Hi my little ripped fishnets, welcome back to my RuPaul’s Drag Race Recap where I complain about everything Reddit got wrong about Acid Betty’s elimination. Our episode begins with the real showdown we’ve been waiting for this year: Bob v. Derrick. It’s a battle that’s been weeks in the making, and it plays out just like that one scene from Bringing Down The House where Queen Latifah beats the shit out of Miss Pyle in a locker room. By that I mean Bob drags that skinny blonde bitch across the floor. At this point it’s pretty safe to say Derrick is being painted as the antagonist of this season. Acid Betty is c*nty, but she has the fashion and makeup skills to back up her arrogance, whereas Derrick just comes off as a a defensive and whiny impersonator incapable of rising above her profession. Let’s be real, she’s no Chad Michaels, in fact, it’s pretty safe to say at this point that 90% of viewers are hoping she’ll sashay away as soon as possible.
Following the battle, RuPaul announces our favorite challenge: Snatch Game! Our cast of queens are incredibly excited for this moment, and for the first time in Drag Race herstory it seems like all the queens actually came with a character in mind. Thorgy decides to play Michael Jackson, Acid Betty opts for Nancy Grace, Derrick picks his claim to fame, Britney, Robbie chooses former vogue editor Diana Vreeland, and Bob comes ready with about seventeen different options. Unfortunately for Naomi, one of Bob’s options is Whoopi Goldberg, which was her go to choice. Such drama!
The guest judges for our challenge are Gigi Hadid, the model daughter of a Real Housewife, and Chanel Iman, the daughter of a model, because nepotism is REAL, people. Overall, the challenge is difficult to really judge. The whole thing is pretty short and the only queens given adequate screen time are Thorgy, Bob, Derrick, Naomi, Acid, and Robbie. There is also a Déjà vu quality to the whole thing. Thorgy plays a controversial character (like Kennedy), Bob plays Carol Channing (like Pandora), a top queen flounders (like Max), and Derrick plays Britney (like Tatiana). Bob does take a creative risk, however, playing both Uzo Aduba and Carol Channing, a move we’ve yet to see in Snatch Game. Kim and Chi Chi deliver adequate performances, but Naomi, Acid, and Robbie miss the mark. At this point, Naomi has failed to show the judges she is anything other than a beauty queen, Robbie has yet to show the judges she can actually act, and Acid Betty has finally toppled like Michelle Visage foresaw in episode 2 or 3. It’s upsetting to watch one of the top queens like Acid Betty flounder so much, and knowing that she has yet to win a challenge makes it clear that even a queen of her caliber is eligible to be put up for elimination.
The runway theme of the episode is “Madonna”, which should have been incredible, but was kind of just meh. Half the girls wear kimonos for crying out loud! Bob wins the challenge, and Acid Betty and Naomi end up in the bottom for their lackluster Snatch Game performances and underwhelming runways. Unfortunately, the lip sync does not play out as spoilers suggested. Acid Betty does not murder Michelle, or refuse to lip sync. She simply dances around the stage in maternity garb while Naomi undresses and makes everyone in the audience question their sexual orientation. The lip sync is rather underwhelming; both queens do a fine job, but there is no clear winner, and Acid Betty is told to sashay away. It’s strange to watch a top contender get sent home after a performance that wasn’t THAT bad; in fact, it only makes you more mad that the returned queen card was wasted on Naysha. It’s unfortunate to see a queen as strong as Acid Betty sashay away, but at the very least it means that no queen is safe from elimination. With only seven queens remaining, it’s anyone’s guess who will be taking home that crown.
Rankings
Bob
Bob a lot like Bianca Del Rio. She’s mouthy, attention seeking, and she slays every challenge that comes her way. She may not have the most exciting fashion sense, but she knows how to perform, and that’s enough to guarantee her spot in the top 3.
Thorgy
Thorgy is one of the strongest performers, and yet she hasn’t won a single challenge. My hope is that she’s getting an Alaska edit, which means she won’t be winning a challenge until much later in the competition. Thorgy is funny, she’s entertaining, and she can rock a look much better than Bob, but if she doesn’t win a challenge soon, she’s going to end up the Pandora of season 8.
Kim Chi
Kim was barely shown in this challenge, but kudos to her for stepping outside of the box with her snatch game performance! Kim received a ton of screen time during the first few episodes, so it makes sense they’ve pulled back on her a bit. My guess is that she’ll continue to coast through the competition and make it to the top. Let’s just hope her avant garde looks don’t become stale.
Chi Chi
Chi Chi is a well balanced competitor.She’s funny, resourceful, and incredibly talented, but she’s not as fashion forward or dramatic as her fellow competitors. Her edit suggests that she’s more than just a lip sync assassin, so I wouldn’t be surprised if she snags a spot in the top 3.
Derrick
Derrick, congrats on finally doing well in a challenge! For the first time this season Derrick showed us she’s capable of delivering in a challenge…as long as it’s Britney related. Derrick has had a confusing edit this season, so it’s difficult to tell how much time she’s got left. We’ve seen her fight with Bob, we’ve seen her do Britney, is there anything else we need to see, or is it time for her to sashay away?
Naomi
Finally, Naomi was called out for wearing the same silhouette every week! Up until this point Naomi has been relying on her beauty to get her through the competition, but the judges are no longer impressed with her long legs two-piece ensembles. If she doesn’t step up her game, she’s going home next.
Robbie
Out of all the Seattle queens, Robbie is definitely the weakest. She’s funny, but not THAT funny, and she’s pretty, but not THAT pretty. It seems that Robbie is stuck in her head, which is definitely affecting her performance in the competition. She has one win under her belt, but is that enough to warrant her a top 5 spot? Robbie needs to show us why she’s better than Jinkx if she wants a shot at taking home the crown.
Acid
Was Acid Betty bad in this challenge? Yes. Did she deserve to go home? Maybe. Acid Betty delivered in 4/5 challenges, so it’s a bummer to see her go this early. Unfortunately, she just didn’t slay the lip sync hard enough to convince the judges to save her. Acid Betty can rest easy knowing she was a top dog this season, and that her crazy looks will be ranked some of the best ones to ever hit the runway of Drag Race.
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