S12.E12: Viva Drag Vegas

[OnceSane]

Quote

The queens must perform a medley of songs from RuPaul's Drag Race Live!, a hit show on the Las Vegas strip. Choreographer Jamal Sims (Disney's Aladdin) guest judges.

Airs May 15, 2020.

[Rhetorica]

Damn! That was a great show! How can they eliminate anyone? I know, I know..... One's gone anyway...

[filmfan2480]

Jackie was great.  They all were this week!  But I honestly think that no matter how great she did, particularly in the lip synch, Jackie was the one who was going to go this week based on track record alone.  Amazing Top 6, indeed, Ru.

[rlc]

Any chance they’ll bring Jackie back due to Sherry’s elimination? I hope so. Jackie was fantastic tonight.

[Dewey Decimate]

Great episode. That was a heckuva lot of stuff for the girls to memorize, and they did a fantastic job.

Michelle Visage looked gorgeous. Green is her friend, strangely enough.

[violet and green]

It is weird to contemplate that Aiden Zhane is actually older than Sherry Pie...

I am really looking forward to the reunion next week, as this was such a great season and there are stacks of queens I want to see again, especially Heidi, Rock M. Sakura, and Nicky Doll. Also curious how the finale will pan out, and whether they'll just leave it as a top three, and how it will be staged and televised.

So much fantastic make up. I spend half the final fifteen minutes pausing to study someone's eye, Ru and Michelle Visage included. It's dreamily good this season.

Jackie Cox is adorable. I was really hoping for the Pie to be in the bottom two and go home. Sigh.

[WearyTraveler]

4 hours ago, rlc said:

Any chance they’ll bring Jackie back due to Sherry’s elimination? I hope so. Jackie was fantastic tonight.

I don't think so.  At the end, when Ru said "who do you want to win, America?", she only mentioned Gigi, Jada, and Chrystal as possible options.  In the original recording she probably also included Sherry, but they edited that out.

Seeing how far Sherry got, it makes a lot more sense that they kept showing us the disclaimer that she wouldn't be in the finale.  And it's also obvious that after the scandal broke, they worked very hard at editing her out when they could.  Like, they had no time to edit her out of the first few episodes, but for someone who made final 4 she has not been featured too much in the last bunch of episodes.  No talking heads, not a lot of camera time, not a lot of comments or interactions with other girls.... They really made a point of having as little Sherry as possible without messing up the flow of the episodes.

Edited May 16, 2020 by WearyTraveler

[WearyTraveler]

Also, at the end of each episode of Untucked they close with a text saying "X Queens remain" (substitute X for the number of Queens still competing).  And at the end of this episode's Untucked, the text said "3 Queens remain"

[30 Helens]

1 hour ago, violet and green said:

It is weird to contemplate that Aiden Zhane is actually older than Sherry Pie...

😮

Everybody did a great job this week, but for some reason the whole musical performance left me flat. I don’t know why. 

I would love it if Jackie got a second chance, but I suspect they’ll leave it at a final 3.  For logistical reasons, if nothing else. It’s going to be tricky enough to coordinate a finale with live performances happening in 3 different places, plus Ru, plus judges.  A 4th performer would just complicate things further, and for this reason alone the producers are probably relieved to have only 3 final contenders.

[PhoneCop]

2 hours ago, violet and green said:

It is weird to contemplate that Aiden Zhane is actually older than Sherry Pie...

I still can't believe Aiden is one of the older queens this season. Not by much—most of this cast is pretty close in age—but I guess it's because boy Aiden looks about the same age as Gigi, the youngest, and also came off a bit...underbaked for someone pushing 30. Like there were several years of life experience missing or something. If you'd told me at the start that not only is Gigi the younger of the two but by eight years, I'd've been stunned.

Poor Jackie just couldn't catch a break! Untucked felt so awkward at times—it seemed like she kept talking and talking, while the others were like "Bitch, it's you. It's probably you who's out."

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I thought Crystal's blue runway look was her take on the genie in Aladdin. She looked gorgeous in the mirror scene of the Vegas show. 

I didn't get Gigi's runway look. Nerdy girl at the prom with head gear? How is that eleganza extravaganza? I thought she was too stiff in the Vegas show but the judges loved her so what do I know?

Jackie's pink dress was striking even from a distance. Overall, I really liked her in the Vegas show. She was fun to watch and I enjoyed her rap.

