S14.E01 : Big Opening No.1

[Keywestclubkid]

A new cast of queens competing for $100,000 must show off their performance skills in a talent show; Lizzo guest judges 

[Ananayel]

Okay, I am cautiously optimistic. No stupid shenanigans like that Pork Chop Group mess, I liked everyone (wished it wasn't an elimination like they've done before.) Michelle looks great, loved Lizzo, and I would just like to say, first impression is that Kornbread is what Kandy Muse and Silky Ganache wish they could be. Subject to change, of course.

We'll see what happens with the second group, but so far so good.

[Madding crowd]

I liked the queens in this first part but thought every one of the talent acts was awful in one way or another. Always  good to see Lizzo. 

Edited January 8, 2022 by Madding crowd

[Keywestclubkid]

5 minutes ago, Ananayel said:

I would just like to say, first impression is that Kornbread is what Kandy Muse and Silky Ganache wish they could be. Subject to change, of course.

 

Yes! She just came across more natural like that is who she is not something just because the camera was rolling. 

[bobbyjoe]

Quote

and I would just like to say, first impression is that Kornbread is what Kandy Muse and Silky Ganache wish they could be.

Perfect way to put it!  RuPaul also got it right: unless she screws it up somehow you can already see Kornbread as a Star with a capital S.

I like a lot of these contestants.  Willow’s act made me laugh like almost nothing I’ve seen in a long time on the show— it kinda reminded me of (going back all the way to season one) Tammie Brown’s kind of utter strange kookiness.  Plus, I like what we’ve seen so far of Willow as a person.  

I also liked Kerri Colby— if Kerri had gotten to the jump rope a little quicker, it would have been a tough call between this act and Kornbread’s for the win.

Bosco I liked on stage, but less as Untucked went on.  Ummm, ego much?  Like, a little too much?  Queen, it’s episode one.

Can we please have Lizzo on every episode?

 

[violet and green]

That was a surprisingly enjoyable first episode. Even Ru had light in her eyes at times. Really good cast so far. Bummed that queen left so early.

[BloggerAloud]

Did anyone else feel like this episode had an All Stars energy? Maybe because of the talent show. But also because of how invested RuPaul felt in the girls as well as the chemistry among the contestants had such a rapport that it just had a different more fun energy. Kornbread is going to be a confessionals legend like Katya, Alaska, Mariah, Kennedy, Ra'Jah

[Koalagirl]

6 hours ago, violet and green said:

That was a surprisingly enjoyable first episode. Even Ru had light in her eyes at times. Really good cast so far. Bummed that queen left so early.

I agree. For the first time in a long time it didn’t feel like Ru was just phoning it in.

[SemiCharmedLife]

I loved meeting the new group.  I'm glad they did the 2 part opening, so there was more focus on the queens and we get to know them a bit.  I just wish it had been a non elimination episode.  It's heartbreaking to be the first one sent home, but especially after only a brief moment in the spotlight.  I would have liked to see what else Orion had in store for us- such creativity.

Agree that Kornbread is killing it in the talking heads and will bring the entertainment this season.  Kerri is gorgeous.  I'm intrigued by Bosco.  Alyssa's "guitar playing" was a disappointment.

[Passing Strange]

I'm going with cautiously optimistic, too, mainly because no one seemed to be trying for the villain edit and the looks were mostly good. So far. All of these shows have a way of messing with us. That's why I don't love anyone yet. We'll see what happens.

To me, Lizzo was OK, although I loved when she and Ru shut Michelle down on not understanding Kornbread's lyrics. Also, now I want some cornbread.

Has Ross had weight loss surgery or did he do that on his own?

I have no idea why throwing spaghetti and meatballs and a toaster into a bubble bath and then jumping in yourself was so wonderful it made Ru shriek.

[Impalace]

2 hours ago, Passing Strange said:

I'm going with cautiously optimistic, too, mainly because no one seemed to be trying for the villain edit and the looks were mostly good. So far. All of these shows have a way of messing with us. That's why I don't love anyone yet. We'll see what happens.

To me, Lizzo was OK, although I loved when she and Ru shut Michelle down on not understanding Kornbread's lyrics. Also, now I want some cornbread.

Has Ross had weight loss surgery or did he do that on his own?

I have no idea why throwing spaghetti and meatballs and a toaster into a bubble bath and then jumping in yourself was so wonderful it made Ru shriek.

Ross lost his weight following the weight watchers plan. 

15 hours ago, Madding crowd said:

I liked the queens in this first part but thought every one of the talent acts was awful in one way or another. Always  good to see Lizzo. 

Same. As I watched I thought this is not a good talent show.  I like everyone thus far. I knew it would be Orion going home but thought Alyssa would be lip syncing.  

[Ananayel]

Ross's husband is a doctor, I believe, so I'm sure that helped. Also, he seems to be ridiculously happy, in the Chelsea Handler/Jo Koy realm even, so that probably helped too. 

I hope there will be a returning queen this season, and I kind of hope it will be Orion. I feel a bit cheated, after some of the other seasons have done a non-elim for the first episode.

