Previous Seasons Talk

[aradia22]

S2E5: I really enjoyed the challenge. There have been wedding challenges on all sorts of shows but because of the nature of Drag Race, this was a truly impressive amount of work to accomplish. I wish we'd gotten more of Mathu and less of Tyra annoying everyone.

Runway: I didn't love Sahara's dress but I loved the look and the commitment with going en-pointe. I liked how Morgan modified her dress. Tyra had a supermodel/Barbie vibe. Raven's was surprisingly sweet. I didn't love Jessica's dress but her makeup looked softer. Tatianna is beautiful but I didn't think she did enough with her dress. That's the prettiest Pandora has looked. Jujubee looked expensive.

Photos: Jessica, Tatianna, Tyra, Morgan, and Raven had the best photos.

Morgan's aesthetic was growing on me but Sahara did a better job at the lip-sync and Morgan had a bad attitude so I don't feel bad that she went home.

[aradia22]

S2E6

Mini Challenge: Tyra and Raven did well but I was in love with Jessica's mane. 

Performances: Jessica was fun to watch and the outfit was cute but her hairline was distracting. Pandora looked really cute and her performance was fun. Sahara was kind of messy. Tatianna looked like a woman. Raven was looking a little hard but she nailed the aesthetic. I can see the Beyonce influence with Tyra but that was also messy. It was like the kind of punk that comes across as more amateurish than anarchic. Jujubee looked cute but she fell apart.

The lip-sync was tough. Sahara wasn't awful even if her moves were not appropriate and perhaps a little stale. But I think it was the cumulative effect of the bad challenge performance and being in the bottom too many times.

[aradia22]

S2E7 Loved the reads and Jessica in that interview. Jujubee looked fabulous on the runway. Very pageant. Very fish. I loved Raven's disco outfit too. Tatianna is always pretty but her wig was too thin. She needed more hair.

Edited July 13, 2019 by aradia22

[aradia22]

S2E8 Considering what she had to work with and the time constraints, I think Raven did a great job. She softened the face a lot and compared to the others, she actually made her drag mom look believably feminine.

I liked Pandora's concept though her drag mom's outfit just sort of hung on her.

I don't think Jujubee knew how to adapt her makeup to someone else. The whole thing looked off.

Tatianna did okay but not much better than Jujubee. I don't think she knew how to do the heavier makeup that was required for an older face.

Tyra did a good job. She was smart to go with matching outfits. 

It's difficult to disagree that Pandora wasn't what they were looking for. I don't think they wanted a comedy queen anyway but she also didn't go as big as later comedy queens would.

[aradia22]

S2E9 Mini challenge: I thought Tyra looked classy and Jujubee looked cute for a daytime look. I would have given the win to Jujubee. She even went through the trouble of putting on makeup and padding. 

Diva Awards: This is so much work! They really ask a lot of the contestants who go on this show. The opening number went over better than expected.

Teen looks: Tatianna was pretty but didn't translate as any younger than usual. Raven was really smart about the styling. Jujubee looked so good I didn't mind her not looking like a teen. Tyra nailed it. Very prom. 

D.C.: Tatianna looked cute but it wasn't enough. Also, not enough hair. Raven was perfection for executive realness. That was a businesswoman. Jujubee was somewhere between teacher and secretary. Good, but Raven had her beat. Tyra didn't communicate business as much as Real Housewives of Atlanta.

Red carpet: Tatianna definitely looked like she was wearing a dress she made herself. The skirt did not work. Raven's dress was gorgeous but she was looking a little hard. I did not love Jujubee's dress from the front but the train was very pretty. Tyra was a perfect pageant girl. 

Jujubee was fantastic in that lip-sync.

[aradia22]

It is hilarious to me that they're showing Alaska's audition tape every year but they waited so long to cast her on the show. 

