Canada’s Drag Race Season 5 Episode 7 RECAP: The Devil Wore Custom

The remaining queens create custom looks for Brooke to wear on the runway. Sarain Fox returns as a guest judge…

Last week we said “au revoir” to Montreal’s Uma Gahd after the queens took on the infamous Snatch Game challenge. The judges called it a bit of a disappointing performance from all of them but Xana wowed them enough to be named the winner during the challenge. She was given the power of the wooden beaver, which started a chain reaction of saves until there was a final three. The Virgo Queen, Makayla, and Uma all lip synched against each other and Uma was sent packing. This week the queens fire up their sewing machines and hot glue guns once again for another sewing challenge where they’ll have to create a dress that’ll impress their head judge and queen of the north Brooke Lynn Hytes. Let’s get into it. 

This week’s episode begins back in the werk room following Uma’s elimination. The queens read her goodbye message on the mirror and head over to the couches to congratulate the winners of the lip sync and Minhi asked why the other queens chose who they did for the golden beaver. Everyone says their piece except for Virgo who feels disrespected by the group because she doesn’t feel supported by them, and feels like she’s been on a lonely island since Sanjina left. Helena apologizes before the group gets out of drag.

It’s a new day in the werk room and everyone is feeling sunny and ready to take on this week’s challenge. Xana brings up that Helena is the only queen left who doesn’t have a win under their belt. Helena says that it’s lit a fire under her ass and they’re all interrupted by Ru’s cryptic video message. Brooke enters the werk room who tells the queens that being a working woman is hard work and she needs some help. She’s interviewing for a new assistant and all of the queens are up for the job. After getting into quick drag (Brooke included) they head into Brooke’s office one by one for their job interviews. The goal is for witty rapport with Brooke while also making her laugh. After some truly memorable interviews, Brooke announces the winner of the mini challenge is Minhi Wang, the improv queen herself. 

Brooke also lets the queens know that for this week’s maxi challenge the queens will be designing custom looks for Brooke to wear on the runway with the provided fabric, jewellery, and footwear. Brooke is modelling the looks, but they all must reflect each of the designers. Back to help them with consulting is former Canada’s Drag Race queen Suki Doll. The queens get to designing and some of them are feeling the pressure to deliver a jaw-dropping look to impress Brooke. Virgo and Makayla are feeling nervous about getting by this time around, especially with so many talented designers and sewists in the room. Helena knows the challenge is in her wheelhouse, and she was so close with the last sewing challenge, so she’s feeling this might be her week. 

Brooke re-enters the werk room with Suki Doll for each of the consulting sessions. They go up in pairs and present their designs and Suki gives them expert advice on how to make their looks pop. Brooke wishes them luck and tells them that they’ll have to serve a look on the runway too, and the category is “wardrobe malfunction”. They get back to work constructing their designs and talk about how nervous they are to be dressing Miss Brooke Lynn. Suki comes back and helps each of the queens for 15 minutes which is so valuable for each of the queens to receive. Some of the looks are really coming together and others are noticing that everybody is draping their fabric, so a few of them are changing their gameplan. Virgo is feeling nervous because everyone else seems to be chilling with their designs. 

It’s elimination day and the queens put the finishing touches on their looks while getting ready for the runway. They also share why they got into drag and if they also have other full-time jobs. Out on the runway Brooke introduces this week’s panel of judges Brad, Traci, and this week’s returning guest, model Sarain Fox. The queens walk the runway first in their best “Wardrobe Malfunction” looks. Brooke then takes the stage in all of the looks the queens created for her while the queens watch from their coveted spot in the front row. Brooke works all of the outfits like an expert top model and for the most part, all of the looks are good, even with the few real wardrobe malfunctions. 

Everyone is being critiqued this week and it starts with Minhi. Brooke tells her she felt powerful and sexy in this look, and the other judges praise her attention to detail, as well as compliment her presentation in her own runway. Next, Brooke liked the silhouette but says the construction left a lot to be desired, and they liked her own look but there wasn’t enough of a malfunction. Brad tells Helena that her look is actually something Brooke would wear on the runway, and Brooke tells her it was so perfectly branded to Helena’s aesthetic. Traci loved her camp wardrobe malfunction which Brad echos. Brooke loves the ruching and flowing fabric on Xana’s dress but found her front train a little challenging to walk in. Traci liked the embellishments but says they aren’t cohesive. Brad loves Perla’s wardrobe malfunction dress and calls it art and Sarain compliments her performance. Brooke enjoyed her attention to detail but says the stitch that came undone was a sore spot. Finally, Brooke and Traci loved the vibrant look and perfect fit of Makayla’s dress while also complementing her truly accidental wardrobe malfunction on the runway in her own look.

Backstage, Helena is feeling good and the rest of the queens talk about how grateful they are that Brooke wore their looks. This week the queens know they’re either in the top and the bottom while talking about who they think is in each group. Virgo, Xana, Makayla and Perla think they’re in the bottom based on critiques alone. Xana gets nitpicky with Makayla, which Makayla goes off on and the rest of the queens are in shock. The judges hear it from the main stage and things are tense. The rest of the queens get where Makayla is coming from and Minhi points out that Brooke also tripped on Xana’s dress, which was Xana’s main critique of Makayla’s look. Makayla returns and goes off again and calls Xana small and disgusting. Xana says she wants to resolve the conflict but Makayla isn’t having it. The judges continue deliberating before bringing back the queens.

Based on their custom designs and runway presentations the judges name Minhi as the winner of the maxi challenge with Helena right behind her in second place. Perla is also safe, and so is Makayla. This leaves The Virgo Queen and Xana both up for elimination. The two bottom queens lip sync for their lives to Taking Chances by Celine Dion. It’s an emotional ballad and both queens take a slower, building approach to their lip sync. It’s pretty even in energy and tricks, so it’ll be a hard decision for the judges. In the end, Brooke and the judges save The Virgo Queen, which means it’s Xana’s time to leave. She apologizes to Makayla in her exit interview before leaving the werk room. 

Next week on Canada’s Drag Race: The top five will be guests on a late night talk show, and icon Ts Madison is a guest judge.