Sherry's Hello Dolly/Mae West look was a little too monochromatic. I wish she had broken up all that turquoise because the details kind of got lost. Her rap told us nothing about her.

Jaida's gold dress was totally Coming from America! Jamal Sims gets an A+ for that reference. I loved how confident she was during the Vegas show.

I really wish that Sherry could have been the one eliminated. She's been very one note for me all season.  I knew that Jackie would be the one to go home though. Just hearing her lukewarm critiques and "you should be so proud of yourself for making it this far" comments sealed the deal. 

[Just Carol]

6 hours ago, PhoneCop said:

Poor Jackie just couldn't catch a break! Untucked felt so awkward at times—it seemed like she kept talking and talking, while the others were like "Bitch, it's you. It's probably you who's out."

I know, right?  When she said (paraphrasing): "Such a hard decision, we're all so great, I can't guess who the judges will cut," it reminded me of The Duff.  If you don't know who the duff is, it's you.

 

[TresGatos]

3 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

I thought Crystal's blue runway look was her take on the genie in Aladdin. She looked gorgeous in the mirror scene of the Vegas show. 

I didn't get Gigi's runway look. Nerdy girl at the prom with head gear? How is that eleganza extravaganza? I thought she was too stiff in the Vegas show but the judges loved her so what do I know?

Jackie's pink dress was striking even from a distance. Overall, I really liked her in the Vegas show. She was fun to watch and I enjoyed her rap.

Sherry's Hello Dolly/Mae West look was a little too monochromatic. I wish she had broken up all that turquoise because the details kind of got lost. Her rap told us nothing about her.

Jaida's gold dress was totally Coming from America! Jamal Sims gets an A+ for that reference. I loved how confident she was during the Vegas show.

I really wish that Sherry could have been the one eliminated. She's been very one note for me all season.  I knew that Jackie would be the one to go home though. Just hearing her lukewarm critiques and "you should be so proud of yourself for making it this far" comments sealed the deal. 

When you watch a Mae West movie her gowns are so gorgeous (not to mention her diamonds!) that Sherry Pie came off as extremely costumey to me. I also didn't care for GiGis runway look and didn't think it was Eleganza Extravaganza at all. I know she's trying to show more of her personality but it seemed really misplaced in this challange but she was the winner so what do I know? Plus I think Gigi and her mom will have a blast at Ru Pauls Vegas show so good on that.

[Ananayel]

I feel like Jackie, Heidi and Jan are locks for an upcoming All Stars. I adore Heidi, and have liked almost everyone else this season - except Sherry. Not just because of what she did pre-show that caused her disqualification, though that's certainly enough. She did come across as fake, one-note, and far too impressed with herself on the show as well, but did well enough to get this far. Poor Jackie though.

[AgentRXS]

I honestly don't get how Sherry made it to the final 4. Most of her looks have been the exact same week after week, with only 2 notable exceptions. Poor Jackie---I think she killed that lip sync challenge but no way was Crystal going home.

I'm rooting for my girl Jaida, but I think this is Gigi's to lose. All the extra praise over an ok performance and final outfit was too much. I did like her red look though.

[joanne3482]

I was stunned that Sherry was under 40 let alone under 30! Even out of drag, Sherry doesn't look young at all. Her constant old lady drag was irritating to me. Very one note. 

*Ok, I was curious, I just googled and it's the hat and glasses. Without those he looks closer to 30. That hat and glasses used in early talking heads aged him quite a bit. 

[gorgy]

40 minutes ago, joanne3482 said:

I was stunned that Sherry was under 40 let alone under 30! Even out of drag, Sherry doesn't look young at all.

smoking, drinking, and apparently sexual assault can be quite aging

[Pallida]

I finally figured out that Sherry‘s makeup and face contortions feel like a ripoff of Hatchet Face from Cry Baby. And it’s been done over and over and over again this season. 
 

I don’t like the way that Gigi moves her mouth around. I think she needs a bit more time to develop an authenticity. I don’t think I’m wording this well, but she seems to have a playbook veneer. 

[CraftyHazel]

I’m going to be that shallow bitch and say that I find boy Gigi only moderately attractive and girl Gigi borderline ugly.  It’s that long, square jawline that does it to me.  She’s got great style, like Violet Chachki, but I honestly haven’t believed all of her wins were well deserved.