[aradia22]

S3E1 

First season so far where I actually recognized a couple of people. I know I like Manila. I'm not sure about Raja. I remember her from ANTM of course but she's a bit too serious and superior for me in her drag persona. There's not a lot of warmth. Carmen threw me because I don't really know her work outside of the show but I can recognize her face. I guess this was before facial surgery. 

Each season seems to get prettier and prettier.

Shangela is funny. I'm glad they gave her a second chance.

Runway: Carmen came out strong. It wasn't just revealing. It was a look. That said, Manila's outfit was ADORABLE. I can't believe she had the time to make it. Yara's hair and makeup were good but I think the dress was a touch too tacky for a glamour queen. I liked the epaulets on Phoenix's jacket but I don't think I liked the whole look. I liked all of Venus' accessorizing. Alexis did a great job on that outfit. The pants weren't too cute but otherwise I was just taken aback by how pretty Mariah was. Raja presented a fully cohesive look. Fully couture. Fully editorial. I did like some other looks better because they were prettier or incorporated the items in a more obvious way. Shangela's look was a little tacky but I loved the individual pieces. The hair, the ornament earrings, the snowman... she sold it. 

They were weirdly harsh about Venus. I liked how extra her outfit was. She's a DRAG QUEEN.

Raja's photo would have placed in the top on ANTM. 

Michelle gave insane critiques. She kept complaining that people were one-note and might not be versatile. Girl, it's week one. How do you know if they have range? Sit down. Santino continues to be terrible. Can't wait until I reach the seasons without him.

That lip-sync was a mess. 

[aradia22]

S3E2 Not a ton to say. Mostly agreed with the judging. Some very showy runway looks. 

"I'm not trying to be shady in any way but Phoenix is a man doing movements."

[aradia22]

S3E3

Leotards: Alexis and Mariah went so sweet and feminine. I feel like Raja didn't really try and Yara's was kind of all over the place but interesting. Very raver/futuristic. Carmen and Manila actually designed something wearable and cute. Shangela and India did well but I don't think it would be as interesting without the camo. Stacy, Delta, and Mimi were fine but it wasn't much of anything.

With her reality show experience, I have to believe Raja knows she's being bitchy and is doing it intentionally.

Manila is so pretty.

Shangela is hilarious. Yara was the only fun one on Team Carmen.

Runway: Raja always goes big and editorial but I feel like the illusion is lack. It could have used some hair. I LOVED Manila's look. The hair with the dress and the makeup. The light/dark was carried through so many elements of the look and it came across as Old Hollywood without her having to paint herself in grayscale. I think I liked Alexis' dress more than the whole look. Shangela is bringing it this season. Perfect reveal. So effortless. So glamorous. I liked the design of Mariah's outfit but it looked cheap. Delta looked so glamorous. Carmen gave perfect pageant energy but it was a little boring after the others. 

Mimi was doing better in the lip-sync before she went too far and picked up India. Her face  was more expressive. But yeah, 100% not cool. With all the mishaps (Jujubee's eye) they really needed to have a safety first rule about not getting too crazy with queens touching each other sooner.

[aradia22]

S3E4

Runway: Delta, Alexis, and Shangela looked great. Mariah paints her face well but her fashion bores me. Manila was just at another level in that pineapple dress. I love her more and more with every episode. Once again Raja presented an interesting editorial look but got even farther from the illusion of a woman. 

Morning After News Challenge: I don't want to see team acting challenges all the time but I thought this was good. It showed off who would be suited to some of the more traditional WOW content. Pretty much agreed with the judges' critiques. Good panel.

Yeah, Chloe Sevigny feels like the kind of sociopath who says she doesn't like animals.

India seems like a great makeup artist but I never got a lot of personality from her.

[aradia22]

S3E5 It was so sweet for Delta to let Shangela get the phone call home.

Mariah's Joan Crawford was busted. I love Joan. That was not right. Manila was cute as Imelda. Raja's Tyra was off. It wasn't a very good impression and maybe he held back because they're friends. Delta was such a bland Cher. Alexis was a weird Alicia Keys but at least she was trying. Stacey as Monique wasn't great but came across okay given how bad everyone else was. Overall, I really just think this isn't a group of impressionists.

