S06.E06: 22 Rumerican Horror Story: Coven Girls

[xander874]

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Who is the baddest witch of all? Find out as the All Stars showcase their acting chops in this spooky spoof. Superstar Angela Bassett offers bewitching advice, and Guest Judge Emma Roberts stops by to cast a spell of her own.

I can only infer from the lack of discussion here that a lot less people are watching this season which makes me wonder overall if the move to Paramount was worth it. 

Regarding the episode, I thought the TV show had some good moments, but overall it was really draggy (no pun intended) and most of the performances were meh. The best to me were Pandora and Ginger, which makes sense. I guess the judges didn't want to give them the win because they were expected to do well and it wouldn't provide any drama.

Having said that, I absolutely disagree with the winner. I like Kylie fine and she did improve, but she was not the best by any means - on and off the the runway. I feel the producers have their stories they want to tell and don't really care if it matches with what we see on screen. I felt the same about Jan's win; even though she was very good, I feel the win was forced to play out her comeback story (which they shat on the following week). In Untucked, Pandora rightly is worried that her safe-ness could be a problem. I feel the judges for some reason just don't like her. Not saying she should've won this challenge but it is frustrating she gets such little screen time. I guess in UnTucked they had no choice but to show her since it was just she and Trinity in the werkroom.

I used to love this show but it has just become a performance show. I miss the days of making costumes and working it on the runway. Now, if you can't sing, dance and act, you can't win and that is not the spirit of being a true drag queen to me.   

[Ms.Lulu]

 I agree that Pandora was fun, Ginger too.  I am also really liking Trinity.

The judges seem to have preordained Kylie as a finalist.  But RuPaul having favorites is an every season thing.

I don't mind the lack of drama and a focus on the challenges.

I love that on Paramount I can watch the episode any time on Thursdays.

[MsJamieDornan]

1 hour ago, xander874 said:

. I feel the producers have their stories they want to tell and don't really care if it matches with what we see on screen.

After years of watching the show and realizing nothing about it is real, I must say that was the phoniest episode ever. What a bunch of crap. 

And who decided that Ross and Michelle are experts on acting?

[Glade]

The skit had some good parts but did go on far too long, the 'show me your powers' segment was horrible, meanwhile they passed up on having a Misty-Day inspired character.  Coven is my favorite season of AHS and this could have been better.  I do agree with Kylie with being the winner, she nailed Fiona and absolutely killed that lipsync, which was a wonder to see.  I thought Eureka should have been in the bottom this week, though I don't think it would have changed who went home.  I hated Rajah's runway look--it was too plain/boring, the nude illusion top and generic pants were not very goth at all.  Overall, I wish there was more black velvet elegance in this runway. 

I feel like if Manilla hosting her own drag race knockoff in the Phillipines had been announced before the taping, she wouldn't have been invited back as a lipsync assasin, let alone have Ru greet her that warmly. 

[853fisher]

I wasn't necessarily sold on a win for Kylie.  She did get closer to what they wanted, but not all the way, I thought.  Still, she did well, and they've been much farther off the mark recently, so I can live with that choice.  Dare I say it was worth that lipsync?  Pandora, one of my early favorites, remains solid, but the editors just don't seem interested.  I assume when we see more of her it will herald her elimination.

The acting challenge wasn't for me.  I don't watch AHS purposefully but have seen and read about some of it.  It didn't really seem to me like they were really hitting the references.  I think they ought to hire some better scriptwriters if they're going to keep doing so many acting challenges.  I agree that I used to find a greater focus on the construction of garments and so on more interesting.

5 hours ago, MsJamieDornan said:

And who decided that Ross and Michelle are experts on acting?

What I guess they are is experts in what will make Ru laugh, which hasn't changed in 30 or 40 years, and seems to be what really counts.  That said, I agree with you.  They used to have people like Maria Conchita Alonso and Max Mutchnick help coach during these challenges, so hardly Stanislavski or Uta Hagen, but certainly people with relevant insights.  I wonder why that stopped.

6 hours ago, xander874 said:

I can only infer from the lack of discussion here that a lot less people are watching this season which makes me wonder overall if the move to Paramount was worth it.

I'm curious too.  I have Hulu, Netflix, and P+.  I use P+ for a few other things and like it, but if I needed to cut costs, it would be first to go.  Then I might try to find this show at one of the bars that shows it, although since COVID, many are still closed or have pivoted to other things.  And, of course, not everyone wants to be out right now.  People in my circle are still talking about the show, but I don't know about more broadly.

