Drag Race RuCap: “One Night Only”

So many queens! Too many?

CLÁUDIO ALVES: The most popular drag contest on television (sorry Dragula) may not be called RuPaul's Best Friends Race, but writing for The Film Experience sometimes feels like it. I've met fantastic people over the few years I've been writing for the site, and some have become close pals. Indeed, it's rare that a day goes by without me chatting the house down with the fabulously-haired Nick Taylor. But, of course, when Drag Race's on the air, those conversations devolve into jokey recaps (rucaps!), so it seemed fitting to fuel that enthusiasm back into the site that made us friends in the first place. Though our usual TFE write-ups may lean serious-minded and long-winded, we can be fun and tight. That said, please don't hold us to that promise – we'll try, and that's good enough…right, Nathaniel?

Without further ado, let's dive into the supersized Season 15 premiere...

What did you think of the episodes, Nick?

NICK TAYLOR: Listen, we Dragula stans know it’s not the most popular show in the world, but where else are you gonna see a drag king down a jar full of spiders, or a sexy black widow smack the fat, hairy ass of the bloody hunk she just devoured while doing a lip sync? Different shows have different niches, and that’s what makes them special.

Irene DuBois and Loosey LaDuca, winners of the first two mini-challenges.Re: the debut episodes. I liked them, kinda? It definitely felt long, and the comparative length of the first group performance number vs 16 talent shows made the challenges feel unevenly showcased. It’s not a structural gambit I want to see repeated, but it was a nice way to introduce all the queens and keep them on their toes. Throwback mini-challenges reflect how much the show itself has changed since its humble beginnings, even as it adheres to a seasoned and successful format, and the backgrounds of its contestants - from seasoned pageant queens to tik tok sensations - further highlights this shift.

Right off the bat, I can guess at least two people who feel inevitably bound for the finale and overall this feels like an interesting and varied group. What about you, Cláudio? Whose pussies did you think popped most severely?

The episode's judging pannel.

CLÁUDIO: This week's extra special guest judge Ariana Grande is something of a drag queen, so there's that. Also, the hilarious Ross Matthews might be wearing more paint than some of the girls (cough*Marcia*cough). Bitch looked as orange as Season 5 CoCo Montrese.

The overlong premiere gave us plenty of time to meet the dolls before the producers started culling their numbers. With 16 queens, this will be a long-ass season, so I appreciate the elimination by the end of the premiere. As Drag Race arrives in its new home of MTV, that move felt like a throwback to another era. It was even more nostalgic than the recycling of the first two season's photoshoot themes - bless the Pit Crew's slutty little outfits. 

To answer your inquiry about popping pussies, let's assess each queen, their performance, and looks. We have 16 wannabee winners to consider, so we best get moving.

First up, Irene Dubois, a Seattle alien queen who calls herself sister to last season's Bosco. She comes into the werkroom in a look best described as virus-adjacent, as if Tim Gunn threw a COVID closeup at an under-slept over-stressed designer and demanded they make it fashion. With a contact-aided case of heterochromia and a messy mullet, she makes for an arresting vision. I like her. What about you, dear Nick?

NICK: I’m not sure anyone here looks straight-passing enough to qualify as trade, but we need a term for “queen who looks like a regular at a queer coffee house/bar”, a title Irene absolutely swipes within this crowd (Bosco would have earned it her season too). I liked Irene a lot! Lotta firsts with her: First into the werkroom, first mini-challenge winner, and . . . . well.

Her drag, her shade-as-camaraderie, and her sense of humor have a real point of view that stands out against several of her fellow queens. It’s a shame her talent show bit died on the vine like that, but you can see the bones of a great routine so clearly, and she deserves credit for being one of the only queens (maybe the only one?) not to do a lip sync/musically driven performance. She’s my favorite first out since Jaymes Mansfield and Miss Vanjie. I know the show’s basically stopped doing return-of-the-eliminated queens challenges, but if we get one I’ll be rooting for her wholeheartedly. Oh, and I loved her lipstick message. Where do you stand on her?

CLÁUDIO: The fact Irene had to truncate the bit to accommodate the One Night Only Talent Show structure hurt her the most, and it's further a reminder of how little the American Drag Race team does to help queens stuck in situations like these. In España Season 2, the talent show episode was a success partly because of how much each performer was supported by a production intent on showing them off to their best ability. Anyway, Irene’s sense of humor will be missed.

