When it comes to what works best in RuPaul’s Drag Race makeover episodes, I have a simple rule—and a more complex set of caveats. The rule: Episodes in which the queens have some kind of connection to their subjects tend to work better than those with relative strangers as partners.
Early seasons’ makeover challenges brought in those largely unfamiliar with the drag world—athletes, military men, husbands-to-be and so on—and wrung comedy and drama out of their reactions to being put in heels and makeup. But in Season 7, when the dolls made over each other, we got to know the cast better, and the results were strong almost entirely across the board. And Season 9, in which the queens made over members of the crew, gave us perhaps the best makeover episode ever.
But as you look closer, that “simple rule” breaks down a bit. Episodes with family members or close friends as makeover partners tend to be less successful, as seen in Drag Race UK Season 1 and All Stars 4. My guess is these relationships are actually too close, with dynamics that require more unpacking than an hour and a half allows. (All Stars 2’s family makeover episode is solid, but is largely memorable for things other than the makeovers, like Alaska’s tantrum.) Conversely, Season 12’s makeover challenge, in which the queens were paired with superfans, was an absolute delight despite the women being new faces for the competitors.
To guess at the quality of this challenge, in which the queens must make each other over in their own drag style, we should primarily look at the other two makeover episodes in which the queens took each other on as subjects. Season 7’s was terrific; Season 11’s, on the other hand, was rough. And in both of those cases, the queens were making over already eliminated contestants, although in the former, the winning duo’s eliminee would return to the competition. (Which is how Trixie Mattel got to sixth place in that season.) How will things differ this season, when every queen being made over is a competitor? And who will look best in their partner’s signature drag style?
Credit: VH1
From the jump, we have some obvious tension in two of the teams. Tina Burner and Rosé have been hinting at their tension since the very first episode, in which Rosé said she likes Tina, but “I don’t think Tina likes me.” Theirs is a potential personality conflict, while Symone and Utica’s is one of style. More than any other team, their aesthetics sit the furthest apart—honestly, other than them both appreciating fashion, you couldn’t pick two queens this season who feel more disparate.
As it turns out, though, Tina and Rosé’s drama is largely artificial. Tina admits they didn’t have much experience working together in New York—they just run in similar circles—but she’s really come to like Rosé during the season. In fact, it’s Rosé who has more concerns about this partnership, and doesn’t want to go home wearing Tina’s drag. Luckily, the two have distinct enough aesthetics that it’s relatively easy to make one look like the other. Tina even notes they both have signature colour palettes to use as their base: Fiery for Tina, pink for Rosé. They aren’t the best in the challenge, but they hardly embarrass themselves. (If I had to give one the edge, I’d say Tina looks better in Rosé drag than vice versa.)
Much more complicated is Symone and Utica’s dynamic. Both love their own styles so much, and both are very apprehensive about getting into the other’s drag. Symone doesn’t really get Utica’s super-artsy point of view, although she does ease up a bit when Utica explains it. (“I am getting less nervous,” she says in confessional, though she immediately backtracks, “not less nervous, that’s a lie.”) Utica, on the other hand, is incredibly concerned about engaging in cultural appropriation, especially upon hearing that Symone wants to put her in a B.A.P.S.-inspired look.
There’s a super timely conversation that happens here about cultural appropriation versus appreciation. Utica is concerned that dressing up in B.A.P.S. drag is inappropriate—fair! But like with her choice not to wear a natural afro for her Bob Ross Snatch Game last week, Utica is letting her fears get in the way of logical choices. The challenge is for Symone to put Utica in Symone’s style of drag. And Utica needs to trust that Symone is not going to force her to wear something inappropriate as she transforms her into “The Ivory Enchantress,” as Symone calls her. Ru also weighs in, but his claim that Utica just needs to do it out of love strikes me as naive. I think guest judge Loni Love gets it right: It’s about embodying the spirit of what you’re celebrating, not messing with your natural features like skin tone.
The result is an absolute smash. Symone perfectly embodies all of Utica’s weirdness, while Utica pays proper, appropriate tribute to both B.A.P.S. and Symone. Their walks as each other are particularly spot-on, with Utica picking up the Symone strut with aplomb. It’s an absolute scream to watch them fully embody each other, and they both bring out great things in each other’s drag. They secure the win this week, and it is overwhelmingly deserved.
Credit: VH1
The other pairs (Denali and Olivia Lux, Gottmik and Kandy Muse) don’t necessarily have similar styles, but they are much closer to their partners than the others. That’s not nothing! Working together necessitates harmony in the partnership, after all. So even though Gottmik and Kandy have to do a lot more work, since their body types are so different and thus they need entirely new outfits, they can at least work together easily. This leads to good results for Gottmik and Kandy. They find a smart way to embody each other without going full caricature.
Denali and Olivia don’t fare nearly as well, unfortunately. Denali’s makeover of Olivia is okay—she has some clear signifiers of her own drag, like her braided ponytail and an ice queen aesthetic, that you can clearly tell Olivia is meant to be Denali. However, she chooses a wig that looks too small for Olivia’s head, resulting in a very blatant hairline that almost looks like Olivia’s head is being pinched. The judges also knock her lack of blending in her makeup job. But overall, it’s not the worst look on the stage—you could argue Tina’s makeover of Rosé is worse.
