Rupaul's Drag Race: Season 5, Episode 7
SO MUCH this week! Where to even start? How about... with the beginning?Were you surprised to see Rolaskatox dissolve so quickly? I know the judges told them “no cliques” last week, but I didn't expect Alaska to take action so quickly. But good for her! That girl was a shining star this episode, and it’s staggering that she hasn't won a challenge, yet.
Actually, I’ve been thinking about that--this season, the producers seem to be focused on: not having any clear frontrunners and rewarding the underdog. Have we seen any queen win more than one challenge so far? I don’t think so, but I'm not taking the time to go through and check. Sharon Needles won four challenges last season, but it’s hard to imagine any one queen dominating the field like that this time (even though Jinkx arguably could have won the last three weeks in a row).
Furthermore, the judges have been rewarding the queen who most surprised them, rather than the one who might have delivered a better performance. No one expected Coco to win this week, and so her strong showing snagged her the win. Alaska was already known for her edgy humor, so even though she offered the most polished jokes, she didn't get nearly as much acclaim.
Mind you, I’m not complaining--I was glad to see Coco steal the shown (It's hard to top Coco, am I right??), and the lack of any one shining star of the season has certainly kept things interesting.
Yes, the lip sync was fabulous, and Ru made the right call in keeping Roxxxy and Alyssa. I loved each of their performances, but neither runway look stood out to me, so I opted to draw my favorite four queens from the Roast, instead.
As ever, Untucked gave us a lot to chew on. First of all, both Jinkx’s and Roxxxy’s family histories were revealed, and the fact that both emerged as magnificent queens from such difficult beginnings is a huge testament to them.
Second, it was hilarious and refreshing to see the other queens finally declare an official moratorium on pageant drama between Alyssa and Coco. We’ll see if the ceasefire holds... but I can hope.
And third, why was everyone piling on Jinkx? I had a hard time following the tortured chain of logic: the other queens resent the fact that Jinkx expresses her insecurity, despite being such a fierce performer, and so they suspect her of duplicity? Of playing them? After so much trash talk over the weeks, it was shocking to hear Roxxxy, Coco, and Alyssa acknowledging (among themselves) that Jinkx is a viable contender for the crown.
Well, they're right! But I think it’s anyone’s game. Given that the last three challenges have focused squarely on performance skills, I’m curious what other challenges await us this season. I'm bracing myself for some ridiculous one that may throw my favorite queens off their game, but I'm betting their Charisma, Uniqueness, Nerve, and Talent will get them through!
Check back next week, and check out the new Drag Race prints I've got in my store! You can also see the full versions of this week's portraits in my Drag Race gallery!