Our next queen is Luxx Noir London. She walks into the werkroom full of confidence in a black-and-white look, exuding the sort of cockiness that's lovable in a drag queen as long as they have charisma to match. Thankfully, Luxx does, even if her wig doesn't measure the 40 inches she claims it to be. That delightful bit of silliness between her and Irene left me puzzled, however. I have no idea who's right since I'm a metric bitch to the end; I don't even know what an inch is.

NICK: Gay men have a hard time telling you how many inches they really have. Luxx's confessionals are great, as is the bubblegum pink outfit she wears for them. She’s easily the most compelling of the internet-based queens, both on merit and in the way she carries herself. Admittedly, the specifics of Luxx’s talent show number don’t resonate a day later, but the impression of a finessed, well-dressed performer is undeniable. And damn, her Who is She? runway was exquisite - loved the giant hat. I bet she’ll go far. 

CLÁUDIO: Her runway is polished pristine, though it looks a bit like the bastard child of Aquaria's Musketeer-esque getup from Season 10 and Naomi Smalls' All-Stars finale outfit. Then again, if you're going to remind a viewer of previous contestants, you might as well bring to mind those two fabulous fashionistas. Could be worse.

NICK: Up next is Aura Mayari, who’s maybe a little too quick to designate herself the trade of the season but is simply too fucking hot in and out of drag for me to care that much. I enjoyed her style and her attitude, but in a crowd of sixteen queens, she didn’t display anything to seem like an obvious frontrunner. Lotta black ensembles so far, I’ll say that. 

CLÁUDIO: Aura's style is a bit basic, to be honest, but she's got the energy to carry it off. The girl goes quickly out of breath, however. Also, not to be too shady, that lace line wasn't ready for primetime. Anyway, she feels like the definition of a safe queen, kicking her run with some killer, if forgettable moves, to the rare sound of K-Pop on the main stage. I am entertained so far, but I want more.

Our next contestant is the human embodiment of a B.F.A. in musical theater. Welcome to werkroom the triple-named Marcia Marcia Marcia, who immediately draws comparisons to Season 12 and All-Stars 6's Jan Sport from the other queens. Her wig gag's funny, her makeup light to a fault. Though she puts across a strong, consistent brand, I'm afraid I'll need to watch The Brady Bunch to get her whole deal. Are you charmed by this preppy peppy princess?

NICK: I am! Partially because she looks like a twinky Paul Mescal out of drag, partially because her whole apple-cheeked deal actually reminded me of Blair St. Clair, and I’m already clicking with Marcia more than I ever did Blair. I also have not seen The Brady Bunch, but I’m impressed that, at least so far in her talent show presentation and her runway, she was able to translate a very specific archetype without getting bogged down in her own branding. Her horny teen ballet was the most successful attempt at a Willow Pill-style oddity of any of the queens, and it showcased an actual talent of hers, which felt novel in this crowd. And what a crisp runway! I’ll be curious to see how flexible this persona really is, and how many other sides of herself she has to flex. This kind of sweetheart winning Drag Race would be a real shocker, but she’s already shown she’s got some tricks up her sleeve.

Speaking of showcasing specific talents, we have Anetra (six letters, three vowels), who emerged as a bitch to beat from the minute she entered the werkroom in that spiked yellow biker helmet and that leather jacket and skirt. Her ducking-walking, wood-smashing talent show earned her a very deserved challenge win - as did the very stunning outfit she wore for that performance - and her presence in the confessionals is  loose and fun. Queens who win the first challenge usually have high expectations placed on them, though.

CLÁUDIO: This premiere made me fall head over heels for Anetra, stunt queen extraordinaire. Sure, the fact she's the hottest contestant out of drag might have helped, but it's not the sole cause of adoration.

Her spiky entrance look was a winner, her line a fun bit of silliness, her mug a sharp stylization of her already angular features. That she immediately stood out as one of the quietest contestants was a plus since I regularly gravitate toward these silent but deadly personalities. And wow, was she deadly! Anetra's Mortal Kombat-ready talent show performance felt like a blast of energy, almost to the same level as Aja's All-Stars showcase and Drag Sethlas' Transformer routine.

Malaysia Babydoll Foxx is next. The first queen from Miami in the show's history is another out-of-drag cutie that seems uninterested in drama (at least, for now), walking into the workroom with a striking entrance look. Were you a fan of her foxy couture? 

NICK: I was and felt appropriately horrified on her behalf when her fursuit got drenched for the mini-challenge. Loved the beat for her original song, which stood out compared to most of the high-tone numbers we got, and it’s a fucking ballsy move to get crowned onstage at the end of her performance. Is it too early to peg Malaysia as a potential Miss Congeniality? She really lit up that werkroom when she walked in the door, and she reads sincere.