Olivia’s makeover of Denali, on the other hand, is a mess. She goes with a pageant look, which makes sense considering Olivia’s background, but it’s completely unrelated to what Olivia has shown of her own drag during this season. She actually makes Denali kinda look like Valentina in her “Kitty Girl” lip sync in All Stars 4, but with a full dress instead of pants. The makeup job is pretty poor, too. When it comes time for Ru to ask “Who should go home tonight, and why?” the overwhelming answer is Olivia.
That segment does provide a dose of drama, though, as Denali names Kandy as the queen who should leave, saying that Gottmik’s makeover looks more Tina Burner than Kandy Muse. (Kandy chose a fiery wig for Gottmik.) Kandy comes absolutely roaring back, dismissing the idea that Tina owns a fiery colour palette now and forever, and makes the argument that she and Gottmik had the hardest task because they had to modify their outfits so much. While I quibble with that—I do think Utica and Symone’s task was the most difficult—I get why Kandy is feeling passionate. Denali’s criticism is unfair, and Kandy wants to make sure she defends herself.
Credit: VH1
In the end, Kandy needn’t worry. Denali and Olivia are the clear bottom team, though, as Denali notes in her confessional, it sucks that she is mostly there because of her partner’s errors. (Though, again, Denali’s makeover of Olivia was probably bottom three overall.) They lip sync to Mary Mary’s “Shackles (Praise You),” making its return from Season 1. This was the song that Shannel lip-synced against Rebecca Glasscock after asking to be sent home. This one is a much fiercer battle, with Denali’s dress constraining her from turning out the dance moves the way she has in previous lip sync performances. Olivia has more mobility, but both largely go for emotional interpretations.
In the end, however, Denali must sashay away. It’s a major bummer, since she’s been on a roll as of late. But the judges never seemed to fully commit to Denali the way they have Olivia. Although I don’t love to consider All Stars prospects immediately after a queen’s elimination (unless your name is Tamisha Iman and I want you back on my TV screen ASAP), Denali’s prospects are very bright. She’s got the passion, the drive, the looks and the lip sync ability. She could very well make her way into the Drag Race Hall of Fame one day.
Though it’s taken us a while to get here, we are officially down to the final 7. Kandy and Tina are the only queens left without challenge wins—can one pull it out next week? Or are we in for a shock boot soon? One thing’s for sure: This half of the season is proving a lot more fun than the first. This is probably my favourite episode of Season 13 so far, and I’m hopeful that it’s all up from here.
Untucking our final thoughts
✨Can we talk about our little Psychic Friends moment as a “mini-challenge”? Ru brings in Char Margolis to give the girls a psychic reading, and Char has a lot to share. From speculating about a crush between Denali and Rosé, to channelling the spirit of Utica’s cow Clara, the whole segment is something. It reminds me of the lie detector segment in Season 4’s “Frenemies” episode: It’s all kinda bullshit, but it’s a fun setup for getting the girls into pairs.
✨Out of her four lip syncs this season, two of Denali’s—both of the ones she lost—were to repeat LSFYL songs: “Shackles (Praise You)” this week, and “When I Grow Up” by the Pussycat Dolls against LaLa Ri in the premiere.
✨There’s a fair amount of leaning on the fourth wall about the conditions for this season’s makeover. Ru all but bursts out laughing when announcing the format this time around, while in a confessional, Denali calls it “The makeover challenge! The COVID edition!”
✨Speaking of Denali, she really embraces the “sis, I am frustrated boots” energy in her confessionals this week. “She is stunosha in this dressiana,” she says at one point about Olivia. I will miss her so much.
✨Absolutely love the segment of the queens rehearsing each other’s walks on the main stage. I wish there was more focus in general on runway walks on Drag Race. Every single segment about them over the years, from Alyssa Edwards’ coaching session on Season 11 to Stacey McKenzie’s on Canada’s Drag Race, has been a delight. And it’s quite fun that it comes in a season with some very distinct walkers.
✨Gottmik opens up about the origin of her distinctive white face paint: When she was first transitioning, she was worried her face looked too feminine. “It was pretty much a mask for me,” she says about going out in drag. But, upon realizing that a lot of her gay friends were feminine, her fears about being not masculine enough as a guy dissolved. It’s a really nice mirror moment as she talks it over with Kandy.
✨CARSON KRESSLEY: “Bring back my Merles.”
MICHELLE VISAGE: “Careful, Santino.”
✨I will be thinking about Tina butchering the back of her hair just to make sure it didn’t show in her runway look for days. What a sight.
Feeling gooped and gagged after this episode? Come talk about it during Kiki with Kevin, livestreaming Fridays at 4 p.m. EDT.
The next episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race airs Friday, March 19, at 8 p.m. EDT on VH1 in the U.S. and on Crave and OUTtv in Canada.
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