We’re back to a new jam-packed exciting new episode full of weirdness, laughter, and some hair-raising catwalks. After last week’s departure, Black Peppa reads goodbye to ginger, oop I mean Copper Top’s farewell mirror message.
A new day and a new quick drag mini-challenge, as Sminty Drop exclaims they spend more time getting to quick drag than a beaten mug. This week’s mini challenge was for a round of the children’s classic party game: musical chairs, but with a big ole bumpy twist. One by one queens are to be booted off the chair, and Pixie Polite wins the battle of the bums. Her prize is to decide on teams for this week’s challenge “Catty Man.” An improv chat show challenge hosted by Alan Carr, a play on words from his UK chat show titled “Chatty Man.” Pixie claims she isn’t strategic with choosing, but it’s clever she picks Danny Beard, and Cheddar Gorgeous for her team (as would I) and then decides the lineup based on who’s stood next to who. So we have Dakota Schiffer, Baby, and Le Fil, leaving Black Peppa with Jonbers Blonde and Sminty Drop.
Each team is gifted a character guide with who they wish to portray through improv and teamwork. Improv must be the hardest challenge for those without a loud personality or the ability to think on their feet. It’s once again, an interesting drag race challenge that makes little sense but is so out, but we embrace it nonetheless. Let’s get Catty with Alan Carr, first out is team Pixie Polite whose angle is speaking to her supposedly dead sister. Cheddar is excellent and flows nicely with her dialogue. But Danny Beard steals the show with her Mystic Mog. UK TV has many of these weird and wonderful characters on our screens. He portrayed the character brilliantly and had me loving everything he said. As a team, they nailed the assignment. Baby says what I’m sure everyone thinks by not wanting to perform after them.
The next two groups, of course, are set to struggle against what we just saw with team Pixie, I enjoyed Dakota Schiffers’ character’s voice battle, Baby was on a bumpy path to match her energy. Le Fil plays the doctor to help rectify their voice crisis, I liked what she brought to the scene, although difficult with a doctor’s role to bring something new.
Finally, we have the struggle bus of the group it started strong with Black Peppa coming out ready to meet her online love. Her character was strong and funny, but the moment Sminty came out it soon went downhill and lost my interest. Jinbers raised the energy slightly but overall like Sminty I was checked out. It’s a shame as so much potential was there, but this is a Drag race and the pressure is on.
Back in the werkroom and I really enjoyed the chat on this week’s runway theme which is hair, each queen had a personal story about their relationship with hair. I think we all have the same opinion that ur hair does define us more than we let on. Each story related to culture, identity, and societal issues of what hair means, I think it was refreshing to hear a more in-depth conversation take place between Black Peppa, Cheddar, Dakota, and Le Fil. Werkroom chats are always an interesting place to hold these conversations and show how these queens come to put their runways together and their inspirations.
So this week’s runway of course is “The Mane Event” and we have the iconic Alison Hammond join this week’s judging panel. Alison is a tv presenter but won the public over on the UK’s first Big Brother, she’s so heartwarmingly funny she’s well loved. First out is Danny Beard looking hair rasinginly stunning, and this is Danny’s week he’s smashed it. For me, the tops are Cheddar Gorgeous with her furry pink fantasy with a hairball scenario on the catwalk. Alongside these two I would say Black Peppa and Dakota also shone. Baby’s I loved but it could have had something a little more to it.
Safe for another week is Dakota, Jonbers, and Black Peppa enjoying their cocktails backstage awaiting the queen’s return. Once the tops and bottoms are in the untucked room, tears are flowing for Danny and rightly so he’s done so well so far, and as he says he’s not a rugirl so I think this is the validation he’s been after. Sminty acknowledges how she mentally checked out of the main challenge, but her outfit is stunning. Her runways have been incredibly well put together and high-end fashion.
But that high-end fashion, unfortunately, hasn’t saved her this week, with Danny Beard winning another well-deserved badge it falls to Smitny and Baby in the bottom two. It’s such a shame and I’ll keep repeating that to the final, but this cast is so strong that everyone deserves to stay. Lets’ just make it like All stars 7 the winner’s format. Keep them all in, this week the queens are lipsyncing to “Respectable” by Mel and Kim. I love this song, it’s a pop bop. Without a doubt a strong lipsync from the start, looking to be neck and neck. Until baby begins her slow strip teaser and turns the lipsync up a notch. We say a heartbreaking goodbye to Smintry Drop who gives us her weak twerking, but an emotional goodbye non the less. I will say that if we get the privilege of an All stars UK, it’ll be chock full of talent and I’ll need to see Sminty and Awhora competing.
Another great episode, and next week we go to the musicals in an all-singing, all-dancing “Lady Popping” Live with the gorgeous Giovanni accompanying with choreography. What did you think of this week’s episode, are we happy with who went? Let us know in the comments.
Catch RuPaul’s Drag Race UK every Thursday at WOW Presents Plus in the United States and on BBC Three and Iplayer in the UK.
