Episode Discussion: Bitch Perfect

[keeper-of-stars.livejournal.com]

Welcome back, squirrel friends! It’s time for the next lap of the race! Bust out your wigs and padding because this is going to be a crazy ride.

Wigs and heels don’t go on for a few hours yet, but let’s get the T flowing now!

Just a few things to keep in mind…
~ Try to stay on topic. This is an episode discussion after all.
~ Don’t be throwin’ no shade towards your fellow LJ-ers. (Everyone is entitled to their own opinion.)
~ Since this is an episode discussion, there will be spoilers in the comments. Enter at your own risk.
~ Please do not post spoilers for upcoming episodes.
~ And of course, don’t forget to werk.


[Poll #2039635]

Comments

[keeper-of-stars.livejournal.com]

P.S. I really did try to keep my Lucian bias under control while doing the poll. ;)

[entwashian.livejournal.com]

Ha haaaaaa, it's a good job you post these so early... I almost forgot to record! :/

Sis woulda killed me.

[keeper-of-stars.livejournal.com]

I have to post them early! I'll forget otherwise, lol. (I get too relaxed at night. :P )

I'm glad that I could help keep you alive. We need you around here. :D

[lilpoundcake.livejournal.com]

OMG. Who do y'all think is coming back?
That was rough to watch, i'm not surprised there was a double elimination.

[kapvik.livejournal.com]

I don't know that anyone eliminated thus far is worth bringing back, though I did have kind of a soft spot for Dax Exclamation Point. I'm kind of hoping they bring on an alternate, i.e. a queen who didn't quite make the cut for the premiere but was kept on standby/a waiting list in case someone had to drop out or couldn't make it.

[keeper-of-stars.livejournal.com]

It takes a certain level of special to be able to screw up "I Will Survive" so completely and horribly.

[blithelybonny.livejournal.com]

RIGHT?

[keeper-of-stars.livejournal.com]

YES! I don't care if you "don't do disco." It's 'I will Survive!' That's Queen 101.

[blithelybonny.livejournal.com]

Apparently Miss Dax didn't do a whole lot of anything other than look hot as Storm. idk. :( :(

[keeper-of-stars.livejournal.com]

I am always floored by queens who don't lip synch. It's like sewing. If you're gonna be on the show, you know you're gonna have to do it eventually. Get some lessons and practice!

[entwashian.livejournal.com]

That lip-synch skit was super long! And I don't think any of them super messed up like last season's stewardess disaster, either.

[lucifuge-5.livejournal.com]

It was definitely one of the better skits I've seen in the show. In some ways, I think each queen ended up doing a good job (even Kim "Two Left Feet" Chi.

[stormkpr.livejournal.com]

I will state the obvious - who the heck will they bring back?? I don't think it's Naysha. So, a queen from an earlier season? Someone who auditioned for Season 8 who didn't make it? Waiting 6 days for this is going to slay me, and not in a good way.

[bodacioussylph.livejournal.com]

Loony theory time...this show LOOOVES to subvert expectations, and the obvious expectation is returning-queen-joins-competition. What if the phone call was "I need someone to come COACH these sorry girls"? And Latrice or Lady Bunny or Chad swoops in and Instructs. Maybe?

[blithelybonny.livejournal.com]

Oooh, I like that idea a lot.

[blithelybonny.livejournal.com]

In which I am crushed. My poor precious terrible garbage queen, Layla. Leave your clothes and your shoes on girl! How many times? How many times has Ru said you leave your clothes and your shoes and your wig on?

That was some awful lipsync from both of them, both in the challenge and in the LFYL, and I'm not sorry they both got sent home.

I can't decide if I want a past queen to come back or if I want it to be some brand new season 8 queen. Because on the one hand, Justice for Katya... but on the other hand, they've all had their shots already, and Ru has already done the bringing a past season person back as well as a bringing back a current season contestant, soooo idk.

Also OICU DERRICK BARRY DOIN UR BRITNEY MOVES IN UR SPOTLIGHT BUT THEN ALSO FAILING TO BE ABLE TO DANCE DURING THE CHA CHA MINI. So that's something.

[lucifuge-5.livejournal.com]

In which I am crushed. My poor precious terrible garbage queen, Layla.

I thought of you as soon as Mama Ru told her to sashay away.

[blithelybonny.livejournal.com]

I wasn't expecting the double, but as soon as Layla got called in the bottom two, I knew it was over for her. :( :( wompwomp

♥

[lucifuge-5.livejournal.com]

The funny thing is that I got spoiled for Dax Exclamation Point's elimination by the Huffinton Post's twitter mere seconds before I was going to watch this episode. (Have not learned the lesson of avoiding my twitter timeline BEFORE I watch RPDR).

Acid Betty's non-stop snapping definitely earned her a spot in the DNW column for me. I get that she didn't want to be eliminated but her pushy attitude drove me NUTS in all of her scenes. FWIW, she did turned out with the dancing (although her runway dress wasn't all that).

