RECAP: RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 18, Episode 9 (Rusical)
This week it was time for the Rusical, specifically Fannie: The Hard Knock Ball Rusical, based on Annie but crossed with the underground queer POC ballroom scene, best known via Paris is Burning and Pose. This was yet again another solid Rusical — I don’t think we’ve had a bad one in at least five seasons. That might be true for ALL the RuPaul-hosted seasons, actually. Sadly, the writer of this Rusical — Gabe Lopez, who also contributed to Season 15’s Wigloose and numerous other Drag Race musical numbers — died after a battle with lymphoma in late January. Tragic, honestly. We send our love to Gabe’s family and friends.
Check out the first 10 minutes of the episode here:
Read on for my take on RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 18, Episode 9, “Fannie: The Hard Knock Ball Rusical.” SPOILERS AHEAD!
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We are down to just eight queens, so I’m going to go through my thoughts queen by queen, ranked from most impressive to least. I’ll be covering their work in the Rusical, their looks on the beige runway (which was possibly the best runway yet this season), and their progression in the season overall, given that we’re just 3 or 4 challenges to the finale.
Myki Meeks as Fannie: Myki did not win the challenge, though she was High. I understand why the judges awarded the in the way they did, but I truly think Myki was right up there — if it was a tie it would have felt completely valid to me. Myki had to fight Nini Coco for this role, and I’m glad she did. It was vocally demanding and required a level of assured performance that I’m not sure Nini can pull off, and I say that as a big Nini fan. Myki’s narrative this episode was about reclaiming her musical-theater background, which she had walked away from because she didn’t feel good enough. I suspect many viewers can relate to that in some way. Myki is clearly very talented and, to borrow a phrase from the source material, she shined like the top of the Chrysler building. If I had any nitpick, it would be that her lipsync wasn’t totally on point with her recorded dialogue and singing. Other than that I thought she was aces. Loved the power-bitch beige ensemble. Myki was mostly invisible for Act I of the competition, but since Rate-a-Queen has come on like a house on fire. She’s a well-rounded queen, and while she reads as young, she has a surety about her that would befit a winner. She’s toward the head of the pack for me.
Jane Don’t as Miss Shenanigan: This take on Miss Hannigan was arguably written for Jane’s type of drag, and she delivered in the rusical. It was a great performance all around, singing, acting, lipsyncing. My only issue was the character itself seemed so detached from the rest of the proceedings, but that’s not Jane’s fault. Her runway referencing Mae West was perfection, and again, completely aligned with Jane’s type of old-timey, schticky, broad drag. Jane won the challenge, and it’s surely justified. It’s important to note that at this point, Jane has the best-ever track record in U.S. Drag Race history, either winning or placing in the top all eight episodes in which she participated. That’s impressive. Jane is the frontrunner of this competition, and she really has been from the jump. But can she hold on to this momentum?
Kenya Pleaser as Grace Cartier: What a great week for Kenya! And a much-needed one, too. Kenya has been struggling consistently in this competition, but I thought she did about as well in this challenge as she possibly could have. Playing one of the spoiled house sisters, and the emcee for the ball, Kenya brought all of her considerable charisma to bear in this role and stood out from the pack. I wish we were getting this Kenya more consistently this season. She also looked probably better than she ever has in her beige runway. A great week for her, but it remains to be seen if this was a one-time bounce or if she can apply this approach to the rest of the competition. As of now, looking broadly, Kenya is one of the weaker competitors left.
Nini Coco as Big Peppa: Nini initially fought against getting one half of the rapping duo based on the orphans from Annie. I can see why. Duo numbers are notoriously traps, and 90s hip-hop vibes are not exactly in Nini’s wheelhouse (to say nothing of her scene partner). I thought Nini was fine here, and the better of the pair. I absolutely loved her beige look made from repurposed khaki pants, and I don’t think we talk enough about how stunning Nini’s mug is every single goddamned week. Nini is up there with Jane and Myki at the front of the pack, but Nini has a huge weakness. She second guesses her decisions a lot, and she has a quasi-antagonistic relationship with the other queens. Neither of those qualities are something RuPaul is likely to appreciate. While Nini has been one of the more consistent queens this season, and has delivered some breakout moments, she does have some significant baggage on a personal level.