Runway: I liked Shangela's look but not on her. I don't think her face is pretty enough to carry it off the way that maybe Carmen could. The hair is great but it leaves a lot of the face exposed if you aren't amazing at doing feminizing makeup. Mariah's look was cute. Raja's makeup was beautiful but again, I feel like she just keeps styling herself for photoshoots and not drag performances. Carmen looked like a biological woman but I didn't love the red and black. I wouldn't like it on anyone else, but Stacey's look worked for her. 

Lackluster lip-sync

[aradia22]

S3E6 Photo challenges are not a contest. Raja is actually a professional. Some of the others took a pretty photo but Raja was giving them model with every frame.

Runway: Yara's dress was a little Christmas-y but for a dress she made herself in a short amount of time, it was impressive. I don't know about carrot cake but otherwise, Manila's outfit was great. 80's high fashion. Alexis' look was not high fashion but it was a great interpretation of cheesecake. Carmen was too 80's. Her look seemed like it was designed by a little girl. It wasn't upscale or couture. I think Stacey's look would have been better as a dress. Without the hair, I didn't love Shangela's look. Delta's look was cute but it wasn't finished in a way that would help it look more expensive. I do think the larger queens are at a disadvantage. I don't know if that was couture and I still think she needs a wig once in a while but it was impressive that Raja was able to make that outfit and finish it so well. 

Manila's and Delta's cakes were cute. Raja's cake was an art piece. 

Alexis really didn't deserve to be in the bottom 2. They were keeping other girls safe. (Shangela, Carmen, etc.)

[aradia22]

S3E7

I feel like they either aren't very witty or they were soft in the reads to avoid creating friction in the workroom. Shangela was the only one who managed funny reads that weren't too mean.

Raja's jokes were really tired but the delivery was okay relative to the competition. Carmen's just seemed mean. Totally punching down. I feel like I knew what Alexis was trying to do but the language barrier got in the way of her writing jokes so the punchlines landed. Shangela's routine was very Queens of Comedy but it was the most like a standup routine. I wish we could have seen the whole thing. They edited it like Manila wasn't doing well but I thought she had a lot of personality for someone who doesn't do standup regularly. Yara's character was styled really well. It was a little rough around the edges, but like Manila, I thought it was impressive for someone who'd never done stand up before. Yara had Alexis' language issues but the delivery was enough to carry it. I didn't think Delta's routine was that horrible. They edited it to look bad. I do think she didn't have the writing or delivery to make the punchlines land. It was like the idea of a joke that wasn't fully executed. Unlike Raja who just cribbed old jokes, Delta cribbed old jokes and couldn't remember exactly how to tell them.

The bottom 2 was ridiculous. It should have been Carmen and Alexis or Carmen and Delta. But not Manila. 

Manila was PERFECTION in the lip-sync to the point that I was mad whenever the camera cut back to Delta.

[aradia22]

S3E8 This red dress might be my favorite RuPaul runway outfit so far.

This season it feels like terrible luck whenever it's a Santino episode. 

Manila's runway outfit was gorgeous but it had nothing to do with the brief. I loved Carmen's styling. Hair, makeup... The dress was okay. I'm a little bored with her. She has no warmth or humor and she's just a pretty girl doing basic things week after week. Alexis looked pretty but I didn't love the skirt and I think Mathu needs to consult on the makeup. Yara's look was great. Fantastic reveal. Shangela's hair and makeup was cute enough but the outfit was a letdown. I think Raja picked the wrong fabric for that skirt. And the concept was a little offensive. Notably, she didn't show off this look while Stacey was there.

