Well, the time has come. We have made it through another season of RuPaul’s Drag Race! Season 13 was a great one and tonight our winner was finally crowned!
Let’s talk about this finale opened with a performance by RUPAUL! She has legs and she uses them to kind of dance? Regardless, that was something we never got to see on the show before! From there, the queens showcased black and white looks on the runway to set the tone. Gottmik, Kandy Muse, and Rosé all looked beautiful, but Symone‘s look was my favorite!
The ball didn’t end there. We got some red looks next. Gottmik was the one for me. I loved her nod to Keith Haring. The best runway voiceover for the red category had to go to Rosé. Please give some credit to those tree puns. They wrapped it all up with finale eleganza. Again, everyone nailed it, but Gottmik and Symone were my favorites.
Before we got to the lipsyncing showdowns, Ru sat down with each queen individually. Can we address that Ru told Gottmik she didn’t expect to enjoy her so much? What a brilliant backhanded compliment. Kandy’s moment with Ru was centered on her humor, self-admitted delusion, and the support of her mother, whose honeymoon she paid for with her cash prize from the roast. Wholesome!
Rosé’s interview brought up how she injured her ankle prior to the finale. Knowing she’ll have to lipsync for the crown , that must have been stressful. The best part of her time with Ru was definitely the video from her family. I’d like to hang out with them. Finally, it was Symone’s moment with Ru. She gave us one more “factory” moment for the road. She spoke on her activism on the runway and we got an adorable video from her mom and grandma. Everyone’s parents came through this season! It’s so great to see such supportive families!
The best part of the episode was by far the moving tributes they gave to both the AIDS epidemic and the passing of beloved season 8 queen, Chi Chi DeVayne who passed away in 2020. The video to Chi Chi featured several of our favorite queens who gushed over the person and performer Chi Chi was. Her loss was huge in the community and she is missed dearly.
The moment was ruined when Cory Booker made a cameo under the guise that Ru and Cory are cousins? Can anyone confirm or deny this? I am upset with either answer, if I’m being honest.
Anyway, the show goes on. The wheel was spun to find out who would be lipsyncing against who. In a crime against the entire city of Los Angeles, Gottmik and Symone would be facing off, while Kandy and Rosé were the second pairing. The good news was both songs would be by Britney Spears, which is what we deserve.
Kandy and Rosé were up first and faced off to Work Bitch, an iconic anthem. I have to shout out Rosé’s look for the performance. I loved her wig and her reveal. Honestly, I thought she had the win the bag. My eyes were on her the entire time, but RuPaul had other plans. Kandy advanced for some reason.
Then came Symone and Gottmik. The pair would be performing to Gimme More. Another incredible piece of musical art. These two both looked incredible. Mik’s crash the cistem dress and Symone’s Laker getup that revealed into a completely different look was everything and more to me. This was a close one for sure, but Symone advanced to the top two.
Though they couldn’t be there in person, we did get to see the rest of the contestants for a second. Denali had my favorite look but that could be because I became a passionate plant mom during quarantine. Heidi N Closet joined the virtual queens from the stage in Los Angeles to announce the winner of Miss Congeniality. LaLa Ri took home that title and rightfully so! In her own words, she is a nice girl.
We then got to see our reigning queen, Jaida Essence Hall! She looked beautiful as always. She got to talk a little bit about her experience winning Drag Race during a pandemic where touring was minimal. Hopefully, this season’s winner gets to experience some sort of excitement and normalcy post-win.
The time came to crown a winner. Kandy and Symone faced off for the final time to Britney’s Till’ The World Ends. There is nothing to say about this performance. Once Symone’s wig exploded, it was all over. She killed it regardless, but it was exciting like the Sasha Velour moment was during season 9. Incredible!
Symone did it! She took home the crown. I am a bit bias, as she has been my first choice, but she deserved it! What a great season. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below! Until All Stars, y’all!
