This recap of RuPaul’s Drag Race episode 1607 contains spoilers.
The hills are alive with the sound of… Rusic? That’s right it’s Rusical week and the queens are doing a classic — a twist on a classic anyway.
But first! Geneva has sashayed and Mhi’ya declares herself the new lip sync assassin. My love Morphine says in the confessional that being good at lip syncing is all well and good but Mhi’ya needs to be good at… something else too.
Q, who did not have a challenge win a half hour prior, says that any queen who doesn’t have a challenge win is in danger. Whether true or not the queens are feeling this and are starting to get even more catty. (Dawn says Q was giving fairy not fashion, Megami calls Dawn Buzz Lightyear.)
It’s a new day in the workroom and Ru makes a little “climb every mountain” reference in her teaser video causing Plasma to do-re-meltdown. I don’t love Plasma’s drag, but I do have to admire anyone so openly faggoty. She’s like if Matt Rogers was cryogenically frozen in the 80s and missed out on decades of recent pop culture. Ye Olde Culturista.
Ru announces to everyone who isn’t Plasma that this week is the Rusical and it’s based on Sound of Music. But first the most challenging of mini challenges: the queens choosing their parts.
Megami and Q both want the Baroness and settle it with a one round game of rock paper scissors. Q wins. Morphine then suggests Sapphira for Mother Superior as her way of angling to get the lead role, Mariah. This doesn’t work because Plasma will literally die if she doesn’t get Mariah. Alas Morphine is relegated to a small role, Sapphira gets Mother Superior, and Plasma fulfills her Julie Andrews destiny with Mariah.
With Plane as their leader, Xunami and Q decide to lean into their bitchy roles like Oscar-nominated male actors who don’t actually know the definition of method acting. All three queens slink around stirring the pot, Plane somehow still capable of getting a rise out of people who should be over these sad attempts by now.
Adam Shenkman is there to choreograph the queens and I really appreciate how tough he is on them. He’s not cruel, but he is harsh and it works to motivate the queens. Less motivating is his “assistant” Melissa McCarthy who shows up and gives a speech about how meaningful drag is to her. I’m probably just being a cunt but this feels like a PR move post-Ursula backlash and seems like she could’ve at least taken the time to be a judge if she was going to give her speech. Anyway she’s busy and the queens seem to appreciate the levity and the (literal) cheese she throws at them.
Back in the workroom, Plane humanizes herself with another sad story. She talks about ballroom dancing as a kid and giving it up because someone said it was gay. Megami then says that the Hairspray musical was a big influence on her so she really wants to impress Adam.
The Rusical is pretty good! It goes on too long and I don’t find Plasma particularly charismatic but she does give it her all. And I thought it was clever how they narratively tied The Sound of Music into a drag competition. Sapphira is the real standout with Q also doing quite well as the Baroness. Mhi’ya struggles the most with Megami close behind. Morphine is fighting for safe with her little part and in my opinion she wins that fight!! She’s fun to watch on screen!!
The runway this week is I Can Buy Myself Flowers and while “floral” is a simple theme, the queens really step up. This might be the best overall runway of the season. The worst looks are still good and the best looks are incredible.
The best of the best is Sapphira with her big petal wings. I also really liked Dawn’s dead flowers on a grave goth look and Q’s pink lotus mantis. Morphine goes full flower child with an LSD tab on her tongue and it might be on the simpler side but wow does she look GOOD.
Dawn, Nymphia, Plane, and Xunami are safe and I’m sorry I know I’m a Morphine stan but I do think Xunami’s upside down bouquet look was on the weaker side and that she was a bit worse in the Rusical! Morphine shouldn’t have been bottom! What else could she have done with her part??
Anyway, the tops are understandably Sapphira, Plasma, and Q, making the bottoms Morphine, Mhi’ya, and Megami. Plasma wins which feels a bit off. I understand she had by far the most to do and that’s impressive but Sapphira SHINED in the Rusical and the runway more than anyone else.
At least Morphine is safe which means it’s Mhi’ya and Megami lip syncing to “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus. Mhi’ya breaks one of the number one lip syncing rules: She takes off her heels. And it works! To me, this was reminiscent of Shannel losing her wig in season one. While that demonstrated a lack of perfectionism, this demonstrates a personality. Mhi’ya doesn’t do any flips and tricks, instead opting to just have a great time! It really works especially next to Megami who is somewhat flat.
The heel gamble pays off and Mhi’ya gets to slay another day. It’s a strong group of queens remaining, so I’m not sure how much longer she’ll be around, but at least she secured herself the title of lip sync assassin.
Teleport Us to Mars!! Here Are Some Random Thoughts:
+ When Melissa McCarthy shows up, Morphine is like omg Ursula and Dawn is like omg Molly from Mike and Molly. I would’ve been like omg Lee Israel from Can You Ever Forgive Me?
+ If fascism continues to rise, maybe next season they’ll do CabRuret.
+ They filmed this last summer so I guess I won’t be upset about their “this story begins at The Abbey” joke. Although, of course, we’ve known the issues with that bar for awhile.
+ Xunami’s look would’ve been so much better if the plastic was on the bottom and there were flowers in her hair. Why did she do upside down bouquet? That’s not a thing!
+ Queen I’m rooting for: Morphine and Sapphira
+ Queen I’m horniest for: Morphine
+ Queen I want to sashay: Plasma, Plane, and Mhi’ya for very different reasons
It was probably Megami’s time to go but I felt so bad for her
I’m ready for Plane to go
Couldn’t agree with you more regarding Sapphira. She should have won hands down. Also, I thought for sure xunamie was in the bottom with megamie. That dress was a mess and she definitely faded in the background.
I’m glad to see the back of Megami mainly because she has the energy of the least interesting but most mopey queer person you get stuck next to at brunch. Eeyore of drag is so real.
“a PR move post-Ursula backlash”
What “tempest in a D-cup” have I missed this time? Sometimes I really love being old and out of touch…