3 minutes ago, Glade said:

I feel like if Manilla hosting her own drag race knockoff in the Phillipines had been announced before the taping, she wouldn't have been invited back as a lipsync assasin, let alone have Ru greet her that warmly. 

What a fun way to find out about this.  Here is more information for anyone else who hadn't heard.

Edited July 23, 2021 by 853fisher

[MsJamieDornan]

11 minutes ago, 853fisher said:

What I guess they are is experts in what will make Ru laugh, which hasn't changed in 30 or 40 years, and seems to be what really counts. 

But even their responses seemed scripted and fake this time. It was just a very odd episode for me to watch.

[phoenix780]

I think either production is spread too thin or they lost their better people. They used to be brilliant with editing now...not so much. What's even to talk about from this episode, really? It was a long skit with random criticism during, followed by judging that didn't sync with what they chose to show (Pandora safe? I think not.). 

They're coasting, imho, at least so far. Plus, for me, it's hard after Laganja came on and destroyed. That gave me all the good redemption feels and impressive lip sync I'd been craving. And...nothing else is even coming close to that. 

[stormy weather]

57 minutes ago, phoenix780 said:

I think either production is spread too thin or they lost their better people. They used to be brilliant with editing now...not so much.

I'd add the comedy writers to that list. Skits on RuPaul used to have at least a few really good jokes and they were honestly fun to watch, and now they're just boring as hell.

I also completely disagree with Kylie's win, I thought she was terrible. She's just not silly enough for the show, I don't think I've ever seen her laugh or make any kind of jokes in the workroom, she takes everything too seriously and she seems kind of disconnected from the rest of the group, so I really don't understand why she's still here (and Scarlet is not). Pandora, on the other hand, is my absolute favorite, but since she's too talented, too cleverly funny, too old and doesn't cause any drama at all, she's never gonna win. 

Edited July 23, 2021 by stormy weather

[MsJamieDornan]

3 hours ago, stormy weather said:

I also completely disagree with Kylie's win, I thought she was terrible.

You're right, she was terrible.

[Madding crowd]

Kylie didn’t do a good job playing Jessica, her energy wasn’t right. Jan and Pandora were the best IMO, but RU doesn’t seem to like them. Ginger and Eureka were fine but they were also just playing themselves. Always happy to see Manila .

[Fake Jan Brady]

Surely that was the worst acting sketch since Shakesqueer; terrible script combined with that lazy semi-circular staging on set that looked like something stolen from a high school drama department made for a tedious episode.

I've been hoping Pandora sticks around until Match Game so she can get a long overdue win but now that we're down to seven queens I'm guessing there isn't going to be one.

A'Keria's lack of enthusiasm for "a game within a game" cracked me up.

[Kaboom 2.0]

I think I'm regretting signing up for Paramount+ .

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A'Keria's lack of enthusiasm for "a game within a game" cracked me up.

Haha this was one if the two scenes I loved from this ep, I can be the same kind of dry & unimpressed manner. She's also one of my fave talking heads. The other scene I loved was everything Manila, " love the hair, EU."

[violet and green]

I enjoyed Kylie's lipsync, and thought she did quite well in her role eventually. I wish Pandora Boxx got more airtime and recognition, but at least she didn't go out first unfairly like last time on AS, so I should just shut up and be grateful, I guess... I think not!

Realised I am not very interested in anyone else left this season.

[Wonderlad71]

On 7/24/2021 at 5:41 AM, Fake Jan Brady said:

I've been hoping Pandora sticks around until Match Game so she can get a long overdue win but now that we're down to seven queens I'm guessing there isn't going to be one.

They usually do Snatch Game of Love (All stars edition) with 6 queens (2 groups of 3), don't they?? Yeah I hope Pandy sticks around till then. Not sure if it's the editors giving her dust or her being mostly quiet (not giving them enough reality show soundbite). That said she did well in the challenge and on the runway and could have been in the top this week.

That said I was ready for Sonique to go last week , but thought she turned it out this week. Great in the challenge and in the lipsync. Someone here commented that her lead role in the Brady Bunch parody was a sign she was going to go very far in this competition. 

The bottom two were correct - it was Akeria's time to go ; Rajah is nevertheless a contender for the crown.

Manila was phoning it in as the Lipsync assassin. I felt like she was letting Kylie Sonique have her win.