SO HAPPY for my queen Chi Chi's win! I do agree with Michelle's critique of her runway dress (it WAS basic). Bob the Drag Queen had all the catch phrases and did a good job overall.

In a surprising (to me) turn of events, I liked both Thorgy Thor and Cynthia this week. In the case of Cynthia, it helped that she turned down a little bit of the Coochi-Coochi tone so she came across as a real person. As for Thorgy, I feel she was sweeter this time around (and I loved her jumpsuit. Smart queen!)

NGL, I'm getting worried about Kim Chi. As sweet as it was to hear about her life (and, goodness gracious, the work room scene when they were all getting ready felt like CONFESSION TIME), she does have a horrible walk. Unlike Michelle, I don't think she's coasting on her makeup skills or style. It's more of her being terribly insecure and having an ongoing case of the nerves.

Derrick was...OK. To me, it seems like she's begun to realize that she REALLY has to step it up if she wants to stay in the game.

Laila had the really bad luck of not only turning a 'meh' look for the runway but also ending up in the bottom two for the second time in a row (though, overall, she wasn't terrible). As for Dax, she forgot that Mama Ru and co HATE excuses. Had she owned up instead of being defensive, she might've ended up safe.

That was a DISASTER OF A LIPSYNCH!! How can anyone mess up "I Will Survive"? I kept waiting for either or both of the queens to ramp up the energy. Instead, all we got was a lot of twirling all over the stage and Laila stomping up and down the runway while failing to deliver any emotion. Hell, I'd have eliminated both of them too for poor lipsynching! >:(

ETA: Apparently, Robbie Turner and Naomi Smalls didn't do anything that merited my remembering them. Sorry, queens. *hands*

[entj.livejournal.com]

I scarcely know where to begin with this episode.

• I think this was the best ensemble music/dance number in the history of the show. My word, Chi Chi Devayne, bounce that booty, girl! Frankly, I didn't catch anybody majorly screwing up, and I was delighted. I like it better when Ru is forced to choose between excellent contenders, rather than obvious goofs.
  
  
• I am somewhat relieved that, so far, this doesn't seem to be Derrick's season to lose like I imagined it might be. I'm glad -- I love Bianca, but it does make the season a bit less interesting when there's a clear winner almost from the outset.
  
  
• Kim Chi broke my heart. "I wouldn't want me, either." I wanted to hug her after being picked last. And the story about her previous weight, and about being a virgin ... at this point in the show, she has no idea how amazing everyone thinks she is. I did love RuPaul reassuring her about her lisp - that was a cute moment.
  
  
• I am warming up to Cynthia Lee Fontaine despite her voice. She seems like a very kind person, and wow, her cha cha! She was on fire!
  
  
• I was genuinely moved by Chi Chi DeVayne's story. To come from gang violence and take the road to drag ... it takes a very courageous soul to change a situation like that. However she places in this competition, she has already won in my eyes by taking such a risk and triumphing. She has every ounce of my admiration and respect.
  
  
• This episode is the most gorgeous I have ever seen Michelle look. She was truly beautiful -- loved her updo.
  
  
• So many spectacular gowns on the runway this episode! I loved the combination of geometry and flow on Naomi Smalls (she is so beautiful); Robbie Turner's Vera Wang was gorgeous, and Acid Betty's was architectural and visually interesting, even if there's something about her that feels like she's trying way too hard. Maybe it's just me, but it feels like her attacks are a means of protecting herself; a defense mechanism. Not that it in any way justifies her being so mean to everyone else, or makes me like her at all, but I think I at least see a little of the shell she's carrying.
  
  
• Others feel differently, but I was a little annoyed by how staged this double elimination felt. From my perspective, it seemed like a bit of shady editing, and even with that, Dax looked like she turned it out enough to stay. Yes, they both could have delivered more for "I Will Survive," but neither one was born when the song came out -- it was over a decade and a half before Laila's time -- so it might not be as iconic for them as it is for some of us older fans. I don't know, it just feels like this double elimination / bring a queen back plan existed before anyone's high heel hit the runway. And this season is so good already, I don't feel like it needs this gimmick. Ah, well, Ru didn't ask me, and I'm sure she's worrying all the way to the bank. ;)
  
  
• I have seen a lot of speculation on social media that RuPaul called Skarlet Starlet. To me, it seems unlikely that she would call a new queen that we haven't seen and permit her to miss two challenges. Naomi Smalls herself liked my tweet stating this speculation, so I feel like I'm on the right track since she was there. ;)

Given the potential change in the line-up next week, I'm going to wait before naming my top five. :)

And, by the way, big hugs to this community. I always enjoy these discussions so much. :)

[lucifuge-5.livejournal.com]

I like it better when Ru is forced to choose between excellent contenders, rather than obvious goofs.

THIS! I feel that the talent level is pretty much on par with each queen. All of them know how to do good make-up and the dresses fit well (even in the case of those like Chi-Chi who did wear a v basic sheath dress).