Up next is Princess Poppy, a queen whose one-liners I consistently laughed at without really being taken by her. Her entrance look was solid, her talent show skit (performing a duet with an arm puppet she had dubbed a monstrous growth) was novel but not necessarily weird enough, and I don’t think we should’ve seen her underwear during it. You think we’re gonna be seeing much of her?

CLÁUDIO: Maybe not. She didn't leave a strong impression beyond a general sense of cuteness. Admittedly, her candy-pop style is not my jam, so that might be what's keeping me from embracing Princess Poppy. At least, Murakami would love her ear trick. Thank U, next.

Last to enter the werkroom from this first batch of queens, we have a living legend. Welcome to the stage, the inimitable Sasha Colby, taking this premiere by storm with what I can only describe as Big Winner Energy. As Sasha said in her video promo, she's your favorite drag queen's favorite drag queen.

I also loved her talent show performance, consisting of a dramatic lip-sync anchored by an idea of mental health struggles. The only reason to see the first two Untucked minisodes is to get a bit more background on her artistic process and how she devised the number to pay homage to her father while also dealing with the personal trauma of madness. That may be why she failed to make the episode's top 3. For all that RPDR likes to milk trauma for backstage Emmy moments, it's never as willing to celebrate serious-minded performance art – remember Mariah in the All-Stars Talent Show? Whatever, Sasha Colby's sheer perfection in my eyes. 

NICK: Oh, the way all of the queens either started screaming for joy or jokingly debating if they should quit was fantastic. Her presence, her approachability, her humor, her gold velvet gloves in the confessionals - all perfect. Big Winner Energy indeed. There were so many original song lip syncs that simply performing to an exciting track somehow felt fresh, but Colby’s routine hit at something dark and interesting. The runway look alone should have guaranteed her high placement, though I can’t complain too hard about the top 3 we ended up with. Love how pissed she was about being safe (all the safe queens looked mad about it), and Mama announced herself with a bang.

Onto the next batch of bitches! Salina EsTitties is the first queen from group two, and I was charmed by her immediately. Big hair, big body, big mouth, big energy, and all of it feels authentic to who she is while feeling like a persona. “Don’t tell me I’m the only one who got invited to Ru’s quinceañera, bitch!” She’s got a great mix of street glam and edgy humor (I did enjoy the Will Smith joke), and I like the risks she’s taking. It’s especially refreshing next to some of the greener queens. 

CLÁUDIO: Love her energy, love her voice – the fashion could do with some improvement, though. While every concept is appealing enough, the details keep bringing EsTitties down. The lack of nipples or pasties on her entrance look was annoying. Later, her denim-heavy runway look is a fun streetwear-inspired idea ridden top to bottom with execution problems. To top it off, that deflated wannabee bucket hat deserves a place in some hypothetical Drag Race Hall of Shame.

Amethyst comes next, and so starts the Connecticut invasion. Depending on how this season shapes up, we could end up with a Connecticut vs. the World situation on our hands. Judging Amethyst's premiere offerings alone, I'm siding with the World. She's cute out of drag, but her performance instincts need some fine-tuning – why reveal the baby so soon? – and she should try some padding to avoid Michelle's wrath. Were you as offended by the gal's flat ass as the judges were?

NICK: I would like to see some padding. I’m more on her side in regards to wearing sneakers for her talent show skit. We love some Kate McKinnon-lookalike negligent mom realness, and the shoes felt of a piece. Still, you need performance bonafides to get away with this stuff, and she did not manifest that today.

After her comes Jax, a New York-based and Connecticut-born queen who dubs herself the Simone Biles of drag. Her talent show backs that statement, starting with a sick jump rope routine (Kerri Colby’s impact!) before doing an incredible series of flips and backflips, landing (to quote Anetra) ever so gently on her titties. Her wardrobe throughout strikes a colorful, well-cut balance of banji and preppy aesthetics, and I have no doubt she was the runner-up for this first challenge. Jax is also the drag daughter of Aja, a personal fave from season 9 and All Stars 3, making her the third of Aja’s kids to compete on the show. How well do you think she’ll fare?

CLÁUDIO: Jax is a bitch bound to go far. I wouldn't be surprised if she made it to the finale. I was delighted by the bedazzled camera she wore down the runway and felt legitimately astounded at her sheer athleticism. Jax tells us she's a former cheerleader, and we better believe it.

