Season 13 of RuPaul's Drag Race is here, it's queer, but don't get used to it. Everything we thought we knew about the first episode format of this popular drag queen competition show is thrown out the window. RuPaul keeps the audience guessing with twists galore for this season's premiere.
After twelve incredible seasons of reality tv and several spin-off series, it is difficult to keep the show fresh for fans. The team at RuPaul's Drag Race has brought us shocking eliminations, disqualifications and even edited a contestant (Sherry Pie) out of an entire season. What more could they do to shock us? Break out those point shoes ladies, because this episode is keeping us on our toes! Normally all 13 of the new queens enter the Werk Room and size each other up before meeting RuPaul. This year each queen must lip sync for their lives as their introduction to the competition. Well, for some of them it is an introduction. For the other half of the queens, it is elimination. Shove that cue tip down my throat and swab me for sickness because this episode has us gagging!
The first two contestants to enter the Werk Room are Kandy Muse and Joey Jay. Kandy Muse is a well-known New York City queen with plenty of attitude. She brings immediate charisma, uniqueness, and plenty of shade at her former drag family member, Aja. Joey Jay enters saying "filler queen," which is one of the greatest pet peeves about this show. Self-referential is okay sometimes, it is drag after all, but in the past few seasons queens have been going so meta that it seems like the show is quoting itself quoting... well... itself. And to refer to yourself as a "filler queen" (meaning a queen that is middle-of-the-road with no chance at winning) is highly annoying. Everyone on Earth is a drag queen nowadays. To show up without the intention of winning is to give the finger to... everyone on Earth. If it is a strategy, touché to this smart gal but it seems more like low self-esteem as an entrance line.
These first two queens in the door are shocked to their core to discover that they must lip sync against each other before doing anything else in the competition. Kandy seemed like she was line producing and writing this show until the twist announcement. Once she is in front of RuPaul she looks completely scared out of her mind. She and Joey Jay both give tepid answers to the judges about their drag styles and then prepare to lip-sync for their lives! The lip sync is, in a word, bad. They both look terrified and neither one of them owns the number. Kandy Muse is asked to stay and Joey Jay must sashay away. RuPaul must be smitten with Kandy's personality because that lip-sync was very bland. Joey Jay very sadly sashays way. At this point in the episode, it is so shocking that this is happening. Is half the cast actually getting eliminated in episode one?? Let's continue.
Denali enters wearing figure skates, saying "I'm here to break the ice". LaLa Ri enters and Denali throws major shade at her in the confessional booth. She says, "Not gonna lie I was expecting a little bit more", referring to her fashion choices. Poor Denali has to lip-sync in ice skates. None of these girls thought they would be lip-syncing in these outfits. Little does Denali know that LaLa Ri is a sick lip-syncer in the Atlanta drag scene. This lip-sync is much, much better than the lackluster first showdown. Both girls give it their all and Denali even has to do the entire thing in ice skates. LaLa Ri stays and Denali gets "the Porkchop."
The next two queens in the door are Tamisha Iman and Symone. Tamisha has been doing drag for thirty years. She is the mother of LaLa Ri who won the previous lip sync. The show has never had a drag mother and daughter duo until this season. Symone is much younger and looks absolutely gorgeous. She has a huge Instagram following and definitely enters this competition with a strong reputation. Tamisha tells the judges she just got over cancer. She got the call that she was cast on season 12 of Drag Race on a Friday and on a Sunday she was told she had to have radiation because of a colon cancer diagnosis. She had to drop out of Season 12 so this is a huge comeback for her. Tamisha Iman and Symone both slay a Janet Jackson lip-sync. Tamisha is giving classic Janet dance moves and Symone goes with a comedic take. This is the first great lip sync of the night. Symone narrowly wins it and Tamisha is asked to sashay away. When Tamisha leaves the stage she sees the other two eliminated girls waiting in an area together. Denali and Joey predict that it is possible they aren't being eliminated just yet, but Tamisha hilariously proclaims, "The lady said go home. There's gonna be one van to take us all to the airport."
The next two queens in the Werk Room are Gottmik and Utica. Gottmik enters looking sickening. Gottmik is the first transgender man to compete in RuPaul's Drag Race. Gottmik discusses their unbelievable resumé of makeup artistry on Hollywood celebrities. Utica comes in looking very Crystal Methyd kooky in a great way. So far this seems like a really great crop of queens. Gottmik definitely falters when asked if they are a lipsync assassin. The two queens go head to head and this one is another sleepy performance. Gottmik is asked to stay and Utica is asked to sashay away.
Rosé and Olivia Lux walk in together. Rosé throws shade at Olivia in the confessional for being very new to drag. This season already feels like there is deeply real drama and not overly produced shenanigans. Rosé says that she is surprised to see Olivia at Drag Race because she is not very seasoned. Olivia Lux has only been doing drag for a year and a half. Then Olivia slays the lip-sync and gets to stay. Rosé is asked to leave and she is completely floored by this information. Rosé is clearly a super talented queen, but we are already detecting a bit of a cocky attitude.
Tina Burner enters the Werk Room saying she is The Muppets Take Manhattan. Watch out for this queen. She is a New York City legend and she will give the comedy chops all season. Then Kahmora Hall walks in looking absolutely sickening. It looks like A New York City drag legend versus a Chicago drag legend showdown. Then in walks in Eliott with Two Ts. She looks very stylish and fun but something about her reads... new. The other girls are ready to eat her up. This is the one three-way lip-sync of the competition. Tina Burner wins by a landslide. Kahmora Hall and Eliott with 2 Ts both get the "Porkchop."
Symone says "You gotta watch out for those (comedy and campy girls) because they may not be gorg in the face but that don't mean shit in this competition". It is one of the shadiest things we have ever heard and we are obsessed. More drama pours in as Rosé says that she likes Tina Burner, but Tina Burner does not like her. There is going to be some major clashing this season and we are ready!
Before the episode ends, Michelle Visage points out that RuPaul has just eliminated half the cast and it is only the first episode. RuPaul then tells the eliminated queens that they will all have a chance to re-enter the competition, but they must choose one of the other queens in their losing group to go home. The girls all look flabbergasted and then the title card reads... To Be Continued.
This is absolutely excellent television.
Source: VH1