After last week’s double save, Jackie and Heidi need to step it up this week alongside the other four remaining queens.
As we start the new week, Ru revealed the mini challenge would be puppets. Why? BECAUSE EVERYBODY LOVES PUPPETS! As usual, each contestant has to pull from a dubious looking hole, a puppet of one of their competitors which they then have 20 minutes to drag up.
Crystal pulled Jaida, Heidi got Crystal, Gigi got Jackie, Jackie got Sherry, Sherry got Heidi and Jaida got Gigi. Unfortunately although there were a few gags many of the queen’s puppet shows fell flat with Jackie being the one who stood out for her Sherry Pie puppeteering skills.
Ru then informed the girls that this week’s maxi challenge was to create a one-woman five minute show that would be performed on the main stage in front of a small audience and this week’s guest mentor, Whoopi Goldberg. As the winner of the mini challenge, Jackie got to decide the order each queen would appear on the stage, which caused some friction in the group as no one wanted to go in the final slot. Jackie decided that she would go first and told a reluctant Jaida that she would end the show with Crystal, Heidi, Gigi and Sherry in the middle.
Each queen got to talk through their ideas with Whoopi and Ru on the main stage, with Jackie being told to rethink, Crystal offering a weird male stripper character, Sherry wanting to be a goldfish and Gigi struggling as an air hostess. It had felt like Gigi’s competition to lose but the last few weeks haven’t been her strongest and lose it she might.
As showtime came around, Jackie had changed her act to simple, but heartfelt story about her life and her parents and how their approach to their son doing drag varied greatly; but both came from a place of love. Although the jokes weren’t coming as thick and fast as you’d expect from Jackie, it was sweet and the panel and audience ate it up.
Up next came Crystal with his actual mullet and a muscle suit playing Phenomenal Phil the exotic male dancer turned choreographer to the stars. He had the audience and Ru in stitches as he showed off his dance moves including the kitty litter and the dump! Gold star for Crystal, she slayed!
Crystal Methyd presents: Phenomenal Phil: Exotic Dance Instructor 💪💓 @CrystalMethyd #DragRace pic.twitter.com/9LHexUGOfQ
— RuPaul’s Drag Race (@RuPaulsDragRace) May 9, 2020
Following two strong performances was Heidi with a take on her family’s picnic. She played different characters from a granny, an aunt, a drunk uncle and a home boy, but with no costume changes and similar sounding voices, it was hard to tell the difference. Plus the jokes were seriously lacking. Not great Heidi.
Gigi came next with a routine about a flight to Hell where she was the air hostess. She looked super glam as ever (although maybe a nod to Britney’s Toxic would’ve been nice?) and interacted with the audience nicely. It started so well, but then the nerves came and she started to look flustered as she tried to remember her routine and as a result the audience began to lose interest.
Surprisingly we got to see alot of Sherry’s performance, which is unusual considering how much she’s been edited out. We didn’t really see much of her psychic fish as she kept on talking before revealing the goldfish bowl. It was a solid performance but she didn’t keep an eye on the time and overan by nearly 15 minutes, much to Jaida’s annoyance.
Speaking of Jaida, she closed out the show in a very odd, cringe worthy story about a beauty pageant that she judged at and ended up needing the loo, but couldn’t get out of her outfit. She asked her boyfriend to come and help her and as he was on his knees in front of her in a cubicle, she couldn’t hold it any longer and peed all over him. The audience was deadly silent and Jaida even acknowledged the fact, giving up a little towards the end of her set.
Jaida Essence Hall presents: Putting The “P” In Pageant! 👠👑 @jaidaehall #DragRace pic.twitter.com/Y8yFQtVtef
— RuPaul’s Drag Race (@RuPaulsDragRace) May 9, 2020
On the runway, in honour of special guest Whoopi Goldberg, the category was The Colour Purple. Jackie came out in a one eyed purple people eater outfit which was a fun look on her, if a little cheap looking. Crystal looked like a rag doll gizmo type creature, complete with purple glitter make up. Heidi wore a figure hugging full-length lace gown and her make up was very polished. Gigi gave us Scooby Doo realness with stylish a tribute to Daphne. Sherry Pie was a glamorous showgirl with a pussycat twist and Jaida looked every bit the star in a sparkly glitter dress split to the leg and complete with a big purple disc hat. All delivered lewks but funnily enough Heidi and Jaida’s looks paled a little against the others more abstract takes on the theme.
Category is: THE COLOR PURPLE 💜
Whose lavender lewk frocked your world?! #DragRace pic.twitter.com/B649QN7U4c
— RuPaul’s Drag Race (@RuPaulsDragRace) May 9, 2020
As the critiques were given, Jackie and Crystal were praised for their one-woman shows lining them up as the Top 2 of the week and all the other girls received mainly positive feedback (although Michelle called out Sherry for being selfish and not watching her time). In fact, Ru declared that these six were some of the best he’d ever had on the show and that he wanted to keep this Top 6 as they’d all done such a good job, however someone would be going home.
After deliberation, Ru sent Jackie and Gigi to safety before giving Crystal her first win (should’ve been her second after last week!) and then sent Sherry to safety. That left Heidi and Jaida in the lip sync.
🚨 SPOILER ALERT! 🚨
Tonight our Queens partied like it’s 1999, and turned that lip sync OUT! 💜🎸What did you think of their performance? #DragRace pic.twitter.com/J3dxLIKvCU
— RuPaul’s Drag Race (@RuPaulsDragRace) May 9, 2020
To tie in with the purple theme, the song was Prince’s 1999. It was clear from the start that although both girls wanted the win, Jaida was serving some serious attitude and style. Despite Heidi’s best efforts, Jaida came out on top and Ms N Closet (or Ms Doody, Ms Ho, Ms Aphrodite, whatever she decides!) sashayed away.
I love Heidi, she has been one of my favourite characters all season but it was her time to go. She went along way from her small town roots and I wouldn’t be surprised if she takes home Miss Congeniality at the reunion show. My money is now on Jaida to win the whole thing.
Next week looks like a musical number where the queens revisit their entrance looks to fight for a place in the grand finale. With Sherry Pie being excluded whatever the outcome, it’ll be interesting to see if she makes it through or if they get lucky and she messes up next week and leaves legitimately.
Read my previous Season 12 recaps.