From a queen who came close to the prize, we come to one teetering on the precipice of a bottom two placement. Loosey LaDuca continues the Connecticut invasion, making me wish Glenn Close guest judges, but only if she comes dressed as her Stepford Wives character.

Like Marcia, she's a musical theater queen with a name inspired by a brand of musical-dance shoes. However, her chops as a chanteuse were disappointing. Pitchy as fuck, I feel this construction worker by day/bombshell by night saved herself with her look. I don't even mean her Britney Spears-derived gown. Instead, the doll's delirious shape was the key. She's the antithesis of Amethyst, a miracle of padding in all the right places.

NICK: Her ability to shape her body really is something, and as stiff and pitchy as her performance was, this felt like a very fair instance of someone’s runway saving them from lip-syncing. I’m getting very big Jackie Cox energy from Loosey - a funny and fast-talking presence that’s probably axed from the finale at the last second if she can make it that far. Given her experience and the excitement the other CT queens have when they see her, I’m very curious to see her in her element, and next week’s acting challenge might be a good opportunity for that.

Next is Texas queen Mistress Isabelle Brooks, another queen who radiates Big Winner Energy and, when we see her out of drag, Queer Coffee Shop/Bar regular. I was fully captivated by her from the moment she entered, kitten heels and all, which Mistress justified as her first line of defense from being the latest big girl to break her ankle and leave early. Everything from the mini-challenge to the original song talent show to the Who’s She? runway to her very opinionated attitude in the werkroom and the confessionals was executed with seasoned finesse, and if I can’t quite argue Mistress should have made the top three, it’s impossible to deny she announced herself loud and proud as tough competition. Shame the hat for her runway wasn’t bigger, but what can you do?

CLÁUDIO: The wig needed to be bigger or maybe look as expensive as all that heavy, beaded fringe dangling from her costume. Despite that, it was a great outfit, and her entrance getup was even better, kitten heels and all. Her mug alone is a wonder worth studying. Her challenge performance might have been the definition of safe, but Mistress still left the premiere feeling like a fierce competitor.

Speaking of fierce, our next queen is Robin Fierce from Connecticut. She wins the prizes for worst drag name – utterly generic to the point of parody – and prettiest face. Unfortunately, a safe performance and a lackluster runway with fit issues mar the picture further. Though the girl sounds lovely, I hope she steps her pussy up in the incoming episodes because she ends this premiere with the stench of 'filler queen' wafting about her person. At least she has a kai kai storyline with Amethyst. 

NICK: I liked Robin’s vibe a lot, though some of her confessionals and asides did tilt the grandeur towards delusional. She’s gorgeous, and I really liked the song she used in her performance.

Last but not least are Sugar and Spice, who clip-clop into the werkroom together before doing a rehearsed comedy bit that the others queens don’t quite know how to react to. The way their overly gregarious chatter takes up whatever room they’re in screams that these queens haven’t worked with other artists in person - girl. I imagine their tik tok stardom and the sheer novelty of being twins will bring them a lot of scrutiny, and for my money I don’t think they lived up to it. Their lip syncs were sloppy, the runways were not interesting, and for two queens who are allegedly competing separately, they seem stuck rhyming with each other in very unproductive ways (they’re inevitably gonna lip sync against each other, right?) Whoever lasts longer, I really hope they pop off once their sister goes. I’m pegging Spice to last longer, though I don’t know why. What about you?

CLÁUDIO: They were undoubtedly two of the premiere's main characters, hinting at what I fear might be a season-long narrative. Are we headed into a Season 7 repeat, substituting young look queens vs. pageant veterans for a social media sensation vs. live performer dynamic? I hope not, especially if Sugar and Spice are the ambassadors for the first faction. Luxx and even Amethyst were better at articulating the validity of Tik Tok drag than these superstars.

I'm more curious about their inevitable separation. They were too symmetrical throughout the episode, down to their Long Island Disney Princess runways – Belle for Sugar, Ariel for Spice. Still, I liked them better than expected, appreciating how they took their colleague's shade in stride, exuding simple happiness at just being there.

The tops and bottoms of the week.As the episode drew close, Anetra was named the winner, with Marcia and Jax completing the top 3. I'd have swapped Sasha for Miss B.F.A., but the judging felt fair. That assessment continues into the lip-sync between Amethyst and Irene. I'm no fan of Ariana's "7 Rings," and their face-off didn't change my mind. 

