Meant for more, Top 4! Friday’s episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race dethroned yet another hopeful queen, paving the way for a sickening season finale… in a few weeks.
Friday’s maxi challenge cast the five remaining contestants — Gottmik, Kandy Muse, Olivia Lux, Rosé and Symone — in the instant sci-fi classic Henny, I Shrunk the Drag Queens! And who better to prepare them for their close-up than Black Widow herself, Scarlett Johansson? Certainly not Colin Jost, who crashed his wife’s virtual pep talk to ask if the movie was called… Size Queens. (Save the comedy for Weekend Update, pal.)
Most of Henny‘s casting actually fell into place naturally — Rosé as Brandy, the “sarcastic” queen, Gottmik as Chardonnay, the “whiny” one, and Olivia as Ginger Ale, the “dumb” one — but there was a bit of friction when it came time for Kandy and Symone to claim their roles. Both had their heart set on Dominique, the “mean” one, and neither was about to back down.
Following an extremely frustrating back-and-forth exchange, Symone eventually accepted the role of Margarita, the “smart” one, but she wasn’t happy about it. This had me concerned, as [1] I only want the best for Symone, and [2] we’ve seen countless queens bomb acting challenges by basically throwing in the towel after not getting their preferred role. A tearful Symone even admitted (via confessional) that the pressure and expectations of the competition are really starting to get to her. (Seriously, it’s 2021. Why do smart TVs not come with a “send hug” feature?!)
In the end, though, Symone’s tears were for naught. The judges thoroughly enjoyed her performance, while they felt that Kandy relied too heavily on her same ol’ schtick and didn’t bring enough zazz to the part. They actually felt that Olivia, who also underperformed, might have benefitted from playing Dominique, as it would have given her a chance to expand her range. And it wasn’t just Kandy’s acting that got a bad review from the judges; they also tore apart her “sloppy,” ill-fitting runway look. Michelle Visage even gave her the dreaded “You’re better than that” line.
“I feel very disappointed,” Kandy said, her eyes welling up with tears. “And I agree about the outfit. When I put it on, I don’t feel beautiful in it. You know when you put something on and you feel great in it? I didn’t feel that. And I’m just disappointed. We’re so close to the end, and this is something I’ve wanted for so long. But the fight’s not over, and maybe next time I’ll play a dumb bitch.”
Check out this week’s full runway (“Haute Pockets”) below:
Category is: HAUTE POCKETS! ✨
Whose lewk was your favorite of the night? 👠 #DragRace pic.twitter.com/dxNFmf18y5
— RuPaul’s Drag Race (@RuPaulsDragRace) April 3, 2021
A few of these looks were great, but Gottmik gets my personal seal of approval — if only for that spot-on Hercules flasher reference. (Click here if you need a refresher.)
But before sending the queens to untuck backstage, Ru posed everybody’s favorite cringe question: “Who should go home tonight, and why?” Everyone chose Olivia without hesitation, except for Ms. Lux, who eventually settled on Kandy after what felt like a full hour of silence.
And the judges’ ruling couldn’t have been any less surprising. Rosé was handed her third win of the season (they loved her mod look on the runway), while Gottmik and Symone (phew!) sashayed to safety, leaving Kandy and Olivia to face the music — that music being Cher’s “Strong Enough.”
Real talk, though… Considering how much was on the line for both queens, not to mention the inherent potential of this iconic jam, I was a little underwhelmed by the lip sync. Kandy managed to pull a few laughs out of the judges, but there were no wow moments on either end. If the pool wasn’t already so small, I’d have sent them both packing. Then again, I’m not Ru. And my opinion is literally irrelevant.
Then came the final decision: Kandy was sent to safety, while Olivia Lux was told to sashay away. “You should be very proud of yourself.” Ru said. “I know I am.”
“A friendly reminder to Liv life to the fullest,” Olivia said on her way off the runway.
Do you agree with that outcome? How do you feel about this season’s Top 4? Weigh in via our poll below, then drop a comment with your thoughts.
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