Shangela was very cute in her PSA but it was very much edited down. Just this side of too messy. Carmen's message was strong but she couldn't convey any warmth on her face and as usual I think it was mostly about how pretty she looked. Alexis' PSA was an absolute delight. Messy in the moment but she gave them a lot to edit down into something great. Yara's PSA wasn't terrible but it was a little sloppy. Manila made the wrong choices in the PSA. Raja's PSA was the most earnest.

I feel like the lip-sync edit was shady. They didn't really show Yara and Carmen didn't seem that great. She was just pretty and cold and relying on her looks as always. That's not what the song is about. I feel like she would have done the exact same thing regardless of what song she was given. I feel like Ru didn't eliminate either of them because neither one did that well.

[aradia22]

S3E9 Not that she sounded amazing, but I was surprised to hear Manila's raw vocals because her songs are autotuned to death and frankly, a little hard to listen to.

Has Carmen talked about her time on the show? A lot of people dislike their voices when they hear it for the first time but I feel like her fixation might be about hearing her voice pre-transition.

The music guy has to be the least helpful mentor they've had so far.

Manila's outfit for the performance was not as polished as other things she's worn but it was fun. She seemed to lose the lyrics a bit. Alexis looked cute. The chest plate was a bit much. It took away from the glamour. I don't think Carrie Underwood was a terrible choice for Shangela but she didn't execute it well. It looked like a cheap disco dress. She should have spent her time making that Jessica Simpson outfit look more glam with rhinestones and sequins. I think Yara could have worn something different on the bottom so it wasn't just a bikini. Carmen looked cute in her outfit but she has no range as a performer. Raja was fabulous. It was the first time she shook off the cold perfection. 

I've seen better renditions of Believe. But Carmen didn't even put up a fight against Shangela.

[aradia22]

S3E10 

Classic Hair: I liked Yara's 70's disco look. I'm not 100% sold on the braids but it was nice to have that break in the fro to frame the face. Alexis looked pretty but the hairstyle didn't wow and it didn't go with the outfit. Raja's hair was simple but cute. I'm not sure I loved the whole look. I don't think she's soft enough to pull it off. I liked Shangela's overall flamenco look but the hair was kind of busted. I LOVED Manila's look. The hair, the dress, the cameos, the boots, the whip... It was everything.

Red Carpet: Yara's wasn't my favorite but it's definitely a style. Very Miami fashion week. Alexis was very pretty but that hair didn't make sense. Especially with the braid, it was clearly a wig. I'm conflicted with Raja but it was a solid haircut. Not sure how red carpet it was or if it showed that much work/effort. Shangela's was unfortunate. Whose natural hair looks like that? The pony needed a bit more brushing out but I liked Manila's look.

Fantasy Hair: Yara's look was delicious nonsense. It gave me the fantasy. Alexis' look was kind of whack. The dress felt like she just treated the hair like fabric. Raja's look was more fantasy than hair. The hair had been fully transformed. An impressive amount of work but I liked Yara's better. Shangela's look was good until you looked at it too long. I didn't like the hairpiece so much as the volume. It set off the makeup in a way that little bob didn't. I did like her hair outfit though. Manila's look was goddamned amazing. It kept the quality of hair but it was totally fashion.

If Santino has to be around, at least Ru is constantly making fun of him.

[aradia22]

S3E11 Carmen didn't need to come back. She deserved to get eliminated. Maybe India or Delta or Stacey. But not Carmen.

The water dunking felt a little mean. Mainly with Alexis because she apparently has a great throwing arm. But no one seemed injured and they all laughed it off.

The jocks had a great energy. It was very funny. I was happy to have a fun challenge given how tense everyone must have been at this late stage in the competition.

Runway: Alexis did a pretty good job. Her guy's face is wide and his nose is large but I think he ended up relatively pretty. I do think the makeup could have been a little softer. I don't know how much Enigma looked like Raja's sister but the makeup was very pretty. Very soft and feminine. Yara did a solid job with her guy. He kept angling his face in a way that made it look even harder and more square. Carmen's guy has a relatively pretty face. She did a bad job. There was nothing to restructure the face and the body looked awkward. She could have tried harder. Manila did an exceptional job with her guy. Considering what she had to work with, the makeup was excellent and the costuming was solid given that she had to put together 4 outfits. Glad they called Carmen on her BS. Her idea of body positivity is nonsense. This is the same issue as in the stand up comedy challenge. 