NICK: I might have ultimately given Jax the win. There’s no doubt in my mind that Sasha will pop off throughout the competition, though, so I’m fine with Marcia Marcia Marcia having her moment moment moment.

An underwhelming lip-sync?

Irene going was the correct choice, based on the lipsynch (which I did not care for) but she was absolutely more interesting to me than Amethyst, so it made me sad. It’s not the note I wanted this episode to end on, but I’m glad that this elongated premiere ended with a queen going home. First opening to send a queen home since season 11! The overall quality of the judging and the contestants makes me optimistic for what this season holds, and knowing I’ll be discussing with you means it’ll be fun no matter what. And on that note, I think it’s finally time to put this fun tight short write-up out of its misery.

See y’all next week!

Vivacious - the premiere's true STAR - bids you adieu. Until next week. BYEEEE!

Comments

[NATHANIEL R]

okay i'll play too. ranked in the order I liked them in this episode

1. Anetra - wow that performance

2. Marcia Marcia Marcia -- I grew up on the Brady Bunch in syndication and thought she was so fun and sly in performance (though not that much personality offstage, it's true)

3. Jax - wasn't thinking about her much until that jumprope and now am sold.

4. Sasha Colby - strong presence and great talent performance.

5. Irene Dubois (sniffle) - loved her confessionals and thought they shouldn't have been so harsh with the performance becasue at least she tried something different that wasn't WHAT ALL QUEENS CAN DO (lipsynch) and there was obviously a hit bit within that... it just wasn't fine tuned enough.

6. Aura Mayari - extremely hot... though yes it's annoying that she herself obviously thinks so

7. [TIE] Amethyst -- liked her in all the other ways even though the timing was off on that performance and
Loosey - messy in the talent challenge but stellar otherwise - and i hate how overrewarded lipsynching is as a talent given that EVERY OTHER EPISODE gives us that

9 Mistress - good confessionals and performance

10 Luxx Noir - fun confessionals. the drag didnt wow me though

Dont much remember them TIE no order
11. Robin Fierce, Princess Poppy, Malaysia BabyDoll Foxx

annoying!
14 Salina Estitties - fpretty good at her schtick but not for me.

15/16 Sugar & Spice - already dreading the narratives. I did follow them for a short time on TikTok but they're so repetitive and canned that I got bored real quick. Do i have to repeat that narrative on television, too?

[whunk (he/him)]

"We're gonna wait 15 seasons to bring on a Miami queen but also invite 3 Connecticut queens" is a very "first year on MTV!" type move for RPDR.

[Philip H.]

Random thoughts...

Amethyst is a TikTok queen too, right? Her talent show moment showcased that... a more seasoned live performer would understand that revealing the punchline within the first minute leaves you no where to go, whereas social media (specifically TikTok) doesn't care if you have nuance or not. She's a very cute boy, tho!

Sugar and Spice give me Derrick Barry 2.0. I agree their lip syncs were sloppy, but their looks were at least polished. They're clearly going decently far as a pair, it's too strong of a narrative. I think Spice has the edge, though.

Aura Mayari hotness as a boy made her way too cocky to be delivering such consistently forgettable performances.

Princess Poppy is the most forgettable of all of them. Robin Fierce screams filler. Malaysia Babydoll Foxx screams Silky Nutmeg Ganache - I'm sorry but the voice sounds just like her! She resembles her too.

Anetra is a rlly cute boy and deserved the win. Sasha Colby was clearly 4th place.

Overall, a strong cast, but too many queens. I'm happy they actually eliminated someone though -- even though it was definitely one of the more interesting queens, it was a deserved elimination.

I'm at the point where I'm kinda Drag Raced out. It just isn't special anymore... There are only so many talent shows and runways I can see before it all bleeds together lol. Season six remains the best season. I find these recent seasons have become highly overproduced and manipulated.

[CALonBway92]

Ugh, this season's going to be UNBEARABLY long I can tell, already! Waaaaay too many queens for a show like this (12-14 is the right number).

Some thots:
- Irene was soooo disappointing. Would've prefered her staying, but that lipsync was a Choice (but then again that song only works in a club so...).
- The Twins are going to be a problem, from a viewing point and from a competition point. Also, the one in the pink screams "gonna go on All-Stars with lip fillers that don't look good".
- Anetra saying "what's burning? My pussy!" and then SMASHING that wood block had me doing a fullout Leiomy screech! So good!
- Marcia's either going to be one of my favorites, or I'll be spending every week yelling for her to GO.