RuPaul’s Season 13 Episode 5 Drag Race Recap: “ The Bag Ball ”



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if you are not

watching Not stuck

you only get

half the story

-rupi kaur

We have a lot to unpack this week. Kandy fights Elliott, Kandy really battles Tamisha and the queens embark on a dancing baby-themed mini-challenge that’s as mystifying and unearned as it is psychically disturbing. However, the majority of this episode is about the main challenge. A Bag Ball in which the queens serve a total of THIRTY-SIX LOOKS. So let’s drop the preliminaries and go straight to the main event, becoming queen by queen:

Symone
Symone deigns to reveal to us a flaw this week: she cannot sew! Finally, a deadly quality. Symone makes it clear from the start that she is aiming for “safety,” but that doesn’t stop her from serving up some jaw-dropping parade moments along the way. Symone’s “mixed bag look” is my absolute favorite in the category. Think Swiss scientists impact Diana Ross and Amanda Lepore in the Hadron Collider. Her excellence in the first two categories supports her final look: a simplistic (but well-fitting) skirt / bra set. Symone doesn’t kill this challenge, but she didn’t have to. His record remains unblemished and audiences are fortunate to see other contenders for the crown take center stage.

Denali
Denali desperately needed to stay away this week, and she does it admirably. Her crash test dummy is creative and fun, and her Cruella de Vil silver bag look is truly stunning. She also has a compelling concept for her handmade couture look, but, ultimately, it’s paper glued to a corset, on which judges rarely give top marks. Drag race. Nonetheless, she’s solidly secure, so we don’t have the pleasure of reviewing her lip-sync skills.

Elliott with two Ts
How come Elliott has technically never been down, and yet every week I remain convinced that she’s the next to go? It’s telling that Kandy says Elliott is mediocre and deserves to come home twice this episode, and none of her castmates come in to disagree. Elliott’s two prepared looks are by no means noteworthy (a special scream to the ‘gift bag’, I’d love to burn it), but her saving grace is her 80s beanbag costume. Maybe that’s the result. of my low expectations, but I whispered an audible “wow” this week as I watched her turn the corner on the track. So, well done, Elliott. I give you 1 in 2.

Olivia lux
Before Not stuck falls into madness this week, the queens have a little debate on which safe queens could have earned a first place (probably on Rosé). Among them, I think Olivia has the best case. But while her wonderfully well-constructed geometric sleeves are certainly a cut above Rosé’s skirt / bra, her couture boxer briefs unfortunately suffer from an acute case of SDIBS (“Symone Did It Better Syndrome”, for those who don’t. are not in the medical field). So our good Queen of New York is safe for another week. But is that a little flicker I’m detecting in that 1000 watt smile? Only time will tell.

Gottmik
If there’s one thing RuPaul is going to do, it’s project / squirt on the youngest, slimmest, prettiest fashion queen of the season. And this year it’s Gottmik, baby! Gottmik slips smoothly into a top spot after an effortless werkroom tour and an editorial presentation on the main stage. The judges are particularly gagged over her silver-bag look: an asymmetrical, metallic costume with ruffled details adorning the sides. Gottmik is now undefeated in their clashes against Utica (the first being their lip-sync in the first). Maybe I’m just a jerk to a nutcase, or maybe I’m a little fed up with the fashion-twink-industrial complex, but I think I would have given Utica the win both times. Gottmik leaves this episode with victory and momentum, but she still has a way to go before she catches up with Symone.

Pink
Like her New York sister Jan, Rosé has had a good start to the season. In addition to losing her first lip sync, Rosé has now had high placements and positive reviews in every episode she has appeared in. But every time, she’s just shy of gold (in this case, a little more shy than usual). So, now I ask the question: Is RuPaul making Rosé? Ru is not a model. He knows that Jan’s facial crack last season was a TV gold medal. And he knows exactly which buttons to press to transform a competitive but affable musical theater twink into a swirling tornado of chaos formed by BFA. And I have reason to believe that he is starting again. Rosé’s looks this week are polished and prepared, and her couture look is definitely the best of the skirt / bra brigade. But Michelle says she’s not “dragged” enough, and RuPaul is gaga over Gottmik. So, once again, Rosé is told “not yet your turn” and leaves the scene a little more edgy. I am worried about my daughter. Someone calls Stephanie’s Child Protection Services.

