RuPaul was generous enough to gift us an early season ball challenge! The ball challenge is a fan favorite and to get one with so many queens still in the competition was so much fun! Let’s get into this week’s episode!
Before we could get into the fun stuff, the queens debated Denali‘s place in the bottom two last week. Kandy Muse made the argument that Elliott With 2 Ts should have been in Denali’s place. This turned into an argument, go figure! Tamisha Iman was not having Kandy’s commentary on who she considered competition and who wasn’t. So, we got some drama early on.
Aside from the drama, we also got a mini-challenge this week! This mini-challenge was chaotic. The queens were dressed as babies and acted accordingly, well, if babies could twerk. It was… an experience to say the least. LaLa Ri was the winner of the challenge.
While everyone was dressed as babies, Ru announced this week’s maxi-challenge. The ball is bag themed. The category for look one is mixed bag, a look with the word bag in the description. Look two’s category was Miss Money Bags, all about opulence, which will be followed by a look constructed from bags. That could mean anything from grocery bags to sleeping bags all the way to tea bags!
The baldheaded brigade, as Rosé coined Symone and LaLa, was nervous. They are inexperienced in sewing. However, Utica was there to offer a helping hand. Utica is possibly the most wholesome human on this planet? Gottmik also stepped in to lend a hand to Symone. Some sisterhood in action this episode.
While the queens were constructing their looks, we learned that Tamisha put LaLa in drag for the first time! She’s not an Iman officially, but she is one in spirit. She didn’t get serious about drag until years later, but it was fun hearing about Tamisha helping her find her craft. The pair also turned the workroom into a ballroom since Utica said she had never been before. This cast is a lot of fun.
As the queens were getting in drag, LaLa brought up the Black Lives Matter movement. It was great to hear these queens bring awareness to such an important cause on television. Symone and Kandy shared that they protested. LaLa got emotional speaking about a police murder that took place right by her house. Tamisha and Oliva Lux made sure to include Black Trans women as well, who are statistically most at risk. It was a really powerful segment.
On the main stage, Michelle Visage, Carson Kressley, and Nicole Byer joined Ru on the judges’ panel. For the first category, it was so much fun to see what everyone came up with for their bag inspired look. I loved Denali’s airbag, Symone’s fun bags, and Utica’s doggie bag, but everyone had such creative ideas! As for miss money bags, Gottmik stole the show for me. Finally, the looks they made in the workroom. I thought Olivia and Utica’s looks were really well done!
Time for the judges’ critiques! Denali, Elliott, Symone, Olivia, Tina, and Kandy were safe. The real plot of the critiques was trying to figure out if Joey Jay‘s outfit was a two-for-one with an IV and poison ivy. It wasn’t but it should have been. The highest praise went to Gottmik and Utica, while LaLa, Joey, and Tamisha were not as lucky.
In the end, it was Gottmik who took home the victory, while LaLa and Joey landed in the bottom two. They faced off to Fancy by Iggy Azaela. Even though that outfit was maybe the worst in herstory, LaLa stole the lipsync. I couldn’t take my eyes off her! She got to stay, while Joey sashayed away.
What were your thoughts on this week’s episode? Let us know in the comments below. I hope you enjoyed that lipsync as much as I did!
