You’re invited to Ru’s Backyard Ball, but Jujubee has the potato salad covered…
Last week India Ferrah was sent home for her abysmal and poorly timed impersonation of disgraced, and currently cancelled makeup mogul Jeffree Star on Snatch Game of Love. However, things were also starting to heat up backstage when India revealed that Alexis was campaigning to send Shea home a few weeks ago. This created tension between Alexis and the other queens, and nobody really knows who to believe. After throwing someone else under the bus for what were probably her own shady actions, India made her swift exit from the show. It’s just a shame she waited until after Snatch Game was over to start acting like the celebrity she was supposed to play. Will the queens get to the bottom of it in this week’s episode?
We start as we always do, in the werk room following India’s elimination. There are only five queens left, and after they congratulate Shea on her win, Alexis breaks down and says she’s embarrassed that India had gone so low in a desperate attempt to stay in the competition. Shea tells Alexis that she nearly pulled her lipstick, and through more tears, Alexis says she understands how campaigning works, and the fact that she didn’t talk to any of the other queens. The queens check out the ballot box, which reveals that everybody voted for India to go, except for India who voted for Alexis of course. Alexis is feeling vulnerable, and very much like she might be the next one sent home if she’s not at the top this week.
The following day the queens enter the werk room and read/ wipe away India’s lipstick message. While Miz Cracker explains that she’s trying to stay far away from drama in order to make it to the top four, the queens get a video message from Ru, and it’s all about family. Ru enters the werk room to announce this week’s maxi challenge. This week, Ru and her sisters are hosting a backyard ball. The queens have to create two looks each. The first is Country Cousin Realness, where they will create a cousin persona with a comedic backstory. Second, is a high fashion look created solely from materials found at a backyard barbeque.
After picking out their materials, the queens get to talking about their sewing skills, they vary from queen to queen, and after making about one hundred sewing puns, the queens get to work creating their lewks. Shea, who went to school for costume design, helps a slightly lost Jujubee find out which side of her fabric is the good side, and Cracker with her sewing machine. Their looks are coming along, and when Blair goes to her station to grab something, she finds a letter and gift left behind for her from India. Shea reveals that she too got a letter. Alexis also recieved a note. Jujubee searches for her note but can’t seem to find one. She offers to read Alexis’ letter, which simply says “I still love you”. What’s that about? If India’s goal was to keep the queens questioning the truth well after she left, she’s succeeded. Ru enters the werk room to check on the progress. Alexis is feeling confident about this challenge. Shea’s also feeling confident about her abilities to create a stunning look. Shea and Ru talk about how losing her father had an impact on her original run on the show. Jujubee and Ru also have a heart-to-heart, and can I just say… Jujubee has my whole heart.
It’s elimination day, and the queens finish up their ball looks. Over at the makeup tables, Cracker asks the queens how they’re planning on voting since they’re all on a fairly even playing field. Alexis is feeling the pressure to win because if she’s in the bottom, she thinks she’s for sure going home. Out on the mainstage, Ru introduces the judges, and this week’s extra special guest singer Bebe Rexha. The runway is transformed into a full summer barbeque. First out as their cousin alter-ego is Cracker, she’s serving American Horror Story swamp queen realness. Next out JuJubee is giving us everything in that oversized sunhat, and her potato salad with raisins, and MSG. Blair is giving us a mix “we go to the racetrack every Sunday”, and Charlize Theron in Monster. It’s…chilling. Shea’s character was super cute, and the airbrushed t-shirt was a nice touch. Alexis chose to go as Ru’s housekeeper. It was a choice that didn’t get many laughs from the judges. Next up the queens served us full eleganza in their backyard materials. It’s always fun to see what the queens create in ball challenges, and they really showed up for this one.
This week all of the queens are getting critiques. All of the judges LOVE everything Miz Cracker brought to the ball this week, and I have to agree. They also loved Jujubees character and look, although her dress wasn’t as polished as Crackers. Important to note, both Cracker and Jujubee told the judges that Shea helped them with their garments. The judges liked Blair’s character look but agreed that it wasn’t as funny as some of the others, and that her high fashion look was falling apart. Bebe liked her makeup though. The judges adored Shea’s character, and her high fashion look, and asked her why she helped everyone. Shea explained that while she understands that this is a competition, she believes it’s important to help others out because when one of them looks good, they all do. She also has my whole heart. The judges thought Alexis’ use of solo cups was great, but both her character, high fashion look, and that short wig fell a little flat. Ru announces that the winner of this week’s challenge is Miz Cracker, making this her second win. Once again, everybody else is in the bottom, and decisions have to be made before Cracker goes up against this week’s lipstick assassin.
Backstage the queens get to talking about who should be sent home this week. Cracker mentions that if she’s going off of report cards alone, Jujubee and Shea have both won challenges, making Alexis and Blair the clear bottom two of the week. Alexis tells Jujubee and Shea that she deserves to continue in the competition, Blair tells Cracker she doesn’t think it’s fair for her to go home since she hasn’t really been in a definitive bottom since the start of the competition. Alexis tells Cracker that she doesn’t want what happened last week to be a deal breaker when it comes to voting. The queens cast their votes in the lipstick box, and Miz Cracker chooses hers, and the lip sync assassin of the week is revealed as Roxxxy Andrews. Cracker and Roxxxy lip sync to Ariana Grande’s One Last Time.
Roxxxy of course served us not one, but two STUNNING reveals under her feather coat, and it’s pretty clear who the winner of this lip sync would be. Ru announces Roxxxy is the winner of the lip sync meaning the money will roll over into next week’s tip, and the group vote will be sending a queen home tonight. Roxxxy reveals that the queen the group has chosen to go home this week is Alexis. Alexis is undeniably an All Star and although she’s disappointed, she’s still growing, and we still love her.
What we’ll see next week: A stand-up comedy face off, Jane Krakowski, and Shea is uncharacteristically unprepared.
Missed a week?: Read our RuPaul’s Drag Race All Star 5 weekly recaps right here!
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