The sweet queer-after was absolute hell for some of the queens on RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 15 Episode 3.
Whenever improv challenges come around, the queens must think on their feet and serve the fun. Some brought the jokes while others struggled for air. (And we mean a struggle for some!)
Come on, these are infomercials. The queens should be prepared for these challenges by now.
“All Queens Go to Heaven” was a fast-paced round that showed what RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 15 might be for the time being. Specifically, what the world will be now that Drag Race has moved back to being only an hour instead of 90 minutes.
Did anyone else miss the extra time?
Ninety minutes had helped to flesh out the rounds and give more spotlight to the queens/competition. There was more time to see how the queens performed during the Maxi Challenge, how they interacted with each other, and the genuine thoughts of the judges.
Like, where was the secret judging panel?! Bring that back! The judges are so raw and honest during that discussion.
Instead, everything felt so rushed. “All Queens Go to Heaven” ran through the challenge and the runway; we barely got time to breathe.
Hopefully, the pacing will improve as more queens get eliminated, and more scenes return. However, there’s a glaring difference between trying to downsize an episode that hindered the show vs. helping it. In this case, the change hurt it.
For instance, the Maxi Challenge and seeing how the queens prepped for their infomercials.
Each team only showcased one moment of one member who suffered in the challenge. The one scene didn’t give a good idea of who actually succeeded and who failed.
Jax lost all of her lines? Princess Poppy faded into the background? Where was that in the edit?
RuPaul: You have one more pick. Make it count.
Amethyst: Umm… Poppy.
Princess Poppy: Sorry losers!
RuPaul: Those words may haunt you.
[Everyone is shocked]
Mistress Isabelle Brooks: Oh trust, they will.
Don’t get me wrong, Drag Race loves its red-herring edits. They can be fun when done right, but it would’ve been nice to get the scenes of Sasha Colby’s “breakthrough” with Michelle Visage. We missed out on a different episode based on the judge’s critiques on the runway.
We needed more of the queens recording their infomercials.
Now, let’s break down each of the three heavenly infomercials. Team #1’s infomercial was the funniest and best of the three groups.
The script knew exactly what story it wanted to tell and how it would be structured. Each team member got a fleshed-out role and a joke to help them shine. And their infomercial was so funny!
Team #1 was exactly how a group could thrive together.
And the judges were right about Sasha Colby; she brought comedy into every scene she was in. Even something as simple as a neck snap for the transition was smartly played. Subtle, strong, and an easy way to win over RuPaul.
Team #2 had the second-best infomercial but suffered a similar problem to Team #3’s video. (Oh, we’ll get that video soon.)
The infomercial had jokes and gags that should’ve delivered some laughs. However, the queens weren’t landing them well, or they weren’t placed in the right way for them to be funny.
Beyond the Dolly Parton impersonation, the judges didn’t laugh once. I don’t blame them, as it wasn’t anything new or a strong one-liner. Something seemed very off from start to finish.
The collection of scenes was there, but overall, it was a fine and average infomercial.
On the other hand, Team #3’s infomercial wasn’t an infomercial at all. The video was a sandwich: the opening and ending were from an infomercial, but the entire middle portion was a skit for a separate comedy Maxi Challenge.
Team #3 stopped selling their afterlife and instead created moments for them to be outrageous shady drag queens.
Part of the problem could be that they didn’t structure and flow their ideas. Interestingly, they shut down Sugar for her ideas because there didn’t seem to be much else beyond the core concepts.
Aura Mayari: I live for the couple’s therapy right now!
Robin Fierce: Too bad we didn’t have this before. Maybe it would’ve worked.
[Everyone laughs]
And Sugar was the only queen to throw out quick one-liners and jokes. They didn’t land most of the time and jumbled together into one ball of energy. However, her ditzy character felt like the only one giving anything.
It’s disjointed when one character is high-energy, and everyone else is low/flat. The comedy suffers, and the flow makes it too cringeworthy.
Compared to the infomercials, the “Metallica” runway was a highlight for most queens. Many of them killed it on the runway.
Sasha Colby, Luxx Noir London, Amethyst, Loosey LeDuca, and Sugar had the night’s best looks.
Luxx and Amethyst both had flowy gowns that took my breath away. Every step on the runway accentuated the fabric; they knew exactly how to make it work for them and their features.
Plus, there’s something about flowy radiant gold that looks stunning. It screams opulence!
Sugar’s pop star Bratz Doll was a strong look for her. Sure, it fits within her wheelhouse and is something she would typically wear, but the pink ensemble made her stand out in a good way.
This aesthetic was a fashionable extension of her drag style.
Loosey’s golden futuristic robot was chic and stunning. The ensemble offered the judges another layer of Loosey’s skills; she can bring the high-fashion and serve it plenty. This look was a great choice to prove her redemption.
Anetra: I choose Marcia Marcia Marcia.
Marcia Marcia Marcia: Honor to be a duckling, baby!
RuPaul: Alright. Maybe you can loan her some false eyelashes?
[Everyone is gagged]
None of the queens compared to Sasha Colby’s silver spikey showgirl. Can we talk about jaw-dropping?!
The large spikes and glittery silver headpiece stole the show. She looked like a star, both literally and metaphorically. If anything pushed her ahead to win the Maxi Challenge, it was the moment she stepped on stage wearing this gorgeous ensemble.
Regarding the bottoms, my choice would’ve still been Princess Poppy. However, it would’ve been Jax instead of Amethyst.
If we take the edit seriously, Princess Poppy faded into the background during the infomercial. Plus, her blue corset runway was way too simple; she easily landed a spot at the bottom.
Rest in peace to my hairline.
Jax
Jax had a similar problem by fading into the background. Her camo runway was fun; any geeky reference to Jax from Mortal Kombat is welcome in my books. But since Poppy suffered the same issue, they both should’ve lip-synced.
In Amethyst’s case, she at least tried to give something more in her infomercial. The jokes didn’t fully land, but she had something there to give to the infomercial.
And as mentioned above, her runway was strong enough that it should’ve kept her safe.
For the lip-sync of “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by Diana Ross, Princess Poppy fell into a trap that any Drag Race queen could’ve easily avoided.
To sum up: Diana Ross is RuPaul’s favorite singer, so give her a stunning performance that lives up to Diana’s legacy.
Poppy started with a strong performance that channeled the lyrics. However, when she started doing the leg spreads and moving into the crowd, RuPaul could barely hide the grimaces on her face. She wasn’t impressed by the number.
Instead, Amethyst focused on the lyrics and the emotion, accentuating the gold fabric from her dress with her moves. Amethyst had the perfect gown to pair with the song and let RuPaul live her fantasy.
It was a close race at first, but there was a sharp turn that no one can deny.
Last Thoughts From The Werk Room:
- Something has to give when it comes to the twin’s storyline. It can’t always be the other queens cutting them out of any discussion and challenge.
- It’ll be interesting to see Salina EsTitties try her hand at a different character type in a future challenge. She’s tended to rely on her style and what works for her.
- Princess Poppy tempted fate so much that karma got her. Karma didn’t like her rubbing it into the other queens and Irene Dubois’s elimination on RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 15 Episode 2.
- The mirror moment between Malaysia Babydoll Fox and Mistress Isabelle Brooks was heartwarming and emotional. It’s good that their discussion didn’t get cut due to time because it’s an important topic many people face and a moment that can change someone’s life.
Now, over to you, Drag Race fans.
What did you think of “All Queens Go to Heaven”?
Are you sad Princess Poppy got eliminated? Which infomercial was your favorite? Who will be the next queen to go?
Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Justin Carreiro is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.
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