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This week, RuPaul’s Drag Race pondered the question, “Is strategy a talent?”
The queens competed in the Rate-A-Queen Talent Show and judged one another’s performances. Typically the first challenge of the season, the later shift allowed queens to account for individual performance styles and strengths, as well as personal relationships to influence voting. The intended effect was heightened drama. The unintended effect was strategizing, alliance-making, and overthinking, nearly overshadowing the talent.
In the premiere episode, Jane Don’t had hypothetical concerns about a South Florida alliance, which came to fruition as Athena Dion consorted with Juicy Love Dion and Mia Starr. Athena was adamant that she and Juicy not compete in the same week to help each other in the rankings. The imbalance resulted in Mia feeling left out, but they quickly recruited an eager Kenya Pleaser to find equilibrium. Starr eventually found another alliance with her former Glam girl group. Suddenly, her alliance with six different contestants comprised half the remaining cast.
All the conspiracy and strategy proved moot, but it did solidify the family bond among Athena, Juicy, and Starr. If anything, Starr made it clear to her other alliance that Athena comes first. Juicy and Athena also had a laugh when they called themselves “the most hated girls in Miami.” Athena also declared that she would put Juicy above anyone else in the competition.
This week’s runway felt like a throwaway next to all the Machiavellian machinations in the Werkroom and the talent on the mainstage. The “Not Today Satin” category felt particularly cruel, as it is a notoriously difficult fabric to sew. The South Florida trifecta focused on color. Athena’s shocking pink number paid tribute to To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar, but no one mentioned that RuPaul was in the movie. Mia’s red bow, created by her drag mother, was more sentimental than striking — it was a little limp. Juicy’s textured, deep-purple-and-green gown showcased a grander construction, both architectural and agricultural.
In the end, neither the runway nor the strategizing seemed to matter: Talent won. Juicy’s high-octane robot-inspired dance number, with signature gravity-defying stunts, impressed and electrified the judges. Starr, true to her roots, served a highly choreographed hip-hop-inspired dance complete with a wig reveal. Both numbers were authentic and perfectly calibrated to their unique talents. Neither required any alliances to make it to the top, but it will be interesting to see whether they help Athena next week.
Starr and Juicy, tia and sobrina, voted by their competitors, lip-synced for the win. The bonus performance proved equally captivating as the talent show. It was a thrilling lip sync, likely to be one of the season’s best. Individually, they were terrific, but it was the moments of synergy between Starr and Juicy that led RuPaul to say “that is how you compete for the crown.” A lip-sync so good it was impossible to decide a single winner, it served as a showcase for both queens and South Florida drag.
