The queens lip sync for their lives against each other in this battle royale, but this time they’re doing it in teams. Drag Race royalty Shea Couleé is a guest judge…
Last week the queens gave it their all during the first acting challenge of the season when they separated into three teams and produced PSAs for aliens about what life was like on earth. Some shot for the moon, and truly landed among the stars, Pearla came out as the top queen of the week. With her top queen status she was able to award one of the bottom queens with the Golden Beaver and save them from the elimination lip sync, and she chose Xana. Unfortunately after a fierce battle against Tiffany Ann Co., Tara Nova became the first queen to be eliminated this season.
This week’s episode begins in the werk room following Tara’s elimination. Pearla is feeling a little guilty about not saving Tara but she knows this is just the way it goes. Over on the couches Xana leads the queens with congratulating Tara on winning the first elimination lip sync of the season. Xana also thanks Pearla for saving her with the Golden Beaver. A little shade is thrown between Minhi and Sanjina over something that was said backstage before everyone races to get out of drag.
It’s a new day in the werk room and everyone is feeling great and ready to slay the next challenge. Around the tables they all congratulate Pearla on winning one last time. Xana also accuses Uma of sabotaging her with the writing last week which Uma corrects and defends herself against the claims. After another cryptic message from Ru with plenty of football references, Traci enters the werk room and asks the queens who the lip sync assassin of the group is. It’s time for this season’s lip sync slay offs! But this year we’re doing things a little differently. The queens will be split into two teams for five lip sync. The queens will still be lip syncing individually. If they win their lip sync, they’ll win safety for themselves and a point for their team. At the end the team with the most points wins the maxi challenge and are all safe. The losing team will find themselves at the bottom and at risk of being eliminated at the end of the night. Pearla and the Virgo Queen are team captains as the maxi challenge winners. They pick teammates first, but the queens they each pick will get to pick their next teammate. Team Pearla includes Makayla, Tiffany, Uma, and Jaylene, while team Virgo Queen includes Sanjina, Xana, Helena, and Minhi. Within their teams they’ll have to pick who will perform which track, and they’ll need to perform to impress, because All Star queen Shea Couleé.
The groups enter the werk room one at a time to discuss which queen will work best with which song. It’s a strategy game as much as they are playing to their strengths. They have to guess which one of the queens on the opposing team will pick the song they want. As they’re getting ready for the lip sync battle they talk about which one of them is nervous before the battle. Tiffany is feeling confident about her own performance but can’t say the same for everyone else in the room.
Out on the runway, Brooke introduces this week’s panel of judges Brad, Traci, and this week’s extra special guest Shea Couleé. Here’s how the battle will work. The queens will each pair with a member of the opposing team to lip sync for five rounds. The first team to win three lip syncs will win the challenge and immunity from elimination for the week. The queens from the losing team who lose their lip syncs will be in the bottom, meaning those on the losing team who won their individual lip syncs are still safe. Shea tells the queens not to hold back.
The first battle is Makayla Couture versus Minhi Wang lip syncing to Too Hot by Alanis Morissette. Right out of the gates Makayla is wowing with splits and tricks, but it doesn’t stop Minhi from giving it her all. Both queens get good critiques from the judges with Minhi making good use of the stage, and getting kudos for her comedic route, but they tell Makayla that she was red hot from start to finish, so it’s not shocking when she’s named as the winner of the first slay off.
The second lip sync is Helena Poison versus Jaylene Tyme lip syncing to San Francisco performed by Rufus Wainwright. It’s wordy as it’s more spoken-word than the other songs. It requires a different set of skills to wow the audience and both queens are going for it with a campy take on the song. The judges tell them it was like watching a tennis match with Jaylene giving old fashioned cabaret and Helena wowed with her vampiness and they loved that she made the song her own. Helena takes the round and wins the first point for her team and ties the game.
The next slay off is to Heads Will Roll by The Yeah Yeah Yeahs and its Xana versus Uma. The feud has officially left the werk room and made it to the main stage. This song has a lot of energy and the queens are both matching it. Xana goes for a more acrobatic performance while Uma lands on club dancing, but it’s working for both of them. Following the lip sync the judges tell Xana she’s a total sex pot with tricks up her sleeve, while Uma is told her performance was unexpected and quirky in a good way. Uma takes the win and a second point for her team.
The fourth slay off is to Exes by Tate McRae and it’s Tiffany versus The Virgo Queen. This is Tiffany’s song and if she wins it, her team will win the lip sync. Both queens decide on a dance heavy performance and they’re both feeling the fantasy. After the lip sync the judges praise both of their performances giving top toots to their dancing and confidence. The Virgo Queen takes this round which ties up the game.
The final round begins and it’s Sanjina versus Pearla lip syncing to Bad Bitches Don’t Cry by Priyanka and Ralph. Whoever wins this round wins the challenge for their team so both of them are really giving it. Sanjina has the attitude but Pearla has the tricks. The judges start with Sanjina and Brooke tells her she’s a natural-born performer and Traci tells her she made use of the entire stage. Brooke calls Pearla a pocket rocket and Traci praises her hairography and quiet elegance. The judges decide that the winner of the final round is Sanjina, meaning team Pearla is the losing team. Pearla, Jaylene, and Tiffany are all in the bottom for the week. On the other hand, for her total slay, The Virgo Queen is the winner of this week’s challenge.
Backstage, the queens congratulate Virgo on her second win of the season. Xana thanks Sanjina for winning the lip sync and saving her for the week, and she addresses Uma and says that the feud between them continues. For a couple of the queens in the bottom it’s not their first time there. Jaylene makes a tearful plea to stay in the competition, and Tiffany thinks the cards are just stacked against her. Pearla says she hopes her win is taken into consideration and tells Virgo if she chooses her the debts she has left on the wigs Pearla made her will be waived. Virgo deliberates with her teammates about who they think should get the beaver and it will not be an easy choice.
Back out on the main stage The Virgo Queen announces that the queen she’s saving from the chomping block is…Jaylene Tyme. This means that Tiffany and Pearla are this week’s official bottoms and will have to lip sync for their lives. They lip sync once more to Hot by Avril Lavigne. With their time continuing on in the competition on the line both of them are giving it everything they have including hair flips and synchronized drops. In the end it’s Tiffany Ann Co. who is sent packing and becomes the second queen to be eliminated from the competition.
Next week on Canada’s Drag Race: The queens take on their first design challenge of the season.
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