RECAP: Drag Race UK Vs. The World Season 3, Episode 1
As has become a biannual tradition, “RuPaul’s Drag Race UK Vs. The World” has returned, with 10 new queens vying to become the next Queen of the Mother-Tucking World. I’ve enjoyed both previous series of the spinoff, even if there were some obvious flaws and arguable rigga morris. So I was excited for a new season, even if I had some concerns about the…unexpected cast.
These 10 queens are a curious mix. On the positive side, it is by far the most diverse season yet, with 7 out of the 10 competitors coming from different franchises, and the majority of the cast never having been judged by RuPaul. That’s rare, as there’s usually more American and “Down Under” representation. It’s also a diverse season in terms of ethnicity, with 7 out of the 10 queens being POC. That has never happened on “Vs. the World” season. It’s particularly strong representation for Asian queens, with 4 out of the 10 either representing Asian countries (Thailand, Philippines) or having Asian roots and representing Commonwealth countries (UK, Canada).
On the negative side, it’s also a strange mix in terms of the relative strength of the competitors. There are some real threats here — Kate Butch was an inevitable casting, after being a standout in the very competitive UK Series 5; Sweden’s Fontana was destined to be judged by RuPaul, she’s very much of the “born to do drag” set; Canadian Melinda Verga became a meme queen after her viral meltdowns on “Canada’s Drag Race” Season 4; Gawdland was at least a finalist on “Drag Race Thailand” Season 3, even if that season’s winner was clear form Episode 1.
But the rest are…interesting picks. Six of 10 would qualify as early outs on their season, having been eliminated within the first 3 episodes of their runs. But that’s not all bad. I’m thrilled to see Sminty Drop back as our “UK” Series 4 rep; she wasn’t particularly great at challenges but she was a star on the runway and made great TV. Mariah Balenciaga — our sole U.S. representative, after Detox allegedly pulled out of this last minute — deserves another shot after being railroaded in “All Stars 5,” despite never truly bombing a challenge. The Only Naomy and Minty Fresh from “Drag Race Germany” and “Drag Race Philippines” Season 1 are gorgeous and were memorable in their original seasons, and I’m thrilled to see them again. But a few of these other queens are genuinely surprising to see in this competition.
Read on for my take on each queen’s performance in the RuRuVision Song Contest (AKA a talent show that only features original songs, which they’ve largely devolved into anyway), as well as their Queen & Country Runways.
SPOILERS, SWEETIE!
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Fontana (“Drag Race Sverige” Season 1)
I had high hopes for the “Sverige” runner-up coming into this, and she did not disappoint. From an entrance look that put to shame some winners’ stepdown looks, to a flawless talent show performance (the flag twirling segment was epic), to a gorgeous runway, Fontana did not miss a step this episode. I also think she impressed the hell out of RuPaul. I knew Ru would love this queen from the moment I saw her. It’s nice to be right. Looking forward to big things from Fontana this season. Also, give us a second season of “Sverige,” you cowards!
Gawdland (“Drag Race Thailand” Season 3)
Also a strong night for Gawdland, who seems to be having much more fun here than she did on “Thailand” 3 — and if you watched “TH3,” you would understand why. That season was a mess. She came in hard on that talent show, and the moment where she was literally eating the sparks out of that flare gun was sick (in a good way). I don’t know as I would have put her in my Top 2 — there was at least one stronger queen between talent and runway — but there’s no denying she was the best choice to deliver a compelling and competitive lipsync for the win to guest judge Loreen’s “Tattoo.” For once, the riggory on “UKVTW” actually favored an international queen!
Kate Butch (“Drag Race UK” Series 5)
Sorry not sorry, Kate deserved that second spot in the Top 2. She sang live in her talent show and absolutely slayed it — and it was a difficult patter song, she brought the vocal, the delivery, and the jokes. Her runway was stunning and powerful. She has never looked better. I don’t think Kate could have done any better than what she delivered this episode. I have literally no notes. I genuinely think they didn’t give her the Top 2 because they knew Gawdland could deliver a better lipsync, and they’re also deliberately nerfing her because she’s the very obvious frontrunner this season. Still, great night for Kate.
Mariah Balenciaga (“RuPaul’s Drag Race” Season 3, “All Stars 5”)
I adore Mariah. Always have, always will. I’m thrilled to see her here. I thought the poetry-forward talent show was fine and she delivered it well, but I don’t think it stands up to the intensity of her “All Stars 5” talent show. This may have been the first Mariah runway look to ever leave me cold. Love the idea of paying tribute to black cowboys of the Wild West, which are only now truly getting the credit they deserve in the American cultural zeitgeist. But I didn’t particularly love the outfit, and the mustache was silly, I’m sorry.