Sherry Pie, aside from being a disgusting piece of human garbage, is extremely one note in both her style and her performances.  How she made it to the top four I’ll never know, especially since so much of her was edited out.

Jaida is definitely a stunner in and out of drag.  She is also quite a talented queen, and unlike Gigi and Sherry, I believe she deserved every win she got.  The only thing missing for me in Jaida is that touch of weird that my favorite queens always have...Katya, BenDeLaCreme, and...

Crystal Methyd!!  Boy Crystal is adorable, and girl Crystal is all over the place weird!  But last night, when she was painted pretty and strutting through the song in lingerie, you could see the versatility there.  Her personality is endearing, She’s very pretty, she’s a nut, and I just adore her.  I’m not alone, either, I know.

Finally, poor Jackie.  I adore her story, she’s attractive in and out of drag, and she tries so hard.  I cringed in sympathy watching her try to learn the sexy choreography...that was painfully awkward!  And I admired her (false?) bravado in saying she couldn’t imagine how Mama Ru would decide who was going home, when clearly she was the one circling the drain.  I love her to bits, and was honestly hoping that Ru’s editing team had been at work eliminating SP and pushing Jackie through.  I’m sorry that wasn’t the case, but I seriously believe she’s a lock for a future All-Stars season.

#TeamCrystal for me all the way.  She’s just on a whole other level for me.

[Silly Angel]

7 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

I really wish that Sherry could have been the one eliminated. She's been very one note for me all season.

Thank you for saying that, and everyone else who thought the same. I feel validated. I really tried to watch with a nonbiased eye and ask myself, if I didn't know what I know, would I be rooting for Sherry Pie?

God knows I love a big girl, a comedy queen, and one who references fashion and culture herstory. But honestly, she does that same broad, dated mugging in costume-shop drag every week, and I was, not offended, but uneasy about her Katheryn Hepburn on Snatch Game. Making fun of someone is ok. Making fun of someone for their disease is not ok. (I don't mean she mocked KHep for having had Parkinson's, but for how the disease controlled her movements. If I were a relative, I'd be furious.)

Anyway, the single-color costumes and old-lady schtik got stale fast. I would still be fine with anyone's win but rooting for Crystal. CRYSTAL!!!!

[Just Carol]

I think Jackie was stronger than Crystal in the LSFYL.  Normally, I think Ru declares the better performance as the winner, but this time, I think favoritism showed.  If she had planned to put Crystal through, there was not much point to the LS except that we audience got to see Jackie's entertaining performance.

That said, I haven't resonated with Jackie.  I see "man" most of the time she is in drag.

[ClareWalks]

Since hearing that part of Sherry's catfishing involved feederism (this is wanting to feed someone else to excess, or watch people overeat), every time she talks about being high-calorie or yelling about force-feeding America or screaming "MORE" in her lyrics, it makes me want to retch. What a freakin' creep. I'm glad the editors showed so little of her this season. Sherry being edited out means we got more footage of our other amazing girls. I truly don't care who wins. All three queens are fabulous. The other two who don't win will surely be major contenders on All Stars.

[Gabs66]

1 hour ago, Pallida said:

I finally figured out that Sherry‘s makeup and face contortions feel like a ripoff of Hatchet Face from Cry Baby. And it’s been done over and over and over again this season. 
 

I don’t like the way that Gigi moves her mouth around. I think she needs a bit more time to develop an authenticity. I don’t think I’m wording this well, but she seems to have a playbook veneer. 

YES! Hatchet Face. I couldn't quite put my finger on who she reminded me of.

[Blissfool]

28 minutes ago, ClareWalks said:

Since hearing that part of Sherry's catfishing involved feederism (this is wanting to feed someone else to excess, or watch people overeat), every time she talks about being high-calorie or yelling about force-feeding America or screaming "MORE" in her lyrics, it makes me want to retch. 

Is this for real? I had never heard of this. This explains the way in which Jackie Cox portrayed SP in the puppet show last week. I guess the queens were made aware of this "aspect" of SP's personality, if Jackie referenced it in the puppet show.

[funnygirl]

Yes! Thank you @Pallida for the Hatchet Face comparison. I've been trying to figure it out all season. lol Hatchet wore it better.

For me, Jackie's always looked better out of drag than in drag. A nice queen, but never really stood out to me. 

I think this top 3 is the strongest in recent memory. 

