The top eight queens compete in a lip sync battle royale before two are sent home. Canadian supermodel Winnie Harlow is a guest judge….
Last week our Canadian queens got to play the iconic Snatch Game. Some gave memorable performances that’ll be talked about for seasons to come while others struggled with yet another improv challenge. Melinda Verga did a total 180 from her backstage outburst in the previous episode and found herself as the top queen of the week with the power of the golden beaver in her hands. She chose to return the favour and save Kiki Coe, which left Luna DuBois and Aurora Matrix to fight for their lives in the lip sync. After a passionate performance, Luna became the third queen to be eliminated this season. This week the queens go head to head to compete in a lip sync showdown, which Brooke warned us last week would result in two of them going home. Let’s get into it.
This week’s episode begins in the werk room following Luna’s elimination. Aurora is feeling mixed emotions about sending Luna home as she reads her exit message. Over on the couches Kitten and the other queens congratulate Aurora on her epic lip sync. Aimee asks Melinda why she saved Kiki, which Melinda says was just her paying Kiki back for saving her the previous week. Venus talks about the new twist that Brooke dropped on the group and all of the queens are equal parts excited and nervous for the lip sync slay off.
It’s a new day in the werk room and the queens are feeling ready to take on this week’s challenge. Melinda is feeling great about winning Snatch Game and some shade is thrown regarding which of the queens are the stronger performers of the group. There’s a note at the makeup station and Venus reveals it’s from Canadian supermodel Winnie Harlow, who is this week’s extra special guest judge. Ru’s video message interrupts and tells the queens they have to show up and show out for this week’s lip sync. With no mini challenge this week everybody gets right into drag to prepare for the slay offs. While they get ready they talk about different performing techniques and their personal relationships with their bodies and their bodies in drag, which Denim and Venus go into detail in.
Out on the main stage Brooke introduces this week’s judges Traci, Brad, and this week’s special guest Winnie Harlow. All of the queens come onto the runway and Brooke explains that the lip sync showdown will work in three rounds. The winners will advance while the final losers will all be up for elimination, with two queens being sent home at the end. Winnie gives the girls some advice and names are drawn to pick a song. Winnie choses Denim’s name out of the bowl first and decides on I’m Not Here to Make Friends. Melinda Verga is up next and she chooses That Don’t Impress Me Much, Venus is picked next and she stands by Uninvited. Aurora decides she’s going to go against Denim in the first lip sync. Denim and Aurora have an alliance, which surprises Denim. Aimee takes the first spot on the last song Fever Dreamer, which leaves the rest of the queens to pair with the song/queen they want to go up against. Nearah chooses to reignite her lip sync feud with Aimee. Kitten decides she wants to go up against Melinda for the love of Shania. This leaves Kiki to be paired with Venus for the first round.
Melinda and Kitten are up first with their lip sync against That Don’t Impress Me Much by Shania Twain. Both queens are giving it their all but Melinda is a stronger performer than Kitten, which has her super worried. Melinda may be doing the splits and drops but Kitten is giving her performance a lot of personality. The judges give some critiques to the queens on their lip sync and the judges decide to give this first round to Melinda. This means Melinda advances to the next round and Kitten is up for elimination. It’s time for Aurora VS. Denim to I’m Not Here To Make Friends by Sam Smith, Calvin Harris, and Jessie Reyez. Both Denim and Aurora give strong performances but Aurora is at a popstar level of lip sync, so it’s not really surprising that after critiques the judges advance her to the next round, which leaves Denim vulnerable. The third battle begins with Nearah taking on Aimee for the second time this season. They battle it out to Fever Dreamer by SG Lewis, Charlotte Day Wilson, and Channel Tres. Both queens give a high energy show stopping performance that all of the judges compliment them on. They choose to advance Nearah to the next round, leaving Aimee in the bottom and up for elimination. In the final showdown of round one Venus and Kiki lip sync against each other to Uninvited by Alanis Morissette. The lip sync takes a different turn from the others as this is the only ballad in this grouping and both queens give powerful and emotional performances. Venus gives a little more oomph to her performance, which puts her over the edge and gives her the win over Kiki.
The next round begins after a quickchange with the first battle between Melinda and Aurora to Boys Wanna Be Her by Peaches. These are two very strong performers, so they really work the whole stage during this matchup. The judges give this round to Aurora, meaning she’s going to the final round. This means Melinda is safe for the week. The next round is Nearah VS Venus lip synching to Pull Up (feat. Haviah Mighty) by Keys N Krates. Both of the queens give a high-energy performance but it’s Nearah who advances to the final round. Venus is safe. For the final round Nearah takes Aurora on with the two top queens competing against each other lip syncing to Black Velvet by Alannah Myles. The best was definitely saved for last because this lip sync was as sexy as it was skillful. The judges choose Nearah as the winner of the lip sync slay off extravaganza. Aurora is also safe for the week. The bottom four queens step forward and Brooke tells Nearah she can save one of the bottom queens from lip syncing.
Backstage the queens congratulate Nearah on her win and she asks if any of the bottom four wants to lip sync, and none of them raise their hands. Denim is feeling scared about how Nearah is going to use her golden beaver. Aurora tells Nearah that based off this week’s performance alone she would save Denim and Kitten shares she still has a lot to give to the competition. It’s Kiki’s third time being in the bottom but she doesn’t think it means she won’t get the beaver this time. Back out on the main stage Nearah reveals that she has chosen to give the golden beaver to Denim, saving her from the chomping block. This leaves Aimee, Kitten, and Kiki all up for elimination. The three bottoms lip sync for their lives against each other to I Will Love Again by Lara Fabian. All three are fighting for their spots in the competition with their different styles of performance. After the judges deliberate, Brooke announces that the one queen who will stay this week is Kiki Coe. This means Kitten Kaboodle and Aimee Yoncé Shennel are the fourth and fifth queens to be eliminated this season. After our eliminated queens leave the runway Brooke reveals that it’s officially time for the golden beaver to retire, and regular Drag Race rules have been reinstated.
Next week on Canada’s Drag Race: The top six put on a Rusical based on Brooke Lynn’s life, Hollywood Jade returns to choreograph.
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