HomeTVRupaul's Drag Race Season 12 Ep12 recap

Rupaul’s Drag Race Season 12 Ep12 recap

   

Five queens fight for a coveted place in the Grand Finale this week and they all want to secure their place.

Ru entered the Werk Room and informed the queens that this week he’d be shamelessly plugging his Las Vegas Drag Race Live show….and of course that they’d be recreating a couple of numbers from it on the runway.

First, each queen had to write and record a verse about themselves and their journey.  Jackie was determined to have a strong week and after she calmed down a little, managed to give a good performance of her verse including lines that gave a nod to her merkin commercial from earlier in the series.

Crystal, who’d looked a bit blank in the Werk Room when asked about her lyrics, had fun recording and played around with the structure of her verse to give some interesting inclinations.  Gigi seemed a bit in her head again, but after relaxing managed to give a good vocal.  Poor old Jaida just doesn’t have a great singing voice does she?  But you’ve got to give her an A for likability and trying.  We didn’t get to see Sherry.

Next Jamal Sims appeared to coach the girls through their choreography, with Jackie in a pair of very short, shorts (I’m not complaining) trying to serve sexy booty shaking only to be mocked by the other girls for Dad dancing.  Gigi brought memories of her Robot with her moves being a little, well, robotic at first, but she soon loosened up.  Crystal was self-deprecating of her dance moves but we’ve seen Phenomenal Phil and we knew she could cut a move.  Jaida more than made up for her singing with her dancing; she has a natural way of moving that looks effortless.  Again we didn’t see Sherry’s individual dance routine.

 

Ahead of the big show, the queens chatted in the Werk Room about who they thought had changed the most (Crystal) and what their initial impressions of each other were.  There was  a good exchange between Gigi and Jackie as they poked fun at each other’s fashion taste of lack of.  You do get the feeling more than any of the other series that this Top 5 really do all get along.

As Jamal took his place next to Ru, Michelle, Carson and Ross, the show began with Sherry, wigless at a mirror lip syncing the first number.  Jackie was next to join in and did a great job of bringing character to her role.  Crystal I felt was a bit weaker here and Gigi the consummate professional.  Jaida was a bit forgettable in this opening number too.

 

The girls then performed a number in their original entrance outfits, which was a nice nod to the start of the series.  Finally, the girls all got their chance to shine on their own as they performed an individual (with back up dancers) routine and lip synced to their own written verse.  All of them did a great job, but it was Gigi in her red chaps and Jaida who stole the show, both looking every part the global star.

 


The runway category was Eleganza Extravaganza and I was excited to see the biggest and best looks yet.  Unfortunately, I don’t think any of them wowed me and none of them really stole the show either.  Crystal served a blue velvet puffy legged catsuit with her face also painted blue and one puffed up sleeve.  Gigi had a fun twist with a unisex ruffled shirt and skirt suit but with a sparkly head brace giving ‘Kathy Beth Terry goes to prom’ realness.  It was nice to see her be more playful but I actually would’ve preferred uber-chic fashion from her in this category.  Speaking of Katy Perry, Jackie donned a blue wig and came out in a huge puffed out strapless dress complete with a big bow.  She did look good but again didn’t excite me.  Jaida wore a figure hugging shiny lace full length gown with a sheer black cape attached.  This was a typical Jaida look which to me makes her seem much older and is slightly pageant and dated.  Nothing wrong with it, but again I was expecting much more.  I did laugh at the Coming To America ref from the judges!  Sherry was last out and had a Hello Dolly look – again completely competent but I feel I’ve seen this look on her so many times and really wanted some extra.

 

Ru and the panel heaped the praise on all the remaining queens and it soon became obvious that it was going to have to come down to their performance in the series overall rather than this challenge.  Gigi was crowned the week’s winner with Jaida and then Sherry sent to safety and a place in the Grand Finale – except we all know Sherry has since been banned.  That meant Crystal and Jackie would be lip syncing for the final place in the Grand Finale.

This week’s song was Hit on the Floor from JLo and included Pitbull’s raps I’m pleased to say.  Jackie started strong and played on her comedy skills to add some quirky moves and emphasis.  Crystal went for more of a party vibe and just looked like she was having so much fun at a club.  She even threw in some of Phenomenal Phil’s litter box moves much to the judges delight.  It was a tough one to call and again I think it probably didn’t matter about this performance and Ru’s decision was more based on series performance.  With no wins under her belt, it was time for Jackie to sashay away.

Next week is the reunion episode and we’ll hopefully find out if Jackie will be invited back to the finale to take Sherry’s place or whether it’ll be just three queens in the final.

   

Read my previous Season 12 recaps.

Must Read

Advertisement