I'm glad we got to see Raja lip-sync. How in the hell did Carmen think she was upping the stakes by taking off more clothes? Again, no contest.

[aradia22]

S3E14 I don't know how I never noticed it before, but Raja doesn't really move like a woman. Or, at least the idea of a graceful woman that the others manage to conjure. It wasn't just about choreography. She's great at posing and strutting down the runway. But just moving all her motions are very stiff and straight armed. In silhouette, I finally noticed how masculine it looks.

Manila should have won season 3. 

[aradia22]

S4E1

Oh my God, Willam look so different. Still pretty but she's definitely come a long way since season 4. Her eye makeup is so natural (for a drag queen) and her lips are so thin. She's basically just doing 80's pretty girl makeup. That first wig is... unfortunate. The personality is the same, though. Love her.

Are they going to have queens from Puerto Rico every season going forward?

The apocalypse photo challenge was obvi inspired by Alexander McQueen. I don't know if Mike Ruiz was off his game or they intentionally chose bad photos because the dolls were giving better poses than the photos would imply.

Every time I see Chad Michaels, I think it's Detox.

Willam had the body but that look was a mess. With a different wig and definitely with the makeup she does now, the outfit could have worked. Phi Phi piled on a lot. The colors of the makeup didn't really go with the colors of the outfit. Lashauwn's look was very pageant but I enjoyed it. Chad Michaels' look was very grande dame but well executed. The Princess created a cute look but I'm not sure it fit the challenge. Kenya's makeup and body looked flawless but everything else was whack. Loved Latrice's look. It was nice to see a plus size queen who could make an outfit. Alisa's look was very circus. I didn't get it. Milan's look was fabulous. Surprised because she didn't make an impression on me the rest of the episode but this was fierce. It was distressed but not messy. Very fashion. I appreciated what Jiggly was trying to do but that's a lot of aluminum foil. Dida had a nice look but the outfit only emphasized the lack of a waist. Madame LaQueer looked good but it was much more jungle fantasy than post-apocalyptic. Sharon was a lot but it definitely fit the brief. 

Edited July 15, 2019 by aradia22

[aradia22]

S4E2 

Team Phi Phi: The two heels had much better makeup skills than the faces. They were also better actors. The fight choreography was pretty good but I'm not sure how much of it they came up with and how much was suggested by the wrestlers.

Team Willam: Again, love her but Willam's makeup skills were not there. The hairline, the jawline. She looks hard. This team was good but they played it more violent and realistic than campy and broad.

Team Chad: Some terrible acting from the faces. The heels were giving me great 80s glam rock/Divine energy.

[Kroliosis]

Not sure where to put this (or if this is new) but seasons 1-6 are on Hulu!

[Tammee]

Ok Im about 1/3 way through the marathon.  S4. The Willam season.  How did he break the rules?  Wasnt it something about hooking up during the shooting?  I dont remember.  Seems like theres more, but its gone.  I really enjoyed this marathon, so many eps i havent seen.

[OnceSane]

6 hours ago, Tammee said:

The Willam season.  How did he break the rules?  Wasnt it something about hooking up during the shooting?

IIRC, Willam was in contact with his husband during shooting...to the point he told hubby where they were staying and hubby came by for a conjugal visit (or two).

[aradia22]

I'm trying to dive back in. I got stuck on S4E2. For some reason the wrestling was particularly boring to me. How do you all feel about Untucked? It's on hulu now and I'm not sure if I should watch. 

Sharon's runway makeup was gorgeous. Painted, but in a good way. Chad's makeup was more of a traditional, fully blended glam illusion but also relatively impressive compared to the others. I didn't feel like a lot of the girls really rose to the challenge of the theme.

