RPDRUK Series 3 - Episode 2 Review
Before we jump into this, there are spoilers below if you haven’t watched the episode yet. All the comments below are just my fun opinion, its a TV show, don’t get upset if I didn’t like your favourite Queen!
Thursday is our new favourite day of the week, why? Drag Race UK drops of course. The Queens returned to our screens for episode 2 by first walking into the werkroom to rub the message from Anubis off of the mirror. However, poor Victoria Scone isn’t present as she had to go see a doctor after last weeks lip sync. During the lip sync for the win with Krystal Versace she did a knee slam down and damaged it… uh oh, do we have another Eureka moment upon us? Victoria then manages to hobble back into the werkroom to join the girls for a quick debriefing about the first episode before Ella Vaday calls for everyone to get out of Drag.
The Queens enter the werkroom for a new day and 2 new challenges. When Ru joins them the first challenge is for Krystal Versace as last weeks winner to play Rupermarket Sweeps where Krystal must grab the neon corner shop styled stickers and give the description to the Queen she thinks it fits best.
Krystal ranks the queens as the following…
Star Buy - Victoria Scone / Bargain Bin - River Medway / Hot Deal - Ella Vaday / Out of Date - Veronica Green / BOGOF - Elektra Fence.
I mean it’s all a bit of fun when games like this are on Drag Race right? The game is designed to create fake storylines and rifts between the Queens, no one should take offence… oh. Unless when Ru asks you to clarify why you gave each Queen the stickers you did and you go full luna eclipse with the shade! I think in all honesty having worked with Krystal her comments were just meant to come across as light hearted shade but sadly they didn’t land that way and made her seem like a young queen who hasn’t been out in the real world very much. I mean, the Queens were pissed but more on that later.
Mini challenge over the Queens are told they will be putting on a fitness style video which will be called, Dragaton. The Queens are split into three teams who are given a type of character per group which will fit different sections of the video.
The Queens set off to learn the choreography and are joined by the fabulous Oti Mabuse! Oti didn't hold back and got the Queens working on the choreo at super speed! I felt for the Queens as the choreo was so complex for episode 2. The thing about doing choreo that’s super hard is that in the end it just looks a mess, lets remember some of the Queens won’t have ever danced as part of their act before.
Rehearsals done the sweaty Queens leave to go practice in their hotel rooms before coming back for the new day where they will perform and walk the runway! As the Queens get ready Krystal and Victoria end up sitting next to each other… yawn. I say yawn as sadly this style of filming is what we see on Drag Race US and why I fell out of love with their series so much. It just seems all fake and false (I mean unless it naturally happened that way but I doubt it). Victoria and Krystal speak out Krystals ‘fat’ comments and Victoria reassures Krystal that there is no bad blood at all between them but she used to suffer with her size due to her dance background. This then sparks off a conversation with the Queens (which seemed more real and natural) about loving your skin. First with Elektra and her freckles and then Vanity with the colour of her skin and how she is the only black queen in the competition. Again both Queens highlighted how horrible people can be about appearance and how even the smallest comment or joke can come across as hurtful. Whoever came up with sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me clearly didn’t have any body issues!
Moving onto Dragoton. I mean what a mess. No shade to the Queens but it was just too much. From having everyone on stage together to the group routines. It just was not it. I was really disappointed and I don’t know how they thought it was going to work or be funny. I will however, applaud Chroiza and Kitty for their performance. They stood out the most to me and although they might not have been the most technical, they definitely sold it to me. I mean the best part of this challenge was when the Queens were malfunctioning, that’s honestly the only moment where I thought, this looks alright and it wasn’t mean to be!
For the runway we have a theme of red carpet showstoppers. I mean, I want to check the BBC actually told the Queens that’s what the runway was. I wanted Met Gala styled looks, I wanted to see SHOWSTOPPERS! What we got was what you would expect from a school prom. I know Drag Race costs money (lots of it), sometimes that’s what the Queens don’t have and I understand that. But I LOVE to create looks for cosplay or themed events. I know first hand how the price can add up, but eBay is your friend and you can get you some amazing bits for pennies to bring together a showstopper look. Sadly for me none of the Queens really hit the mark. Closest for was Charity Kase but she seemed to be lacking her confidence on the runway like she did in the first spooky look she pulled. This then made the outfit not shine how it should have sadly. Again if I had to pick favourites Kitty and Chroiza for sure and I think my top 2 this week! Both excelled in the challenge and had really good runway looks.
Ru had a different opinion and chooses Krystal as the winner with Veronica coming in close second. The bottoms Elektra Fence (sadly I did agree) and Vanity which I really wasn’t expecting! I did see where the judges were coming from but to put a technically good dancer in the bottom for some hair when others were out of time and also didn't look great is… hmmm doesn’t sit with me. Either way Vanity and Elektra went ALL OUT in the lip sync. I mean neither held back and both Queens threw themselves about the stage selling the song. Ru saves Vanity and I do agree (not being biased because we have interviewed her but) because her face sold the song it was the right choice. Elektra did throw herself around in ways a person shouldn’t be able to but she would do that to even a slow song. Vanity had the lip sync down and that’s what its all about really.
So sadly we say goodbye to the pocket rocket of Series 3! You can read the interview with Elektra about her time on the show by clicking here.
But wait that’s not all! Ru then asks Victoria Scone to come forward! Ru announces that Victoria must go and get checked by a medical professional and the decision of if she will carry on in the competition is up to them. If they say she needs to rest that’s what she needs to do… the trailer for next week doesn’t give anything away either and they have cleverly edited it so you can’t see even a glimpse of Victoria… or maybe there isn’t one and she gets sent home. Only time will tell.
Final shout out before we go, how good was Oti as a judge!?! She gave such good critics and feedback and I think if ever Graham or Alan can’t be there Oti should step in. Amazing job.
Imagery credit BBC, World of Wonder, Guy Levy