Edit: I would love to see both Chelsea Handler and Jo Koy as guest judges. Of the Chelsea Lately regulars (non-Ross) we've had Fortune Feimster, but there plenty of others who would be good.

Edited January 8, 2022 by Ananayel

[threebluestars]

I was getting annoyed with Ru using baby talk to say Willow Pill's name. I imagine Willow gets shit like that a lot just based on her size and youthfulness. The power imbalance of Ru doing it bugs me.

[Pallida]

As soon as Orion looked meek and stuck on her side during the lip synch, I knew she was out. I know it’s a competition to stay in, but it felt like June was trying to intimidate her on the stage rather than simply commanding the whole stage herself. 
 

I am not an expert at all and hope someone with more expertise will pipe in, but for being so proud of going to school for dance, June’s African Dance looked more simplistic than some of the routines from SYTYCD which dancers had one week to learn. 
 

Maybe there was some editing shenanigans, but I thought Lizzo did a masterful job keeping June from spiraling out during judging. She seems like good people. 

[SemiCharmedLife]

8 hours ago, threebluestars said:

I was getting annoyed with Ru using baby talk to say Willow Pill's name. I imagine Willow gets shit like that a lot just based on her size and youthfulness. The power imbalance of Ru doing it bugs me.

It wouldn't have been so bad if it happened once, but Ru kept repeating it.  I think it is going to be the "Ivy Winterrrsss" of the season.  

I thought Willow's entrance outfit was unexpected and fun and am looking forward to more.  

[rustyspigot]

22 hours ago, violet and green said:

Even Ru had light in her eyes at times.

Like during Ru's "performance" to start the runway? She looked like a post 80-year-old Mae West with those "moves" as the dancers frantically danced around her. 

[violet and green]

41 minutes ago, rustyspigot said:

Like during Ru's "performance" to start the runway? She looked like a post 80-year-old Mae West with those "moves" as the dancers frantically danced around her. 

Well, no, not in that moment!

[CraftyHazel]

1 hour ago, rustyspigot said:

Like during Ru's "performance" to start the runway? She looked like a post 80-year-old Mae West with those "moves" as the dancers frantically danced around her. 

Yeah, that was…something.  I felt almost embarrassed by that performance.   Very low energy, and it didn’t even sound like Ru!

[zenithwit]

Yayyy Drag Race "original recipe" is back!  I'm kinda meh on this season's split premiere format.  I like that a split premiere allows us to get to know each queen well from the start (which definitely helps the early eliminated queens post- Drag Race).  But I don't like that there are eliminations for both rounds.  Maybe Orion would have been at the bottom of the overall group, maybe not (same thing probably could be said about whoever will be eliminated next week).  Also, I'm not crazy about seeing the same challenge two episodes in a row.

I get why the show may not want to do a non-elimination split premiere because it really does drag out the format.  But I never understood why the show couldn't pick a bottom queen from each episode and then have those queens LSFYL.  It could be interesting seeing two queens lip sync against someone they don't know.

So far, my favorites are Willow Queen, Bosco and Kornbread.  Also, Kerri is gorgeous! I really like Willow's quirky style and she's clearly an early Ru favorite.  Hopefully she goes far.  But I think Kornbread may be a serious contender for the first big girl winner spot.  

Lastly, could Alyssa Hunter be this season's "villain"?  I really didn't like her commentary about Willow in her talking heads 

[Keywestclubkid]

That number Ru did was just a bit sad. IF any of these girls came out like that they would have been shredded for the “low energy” and “simplistic’ dance (point point walk over there stand point walk over there while the dancer did all the “work” around her) and yes if she continues to say willows name repeatedly in that annoying baby voice it will get OLD (it already has) FAST! 

[Blakeston]

Question #1: Am I the only one who thinks that Orion's talent show act was a ripoff of Crystal Methyd's winning performance in the season 12 standup challenge? (With the trashy exotic dancer teaching a class on how to do his moves?)

Question #2: Am I the only one who doesn't think Willow Pill looks like a child? I mean, maybe from a distance. But there are clear signs of aging there.

I would have given the win to Kerri, because Kornbread's look was a bit sloppy (although I think it was close). Honestly, so what if Kerri danced a bit before she picked up the jumprope? I think Ru had decided from the get-go to anoint Kornbread.

As far as the contestants out of drag, when I saw how adorable Orion looked in the raccoon hat, I got very irritated that his hair and eyebrows were so unfortunate. I get that he's unconventional, but that grooming is a cry for help.

There's no sign thus far of a Silky or Kandy who will make it to the finale solely because for bringing obnoxious behavior, so that makes me very happy. If we're going to go through that again, I'm won't bother watching the season.

[Kaboom 2.0]

All was going well for me til I heard Kandy Muse's voice in the Untucked intro. Mute button will be on for that intro segment for the rest of the season.Talk about a trigger, yikes.

Lizzo is everything, can she be a friend of the show & return every year? Love her!

