RuPaul’s Drag Race is back and as sparkly as ever, which should be expected with Season 18’s “Let There Be Light” theme. This time around, each of the 14 queens feels polished and seasoned. Perhaps that correlates to the majority of queens being over 30, or maybe it’s due to better casting. Either way, Season 18 is shaping up to be one of the show’s most exciting seasons in recent years.
After the controversy stemming from Season 10 of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars, most fans are ready to get back to basics and discover some new names to fall in love with. With Drag Race going back to its classic formula, you’ll find few complaints from us. And since RuPaul loves a good acronym, we’ll be conducting our reviews using the word DRAG (Drama, Runway, About That Challenge, and Gooped, Gagged, and Goated). Read on for our thoughts, musings, and reactions to RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 18, Episode 12.
Drama: There wasn’t a lot of drama this episode. In fact, it was kind of wholesome. What are your thoughts about the change of pace?
Jeanette: Reality TV always has drama to an extent (unless you’re just watching The Great British Bake Off), but it’s still nice to have episodes that (mostly) take a reprieve from the chaos. Excuse me while I flashback to All Stars 10 Bracket 2 when Mistress Isabelle Brooks drove me to the brink of insanity with all her manipulating and scheming. Anyway… that’s why I enjoyed Drag Race Season 18, Episode 12, so much. It was wholesome—sure, a little shady, but also wholesome.
Watching the gay cowboys dive headfirst into this challenge, despite stemming from a lifestyle that goes hand-in-hand with toxic masculinity, was truly special. Discord definitely didn’t do it on purpose, but she kind of perfectly matched everyone together. Jane/Terry and Nini/Jason were probably my favorites chemistry-wise. Watching Jane try so hard to ensure Terry had a good experience had my eyes watering. Then, when Jason confided in Nini about his friendship with Barry Winchell and how he never got to appropriately grieve his murder because of fear, I completely lost it.
The horrors in this world never cease to amaze me. I’m sorry to learn of Barry Winchell’s story. My heart aches for him, his family, his friends, and all the queer people who suffer because of hate. Still, it’s such an important story to share on Drag Race‘s big platform. It’s the moments like this, even if they’re painful, that remind us all the Drag Race is so much more than a silly, little reality TV show; it’s a community driver.
MORE: Catch up with our RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 18, Episode 11 Breakdown
Lyra: These are the kinds of episodes of Drag Race that I wish we would see more of. Because yes, the fashion is fun and so is the drama. But at the end of the day, the queer community has fought so hard to get to where we are now. And we continue to fight day in and day out. So episodes like this act as a reminder of how different we are within the queer community but also how similar we are. We want to live, laugh, love and all that cheesy stuff. But the world really tries to crush us left and right. And we don’t let it stop us. We rise, rise, rise.
These cowboys, what they’ve been through, and what they continue to achieve, are a reminder of how resilient we are. And I think the queens needed that reminder. But so did we as viewers. It was just a wholesome episode all around even with the shady bits. And Nini and Jason, oh you too had me in my feelings. That hug was needed. For both of them. But also for us too.
Runway: Since we don’t have an official runway this episode, what was your favorite (or least favorite) family resemblance look?
Jeanette: I (mostly) agreed with the judges this episode. Myki/Michael and Juicy/Greg were my favorites. All four of them looked absolutely stunning! But, yet again, Darlene has managed to win me over with her tackiness. She and Chris had a fun, sleazy look that reminded me of Val from The Nanny. As for the family resemblance, it was questionable in my opinion. They definitely had more of a friend vibe going on, but maybe I could see cousins. Truthfully, what really sold me on them was how much fun they were having. Kudos to Chris for really hamming it up and delivering a true character.
Lyra: Darlene. That’s it. It was just so fun. Like those would be the girls I would hang out with. But I also think that their outfits were the most fun. And the more that I looked at them, the more I noticed small details that made me love her and Chris’ outfits. I will also say that I really liked Nini and Jason’s outfits. But… they could’ve been tied together a little more. Maybe not too much like Myki and Michael though or Jane and Terry. Because honestly… they were a little boring there. Sorry, not sorry.
About That Challenge: Family resemblance or identical looks? Do you think the judges have a clear idea of how to judge this challenge?
Jeanette: I’ve watched every season of Drag Race, and any time the family resemblance challenge comes up, it truly shocks me how many queens don’t seem to get it. Put on the same wig! Wear the same outfit! Or, at the very least, have enough colors/style in common to make yourself seem “related!” Still, I don’t entirely blame the queens. Like many of the challenges, sometimes Drag Race spotlights the judge’s hypocrisy.
Sometimes they want near-identical looks. (Michelle!) However, I’ve also heard them say it’s refreshing for the duo to not be too matchy-matchy. (Also, Michelle!) At times, it seems the queens are damned if they do, and damned if they don’t. However, the judges tend to favor an “identical” look. Case in point, Myki’s win.
Funny enough, I don’t know many family members who walk around wearing the same exact hairstyle and clothes. “Resemblance,” in my opinion, means a similar essence. I saw that with Jane/Terry, yet the judges weren’t impressed. What this challenge really needs is a better grading system.
MORE: Need more? RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 18, Episode 10 Breakdown
Lyra: Another year of Drag Race, another opportunity to talk about how the judging for this family challenge is off. One year they’ll be like “you just look too identical.” And then another year they’ll be like “oh I wish you looked a little more alike.” Which is it?! This year it managed to be all about looking identical. Because Myki and Michael were just copy and paste with nothing really standing out about them and boom. A win. It just makes it hard to be like “this is what the judges wanted” when they don’t make it clear year after year. So I’m just going to vote for what I liked and what it seemed like the judges were vibing with. And that was Darlene and Chris.
Gooped, Gagged, and GOATED: Do you agree with RuPaul’s choices for bottoms and tops in RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 18, Episode 12?
Jeanette: Despite my little rant above, I’d say yes (mostly). Myki/Michael and Juicy/Greg had my favorite and most cohesive looks, although I wasn’t in love with how Juicy did Greg’s makeup. (The highlighter seemed off.) In contrast, Nini/Jason and Discord/Colton were definitely not giving “related.” Had Nini just made Jason’s caterpillar outfit orange and black to more closely resemble her monarch color scheme, things might’ve been different because, truly, having the same colors is so often what it takes for the judges to be like, “Oh, yeah. I see it now!”
My only real hang-up was Jane/Terry. I thought they both looked great, and they most definitely looked related. Sure, their outfits weren’t a one-for-one copy, but neither were Juicy and Greg’s. Still, they had the same fabric, the same feather boa, and the same hair and earrings. So, I was stumped when Michelle came down so hard on them. I know they had to drum up suspense by putting three people in the bottom, but Jane should’ve been an easy safe, not standing in the bottom with Nini and Discord. Jane has had a really good run so far, so it was disappointing to see her first “bottomish” placement be for something like this.
Lyra: I do think Juicy and Greg looked absolutely beautiful. And I do see Juicy’s growth as a queen. There’s that. But… I think we should’ve had some sort of three way lipsync off here. Because I think Jane also should’ve been down there. It wasn’t giving family resemblance besides the same wig color. There, I said it. But they’re not going to clear out Jane because she’s a front runner and they want her to face off with Myki. If anything, I think Darlene should’ve won this because those critiques from the judges felt like they were vibing with her more than anyone else.
As for Discord. This was her time to go. Because she’s been doing great on some challenges, there’s no denying that. At the same time, I don’t see Discord pushing herself. And I don’t think the judges are pushing her to try out something new like they would a pageant queen. She’s just the punk girl with the kind of audacity and belief in herself that maybe I should have a little more of in my life.
