Are you up to speed with Episode 6 of Season 12? There’s spoilers ahead. Let’s get into it.

There wasn’t a mini-challenge this week, because it’s Snatch Game – a major milestone in this competition.

This is effectively an improv challenge – it’s hard to get right, and easy to get wrong.

The challenge

• Aiden Zhane – Patricia Quinn was a bold choice but she never got comfortable with the character.
• Brita – She somehow didn’t give herself anywhere to go with Jennifer Holliday as a character.
• Crystal Methyd – Everyone says her Poppy was accurate, it just didn’t work as a Snatch Game character.
• Gigi Goode – So strong. Her Maria The Robot felt fresh, which is hard to do in this context.
• Heidi N Closet – Lesley Jones didn’t seem like a natural fit for Heidi, but she did enough to be safe.
• Jackie Cox – Lisa Rinner was a smart choice, and Jackie came prepared.
• Jaida Essence Hall – Acting is not her strength but her Cardi B was surprisingly solid.
• Jan – Her Bernadette Peters was spot on, but didn’t land enough laughs to stand out.
• Sherry Pie – Predictably great – Katharine Hepburn was a good choice and nicely played.
• Widow Von’Du – Delivering both Ike and Tina was ambitious but felt like a struggle.

The runway – Frozen

I’m guessing that being so specific with this runway theme as being “inspired by Frozen the Broadway musical” means that this was a sponsored placement? I guess that’s where we are right now. Hello, Bubbly Water.

• Aiden Zhane – The cartoon yeti character is a cute reference, but there wasn’t much to like about this. Hopefully Aiden’s post-RPDR money will enable her to buy a few more wigs.
• Brita – Iridescent and stunning. Brita knows how to turn a look.
• Crystal Methyd – There was lots about this that looked interesting, but somehow – on screen – it all looked a bit monochromatic and flat.
• Gigi Goode – Stunning. Sexy Dairy Queen, obviously.
• Heidi N Closet – Another example from Heidi that what she packed isn’t strong enough to compete on this runway.
• Jackie Cox – This is one of Jackie’s most successful looks. The snowflake crystal was a concept that worked.
• Jaida Essence Hall – Looked good. Nailed the brief.
• Jan – Another brilliant concept from Jan. She brings it to you, every ball.
• Sherry Pie – Not quite sure what the concept was but it looked well-executed.
• Widow Von’Du – Cute idea, competently done.

The judges and the outcome

This week’s guest-judges were Daniel Franzese and Jonathan Bennett. They both brought good energy and enthusiasm to the show. However, their appearance on Untucked seemed awkward as they walked into the room in the middle of a major fight.

It was great to have Vanjie featured in this episode. She never really does much, but she’s got such a likeable energy and presence that she instantly makes everything more interesting.

Let’s just take a moment to reflect on Dahlia Sin. They wheeled her out in the broccoli outfit in the intro to the Snatch Game. I’m assuming that they filmed that bit when they had her in for the cameo in last week’s acting challenge? Or have they somehow got her contractually locked in to put on that broccoli outfit any time they feel like it?

Ru looked good. That hair in particular seemed like something we haven’t seen before. Can we please stop trying to force the El DeBarge reference onto Crystal? The show has clearly paid for the rights to Rhythm of the Night and now it’s being shoehorned into every episode. No one cares. No one.

In the Top this week were Gigi, Sherry, and Jackie. The winner was Gigi, which you can’t argue with.

The Bottom 3 were Brita, Aiden, and Crystal. Brita has obviously annoyed the production team on the show. She somehow seems to be getting a bad edit every week and is being judged too harshly. I probably wouldn’t have had her in the bottom, and out of those three, Brita should have been safe ahead of Crystal. But, what do I know.

The lip-sync

The lip-sync song was Let It Go – the original cast recording from the musical. *sponsored post*

Surely, this is drag queen 1.01.

Brita nailed it. Aiden looked like she’s wandered onto the stage by accident.

Farewell, Aiden. Take your wig and go home.

An unexpected twist!

Right from the get-go, Season 12 has given us an unexpected twist. Before we’d even met Sherry Pie (she made her entrance in Episode 2) she was feeling the social media heat of being a public figure.

Sherry Pie is the drag persona of Joey Gugliemelli. Before Episode 2 went to air, five men came forward to tell their stories about being catfished by Gugliemelli.

The men allege that Gugliemelli posed as a casting agent and asked them do film themselves performing sex acts as part of a casting process.

There was no denial from Gugliemelli. On the contrary, on his official Sherry Pie Facebook page, he posted a long apology that seemed to pretty much accept and confirm the allegations made.

“I want to start by saying how sorry I am that I caused such trauma and pain…” wrote Gugliemelli. “I know that the pain and hurt that I have caused will never go away and I know that what I did was wrong and truly cruel. I also want to say how sorry I am to my sisters of season 12 and honestly the whole network and production company.”