Edited May 16, 2020 by funnygirl

[Stardancer Supreme]

4 hours ago, Marmiarmo said:

I’m going to be that shallow bitch and say that I find boy Gigi only moderately attractive and girl Gigi borderline ugly.  It’s that long, square jawline that does it to me.  She’s got great style, like Violet Chachki, but I honestly haven’t believed all of her wins were well deserved.

Jaida is definitely a stunner in and out of drag.  She is also quite a talented queen, and unlike Gigi and Sherry, I believe she deserved every win she got.  The only thing missing for me in Jaida is that touch of weird that my favorite queens always have...Katya, BenDeLaCreme, and...

 

We will be shallow together! Gigi's jawline and the way she moves it kills whatever pretty she has in drag.

#TeamJaida #WhipSmart

[CraftyHazel]

I mean, side by side with Crystal and Gigi, the jawline comparison is jarring.

[Corgi-ears]

11 hours ago, Pallida said:

I think [Gigi] needs a bit more time to develop an authenticity.

At first this expression made me laugh, but then I realized you in fact worded it perfectly. "Authenticity" is not at all natural and innate, but something that has to be developed, put on, performed for the cameras (or performed, period).

[gorgy]

For a number of reasons, Gigi has been compared to drag-racers like Aquaria and Violet, but her sensibilities would be more in line with someone like Manilla Luzon. Nicky Doll was "the fashion queen" of the season. 

[DEL901]

Check out this pic of boy Gigi    I really think that Gigi fits into the androgynous model mold and could be successful in that field   

 

[CraftyHazel]

57 minutes ago, DEL901 said:

Check out this pic of boy Gigi    I really think that Gigi fits into the androgynous model mold and could be successful in that field   

 

Meh.

I mean, obviously individual tastes differ.  But for my taste, there is too much chin below the mouth, and too long of a face overall.  I seriously do not find him in the least attractive, particularly in drag.

[Just Carol]

1 hour ago, DEL901 said:

Check out this pic of boy Gigi    I really think that Gigi fits into the androgynous model mold and could be successful in that field   

 

This so strange. We have seen boy GIgi in the talking heads and he does not look like this.  Even with hair and eyebrows, it does not look like the same person.  Maybe bcs the mouth is closed?

[AntManBee]

I am so tired of these queens talking about track records.  If the track record was that important... than why even have a final challenge?  Regardless, it seems to be the case for the judges, as the two weakest performing queens of the season were lipsyncing.   Still, I think there is something to be said about Crystal's story arch of being a looked over underdog to really shining by the end of the season.  Same could be said for Jaida who didn't really step up (after the first episode) until mid season.  

 

I found it to be a very lackluster lip sync, especially from the top five.   Jackie taking her shoes off? Ooompf.  And... I don't get why queens since the male verses in duets?  If it were me, I'd dance along and point to the other queen as she mouths along to Pitbull.  The JLo verses would be all mine 😄

Also found it odd that Ru specifically said at the end of the episode that Jackie Cox journey on Drag Race is over.  Given the Sherry Pie stuff, and how quickly the show edited her out, they easily could have chopped off that line if the intention was to DQ Sherry and bring back Jackie.  Now I do not think that is the case.  Since the Covid lock down has changed the finale, it is not like need four queens for a tournament style showdown (thank goodness too, as those have become a tired exhibition of who can out reveal whom...)

 

Team Jaida!   But I am biased and from Milwaukee... so it'd be nice to see a Wisconsin queen I adore do so well!  [Side eying Trixie...]

[Tammee]

Crystal for the win!  Its the underdog story of the ZONE hedwig, or should that be bottomdog hehe, i digress again.  My very sorriest 

 

[RoxiP]

I thought Jackie Cox was really sweet but I thought she really was kind of one note in her expressions - she did the wide-eyed look and that was about it.  The only time I really thought she was attractive was in the showgirl headdress challenge - to me that was the best she has ever looked.

Short of plastic surgery what is Gigi supposed to do with her jawline?  It is what she was born with.  I like Gigi but I'm fine with any of the final 3 winning because I think they are all fabulous in their own way.  

Looking forward to next week's show but wish they had left Aiden out.  

[violet and green]

This week was the first week Gigi's jawline bothered me. I think it was the black wig in the showgirl mini-challenge, and then I suddenly couldn't unsee it.

