With some competitions, the key is to go big or go home. But on RuPaul’s Drag Race, going too big can be the exact thing that sends you packing, as one queen learned the hard way on Friday.
Jan was emotional within the first few minutes of the episode, allegedly heartbroken over her BFF Brita’s elimination. (I say allegedly because several queens expressed their belief that Jan was crying “crocodile tears,” covering for the fact that she was actually upset about not winning the Madonna challenge. And who better than Sherry Pie to sniff out a faker?)
Following this week’s mini challenge — in which the queens put together personalized FabFitFun boxes for one another, delivering them with a generous helping of shade — it was time for the main event: a series of over-the-top advertisements, part of a new drag queen lifestyle brand called Droop. And like most challenges this season, it featured a brief appearance by Dahlia Sin as the broc-ally. (Considering how many times she’s popped up since going home first, is Dahlia the new Vanjie?)
The Biggest Loser‘s Bob Harper dropped by the set as this week’s guest mentor, and he was just as surprised by some of the queens’ performances as I was. Heidi N. Closet, who barely escaped elimination last week, had the judges’ panel howling with her hysterical commercial (which included a Club 96 reference!), while Gigi Goode, the favorite to win Season 2, turned out a final product that Michelle Visage called “clunky.”
Fortunately, everyone turned it out for this week’s runway, a parade of black wedding gowns. My personal favorite runway moments included Widow Von’Du’s veil removal (“Boom! Look at them eyes! She ain’t got no soul!”), Jan eating her wedding ring before turning to reveal the phrase “I Don’t” on her train, and Crystal Methyd coughing up dust in an elaborate Corpse Bride-esque ensemble.
Ru then threw another dramatic wrench into the evening by asking the remaining eight queens which competitor they would eliminate. Literally everyone nominated Widow, and when her turn arrived, she simply said, “The only other video I saw that was as bad mine was Jan’s.” Oof.
Much to my unbridled joy, Heidi was named the winner of this week’s maxi challenge, taking home a well-deserved $ 5,000 cash prize. I was a little surprised to see Gigi and Sherry in the bottom, but I knew they’d both end up being sent to safety.
This left Jan and Widow to battle it out to the tune of Chaka Khan’s “This Is My Night.” While Widow focused on the emotion of the song, Jan pulled out every trick in her arsenal, including literal acrobatics. Like her commercial, it was too much… and Jan was sent packing.
“Thank you so much for this amazing opportunity,” Jan told Ru through tears. “I really did my best, and I hope to make you proud in the future.”
Your thoughts on Jan’s elimination? Vote for the queen you would have sent home below, then drop a comment with your predictions for the rest of the season.
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