The race for the crown is well underway and tensions are high on RuPaul's Drag Race season 12. With only 8 queens left vying for the crown and one disqualified queen, this competition is really heating up.
In this, the seventh episode of a very competitive season of Drag Race, the dolls are tasked with doing a Madonna challenge. We have certainly seen Madonna tributes on this show before. We have been served not one, but two Madonna runway challenges. This time, however, they are not just doing her fashion. The queens must perform a Madonna song and dance number! The live performing challenges are often a fan favorite on Drag Race. If there is one thing that we love from a drag queen it is someone who can really perform, darling!
For the first time this season, there is no team leader. The girls have to assign the roles for the challenge themselves. It goes smoothly. Too smoothly. The girls convince Jan, the best vocalist ever on this show (you heard us Adore), to perform first in the line-up. Big mistake... huge. The rest of the not-so-strong singers now have to follow Jan. Things go relatively smoothly in the vocal work session with Madonna superfan, Michelle Visage, for everyone except Gigi Goode. The clear front-runner has not shown any weakness in the entire competition. She had a fight with Heidi N Closet at the start of this episode. Perhaps that tension has shaken her. Then we hear a truly blasphemous statement from Gigi Goode. She doesn't know who Patti LuPone is. Honestly? Disqualify her too.
When Gigi does her work session with choreographer Jamal Sims it looks like it is going to be a rough day for the front-runner. Heidi N Closet hilariously says that she will take Gigi's spot in the top this week and feel Goode about it. Brita, who has found herself in the bottom twice already, needs to nail this challenge to remain in the game. When she tries to learn her choreography with Jamal, it looks like she is a virgin to dancing.
Jan leads off the Madonna challenge with a strong but not super exciting performance. She sounds incredible, but that reminds us that Madonna is not a great singer. She may lose points for sounding too good! Jackie looks great, but the judges look... frozen. After watching Gigi Goode's performance we take it back. Disqualify everyone else and give Gigi her own show. We are no longer hung up on the fact that she does not know who Patti LuPone is. Jaida has the ESSENCE, mama! Her performance is sexy and very Madonna. Sherry Pie is fine but forgettable. Crystal Methyd is hilarious and so right for Ray of Light Madonna. Widow ends her number with a pas de bourrée, which is not very Madonna, but sure is hilarious. Heidi N Closet dances her butt off and brings the fun energy we love to see from her. The number is literally 106 minutes long, which is impressive for a 90-minute television show. It is wild how much more they expect from these queens every season. Gone are the days of the season 7 flight attendant step touch dancing.
When it comes time for the runway, Mama RuPaul struts in showing leg and looking truly sexy. Then RuPaul reveals the runway challenge: a night of a thousand Michelle Visage. It is a very sweet tribute to a woman who has given a lot to the Drag Race world and the gay community. On the runway Jan slays. Jackie looks amazing. Brita absolutely nails her Michelle Visage look. She looks campy and amazing. Jaida once again conquers the runway and says "the girls are sitting out nice and right" about her breast-plates. Jaida is becoming a more enjoyable reality TV personality every minute. Her confessionals had us laughing more than anyone else this episode. Sherry Pie's runway is back in the edit. Fans of the show on Twitter speculated that Disney's involvement in last week's episode is the reason her runway was not shown then.
During the critiques, Jackie Cox shares a beautiful and important message with guest judge Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Jackie talks about her mother immigrating to this country from Iran and gets very emotional as she thanks the congresswoman for the way she is fighting for marginalized people in this country. AOC loves Drag Race so much she even went live on Instagram with some local drag queens to raise money for them while they are in quarantine.
Jan does not win this challenge and she is gagged. Rachel Berry is ready to snap when RuPaul rains on her parade. She looks truly upset as Gigi Goode wins her THIRD challenge this competition. Ms. Goode is running away with this season.
It is a Brita Sweet Symphony watching the New York City Entertainer of the year lose the lip sync to Heidi. I am a former roommate of Brita in New York City. I knew her before she started doing drag and I watched how drag changed her life for the better. Miss Brita Filter has been receiving a lot of hate online, but anyone who has seen this fierce queen live knows she is a powerhouse performer and the world will know her joy long after this! I don't need to justify my love for Brita. She will continue to show the world.
Source: VH1, Kyle Kennedy Pratt