In perhaps the most shameless product placement of the season, RuPaul's Drag Race Monopoly greets the queens. It's an unintentionally funny branding opportunity, considering the series has a quasi-monopoly over drag queen celebrities and uses that monopolistic power to bind queens in fairly tight contracts. The embedded commercial goes on a little too long despite the queens' efforts to make it amusing. Like watching paint dry, people playing a board game hardly makes for riveting television.
"Manly" Makeovers and Dancing Queens
Interests increase with the subsequent product placement and the introduction to this week's challenge. The queens must makeover Pit Crew dancers from RuPaul's Drag Race Live! A staple challenge of the series, usually toward the end of the competition, requires the queens to achieve a drag family resemblance with an outside partner. At first glance, it is an entirely aesthetic challenge, but hidden beneath is forging a social bond between the participants and making them feel empowered in drag. If that wasn't enough, RuPaul throws a dance number into the mix.The queens pair off with their dancers in a dramatic color-coordinated striptease. Unlike past challenges, no one seems particularly stressed about the makeover. Morphine, with her exceptional makeup skills, appears the most excited about the prospect. She asserts that this is her talent, but as is typical of Drag Race, there is often a cost to confidence. The queens get to know their partners. Despite her confidence, Morphine seems flustered and distracted by Miguel's attractiveness. Nymphia is shocked to learn she got the straight one, Jonathan. Sapphira learns that Mark is extremely competitive with Q's partner, Sebastian, which nicely parallels their own competitiveness in the aftermath of the corporate comedy challenge. Later, while getting into drag, Plane Jane makes the deepest connection with her partner, Nick, when they bond over their time in the closet. The queens and dancers share more during the RuPaul walkthrough, but it feels like Plane Jane wins the challenge prematurely when she reveals her drag daughter's name is Lazy Susan. It may be the hardest RuPaul has ever laughed in the Werk Room.
The queens take to the runway to choreograph their dance numbers. It appears that each queen struggles a little during the process. Plane Jane allows Nick to take over but is worried the judges will see her counting steps again. Inversely, Q takes the lead, presumably to hide her lack of rhythm. Sebastian appears helpful in loosening up her rigidity. Morphine, probably the best remaining dancer, is surprisingly stumped when Miguel proposes salsa, with which she is unfamiliar. Nymphia and Jonathan seem on the same page regarding their conceptual looks, which gives them a slight edge. Strangely, Sapphira and Mark seem to be in the most trouble. Sapphira wears her gown to practice and discovers that the additional 60 to 80 pounds makes it nearly impossible to move, let alone dance. However, when she peels off the dress, it appears like the enormous platform shoes might have something to do with it.
In the Werk Room, Sapphira scraps the signature look she brought with her. It's a curious choice, considering the dance parts of a makeover challenge are fairly superfluous. Nymphia, who often takes a back seat in episodes, finally exposes her emotional side. She addresses the assumption that her panic before succeeding in challenges is all an act. Nymphia discusses the battle between self-confidence and self-doubt swirling in her brain and her anxieties about being the oddball of the group. The emotional expression is matched by Plane Jane and Nick bonding over their closeted pasts, which forges the family connection at the heart of this challenge.
A Family Runway
Q and Luna's club kid approach is smart. The white faces serve as blank canvases, and the related, yet not identical, outfits manage to de-emphasize his traditionally masculine build. As Morphine and La Tina enter the runway, their facial resemblance cannot be denied. Morphine again shows off her exceptional makeup skills. If this were the primary focus of the challenge, she would win, but the underwhelming gowns and proportions of La Tina are a turn-off for the judges. Morphine's smaller frame lends itself to more natural hair and no padding, whereas La Tina requires larger elements, like hair and hips. Despite all this, their chemistry cannot be denied.This is another challenge where Nymphia's incomparable runway package plays an outsized role. Nymphia and Juanita Wind's feathered frocks are graphic and give a family connection as a flock of birds. The presentation wins the judges over, but they challenge Nymphia to think outside yellow. Sapphira and Shakira earn points by taking RuPaul's name suggestion, but the family resemblance seems limited to big hair and the color orange (especially when you look below the ankle). Plane Jane and Lazy Suzan close the category. The body, face, and attitude are correct. However, the identical outfits feel lackluster and uninspired. Despite this, the judges award Plane Jane her fourth win and place Q and Nymphia safe. For the first time this season, Sapphira lands at the bottom, and Morphine finds herself in the same position as last week.