The show is pre-recorded but the producers of Drag Race have confirmed that Sherry Pie will not be appearing in the – yet to be filmed – final episode, so has effectively been disqualified from winning.

Episode 6 – the preview

Episode 7 is Madonna the Rusical.

It looks like they’re recording the singing.

If Jan doesn’t win the Rusical episode, there will be riots.

Guest judges are Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Winnie Harlow.

The cast

Aiden Zane

We first met Aiden in Episode 2. Aiden always felt a bit inexperienced to really go the distance in this competition. She left us in Episode 6, Snatch Game was her downfall. She will be remembered for her commitment to making a wig earn its keep.

Brita

A seasoned New York queen, Brita was first into the work-room in Episode 1 and made a strong start. However, since then, it’s been hard-going for Brita. She’s getting the villain-of-the-season edit, which suggests that she’s being a bit of a headache for the production crew. Episode 6 saw her lip-syncing again, and winning again. This is an experienced queen who knows how to perform.

Crystal Methyd

Crystal hit the ground running in Episode 1 and she’s super-likeable. But things have been a bit rocky since then. There’s so much to love about Crystal, but it seems as if she hasn’t really found her feet in this competition.

Dahlia Sin

We first met Dahlia in Episode 2. She looks great, and she’s got plenty of sass. The improv challenge proved to be her downfall and she was the first to leave the show, saying goodbye in Episode 3. However, she’s going to be forever haunted by that sexy broccoli costume – the cameos are starting to feel overdone. Hopefully she can turn it into a merch opportunity.

Gigi Goode

Her mother makes her outfits and she’s big on Instagram. Finishing in the top-two of Episode 1 demonstrated that Gigi is more than just a look-queen, she’s got some personality. What we didn’t expect is that Gigi is an all-round talent. Beyond the looks – which are flawless – she’s funny, she’s got personality, and she can do back-flips. We’re at Episode 6 and Gigi is clearly one of the top contenders for the trophy.

Heidi N. Closet

Everyone agrees it’s a terrible name, but Heidi can dance and her personality really shines. She’s also allergic to kale. It’s difficult to know how much further Heidi is going to be able to go in this competition. Her runways are probably going to be her downfall.

Jackie Cox

She’s a New York City girl and Jackie Cox is pure entertainment. Snatch Game was predictably strong for Jackie and she’s very much still in this race.

Jaida Essence Hall

We first met Jaida in Episode 2. She’s beautiful, and she also makes all of her own clothes – which is clearly a strength. Jaida is the kind of all-rounder who is going to make it to the finish line in this show.

Jan

We first met Jan in Episode 2. She came into this competition with a big New York reputation, and she totally backed it up with a strong showing straight out the gate. For me, Jan is totally killing it, but for some reason she’s being under-rated by the judges. Episode 6, safe. Not happy, Jan.

Nicky Doll

Originally from France and now based in NYC, Nicky is beautiful and serves looks. We also love how she rolls her eyes in the confessionals when the producers don’t understand her accent or get her references. She survived the lip-sync in Episode 3, finished Top 3 in Episode 4, but was back in the Bottom 2 for Episode 5 and was knocked out by Heidi.

Rock M. Sakura

We first met Rock in Episode 2. With her really strong anime aesthetic, it was a bit hard to know what to expect from Rock, but she’s got loads of personality and looks really comfortable on stage. She got a raw deal in Episode 4 and was eliminated when she lost the lip-sync to Brita.

Sherry Pie

A theatre queen, Sherry Pie has landed in some hot water before even hitting our screens. We first met Sherry in Episode 2 where she made it into the Top 2. She backed that up by winning Episode 3 and was safe in Episode 4. Episode 5, she won again. Episode 6, she was Top 3. We know that Sherry has been disqualified from the competition and won’t be appearing in the – yet to be filmed – final episode, but we don’t know how far she made it in the pre-recorded stage of the competition. Cancelled before the show even gets going – a new record!

Widow Von’Du

The winner of Episode 1, Widow is a performer with personality for days. She’s started strong and appears to be maintaining that momentum. Not to be under-estimated.

The judges

There’s some serious fire-power on the judging panel this season.

• Episode 1 was Nicki Minaj.
• Episode 2 was Thandie Newton and Robyn.
• Episode 3 was Olivia Munn.
• Episode 4 was Leslie Jones.
• Episode 5 was Normani.
• Episode 6 was Daniel Franzese and Jonathan Bennett.
• Episode 7 will be Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Winnie Harlow.

Other big names to look out for include Whoopi Goldberg, Chaka Khan, Jeff Goldblum, Daisy Ridley, and Rachel Bloom.

The recurring judges of the reality drag competition remain Michelle Visage, Carson Kressley, and Ross Mathews.

The Pit Crew

The Pit Crew for Season 12 are Jason Carter, Bruno Alcantara and Bryce Eilenberg.

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