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Canada’s Drag Race Season 2 Epsiode 2 Recap: Under The Big Top

The queens sing LIVE in their big top rusical debut and resident choreographer Hollywood Jade is a guest judge…

Last week we met the queens and watched them complete their very first runway challenge. After our season two queens rummaged through forgotten coat check items to make haute couture looks, Gia Metric and Beth landed at the bottom. After a passionate lip sync, Beth became the first queen from season two to be sent home. This week we’ll see the remaining queens take part in their very first LIVE rusical! Who will establish themselves as a theatre queen? Who won’t be able to pick up the choreography? (thus, stressing us all out). Let’s get into it!

This week’s episode starts in the werk room following Beth’s elimination. The queens are sad to see Beth go this early in the season, and Gia Metric wipes her lipstick message off the mirror. Gia is thankful to still be in the competition and vows that she will never be in the bottom again. The queens congratulate Icesis on her first win, as well as the first win of the season, and get out of drag. It’s a new day in the werk room and the queens gather around the table to talk about Eve 6000’s drama queen crocodile tears on the runway. Ru interrupts with a video message and tells the queens they need to perform various circus acts to be crowned Canada’s Next Drag Superstar. Brad and Traci enter the werk room to introduce this week’s mini challenge. This week the queens will have to get into quick drag to compete in a “Queen of my Neighbourhood” pageant. We’ve got representation of Poutine from Quebec, Church Street in Toronto, and a lot of rain gear from British Columbia. Following the pageant, the Queen of my Neighbourhood is crowned and it’s Océane! Traci and Brad tell the queens that for this week’s maxi challenge, the queens will all star in a live circus themed rusical Under the Big Top. The queens are gagged that they’ll be singing live, and they get to cast the roles themselves.

The queens start reading the script and start assigning the roles. Some are comfortable singing, and some are looking for the roles with the least singing. The rusical is clown themed, so there are your classic Pennywise, and Himbo roles. There’s also a character named Bianca and I’m living. It all goes smoothly until they get to the roles of Lace and Leather. They’re dance-heavy roles and a few of the queens really want the part. After a quick dance-off, the roles are assigned, and the queens get to work. Out on the main stage the queens get vocal coaching from Broadway baby Thom Allison. Pythia starts the vocal rehearsals and nails her character voice and Synthia Kiss establishes herself as the theatre queen.  The Bing Bang Bong group is NOT U-K hun, Gia impresses with her singing, and Eve really over sold her vocal abilities. Following the trials and tribulations of the vocal training, the queens get to dancing with resident choreographer and IN Magazine‘s July/August 2021 cover star Hollywood Jade! It goes well as you would expect a dance rehearsal to go. Some get the moves, and others struggle. As Hollywood Jade said, there were *choices* made.

It’s elimination day and as the queens get ready for their rusical debut, they talk about their lives as queer immigrants in Canada. Océane talks about being adopted and put the finishing touches on their circus looks. Out on the mainstage Brooke introduces this week’s judges Brad, Traci, and the very special guest Hollywood Jade and it’s finally time for Under the Big Top! It starts strong with Synthia’s strong performance, which were complimented nicely by Kendall’s vocals, but quickly hits a snag with Bing Bang and Bong. Following that struggle it only seems to get worse with Leather and Lace, who are definitely NOT dancers. Yikes. That has to be it right? The rest of the show will run smoothly RIGHT? WRONG, Eve 6000’s performance as a “reveal clown” falls flat in every way it possibly can. Pythia’s Pennywise rushes in to save the show, and Pythia’s commitment and full send of her Pennywise character was extremely fun to watch. Kimora Amour’s Bianca is just the right amount of mean, and Gia closes the show on a high note with her Himbo number that literally had my jaw DROPPING. After the rusical the category on the runway is “Circus Bizzurcus”, and the queens serve in their best big top looks. Following the runway Brooke announces Icesis, Kendall, Suki, Océane, Gia, Pythia, and Eve 6000 all represent the tops and bottoms of the week. The rest of the queens are safe.

The critiques start with Suki Doll, and while the judges loved her runway look, they all agreed her performance in the rusical was messy. The judges called Gia’s performance as Himbo “mesmerizing” and loved her Canadian daredevil look. Brad complimented Kendall Gender on her commitment to her performance even though she’s not a singer. Icesis’s performance as Lace really fell flat and disappointed the judges after last week’s win. The judges called Eve’s performance in the rusical “hesitant” and said her performance that lacked serious camp it called for. Océane told the judges that she had a hard time being present in the number, but that she was ultimately enjoyable to watch. The judges rave over Pythia’s runway look, as well as her Pennywise.

Backstage the queens have a drink and discuss the critiques. Icesis is disappointed with her fall from the top, and Eve’s delusion makes an inaugural appearance. Gia defends Kendall from Eve’s comments, and many sparking waters were slurped through straws. After the judge’s deliberations, the queens gather on the stage and Brooke announces Kendall and Eve 6000 are both safe. Pythia is crowned the winner of this week’s challenge! Incred! Gia as the runner up, is also safe, as is Suki Doll. Leaving Océane, and last week’s winner Icesis both up for elimination. The two bottom queens lip sync for their lives to a “Stupid Shit” by Girlicious to stay in the competition. Following a colourful lip sync, and a silent agreement between the judges, Traci announces that Icesis Couture will slay another day, making Oceane the second queen to be eliminated this season. We’ll truly miss this sea-sickening queen.

Frontrunner of the week: Even though she didn’t win the challenge, Kendall Gender’s commitment to her performance in the rusical makes her a queen to watch this season.

What we’ll see next week: The queens unleash their inner scream queens, Canadian singing icon Fefe Dobson is a guest judge!

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