I like Alyssa cause she's a PR queen & she may be the trade of the season but I was underwhelmed. Do better, girl. I like all the queens so far, hopefully next week's crop are likeable too. 

[Juneau Gal]

18 hours ago, Pallida said:

 

I am not an expert at all and hope someone with more expertise will pipe in, but for being so proud of going to school for dance, June’s African Dance looked more simplistic than some of the routines from SYTYCD which dancers had one week to learn. 
 

Not gonna lie, I cringed all throughout that dance. It looked to me like a parody of African dance, someone just wildly and randomly throwing themselves around. I had hoped for much better when she said she was a performing arts major and had focused on African dance.

[filmfan2480]

On 1/7/2022 at 10:30 PM, Ananayel said:

Okay, I am cautiously optimistic. No stupid shenanigans like that Pork Chop Group mess, I liked everyone (wished it wasn't an elimination like they've done before.) Michelle looks great, loved Lizzo, and I would just like to say, first impression is that Kornbread is what Kandy Muse and Silky Ganache wish they could be. Subject to change, of course.

We'll see what happens with the second group, but so far so good.

I agree with all of this.  Like the format, like the queens, was entertained.  Everything clicked for me in this first episode.

[Mahfouz]

I do not tune into RPDR to see Rupaul "dance" and/or perform her songs. They are, in general, not very good. Especially given the utter lack of energy Rupaul showed.

I was totally disappointed in June Jumbalaya's dance routine. The way she was talking she was going to blow everybody out of the water and I was expecting something AMAZING. It was mediocre at best. 

I thought Ru looked a little put-off by a few of the performances. I think it's a cop-out to have lip-syncing as your talent. We already assume that. Like, what's next? Your talent is tucking?

As a citizen of the greatest state in the Union I was happy to see somebody from Michigan on the show but was disappointed to see her go so quickly. I think her skit could have been funny but it needed a LOT of work. 

It is my belief that if one is to LSFYL and they, as opposed to their opponent in the lip sync, are the same race as the singer they will win the LS. I call this Rupaul's Racial Rules. As I have watched/re-watched RPDR I kept an unofficial running count and I think that if you were to go over the winners/losers of all the seasons you would find that holds true about 90% of the time. It's not always applicable but when it is it is almost always the case. 

[Blakeston]

4 hours ago, Mahfouz said:

It is my belief that if one is to LSFYL and they, as opposed to their opponent in the lip sync, are the same race as the singer they will win the LS. I call this Rupaul's Racial Rules. As I have watched/re-watched RPDR I kept an unofficial running count and I think that if you were to go over the winners/losers of all the seasons you would find that holds true about 90% of the time. It's not always applicable but when it is it is almost always the case. 

Interesting. My takeaway from that is that Ru looks at the list of lip sync songs that the contestants were told to prepare for, and chooses the one that she thinks will be best suited for the contestant who she's planning to keep.

And she assumes that a Black queen will do best with a song by a Black artist, and so on and so forth for other races.

[Ms.Lulu]

7 hours ago, Blakeston said:

Interesting. My takeaway from that is that Ru looks at the list of lip sync songs that the contestants were told to prepare for, and chooses the one that she thinks will be best suited for the contestant who she's planning to keep.

And she assumes that a Black queen will do best with a song by a Black artist, and so on and so forth for other races.

I've that that too, ever since the Jinkx Monsoon vs Detox and Malambo #1.  That seemed handpicked for Jinkx.

And I think it was one of the best LSFYL performances of all times. 

Since then Jinkx has been my favorite queen.

Edited January 11, 2022 by Ms.Lulu

[Blakeston]

11 hours ago, Ms.Lulu said:

I've that that too, ever since the Jinkx Monsoon vs Detox and Malambo #1.  That seemed handpicked for Jinkx.

Plus, the season five queens have said that another song was chosen for the lip sync, and then Ru changed it to Malambo #5 at the last minute.

[Rai]

This was a fun hour of television. Kerri Colby is incredibly pretty, but she seems to strive for more than just being "the pretty one." ::stares in Kimora Black:: I'm obligated to root for the Denver queen, Willow Pill, and honestly can't understand how her 90s/00s references weren't immediately obvious to everyone, but maybe I'm just old. The toaster bit was hilarious as was the Enya choice for her performance.

Kornbread is great, and I could eat her up. June is...mmm...basic. Sorry, but her entrance look? All the points in the world for the realness. That was truly excellent face and hair for a female impersonator. But if you're going to wear a Pucci jumpsuit, make it fabulous, not mall clothes.

Bosco isn't like other Seattle queens. He's got the NERVE and the confidence and I'm into that. Intrigued to see where he goes. Honestly thought he had the best wheel photo.

Lizzo remains a goddess and her music slaps. It was a slaughter of a lip sync. Bring THAT energy to your looks, ms. June!

[Red Bridey]

I have no interest in June Jambalaya's mediocre boring drag and was looking forward to seeing more of Orion's batshit crazy drag, at least for a little while longer, but I don't have a vote. I liked Lizzo as a judge.