Shade: Queens of NYC shared the heartwarming finale of Paige Turner‘s So You Think You Can Drag in this week’s episode. After eight successful years, the drag competition show wrapped with an all-stars season. Holly Box-Springs was a part of the cast, and made it to the final round! Holly wanted to give the judges a little more than her regular reveal numbers, while Paige prepared to say farewell to her long-running show.
Holly kicked off the episode by rehearsing her finale number with her drag mom Chelsea Piers. She wanted to challenge herself and give the judges more than they were expecting. She prepared an incredible number that combined one of Kathy Griffin‘s stand up jokes about Celine Dion and cocaine (duh, what else would it be about?) and actual Celine Dion songs. The number was absolutely brilliant. Holly is our resident reveal queen, so of course, she delivered a smooth transition between Kathy Griffin’s signature pantsuit to a sparkly Celine inspired dress. Watching the rehearsal made me SO EXCITED to see the number come together for the finale and spoiler alert, it did not disappoint! Chelsea summed it up best, it’s a “revealgasm” for sure.
We got to catch up with Paige as she prepped for the final show of So You Think You Can Drag with her guest judge Marti Gould Cummings. The pair were addressing the group number Paige had planned with Chelsea. Quick reminder: Chelsea and Paige were really close, a quasi-drag mom/ daughter relationship. They had a falling out, and Paige offered an olive branch to Chelsea by proposing they perform a duet for the finale of SYTYCD. Marti asked Paige about the relationship between her and Chelsea, and Paige reassured Marti that the two had buried the hatchet and she felt their relationship was back to normal! She was explaining all of this while brushing a gorgeous wig, and Paige changed her name to Paula Plegic. There’s only so many heartwarming moments drag queens are capable of before they bust out the comic relief.
Finally, the day was here! The finale of So You Think You Can Drag was up and going! Paige explained how emotional she thought she’d be, but she was a real champ about it (only crying three times!). We got a quick montage of the finale contestants (as well as a glance at our HBIC Chiffon Dior and fellow contributor Strawberry Fields in the audience, hey girls!). Then it was Holly’s time to shine. I’ve already gushed about this number but allow me to do it again. As a Kathy Griffin fan, she blew me away with the DEAD ON impression of her. It was hilarious and brilliant. After Holly’s performance we got to see the amazing duet between Paige and Chelsea. The two looked absolutely gorgeous in matching outfits, and the number went off without a hitch! Like Paige said, the two make a great team!
It was time to announce the winner of the final season of So You Think You Can Drag cue drum roll. Jackie Cox took the crown, $1,000 prize money, and a chance at her own show. Though I’m sure she was amazing, I was shocked our girl Holly didn’t steal the crown. Regardless, I think I speak for all of us here when I say she’s our winner. She really shined and delivered such a unique and fun number. It’s been so fun watching her journey and progress through the competition on Shade: Queens of NYC. It has certainly been one of my favorite storylines. I also want to thank Paige Turner for bringing these queens such a wonderful platform. Like she said in the episode, she started SYTYCD as a supportive place for queens to compete, but also be cheered on. She never felt anyone was rooting for her growing up, and she made sure queens in NYC had a supportive way to get their name out there. She launched careers and helped drag as a whole’s popularity grow with her show. I’m really glad Fusion gave her final season it’s place on television!
What did you guys think of the finale of So You Think You Can Drag? Let us know in the comments below!
Be sure to tune into Shade: Queens of NYC Thursday’s at 10:30 PM on FusionTV or on fusion.net.
