RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under - Episode 3 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!
Drag Race Down Under has been.. interesting shall we say, episode one, I wasn’t a fan. Episode 2, I thought this spin off of Drag Race was a lost cause. Episode 3 the Queens brought it!! Finally, I can actually say I really enjoyed this weeks episode of Drag Race Down Under! This was the moment I was waiting for, so lets jump in and start the episode 3 review!
To start the Queens enter the werkroom after last weeks shocking elimination of Art Simone. Along with the Queens, I was also shocked at the exit. I thought Art would be there to the end potentially the one to win the show. I really didn't ‘t think her performance was that bad last week for a bottom place and even if it was her runway should have saved her. Either way, Art went home and Coco Jumbo wipes away the lip stick message.
A new day in the werkroom begins and Ru enters to challenge the Queens to get in quick Baywatch style Drag. Once in their life guard gear the Queens (along with the pit crew) slow-mo run as they go off to save someone drowning.
I really loved the Queens in this challenge, although I must admit that if I were the Queens I would have not put the wigs down the costume. If more than one person is doing it, scrap it. My favourites for sure were Etcetera and Scarlet and they would have been my winners. Ru picks Scarlet and Elektra for the win which forms our team captains for the weeks challenge. The Maxi challenge is for the teams to split into teams to write lyrics and do choreo for the new track ‘Queens Down Under’.
On team ‘Outback Fake Hoes’ led by Scarlet Adams we have Etcetera Etcetera, CoCo Jumbo and Anita Wig’lit. On team Three and A Half Men’ led by Elektra Shock we have Karen from Finance, Kita Mean and Maxi Shields. One massive round of applause and shout out to Maxi Shields. Whenever its a pick the teams moment I hate, hate, HATE when the Queens get all ‘Oh I’m picked last’, ‘Life is sh*t’ etc. But no Maxi wasn’t having any of that in their edit. Instead Maxi addressed it with a I actually don’t care attitude and moved on which I absolutely loved. With that the teams split off and begin to start writing their lyrics but get a second RuMail of the day! This time from Troye Sivan and LeLand. The interaction was… like the others, a little odd, the Queens didn’t really ask any questions and there wasn’t any back and forth. I guess its hard being on a video call but it all seemed pre-recorded and fake, I’m sure its just the edit and in real life it was a wonderful moment.
With that, the Queens head off to record their lyrics with the Michelle. It was actually great, only two struggled but otherwise I think this episode really let the Queens show their personalities a little more. I think that’s maybe what was missing before, I didn’t feel connected to the Queens. The recording goes down really well which then takes the Queens to choreo. Again, this went pretty smoothly and no one really had a drama edit, even with Etcetera trying to take over a little, that wasn’t as dramatic as it usually is.
Then we have the show day itself. I think the two teams did well but there is always one that does better than the other, for me it was the Outback Fake Hoes. They just worked off each other really well whereas the other group just seemed a little clumsy maybe, or a little frantic which made you not sure where to look. My favourite lyrics, probably Anita, my favourite performance was from Scarlet overall though.
Tracks performed, the Queens then move onto the runway which has a theme of Bogan Drag. (I had to look up what this meant but when I did I totally got it) my favourite was Scarlet for sure, the idea was just really clever and thought out (this week was really good for Scarlett)!
My least favourite… Elektra probably. I think the look could have still been totally the same but customised or edited a little to make it work better. I think the thing that doesn’t work for me the most with Electra is the make up. I think sometimes that (I don’t want to say bad make up as that’s mean so will say) this type of make up then makes you look at the outfit with a negative eye when it might be okay with a different style choice.
Either way Ru picks Scarlet as the rightful winner and puts Coco and Elektra in the bottom. The lip sync was okay, Coco was giving more of a I’m feeling the song lyrics and working the lips type performance whereas Elektra was kind of just busting out every move that she had. Interestingly enough, in the maxi challenge the judges didn’t like how Elektra was almost a spotlight stealer but in the lip sync when you want all eyes on you, she kept engaging with Coco and bringing the two together. Very odd, either way Elektra is saved again and I’m sure in episode 4 will be called the lip sync assassin of the season.
Lets hope the way I’m feeling about episode 3 is what continues for the rest of the season and I end up loving the rest!
RuPaul’s Drag Race is streaming on BBC iPlayer here.
Image credit - BBC / World of Wonder