It’s time to find out what happened to the six queens in the Pork Chop Loading Bay.
If you want to avoid spoilers for Rupaul’s Drag Race, stop reading now.
In week 1 we were thrown an instant twist with six lip sync battles with the losing seven queens (one was a threeway lip sync) being sent to the Pork Chop Loading Bay. In episode 2 we saw those losing seven send Elliott with 2Ts packing…but what they didn’t know is that he went to join the winning circle in the Werk Room. Each of those, now seven, winning queens then had to put together two runway looks for the mini challenge and then write and lip sync to a Rupaul track as well as a runway look – busy week!
This week it was the turn of the six queens in Pork Chop Loading Bay to do the same; a mini challenge of two looks and write, lip sync and choreograph a group number to a Rupaul track. I must say that although I didn’t think that episode 1’s format worked (too stop-starty) I am loving some space to get to know the queens through episodes dedicated to smaller groupings.
As a reminder the six losing queens from episode 1 that are featured in this episode are Denali, Utica, Rosé, Tamisha, Joey Jay and Kahmora. As they raced to get their make up and outfits ready for the two looks runway challenge ‘Lady and Tramp’, Kahmora was beginning to panic and it looked like she might not making it out in time.
For the Lady look, Rosé stood out for me as a walking piece of art complete with ‘osé’ written on her backside; she completed her name with her cleverly placed ‘R’ handbag. Utica’s sixties bubblegum ball machine inspired looked was great but didn’t really fit the brief for me. Joey Jay came out in the first of four wigless looks and I have to say, although he was serving body, something about the face and hair combo just hinted too much at boy for me. Denali’s proportions in her lady outfit seemed off to me (cough Hog Body cough) and Tamisha brought classy housewive in a fuschia pant suit and lacey overcoat. There was a slight moment of silence when it looked like Kahmora wasn’t going to make it but then out she came looking stunning in a retro white skirt suit and matching hat, looking every bit like a lady at Royal Ascot. Was simple yet elegant – well done Kahmora!
For the Vamp look, Rosé once again stood out with a futuristic, quasi Rayden from Mortal Kombat lampshade hat. Denali was definitely more cinched this time; Kahmora gave another simple but elegant look in black velvet and wet look wig; Joey Jay was a little forgetable; Tamisha gave us hairy suit realness and Utica had some crazy-but-it-works outfit with Krusty the Clown, Elizabethian hair. All-in-all the standard felt higher than that of the winners group in the last episode.
As the girls returned to the Werk Room, the discussion turned to age and Tamisha revealed she was 49 years old and also had three grown up biological children. She is definitely the mother hen of the group and there’s definitely a lot of history she can share with the younger queens.
The subject of choreography came up next and Denali, Rosé and Joey Jay all put their hands up as having dance experience. This became difficult as they practised on the main stage with too many cooks leaving non dancer Kahmora bewildered and after much tongue biting, Tamisha (who also has dance experience) had to take over. Following the rehearsals I was worried the performance was going to be a shambles.
I needn’t have worried as the girls performance was pretty solid. Denali’s solo showed off her dance training with splits and kicks galore and other standouts were Joey Jay and Utica. Rosé lacked personality for me, she can clearly dance but I just didn’t connect with her. Tamisha was solid but perhaps a little small performance wise (as Michelle later pointed out) with only Kahmora looking a bit lost.
Then came time for the runway where the category was ‘We’re Sheer, get used to it’. Denali again looked a little shapeless to me and Joey Jay had beaded curtain realness that actually made quite the impact. Utica’s outfit was very Stevie Nicks and did stand out again for being unique but it certainly didn’t wow me. Kahmora brought the big hair and J-Lo style figure hugging see-through dress whilst Tamisha kept it classy in a gold dress with a large bow on the front which floored the judges. Rosé got classed as a bit crafty by Ross Matthews for her plastic fantastic mini dress complete with huge detachable chiffon wrist sleeves.
After deliberating, Rupaul asked Denali and Rosé to stand forward before revealing that they were the top 2 of the week and like last week no one would be going home. It did mean that those two had to lip sync for $5,000 to Britney’s If You Seek Amy. Both girls did a solid job but it was Denali who pipped the competition with some clever voguing. Again, for me, Rosé is clearly a good dancer and very professional but I just didn’t feel a connection with his lip sync. Maybe she is trying too hard to put on a performance and not just enjoying herself and having a laugh. Her fashion in the mini challenge was the best for me and her entrance shows she’s got humour, I just wish she could connect that in her performances.
Rupaul promised things would get harder next week – maybe we’ll see a double elimination after three episodes with nobody leaving? We will have to wait and see.
Rupaul’s Drag Race Season 13 is available on Netflix in the UK with new episodes added every Saturday.
Read previous episode recaps here.
