This week, during the opening of the episode, Plane Jane asks a fateful question: “Is it time to start checking the scoreboard yet?” While the queens opt not to, largely because Dawn doesn’t want to accept her lack of a win affecting her narrative quite yet, I’m ready to start looking at the season as a whole. The queens’ scoreboard has been tallied by fans on Reddit since the first episode, but the fact that the tallying of points is possible by now points to a larger question. We’re seven episodes in and it’s time to ask: What is season 16 of Drag Race about?
A good season of Drag Race depends on successfully executing a story with a larger thematic tie-in. Season five centered not just around Roxxxy vs. Jinkx and Alyssa vs. Coco, but more largely around the idea of “rivalry” — that season is littered with examples beyond those two marquee fights, from Alaska talking about her relationship with Sharon to Vivienne Pinay’s one-sided hatred of Roxxxy. Thematic cohesion is what makes a season feel full. Readers of these recaps last season may remember that I interpreted season 15, which featured discussions of TikTokers, a teaching session about shade, and a top four that all traded in traditional glamour and performance values as being about what drag is. Seven episodes in, I think it’s safe to say that this season is about strategy.
It began with the “rank a queen” and immunity-potion twists, which foregrounded ideas of strategy right at the beginning of the season, setting us off on a path with weekly check-ins. Now, if you look at our main characters, you can see that each of their individual relationships to strategy has been documented, and those relationships form the backbone of their arcs — Nymphia is attempting to hide her talents to appear unassuming, Sapphira must combat her inner saboteur after miscalculating when to drink the immunity potion, Plane’s villainy was set in stone after ranking Nymphia last in the talent show. It’s made for a rather meta season, the kind that can only exist because the queens have seen the show already and are using that data to calculate what kind of move gets them further in the competition. Still, I’m interested to see where it goes. Whose moves on the chessboard left them exposed and who has her bases fully covered? This late in the series, the most aware girls are certainly going to have game plans, so why not move that from subtext to text?
The level that strategy has dominated the story of the season came into focus through this episode (in which the challenge was a rusical titled The Sound of Rusic with a plot that did not resemble The Sound of Music in any way) because it was an episode that required casting. One of the best advents of modern Drag Race in a post-mini-challenge world is that the queens now have to duke out among one another who gets what role. It changes the doling out of roles from something that just happens to being part of the challenge itself — when the top three for the episode all ended up being girls with large parts, I was okay with it largely because they were roles that the girls had chosen for themselves. This week, the casting segment told snapshot stories of some of the queens’ entire seasons. Morphine is foretold as a weaker member of the pack because she’s willing to capitulate. Plasma, meanwhile, learns that putting your foot down and pulling a Plane Jane (being a bitch about something) is a worthwhile thing to learn how to do. The Megami vs. Q faceoff ultimately comes down not to a battle of wills but a battle of luck via rock paper scissors. Q wins, which feels like it was cosmically destined to happen because Q needs an opportunity to show she can move, and the best way to do that is by finding a part that mostly just asks her to walk.
My favorite part of the “learning lines” segment of this episode was Dawn’s ever-increasing bitchiness. This elf has teeth! Her Plasma impression was hilarious, and I’m glad they included it because Plasma jumping out of her skin at the idea of The Sound of Music is also only funny if someone can acknowledge how annoying it is. Plane gets her co-stars to be bitches around the Werk Room with her, but, though Xunami and Q put forth valiant efforts, nobody can match Plane’s sheer audacity. “We believe in you, Sapphira. Good luck, Morphine and Mhi’ya,” she says. Still, Morphine gets points on the board when she reveals that Xunami has a crush on Plane.
From there, the girls go to rehearse with director Adam Shankman, who is best known for directing the Hairspray film. It’s always nice to see a real professional work with the girls, and it is always interesting when girls take to it well, like Sapphira did in this episode. Melissa McCarthy does a bit that I found largely useless and cloying, but, hey, your mileage may vary, especially if you’re trying to show this episode to your mom or something.
Because rusicals are so long — this one takes up 12 minutes, which, for reference, is 20 percent of the episode — we’re only about halfway through the episode when it comes in. These things are always risky from an entertainment perspective — they’re so long that if they’re interminable (as does sometimes happen — remember the Pharmarusical?), they’re among the worst episodes of the season. I found this one less effective than last season’s Wigloose, largely because it featured four completely irrelevant roles, but I still enjoyed it. No queen was bad enough to drag the whole thing down.
Of the performances, Plasma really is the best, no question. Every inch of her body is activated while she’s on stage. Watch those musical numbers with the Von Trapps again and you can tell that while Nymphia and Dawn, in particular, are fully in it, Plasma draws all the attention by hitting every move sharply and emoting the entire time. She’s a legitimately world-class musical performer. Sapphira is great in a part that was all but designed for her. The judges love Q, and she does do well, but I’m not sure that her performance is as unique as the other members of the top. Still, that Amanda Lepore makeup job is a stroke of genius.