I think they are a fabulously talented final three and what a relief that the Pie is gone and I can finally relax as I watch.

[rlc]

Crystal is serving art in the style of Tom Rubnitz, an old artist friend of Ru’s from back in the day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1Ksd7nbb3k

[swanpride]

The track record is clearly important. One good day doesn't make a winner imho.

Anyway, let's get through the top 4.

Sherry Pie I didn't like anyway. She kept falling back on her crutches, but there was little else to her. Kind of glad that I don't have to see her for the finale tbh.

Chrystal Method just doesn't do it for me. I know she is meant to be the corky queen, but after Ivie Oddly she looks downright pedestrian. And she is actually less memorable to me than Queens which weren't trying half as hard to be strange, like Katya or Ongina. I actually kept forgetting that she is still on the show.

Gigi I thought was a shoe-in for the win after she won both the ball and the Rusikal and came close to winning the Snatch Game. Those are usually the "big Challenges" in which you should do at least decent, unless you have some special talent which just makes you stick out. But overall, Gigi is just too overprepared. She is kind of boringly perfect. Her drag is elegant, but it doesn't have the "wow, this is fashion!" effect Violet managed to create, nor has she the creativity of Aquaria. Plus, those two had distinctive personalities. I honestly know nothing about Gigi other than she always tries to be perfect in anything. Aquaria's open admission of having trouble to speak freely as well as Violets "talent" to say the wrong thing made them look human. Gigi seems to be constantly editing herself, weather she is doing a challenge or not being in the workroom. It is kind of exhausting to watch, and I have no idea who she is other than her being able to sew because of her mother.

I think I'll be routing for Jaida. Her talents are a little bit less obvious, but the way she staged her commercial showed a lot of sense for selling herself. Plus, she is the only ones who provides lip syncs which felt like she was really feeling the music and not just doing acrobatics and faces on the stage,

[buttercupia]

Gigi is also extremely, worryingly thin. that emphasizes that huge chin. don't get me wrong, i like her and won't be mad if she wins, but i'd much rather have Crystal or Jaida.

[RoxiP]

Didn't Gigi's robot win the Snatch Game?

[DEL901]

2 minutes ago, RoxiP said:

Didn't Gigi's robot win the Snatch Game?

I think she did. 
 

And a great interview with Jackie over at EW.  https://ew.com/tv/jackie-cox-elimination-interview-rupauls-drag-race/

[joanne3482]

3 hours ago, swanpride said:

Chrystal Method just doesn't do it for me. I know she is meant to be the corky queen, but after Ivie Oddly she looks downright pedestrian. And she is actually less memorable to me than Queens which weren't trying half as hard to be strange, like Katya or Ongina.

The difference for me is that I don't get the impression Crystal is trying to be strange or quirky. I think she just really is that way. To me, Ivie Oddly always struck me as someone who was trying very hard to be quirky. I also view their quirky as different. Crystal is a little more Fraggle Rock while Ivie is a little more The Dark Crystal. 

[853fisher]

I read at a usually-accurate source for spoilers that elimination sequences were filmed for both Crystal and Jackie.  I hadn't realized that was the custom, and am not sure when the decision is made.  I guess I shouldn't be surprised that it doesn't look like there'll be a reprieve for the fourth place contestant, but whichever one of that pair had left, I would've been glad to see them in the final.

 

Anyway, the three who did make it are all very worthy.  Gigi has resonated the least with me throughout the season, even though her looks have impressed me.  My understanding of what she was going for with her look on the night was something like "still a regular girl under all this fashion," but I would've preferred that she'd shown, not told.  I felt I didn't get a real sense of her personality as the edit panned out.

 

Everyone did very well in the musical performance, although I guess I found it a bit trite in parts.  Am I a dreadful cynic?  It was all a bit over-produced for me, mixed with what I'm sure was sincere sentiment.  Gigi's lines seemed especially meaningful given what she's shared about her gender identity.

 

RE Sherry, I'm glad we won't have to see her at all anymore.  I found that her lyrics dovetailed pretty disturbingly with the details of her wrongdoing and was surprised they weren't cut, awkward though that would've been.  I had to roll my eyes at her voiceover about keeping the memories of all these old legends alive.  She portrayed Katherine Hepburn as a Parkinson's-affected husk and wore a feathered gown with none of Mae West's attitude but called it inspired by her anyway.  It wouldn't make me want to learn more!

