SPOILER ALERT: This article contains details about the episode 5 of RuPaul’s Drag Race
Spice has lost her Sugar and she is sad. Tears fall as Spice reads Sugar’s farewell lipstick message on the mirror… but enough of that. It seems like Mistress and Marcia have a little bit of drama going on between the two of them.
In last week’s Untucked Mistress called Marcia’s outfit “cheap” and said her Snatch Game wasn’t that funny. “She wasn’t amazing,” said Mistress in a confessional. I can’t wait to see how that turns out.
Mistress turns her attention to Spice who is all in her feelings because she thinks someone else should have gone home instead of Sugar. Mistress says that Spice is “spiraling” and as a result, she is trying to get a name of the queen who think should have been in the bottom last week – we all know she wants to say Aura so It’s not like that’s a big surprise.
The next day in the “Werk Room”, we learn that it is a good day for a reading. It’s the reading challenge! (Again, another popular part of the show that seems like it’s too early in the season). Loosey ends up winning the challenge by telling Malaysia to disappear like that mysteriously missing Malaysian flight and throwing shade like: “Salina EsTitties – I think we can all agree that Yolanda shot the Salina.” Then she came for Mistress and her kitten heels saying that it’s not her fault because they start as stilettos.
Ru then reveals this week is the fashion challenge, a dreaded moment for the queens who do not so – and we learn later that Malaysia is one of those queens. The queens will be divided into fashion houses that are based on the style of Carson Kressley, Ross Mathews, and Michelle Visage. They must use the materials of rooms in these “houses” to make individual looks that make up a cohesive collection.
The teams are as follows:
HOUSE OF MATHEWS: Loosey, Sasha, Malaysia, Marcia. The material in the room is giving Palm Springs.
HOUSE OF KRESSLEY: Anetra, Jax, Robin, Salina. The material provided to them includes a lot of plaids and leather. Very Ivy league meets heritage meets Ralph Lauren.
HOUSE OF VISAGE: Amethyst, Spice, Aura, Luxx, Mistress. True to Visage form, the materials they get are leopard print, lush purples and rich golds.
The queens are now strategizing their looks. At House of Visage, Luxx suggests “royalty” as their theme and Spice is more than happy to use her tiara if needed.
Meanwhile at House of Kressley, they are gonna use all the plaids in the world – but it seems like Salina is getting all the attention on this team. She’s excited for her backpack with a train that she is creating. The queens are supporting her decision on this fashion choice… and I stress the word “choice”.
Over at House of Mathews, they are deciding to make a resort collection because of the Palm Springs fabrics they have. Malaysia, not revealing to anyone she can’t sew, says she is going to make a “business woman on vacation” look. Her teammates “ooh” and “aah” at her idea – but she still can’t sew!
Ru walks in for a walk through – something we didn’t get in the Snatch Game episode. Based on those mini-meetings, along with the conversations we are hearing in the Werk Room, it’s becoming a guessing game about who is going to be in the top and bottom. Salina’s comforter dress thing seems interesting and Luxx switches her outfit from a gown to pants — and we all know pants are difficult to sew. Ru reminds Amethyst that she has been in the bottom twice and hasn’t won anything – so is this the day she goes home? Then Ru asks Spice what their concept and she says “royalty” and then follows up with “as long as we all look hot, right?”
That part with Spice was cringey.
This episode also continues to lean on Malaysia not knowing how to sew. What’s up with that? There better be a big payoff here because like Marcia, I was questioning that cape she made.
Now is the part of the episode where we revisit Spice’s thoughts on who should have been in the bottom instead of Sugar. Jax brings it up and Spice just wants to move on but in the confessional, Spice straight up says that Aura should have gone home… just like we suspected.
Cut to: Amethyst. She is having problems with her look. It’s not giving. I think it may be her time.
And an episode wouldn’t be complete without a personal story from one of the queens that helps us know them better. This week, we learn Jax was adopted and talks about his struggle with people thinking he was an “Angelina” accessory to his white parents. That cuts to Luxx and Spice talking about dolls. Going from Jax’s adoption story to Spice’s love for dolls was a strange transition.
Ru walks on to the mainstage serving lemon drop Big Bird eleganza to welcome Michelle Visage, Ross Mathews, and guest judge Janelle Monae. The queens walk the mainstage and here are my hottakes.
HOUSE OF VISAGE
Luxx: It’s the zebra pants, head wrap and cape for me.
Mistress: Serving classic Visage Jersey realness.
Aura: Aura clearly thought this zebra look was better than it really was.
Amethyst: I love her, but this was a bed sheet mess.
Spice: Kind of like Aura’s zebra look but less interesting.
HOUSE OF KRESSLEY
Robin: It’s giving naughty Braveheart realness.
Jax: A cute punk rock Heathers look.
Salina: It’s as if Thom Browne exploded.
Anetra: Two words: PLAID HOE.
HOUSE OF MATHEWS
Sasha: Gagged. J. Lo would never.
Loosey: It’s giving ‘70s Palm Springs promiscuous aunt.
Malaysia: I admit that cape looks better than I thought. As Janelle said, “It’s giving first lady of the church mistress”
Marcia: It’s giving “Play clothes for the Palm Springs children” a la Sound of Music.
We learn that Mistress, Aura, Spice, Loosey, and Marcia are all safe. That leaves Amethyst, Estitties, and Jax in the bottom while Luxx, Robin, and Sasha are in the top.
Visage could tell that Amethyst struggled with this challenge and she gets read for it. I have a feeling she’ll be lip syncing tonight. The judges like Jax’s outfit but it’s just not made well and then there’s Salina. Her look is just too much and Visage calls her out on the fit – but Monae gives her an “A” for innovation.
Luxx is praised for her look – and it is well deserved. Janelle Monae even dubbed it “House of Monae”. Luxx is really feeling herself while Robin “kilt” it with her single-shouldered warrior look. Then there’s Sasha. We love Sasha and this look is another moment – but Monae noticed she was struggling to take the beautiful flamingo robe off. Sasha answered in the best way possible: “Yea, but the universe said don’t show your ass on television.”
Then the big moment: Malaysia “I Don’t Sew” Babydoll Foxx. She flooded with compliments for her look and even Monae called her a fantastic seamstress. Malaysia reveals that it is the first thing she ever sewed in her life – that is wild.
Luxx is named the winner while Amethyst ends up in the bottom two again along with Salina. If Amethyst doesn’t pull out all the stops, she is more than likely going to sashay away. In the LSFYL, the two perform to Monae’s “Q.U.E.E.N.” and Salina turns it out so much that Amethyst doesn’t have a chance.
Unfortunately, third time is not a charm because Amethyst is asked to sashay away.