Juicy Love Dion as Cecile Cartier: I don’t think Juicy had any business being in the bottom. I thought she was perfectly fine in the Rusical, and had some great dancey/physical moments, and I thought her runway was flawless, one of the best things she has worn all season. The argument that she wasn’t fully dialed in, or wasn’t consistently committed to the character — Your Honor, she’s reaching. To me, this Bottom 2 felt highly manufactured. And if anything, I couldn’t help but feel like they were punishing Juicy for not being more open about her battle with drug addiction, which certainly felt like it was teed up by RuPaul last week. Juicy has talked about it, but mostly in confessionals — never on the mainstage. They want that story and they want the judges to react to it. That’s reality TV. Juicy has been on of the more unpredictable characters this season. She’s given us some crazy highs and some serious lows — she’s lucky she escaped the first elimination — but there is no doubt that she’s a star on the rise.
Darlene Mitchell as Brandy: Darlene played a dog, and I think she executed what was asked of her. But I keep struggling to remember Darlene in the challenges. I love her in “Untucked,” I enjoy her in the work room, she gives good confessional. But for some reason she just doesn’t connect with many of the challenges, including this one. I enjoy her so much, but we are now going into Episode 10 and not only has Darlene not won a challenge, I don’t think she’s had any truly breakout moments. That’s concerning. That said, I absolutely LOVED her tweed runway look. I think it’s the best she’s looked all season. Darlene has to show up in a big way over the next few weeks. As it stands she just seems like she’s coasting and has no shot at the win.
Discord Addams as Lil’ Salty: The second of the orphan pair, Discord did just fine in the challenge — one she was terrified about. I do think Nini outperformed her, but Discord wasn’t bad, at all. I thought this was one of her worst runway looks. I think guest judge Jama Sims referred to it as linguine, but all I was getting was intestine. I appreciate that Discord went for full glam, but this didn’t hit for me. She’s had a great last few weeks, and she has endeared herself to many viewers. But this was not a great week for Discord, and I think she would have/could have/should have been in the Bottom 2, especially when you factor in the runways. She had the worst of the bunch.
Athena Dion as Mama Bigbux: On paper, Athena playing the Daddy Warbucks role as a demanding and entitled House Mother seems OBVIOUS. She IS that role! But there is a huge difference between being a role and playing a role, and Athena struggled with the latter at times. I was so glad that someone called out the bizarre delivery Athena gives in her musical numbers, which a few people — Michelle Visage included — referred to as “Dr. Seuss-ish.” YES. It’s this corny, phony, Up With People energy that feels wholly out of place with this competition. I thought there were moments in the Rusical where Athena was eating the number up. She looked amazing! But she would go in and out of intensity and I think she really was the worst performer in the Rusical, although none of them were truly bad. I know some people liked her wheat/burlap runway, but it was not for me. I thought the wheat parts were silly and costumey, and the rest has been done better by other queens on other seasons.
The Bottom 2 was called as Athena and Juicy, which we all knew was coming sooner or later this season. I wish we saw them lipsync to a better song than this. I’ve gotten into arguments with friends about “Call Me When You Break Up” by Selena Gomez, Gracie Abrams, and guest judge Benny Blanco (who I thought did a lovely job, by the way). Some people loved it. I thought it was a go-nowhere, mid-tempo, drip of a song that gave the queens absolutely nothing to work with. I really am so very tired of the blandification of pop music, but I guess if any song fit the energy of a beige runway, it would be this. Juicy did a few moves, Athena seemed barely clocked in, and the big moment of the song came toward the end, when Athena kneeled down and had Juicy sit on her knee as she lipsynched about always being in her corner. At the end of the song, Juicy let out a genuine yowping cry.
I know some people were deeply moved by this, and I too found it emotional. I don’t think it was performative on behalf of either queen. I do feel like I have at least a sense of how important they are to each other. And yet I didn’t feel as gutted by this moment as many other people. I’m not sure why. I guess just expected more emotion given this drag-family storyline has been building all season. But it was, at the end of the day, a sweet and sad moment.
Athena was, correctly, eliminated in 8th Place. That was surprising to me, as pre-season I expected her to go all the way. I love Athena. I love her style of drag, I love her personality, I love her delusion, I love her references — even though this experience was not what she was hoping (I am sure), I’ve so enjoyed getting to know her. My hope is that she comes back for an All Stars, WITHOUT any of her family members, and can just fully connect with the program and show us what she can do. I’m rooting for you, Athena!
NEXT: I have absolutely no idea what the next challenge is, actually.
What do you think of Season 18 so far? Which queens are you rooting for? Let us know in the comments.