Melinda Verga (“Canada’s Drag Race” Season 4)
Melinda came in as a big name — the girls lost it when she entered the runway — but it was an inauspicious for this Vivienne Westwood…inspired queen. From the weakest entrance look to a live-singing talent show she knew she whiffed to an underwhelming Alberta cowboy runway, it was three strikes for me. She mentioned that she was excited to show the glow up from her original season. Is the glow up in the room with us?
Minty Fresh (“Drag Race Philippines” Season 1)
I was pleasantly surprised by Minty tonight. She was always beautiful, but there was a coldness and a stiffness to her on “DRPh” S1. Not here! I found her warm and charismatic the whole episode, and I thought the first half of her talent show was really strong. Where I think she lost the judges was the segment where the lights went out and she did some laser-beam dancing. Cool concept! But in execution, we literally could not see her. Just green beams of light moving around the stage. That was a shame. I adored her runway. I think she probably just missed out on being in the top this week, and I understood why she was surprised and irritated by her de facto bottom placement.
Serena Morena (“Drag Race Mexico” Season 1)
Serena is one of the more baffling castings for this season. I’m thrilled that “DRMex” is getting more representation, as Season 2 was incredibly strong, and I’m eagerly awaiting the long-gestating third installment. But Serena is, honestly, not the queen I would have picked for this shot. She finished 8th on that season, and was in the bottom 3 out of 5 of her episodes. And there were some really weak early boots that season, so…that’s saying something. However. That talent show number was one of the wildest things I’ve ever seen on any “Drag Race” franchise. The vocal was terrible, but the concept and content were shocking, literally and figuratively. RuPaul’s face at the end of it was majestic to behold. When you can scandalize RuPaul Charles, clearly you’ve done something right. It was cringe but possibly so cringe that it wrapped around to being sublime. It’s hard to comment on her runway, as it was a specific cultural reference. But I continue to have concerns about Serena’s taste level.
Sminty Drop (“Drag Race UK” Series 4)
Outstanding episode for Sminty. She looked consistently exquisite the whole time — nothing new for Sminty — but the real win was that maniacal talent show performance. As Graham Norton said, it can sometimes go really badly when queens try to be self-referential in their performances. Not here, as Sminty mined her iconic elimination for a gonzo twerk de force. I never wanted it to end. Her reaction shots to some of the other queens’ performances were also honest, hilarious, and brutal. You can also tell that RuPaul was so happy to have her back. So am I.
The Only Naomy (“Drag Race Germany” Season 1)
The Only Naomy is another somewhat surprising casting, since she went home second on “Germany,” and was drubbed by the judges in most of her episodes. But she was right this episode: the internet was furious at her elimination. She walked into “Drag Race Germany” with serious contender energy, and she brough that here, too. Part of it is that Noamy is just so striking. Impossibly tall and lanky, gorgeous face (this may be the prettiest season of “Drag Race” we have ever had, they are all so beautiful), and her attitude this episode was infectious. The talent show was indeed a bit rough and ready, but there were elements I absolutely loved. The runway walk at the end was curiously wonky, and like a few of the bottom queens, I questioned if that was intentional or not. I’m willing to give Naomy the benefit of the doubt there. Great runway, too. Between Naomy and Tessa Testicle from “Global All Stars,” these “Germany” early outs are pretty major. Give us another season “Drag Race Germany,” too!
Zahirah Zapanta (“Drag Race UK” Series 6)
The other truly strange casting. Zahirah was one of the least-memorable players in the stacked “UK” Series 6. She finished 10th, but I would be hard pressed to tell a single memorable moment she delivered that season. However, her reason for being cast here became apparent once we got to the “Untucked” section: Zahirah is here for drama. She was starting shit backstage, specifically stirring it up with Naomy for what she felt were unfair placements for the two of them. Zahirah is delusional. That talent show was one of the worst of the night. It was weird but not in a fun way, it was poorly delivered, and honestly I felt uncomfortable watching it. I thought her Big Ben-inspired runway was hokey pokey and would have been clocked — sorry, couldn’t resist — on a regular season, and not nearly enough for a returnee season. Out of all 10 queens, I think she had one of the worst showings of the night.
Nobody was eliminated, and Fontana and Gawdland gave us one of the best lipsyncs we’ve ever seen on “Drag Race UK.” There were moments I thought either could win, but ultimately it went to Fontana. Delighted to see it, and I’m excited to see what she does next.
NEXT: A design challenge, and Gawdland apparently loses it.
What do you think of “Drag Race UK Vs. the World” Series 3 so far? Which queens are you rooting for? Let us know in the comments.
