RuPaul's Drag Race Episode 15 Recap: Lip-Sync LalapaRuza Smackdown

Editor's note: Before you dive into episode 15, read our recap of last week's episode.

By the numbers, the Lip Sync LalapaRuza Smackdown featured ten queens performing eight lip-syncs for the chance to win $50,000 and the "She Done Already Done Had Herses" crown. The LalapaRuza has existed in a few iterations throughout RuPaul's Drag Race herstory. Starting last season, in which Miami's Morphine Love Dion was victorious, the lip-sync competition became the penultimate show leading into the finale and a quasi-reunion episode.

This week's episode took the spotlight off the final four — Lexi Love, Onya Nurve, Jewels Sparkles, and Sam Star — to focus on previously eliminated queens. The returning ten queens vied for a cash prize and, more importantly, bragging rights. Each queen returned with different motives, from Ruvenge to Rudemption or, in Lucky Starzzz's case, to "have fun."

As the queens reunited, Kori King and Lydia Butthole Kollins confirmed their relationship, Kori and Suzie Toot acknowledged the existence of Kori Toot, and Onya and Arrietty addressed the animosity of the latter's mirror message. Lydia got emotional over the fan response, and the queens discussed Suzie's surprise elimination. Despite the tears and laughs, the most memorable part of the episode was RuPaul's disturbing pale-blue contacts, perhaps a nod to Jewels from a few episodes ago.

Technically the first to be eliminated, Hormona Lisa was the first to lip sync. She delighted in picking "Liza with a Z" by icon Liza Minnelli, a song she had performed before. She was well-prepared and utilized several reveals, albeit with lackadaisical presentation. Her deadpan delivery created numerous comedic moments during the season, but her deadpan lip-sync did not work at all. With no dunk tank to save her this time, Hormona was the first to exit the LalapaRuza.

After Suzie identified Joella as an easier mark, Joella selected Dua Lipa's "Training Season" in hopes of outperforming Suzie. Joella camped it up while Suzie thespianed it up. Joella's exaggerated faces and drag dance moves had flair, but she failed to overpower Suzie's more controlled performance.

Acacia Forgot, who won the first lip-sync for your life of the season, found herself up against Lucky Starzzz. Perhaps the season's quietest queen, Acacia delivered a memorable performance as the duo mimed to "Step by Step" by Whitney Houston. Her reveals were the most dramatic of the episode and were stealthy enough to confuse Lucky. Her slow-motion death drop was a great gag that proved Acacia was funnier than she let on this season.

Arrietty returned to the competition with the most baggage. Eager to redeem her poor track record, she delivered a great performance to "Blow Me (One Last Kiss)" by Pink — an excellent choice for Arrietty's angsty persona. She had the episode's most inventive reveal and held her own against one of the season's better lip-sync performers. A heartfelt apology to Onya and a tight lip-sync performance garnered some goodwill at the very end of the season.

The final elimination of the first round was heartbreaking. Aside from a blatant product placement earlier, Crystal Envy did not get much screen time after her surprisingly early elimination this season. But she rekindled the memory of the Top Two talent performance with her lip-sync to Sylvester's "You Make Me Feel Real." A series of reveals and an acrobatic front roll showed Crystal is an engaging performer despite her loss.

Lucky had the most to prove in the second round. Her spectacular costume, combined with her delightfully stupid bouncing basketball breast reveal, recalled her tremendous talent show performance. After her first win against Acacia, Lucky met Suzie for a South Floridian face-off. Lucky's costume was terrific but restrictive. While her second breast reveal earned another chuckle from RuPaul, it felt a little redundant. Still, she reminded viewers why she became a fan favorite after her early elimination and why so many will be watching to see what she does next.

The second lip sync of the second round turned into a threesome between Lydia, Lana Ja'Rae, and Kori. Lydia's surprising conehead reveal during her first lip-sync showcased her bizarre, off-kilter humor and overshadowed Hormona's numerous costume changes. Unfortunately, the reveal in her second lip-sync lacked the same impact. Pulling out the scissors after her elimination was a great idea, but the lack of a reaction shot from anyone suggested no one really noticed. Lana, the debatable lip sync assassin of the season, came closer to earning the title this week. Her seductive style edged out Crystal in the first lip-sync, and she held her own in the second. Lana's series of Todd Oldham-inspired reveals also cemented her fashion queen status. The real disappointment of the lip-sync was the lack of a girl group challenge. While more than two people lip-syncing can be chaotic, Lydia, Lana, and Kori gave clean performances. They should tour together.

United by Kori Toot, the final match-up between Suzie and Kori made a lot of sense. They're very different performers, but both utilized their talents to make it to the Top Two. Suzie lost her preferred song, but the number of cutaways to her lip-syncing to Liza nearly won her a lip-sync she wasn't even a part of. The remaining songs were not in her wheelhouse, but she perfectly pivoted to make them work. In match-ups against Joella and Lucky, Suzie proved a master of pacing and theatrical interpretation of each song's lyrics.

While Suzie may lack traditional fierceness, Kori owns the stage during a lip-sync. She managed to make it through two rounds without a single reveal. Instead, she relied on movement, stunts, and her bubbly, bimbo persona, which worked perfectly during her performance of "360."

The final performance — to Rosé and Bruno Mars' "ATP" — was decided on one single misstep. Kori made it through the competition without a single reveal, and to her credit, she saved one for the last moment. Unfortunately, it happened as her costume came apart at the seams. The real problem with the breast reveal was she immediately covered them with her hands as if instantly regretting it. Out of reveals, Suzie captured the mood of the song through movement and facial expressions.

After her last-minute and questionable elimination, it felt appropriate that Suzie win this crown and cash prize. Likewise, it feels right that the title remains in South Florida after Morphine's win last season.