Mhi’ya and Megami are rightly the bottom two. They don’t tank, but they are the least “in it” when they’re not the center of attention. Worth noting, however: Mhi’ya continuing to dance when the habit flies over her head is the moment I decided I loved her. They need a third bottom and end up opting for Morphine, which is approximately correct because she stands out the least of the rest of the girls, but I think Dawn was next in line. A smaller makeup job would have allowed her to be more expressive. Musical theater requires eyebrows that move. Nymphia doesn’t say much of anything in this episode, but she chooses her part in the rusical well. Hoping she has a big episode next week after being completely invisible. Xunami and Plane don’t have to do a lot, but they do it all well. In the judging, they make it seem like Q’s top placement was mostly a cumulative approval for the Baronesses.
The runway theme is flowers, which they’ve done before (on All-Stars 3), but it’s worth bringing back. This was one of those weeks where a bunch of queens independently decided to bring one of their best looks, making for a pretty thrilling runway presentation. Plasma looks great in an outfit that is not necessarily to my preferences, but I cannot deny that it is well conceived and well-made. I would like a tutorial on how to pack a suitcase taught by Sapphira. How did she fit both this outfit and the pumpkin into her suitcase? What is the size of her Rimowa? Morphine has the unlucky onus of following Sapphira’s look, so her outfit feels small. I love the wig, but the look is mostly just serviceable. The sleeves should, indeed, be lined. Mhi’ya has her best runway of the season thus far. Nice to see her have a fully followed-through idea. I do not like Dawn’s outfit one bit. In fact, I think it is ugly. Also, the effect of the roses at the bottom of her dress looks like the losing outfit during the wedding-dress challenge on season one of Project Runway, no?
Megami tells a big story about her outfit, but it would be better if she cut the story and just said she was doing a Madonna at the 1984 VMAs homage. Michelle’s right about her makeup not switching up, but that applies to half the queens here. I love Nymphia’s outfit. Her reference points are original for the show, her silhouette is creative, and I love that she just committed to something bulky — not everything needs to be a reveal to a form-fitting outfit. Stunner. Q’s pink flower monster is objectively great. She’s certainly not the first queen to pull something like this out; La Grande Dame did a similar silhouette on UK vs. the World, and Onyx on Drag Race España had one, but she’s the first on any version of Drag Race to take it to such a bright colorway. It’s really gorgeous, and she has the most transformative makeup skills in the bunch. Anyway, I’ve talked myself into agreeing with her top placement. Plane Jane’s is adorbs. Xunami is an upside-down bouquet, which is a cute idea, but I just don’t think it’s particularly nice to look at.
The lip sync sees Mhi’ya and Megami facing off to “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus. Dawn’s read of Megami being the Eeyore of Drag remains ever-prescient: It’s like she didn’t realize this song is about joy. Meanwhile, Mhi’ya simply knows how to lip sync. She is an utter delight to watch. Her performance shows the power of lip sync as an art form when she turns the song into a church number. It’s really fun to watch.
Also on Untucked…
• I’m still waiting for an episode of Untucked to feel essential in the post-Amanda world. Fine with Adam entering because not much was happening. It is worth noting that the bottom two were exactly who the girls predicted.
• While we’re on the topic of lip-syncing, I recommend everybody watch this Chloë Sevigny–directed Lipsynka short film Toxic Femininity while it is streaming for free. It’s under 45 minutes and gives you a chance to see the all-time master of the form.
• Predicted Top Four: Fine, Dawn’s out, whatever. Nymphia, Sapphira, Plane, and Q. I’d still prefer to see Dawn rally and knock out Q, though. Why no Plasma, despite her having two solo wins? Truly nothing more than a gut feeling.
• Gay Thoughts From Gay People: My boyfriend, talking about Q’s performance in the rusical: “I didn’t know who it was, but I thought she was doing well.” More credit to the makeup, I suppose.
• UK vs. the World report: While both seasons are running simultaneously, I figure I might as well give some thoughts on the other Ru-hosted season of Drag Race happening right now, UK vs. the World season two. The cast isn’t fully gelling yet, though it includes a lot of worthwhile performers. Hannah Conda’s been a bit of a disappointment thus far. Tia, I assume, just needs a challenge that plays to her strengths. I believe in La Grande Dame and Marina Summers supremacy, obviously. Marina’s talent show was maybe the best in the history of the franchise, and it’s been a long time since I’ve loved a look as much as LGD’s prince outfit in the ball. I would have liked to see Arantxa last longer; she’s extremely endearing.