 

Last bit: I really do wish this show could be captioned by someone who knows queer culture, or how to spend a minute or two researching something.  Those references are often not rendered correctly.  "May West" was this week's particular clinker, in my mind.  It's relatively minor, but I wish it would be fixed.

[swanpride]

Fraggle Rock is fine, but just, well, fine. I can barely remember anything Chrystal has done this season, other a few corky outfits. I don't even remember what she did in Snatch game.

Mea Culpa, Gigi won the Snatch game, too. No idea why I thought that she didn't. But exactly that is so puzzling. With a Snatch game/ Ball / Rusical Triple win she should be the obvious forerunner but somehow she isn't. Maybe it is just careful editing, but there is something missing.

[Just Carol]

18 hours ago, 853fisher said:

I read at a usually-accurate source for spoilers that elimination sequences were filmed for both Crystal and Jackie.

 

I don't understand how the end sequences work.  I do see that the eliminated queen stands off-stage and says what an amazing opportunity it has been (while the other queens dance in the runway).

Then, somewhere, the eliminated queen de-drags while the other queens write notes.

Then, the eliminated queen enters the Week room, reads the notes, packs up and leaves in a van.

Then, the other queens enter the Werk room and clean the mirror and de-drag.

Does the eliminated queen then get dressed in her "Talking Head" clothes to give the exit interview?

How could production film the whole thing twice?  Would each bottom two person need to de-drag, then re-drag to film the alternative ending?

The non-eliminated queens certainly must be sitting around in drag for hours...

[Blakeston]

17 hours ago, swanpride said:

Mea Culpa, Gigi won the Snatch game, too. No idea why I thought that she didn't. But exactly that is so puzzling. With a Snatch game/ Ball / Rusical Triple win she should be the obvious forerunner but somehow she isn't. Maybe it is just careful editing, but there is something missing.

Gigi looked like she had the season all sewn up after winning the ball, the Snatch Game, and the Rusical. But then she stumbled repeatedly, and showed that she is completely incapable of being spontaneous as a performer.

Crystal is really lucky that track record was the #1 concern here (and that Ru is enamored with her). She was clearly the worst in the musical number, IMO. And then Jackie totally outperformed her in the lip sync.

Crystal's performance in the lip sync confirmed for me that while she's cute and charming, and has a unique style, she's just not a broadly-talented, polished performer like Gigi and especially Jaida are.

I have a feeling that Crystal is going to win the fan voting by a large margin. But unless she manages to really outdo Jaida and Gigi in the finale, I don't think she should win.

[Rai]

I actually found Crystal very charming in the musical number, especially the mirror song, and thought Jackie was still too stiff and mannered. Then again, I also didn't think Gigi outperformed Jaida nor Sherry, so what do I know. But there's a real spark to Crystal that's easy to respond to. She really does radiate this effortless good vibe and joy when she's performing, and there's a lot to be said for that.

I like Jackie fine, and she really ended up impressing me this season. I had her pegged as middle-of-the-pack filler in the previews, but she proved me wrong. Still, I was very happy the weirdo won the day -- even if I'm rooting for Ms. Jaida to win it all.

[CraftyHazel]

Let’s not forget that Ru said to Crystal...and ONLY to Crystal...”I’m such a fan of yours!”  I can’t recall her telling anyone that before, and certainly not anyone else in this group.  She loves Crystal!  And so do a lot of the fans.

[swanpride]

Well, the good thing is that this time around the winner isn't obvious. In the last seasons, it was always pretty clear who the forerunner is, despite attempts to built up a rival. I have the feeling that this time the audience voting might have more of an impact on the final decision.

Honestly the only thing which speaks for Crystal is that her drag is a little bit more unusual, and Ru usually looks for the ones which have something special to make them stick out...Sharon Needles with her gothic drag, Violet with her fashion sense, Bob with her talent for comedy (though I guess if Kim Chi were a better performer, she would have taken the crown), Aquaria with her aloof but still relatable demeanour aso. Gigi just lacks this special element, she comes off like a lesser Aquaria due to her inability to just let go. And while I do think that Jaida has something special about her, it is harder to define.  

[Rai]

Jaida has the Essence of Beauty! That's her quality, and she really owns it. She's one of the most polished queens I've ever seen on this show. All in on Jaida, although I'd be fine with any of the final three winning it (and it'll probably be Gigi).