 

Edited July 26, 2021 by Wonderlad71
spelling

[Rai]

Although I'm not watching it officially this season, I am following the show through recaps and catching the lip syncs on YouTube (most of them have been pretty great too). So I saw the goth runway and have to weigh in as an official goth of a certain age.

I'm pretty generous in my assessments because I'm pretty used to non-goths not fully Getting It, so if they made a sincere effort, I'm probably giving them an A for it. But still, rundown:

Ginger Minge -- the dress and boots were on point. The hair was 100 percent NOT and the makeup didn't look particularly goth, especially in company with the dress.

Eureka -- Nailed the makeup. The hair is okay, I would've preferred it in black or black with white streaks ala Bride of Frankenstein. She is working a more modern goth look, but ultimately one that falls more on fetish party for me. If the skirt wasn't sheer, it'd be a stronger look. Not my fave outside of the makeup.

Trinity -- This is goth filtered through the lens of drag. It's high drag. That skirt would've been the envy of the club but also people would be stepping on it all night long. I am not mad at this look. Makeup is the same deal -- more drag than goth, but it's the draggiest version of goth. I love it, btw.

Ra'jah -- 100 percent no. Like. Okay. I can see people trying to accommodate what they think is the dress code and pulling out whatever's black and lacy in their closet, or even a lapsed goth coming out for a night down memory club, but overall? Not at all goth. Modest club girl instead.

A'Keria -- Like Trinity, this is a drag outfit inspired by goth. The dress itself works great. The collar is also fantastic, and the base of the headpiece would work too. But by and large, goths go more for top hats, veils, and fascinators than they do big props on the head, so that's a drag element to me. The cross is okay, but it would've been better as a pentacle or an ankh. The makeup is pretty subdued for both goth and drag. I like it, but I like Trinity's more.

Jan -- She's a tryhard, but goddamn, she nailed it. The little backpack, the wig, the makeup, the gown -- this is high goth heightened by drag. She would be the queen of the night. Most goths who wear freaky contacts favor the kind with the pupil still showing through, but that might be a budget issue. 100 percent I can see certain goths getting the all-white, blank ones if they could.

Pandora -- Old-school goth in the dress. Decent makeup. Good veil, bad heightened headpiece, which tilted the look to costume-y.

Kylie -- I'm about to lay down a big controversial opinion here. She nailed it. She looks perfect. There's a whole group of latex/patent leather fetish/futuristic goths out there, and she fits right in with them. She has the most authentic goth makeup of the bunch even more than Eureka or Jan, the hair is right, and the outfit is perfection. There are club nights in New York where I'm going to see someone just like her being a Go-Go dancer.

Now, among the goths, there are never-ending arguments as to whether those latex goths are actually "goth," but she definitely wouldn't be a surprise sight at any goth night in a moderately big city. It felt the most authentic and lived-in experience on the runway. I see you, Kylie! I know you know this scene.

Loved the category overall! Hopefully they'll do something like it again, although season 12's black wedding runway was pretty close to perfection for me.

Edited July 26, 2021 by Rai

[hatchetgirl]

On 7/23/2021 at 12:19 PM, Glade said:

I feel like if Manilla hosting her own drag race knockoff in the Phillipines had been announced before the taping, she wouldn't have been invited back as a lipsync assasin, let alone have Ru greet her that warmly. 

Wait - what????  Ooh - I must know more!

Nevermind - someone posted more info!  :)

 

I wasn't fond of this episode.  I think the writers are TERRIBLE so it wasn't funny.  I wanted to see the 3 boobies that A'Keria may have been wearing.  LOL  I wasn't happy to see goofy Emma Roberts.  She's so horrible and doesn't deserve to grace the table with Ru!

Edited July 26, 2021 by hatchetgirl

[Keywestclubkid]

the scene (challenge) felt overly long drawn out and boring ..... Nothing really clicked and the humor fell flat 

[RoxiP]

I fell asleep towards the end and thought it was Michelle Visage lip symphony against Kylie. Oh goodness Kylie’s body is amazing. 
 

and what is going on with Trinity’s teeth?

[Keywestclubkid]

1 hour ago, RoxiP said:
 

and what is going on with Trinity’s teeth?

It’s a flipper… 

[RoxiP]

9 hours ago, Keywestclubkid said:

It’s a flipper… 

It is so distracting!

[MsJamieDornan]

Another long, drawn out, boring episode. Makes me sad.

[Mahfouz]

I thought Jan's entrance was the highlight of the episode, but the bar was very low.