The remaining six queens make their Rusical debut in a production based on Brooke Lynn’s life and Real Housewife Luann de Lesseps is a guest judge…
Last week after a high-stakes lip sync slay off we said goodbye to two queens. Nearah Nuff took the top spot and the title of this season’s lip sync assassin and decided to give her golden beaver to Denim, who had found herself at the bottom for the first time in the competition. Both Kitten Kaboodle and Aimee Yoncé Shennel were eliminated after a three-way lip sync with Kiki Coe. This week the remaining queens put on a Rusical choreographed by none other than returning resident choreographer Hollywood Jade. Let’s get into it!
This week’s episode begins in the werk room following last week’s double elimination. Denim explains it’s hard to see Kitten and Aimee go as they were the hearts of the competition. The remaining queens read their lipstick messages on the mirror and head over to the couches. They celebrate making it to the top six and congratulate Denim on getting the last golden beaver and Venus notes that Denim is the only queen who doesn’t have a competition win. It’s a new day in the werk room and some of the queens are feeling the aches and pains caused by the lip sync slay off. They talk about how good it feels that the eliminations are going back to normal with the retirement of the golden beaver for the rest of the competition. RuPaul interrupts with a video message to let the queens know losing is the new winning before Brooke enters the room to introduce this week’s challenges. For this week’s mini challenge the queens will get into late night TV host quick drag before improvising answers to sex questions live on air. After a truly informational segment Brooke announces the winner of the mini challenge is Venus!
Brooke then tells the queens that five of these queens won’t win the crown, but that she is living proof that even losing can launch you into superstardom. For this week’s maxi challenge it’s Rusical week! The queens will each play Brooke during different eras of her life in Drag’s to Riches: The Unauthorized Brooke Lynn Hytes Musical Spectacular. As a musical theatre queen Aurora is feeling really good about this challenge. Back over on the couches the queens look through the script and listen to the music before they assign the roles. They decide to have an audition for any roles that multiple queens want. Once the roles are officially cast the queens start working on their characters. Brooke comes back to the werk room to check on the progress of their characters and what they’re going to bring to each role. Melinda has taken the role of “Baby Brooke” which surprises Brooke Lynn, and Aurora has taken the Sugar Bum Fairy part from Brooke’s ballet era. Kiki is taking on the cabaret baby drag queen era and Nearah announces to Brooke that she’s not really happy with her role but she’s excited to make it work nonetheless. Denim is playing CDR Judge Brooke and Venus is taking on the opera role. Brooke announces that this week’s guest judge is Real Housewivesicon Luann de Lesseps.
Out on the main stage the queens are met with choreographer Hollywood Jade who is going to walk them through the steps of the entire Rusical. Aurora starts with her complicated ballet-inspired choreography and she nails it all in no time. Melinda is having a harder time picking up her choreography and Kiki’s props are giving her some trouble. Nearah gets her steps down immediately which has the other queens a little nervous. Venus’s choreography challenges her to not give so much with her lipsync, which is a challenge for her. Finally, Denim’s gospel number, which she struggles with a little bit.
It’s elimination day and the queens are busy putting the final touches on their looks and talk about their sex lives out of drag. They talk about being sex positive, not being overly sexual, not loving the social construct of monogamy, and Aurora reveals she had a crush on Denim two years ago. Out on the main stage Brooke emerges in a wedding gown and introduces this week’s judges Brad, Traci, and this week’s extra special guest judge Luann de Lesseps. It’s time for the Rusical debut and Melinda kicks it off with a fun performance as baby Brooke. Aurora is up next with her ballet number which impresses the judges. Kiki Coe follows with her sassy cabaret performance and it’s fun but there are certainly a few hiccups. Nearah’s pop routine is after and it’s polished and professional. Venus’s opera number is directly after and she reigns her facial expressions in as much as she can for her solemn performance. Denim closes the show and she really turns it out. After the Rusical the category on the runway is “Always a Bridesmaid”, and each of the queens take turns strutting in their best wedding-worthy lewks.
Brooke tells all of the queens they did a fantastic job in the Rusical. Melinda is up first for critiques. Traci tells her that her character choice paid off and all of the judges loved her energy for the opening performances. Brad and Brooke like her look but they want to see more. Brad tells Aurora her role was a risk with all of the ballet, and Brooke agreed that she did a great job despite not having any dance training. Traci tells Kiki that she had a few hiccups but she kept going which was great and Brad loves her bridesmaid couture. Brooke tells Nearah she saw herself the most as a performer in her and all of the judges love her runway, but Traci notes that she gave the same energy during last week’s lip sync challenge. The judges love Venus’s runway and Brooke tells her she nailed her facial expressions in her performance. Brad tells Denim he loves that she always takes her own route with the runway brief, and Brooke loved her gospel performance but says she kind of got lost at the end of her number when the rest of the queens came on stage.
Backstage while the queens untuck they talk about who they think the tops and bottoms are. Following the judge’s deliberations the queens make their way back to the main stage. Brooke announces that the winner of this week’s maxi challenge is Aurora Matrix. Venus and Nearah are both safe. Brooke then tells the remaining queens that Melinda is also safe. This leaves Kiki and Denim both up for elimination. The two bottoms lip sync to Seven Day Foolby Jully Black. Both queens want to make it to the semi-finals and they’re giving it everything they’ve got. After the lip sync Brooke and the judges make their decision. Denim will live to slay another day, meaning it’s unfortunately time for Kiki Coe to sashay away.
Next week on Canada’s Drag Race: The top five give sickening drag makeovers to surprise visitors from home.
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