Skylark

I knew Mountbatten’s death was coming, but watching Charles Dance again makes me sad that they didn’t wait to use him and cast him as Philip in Season 5. Such a lost opportunity!

I don't know if any of you listen to Ru's What's the T podcast, but the most recent episode features Jinkx and it brings up the possibility of an all-winners All Stars. That could be absolutely amazing! It also seems like Jinkx may be one of Ru's personal favorites of all the queens.

I thought Liam should have been Star Baker during Caramel Week, so I'm not going to complain about that. Yan's signature pies weren't as good, but Liam was consistent all the way through.

ITA: I think Valentina really messed with the producers' storyline by not even being prepared. Alexis would have been the obvious choice to lip-sync vs. Nina (and I think Valentina assumed this was the scenario), but there was a higher chance that Nina would have beaten Alexis. I really believe that they wanted Nina out before the makeover episode because that's something she really excels in. Barring a complete collapse (which is still possible - Nina could get overly ambitious and not finish for example), they'll have Nina on for another week when the producers have already finished with her.

I've been thinking this for a while! I would love to have Bob the Drag Queen and Bianca Del Rio (both RuPaul's Drag Race winners and experienced stand-up comedians) on a panel!

I really feel that the race was down to Bob and Kim Chi, but that Kim Chi lost it when said that she hadn't come out to her mother yet. I don't think Ru's brand would tolerate a queen who (for all her fierceness) was still hiding from her family. The social media support for her is amazing and I think that continuing to do her incredible visuals is really where she should focus her energies. Bob's out and proud personality is definitely a better tonal fit with the brand. On the subject of mothers, I have been so impressed by Naomi's maturity and poise for being such a baby queen. I realized that it probably has a lot to do with her wonderfully supportive family. When so many LGBT youth are still estranged from their families, it's so wonderful that Naomi had the support of hers to follow her passion. Naomi's interest in drag was treated as a legitimate choice with her mom saying "Ok, I'll go buy you some wigs and makeup". Contrast that with Derrick, who had his relationship with his mother fractured by coming out. I think that is the root of his insecurities and need for adoration/positive feedback and thin skin. I loved that Bob won! Didn't the returning queens all look incredible last night! This was a season to remember for sheer quality.

I feel like a traitor saying this (I'm Korean myself), but I really am #TeamBob. Kim's aesthetic is unreal, and if pushing drag as a solely visual medium is where the producers want to go, then she's the winner. However, Bob's performances encompass both stand-up and a very arresting lipsynch style using such innovative mash-ups (in a way that separates him from Bianca). Bob addresses gender, race, and sexuality in his performances in such smart ways. It's not surprising to me that Kim would have such huge social media support as that really is her medium of choice, but I feel that Bob *should* be the winner.

If you watch YouTube videos of Bob's performances, there's a lot of off-the-cuff interactions with the audiences where Bob really slays and can react instantly. Bob is *sharp* and can hold his own with Bianca (there are a couple of videos showing them hosting together and it's wicked). It looks like there will be no stand-up or RuPaul roast-type challenge this season, but Bob would probably blow everyone out of the water if there were.

I think the only reason Robbie was in the bottom two is that Chi Chi (who deserved to be in the bottom based on her challenge performance) would have been too much competition for Derrick in the lip sync and could have slayed her off the stage. IMO, the producers felt Robbie had run his course and it was his time to go, but they're keeping Derrick around for storyline purposes.

This doesn't make me feel any goodwill towards Derrick since all the coverage I've heard about Bob is that she's one of the nicest people. She extremely popular among the NYC queens and had a great reputation in the drag community at large.

Can anyone clarify Jinkx's quote after Bob left the photo shoot? She said "I saw the tights and they were real" which I think is a pun on "I saw the lights and they were real", but I don't know the reference.

I had high expectations coming in to this season and they were exceeded! I know drama will ensue, but there seems a lot of good chemistry with the Season 8 girls. I saw a YouTube video of the queens on a bus going through California on their way to LA for the season premiere and the positive vibe was very much in evidence. There might be some who want a Sharon/Phi Phi style feud, but I like how well everyone seems to get along (for now). The photo shoot was an inspired idea - and how wonderful that the show has been on long enough to celebrate its herstory. Still loving Bob. Kim Chi is definitely a force to be reckoned with. I really felt for her, having disappointed my Korean mother more times than I can count.

It's going to be on YouTube on Tuesdays like last season.

It's from the movie Sisters with Margot Kidder from 1973. Creepy and campy!

He's done a lot of those Nerdist YouTube videos where he and his posse bowl against a crew from another show. I guess it depends on how much you count bowling as a sport.