Tina burner
I almost forgot that Tina was in this episode until Not stuck came and Tina established themselves as a decidedly Kandy team. Do we think this is a good sign? Fortunately for Tina, it’s historically a sound Drag race strategy for flying under the radar for the first half of the season (if you can stick around, that is). The Queen of New York has been safe, secure and secure the past few episodes and you can tell she’s a little bit fed up. This week, Tina is producing three B-plus looks, but she’s going to have to do a little better than that if she is to climb to the top of this crew.

Kandy Muse
Don’t say she didn’t warn you. Kandy Muse told us from the jump that she has a strong mouth and no filter. And to quote me as an Instagram quote from Oprah citing Maya Angelou: When people tell them who you are, believe them. Kandy begins the episode’s content simply to fuel her feud with Elliott, but when Tamisha steps in, Kandy is more than happy to turn her fury on the Queen of Atlanta. The tension is thick like a hip pad, and they pick up where they left off Not stuck. Honestly, the fight is progressing to such an extent that it looks like Kandy is about to get physical. Fortunately, things are calm … for now. It is clear that this conflict is far from over and that neither queen is backing down anytime soon.

Tamisha Iman |
I entered this episode betting on Tamisha winning. But just like a Wall Street hedge fund manager, my bet did not pay off this week, and I will whining about it through the media. More disturbing than his placement in the bottom three, however, is the aforementioned almost violent argument with Kandy. I established Tamisha in the top four (I bought the shares at 11 cents!), And although many Drag race runner-up has had a one-season feud, can’t think of anyone who almost threw up their hands with another contender. The early episodes painted an image of Tamisha as a mother, both figurative and literal, and a mentor figure to some of the young queens in the competition. But this episode shows a side of Tamisha that is a little less motherly and a lot more uncertain. Now listen, I’m not saying Tamisha is false. I think most would agree that Kandy has displayed arrogant behavior throughout this season. But to choose to upset her not once, but twice? Mom, you are embarrassing me! Hopefully Tamisha can build on her pageant experience and crush that Kandy Ox, but like I said, something tells me these two are just getting started.

Utica
An impressive (and necessary) demonstration for our mad Queen of Minnesota this week. Utica has had three last episodes, and I was starting to think my first impression might have been irrelevant. Fortunately, this week has proven that I am perfect and that I never go wrong. Oh, and that Utica is about to be a force this season. While some Christian queens might hide their light under a bushel, Utica isn’t shy about sharing the fact that she can sew. (Not surprisingly, by the way. Ever just looked at someone and you know for a fact they own a loom?) And sew she does. Along with two well-styled early-night looks, Utica manages to transform nylon sleeping bags into a well-fitting, breathtaking hooded dress. It is truly extraordinary and, if I had been in RuPaul’s shoes, I would certainly have given him the victory. And again: I am NEVER wrong!

Joey jay
We say goodbye to Joey Jay this episode. Joey Jay came in declaring himself a “filler queen,” which turns out to be a self-fulfilling prophecy. She delivers three distinctly mediocre looks this episode, landing her deep in the background. After a brief and perplexing “Who’s on First” game with Carson and Nicole Byer, she’s forced to lip-synch against the gods LaLa Ri. The poor thing never had a chance. A moment of silence for Joey Jay: drag queen, sister of all, passionate about chicken feathers. She will be missed. Amen.

LaLa Ri
No one fails this week’s challenge as spectacularly as LaLa. I don’t think it’s a stretch to call your craft project the worst part of Drag race history. We are living in unprecedented times, after all! However, I wouldn’t change a thing, as it leads us to one of the best lip-syncing performances of the season so far. LaLa hits every beat of this Iggy Azalea song and just towers over poor Joey Jay. This master class leaves me eating a bit of a Denali vs LaLa Ri game. Don’t let me down, Ru.

This episode is impactful and I think it will be seen as a key turning point for the season. There are some needed table shuffles (notably with Gottmik and Utica establishing themselves as strong top four contenders), and the beginnings of what I’m sure will be a one-season conflict between Kandy and Tamisha. . The queens are already choosing sides, and I only see them getting worse from here. Confidence: there will be blood.

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