it was not working 9 to 5 or even 9 to 9:30. She got almost no laughs. Impersonating a famous celebrity in front of American judges who love Dolly is tricky.
The same goes for Jennifer Coolidge, who was portrayed by Scarlet Adams. Scarlet’s voice was solid, but she didn’t have any gameplay other than to regurgitate famous Jennifer Coolidge lines. This is one of the best picks for Snatch Game, so it was disappointing to see it bend and snap all the way off. Coco Jumbo was Lizzo, which could have been great, but she really struggled more than anyone this episode. On the runway, the category is "Seasickening." Art Simone looks as amazing as we have come to expect. Coco Jumbo is in major trouble this week. She is a drag queen dressed as Ursula, and it is not exactly groundbreaking. Karen From Finance looks like fish dressed as a shark! It’s giving a campy Bette Middler vibe with a fashion-forward twist. Scarlet looks really stunning.
Elektra's makeup is SHOCKingly bad! She gets strong critiques from the judges for not sounding or looking anything like Catherine O’Hara, but still being funny. Being able to perform is just as important for a drag competition as the looks, and this queen has the x-factor that may take her farther than the dolls with great make-up skills. Six of the queens are up for elimination. RuPaul, Michelle Visage, and the twink version of Prince Harry (Rhys Nicholson) read the queens down for their Snatch Game performances. They aren’t wrong. Nobody was slaying except for Anita Wigl'It who played the age-old game of being an elderly person saying crass things. BenDeLaCreme won playing Maggie Smith & saying things that Maggie would find titillating. Anita’s version of the game was much cheaper, but it was undeniably funny.
The next best competitor was Etcetera Etcetera, who really took a risky move by portraying a character that could have been one-note and offensive. She played Lindy Chamberlain and committed so hard that she was surprisingly funny every time she spoke etcetera... etcetera. RuPaul fairly picks the girls who did the worst this week to lip-sync. Coco Jumbo and Art Simone. From the first second, Art Simone entered the Werk room it seemed like she was going to win this entire competition, but she goes home this episode! Everyone is gagged. It’s a fun, fresh, and exciting twist. This is not the American version of RuPaul's Drag Race. No one is keeping the popular queens until the end. The stakes are high here and anyone can get the boot!
RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under season 1 airs Saturdays at 12am PT / 3am ET on WOW Presents Plus in the US and select territories worldwide, day-and-date with Stan (Australia), TVNZ On Demand (New Zealand), and BBC iPlayer (UK) local airings.