I also think that part of what's making this season a lot more enjoyable to watch is that the queens do get along (for the most part).

As for the LSFYL, yes, there was A LOT of editing done. From Mama Ru and Michelle "conferring" right before the LSFYL was about to begin to the many shots of Michelle looking annoyed/v. displeased with what was happening onstage. That said, both Leila and Dax's performances were on the anemic side.

[kapvik.livejournal.com]

I think this was the best ensemble music/dance number in the history of the show.

This, so much. My a capella/Pitch Perfect bias might be showing, but I've never enjoyed one of these early group numbers the way I did this one. I would buy that medley of a capella RuPaul songs. Heck, Ru is probably release the RuCapella album as we speak.

What am I saying? It's RuCapaulla.Duh!

[bodacioussylph.livejournal.com]

After the mess that was rehearsals, the finished product was really very nice! I was entertained.

Acid Betty continues to gun for the bitch edit. So far, she's strong enough to back up her mouth. Amazing look on the runway.

Naomi is stunning but I worry that she's already repeating shoes.

Thorgy is adorable. I love her dreadlocks and I love her gentle shade and I love her confidence.

Chi Chi did a good job corralling her fractious teammates. Her runway was a bit basic.

Dax did much better than I'd expected based on her difficulty at rehearsal. I really liked the green layer of the gown; the yellow part felt very tacked on.

Cynthia is so zany! Uhhh, what did she wear?

Bob, still safe.

Derrick, oooo, a BROWN wig. OOOO.

Robbie's red Vera Wang was GORGEOUS. Marilyn Monroe.

Kim is getting a very kind edit. Clearly the viewers are supposed to relate to her insecurities and feel supportive and generous to her. She looks stunning freeze-frame but her walk is so clunky...it definitely needs work. She did quite well in the performance, turning her liabilities into assets as a dorky character.

Laila...blue lips and aqua hair? Girl no.

Lipsync: OK. Unpopular opinion time. "I Will Survive" is a GREAT song to dance to, but it is actually a midtempo that seems to be tricky to lipsync to. Since it's a good dance song, the impulse is to go really high energy and active, but that doesn't really fit the tempo. Stomping around and flailing and taking off clothes really didn't fit the song.

As for the phone call, I'm sticking with my loony theory. Based on our expectations for reality shows, we---and the cast---are thinking that an extra person is joining the cast. But Ru did not say that on the phone. (And I just went to re-watch so I could quote exactly what she said and Logo has it locked! NOOOO.) Anyway! Paraphrasing..."I just sent two girls home. How soon can you get here?" Could be a plea for someone to come coach/support the girls? Maybe?

[lucifuge-5.livejournal.com]

To me, either of the queens could've sassied their lipsynchs up. Basically emote for the peanut gallery.

They didn't need to be high-kicking it all over the place (like you said, the beat of the song is on the slower side). Resolving to do little more than shuffle onstage was depressing as heck.

[blithelybonny.livejournal.com]

Thorgy is adorable. I love her dreadlocks and I love her gentle shade and I love her confidence. 100% Agree.

[kapvik.livejournal.com]

Okay, that was kind of a gas until Acid Betty took a big thunder dump on everyone. And then I Will Not Survive. Eesh.

I really wanted to see a cosplay challenge and what Dax and Kim Chi would bring to it, but Dax axed herself with that anemic lip sync. Laila was also totally doing exactly the same thing she did in the season premiere.

I have early high hopes for Bob Thedragqueen, and I like Thorgy Thor (who sadly showed up sans Corgi in a Thor costume, letdown) a lot more than I thought I would, despite the Mask-era Jim Carrey face.

Disappointed in Acid Betty, who I really wanted to like after her Project Runway stint. Assuming she is that Acid Betty, and we don't have another Sharon Needles incident. The chick who keeps talking about her cuckoo like it's a thing is starting to grate too.

Kim Chi is my guilty pleasure. I know how awful Korea is to gay people, and I'm rooting for her in spite of her crappy runway walk. I want her to at least make it into the upper half.

[barnacleboo.livejournal.com]

Your posts always make me happy.

[barnacleboo.livejournal.com]

So happy Drag Race back on and to be back here!

I feel it's already way more exciting and original than last season - I worried the show was becoming a little bit tired, but I don't feel like these queens are budget repeats of earlier contestants, like I've felt in the past. It's definitely down to editing, but I feel like even the early villains are getting humanised and aren't just confined to being cartoons. Like Acid Betty - she was being a total condescending bitch, but I thought it was interesting how to the choreographer it read as being a team player. I can kind of see both impressions being valid (to do well for yourself in a group challenge is to beat said team into shape) - and I thought her admission of hitting on Kim Chi was hilarious and kinda sweet.

OH, KIM CHI. I hope she brings it, I was impressed with her performance in the performance despite her difficulties. I just love her and her personality is so sweet. You just want to hug her.

And re. ending?

I hope it's Willam.