Seeing Willam's baby drag is still jarring. His drag then and now is so different. 

Willam was right. Princess was so much better. You can't take off your heels at the start of a lip-sync if you aren't planning any tricks. 

[OnceSane]

9 hours ago, aradia22 said:

How do you all feel about Untucked? It's on hulu now and I'm not sure if I should watch. 

Watch.  I just did a S1-S6 rewatch of the show & untucked with my son.  The Untuckeds definitely make the show better, imo.

[ilovebeaarthur]

5 hours ago, OnceSane said:

Watch.  I just did a S1-S6 rewatch of the show & untucked with my son.  The Untuckeds definitely make the show better, imo.

Yes, this. Some of the most memorable/iconic moments of the show happen during Untucked. 

[Tammee]

On 3/9/2020 at 9:12 PM, OnceSane said:

IIRC, Willam was in contact with his husband during shooting...to the point he told hubby where they were staying and hubby came by for a conjugal visit (or two).

Thanks.  They explained it on the reunion show too

[Amello]

On 3/13/2020 at 3:52 PM, Tammee said:

Thanks.  They explained it on the reunion show too

However, that was just the 'on-air' explanation. Willam always planned to get kicked off because she had another gig lined up. She's admitted she might have even hit PhiPhi if they didn't kick her off when they did. The husband thing was made up by producers, when in fact, Willam had actually slept with a producer. 

[DrSparkles]

I’m not sure where this question goes... I’ve been watching the show often on from the beginning, and I’ve never heard where the queens stay during the competition. They don’t have to put themselves up do they?

[Ms.Lulu]

1 hour ago, DrSparkles said:

I’m not sure where this question goes... I’ve been watching the show often on from the beginning, and I’ve never heard where the queens stay during the competition. They don’t have to put themselves up do they?

They stay in a hotel and are supposed to be sequestered.  Willam was kicked out because his husband visited.  And a queen claimed found out she was going to lose LSFYL when she got her check out notice from the hotel.  I think it was Jiggly Caliente.

[DrSparkles]

19 minutes ago, PDXlulu said:

They stay in a hotel and are supposed to be sequestered.  Willam was kicked out because his husband visited.  And a queen claimed found out she was going to lose LSFYL when she got her check out notice from the hotel.  I think it was Jiggly Caliente.

Oooo, interesting! TY!

[Amello]

6 hours ago, PDXlulu said:

Willam was kicked out because his husband visited.  

You still think this? That was a made up story for the show. What really happened was that Willam had always planned to get kicked off because he had another gig lined up so he broke as many rules as he could. All the queens broke some of the rules, of course, because they're drag queens. Anyway, he slept with a producer and made sure everyone knew about it, especially people like PhiPhi he knew would complain. Him and PhiPhi are good now though. She even appeared on Willam and Alaska's podcast recently. And as you probably know (and soon your children will some day know 😜 ) due to Willam's outspokenness about the show and RuPaul, he's basically banned from most WowPresents productions. 

Edited April 12, 2020 by Amello

[Sew Sumi]

6 hours ago, PDXlulu said:

They stay in a hotel and are supposed to be sequestered.  Willam was kicked out because his husband visited.  And a queen claimed found out she was going to lose LSFYL when she got her check out notice from the hotel.  I think it was Jiggly Caliente.

I don't believe Jiggly's story because all contestants have to be sequestered for the duration of filming to avoid spoilers. At least that's how it works on every other reality competition show.

[Marisagf]

I have questions about the Rusical costumes.  I know they are told the challenges before taping so they know what to bring.  But how does it work when they are portraying Madonna at different eras?  They chose parts in the workroom.  So how did they all have perfect costumes for the show?   Just curious.

[DEL901]

10 hours ago, Marisagf said:

I have questions about the Rusical costumes.  I know they are told the challenges before taping so they know what to bring.  But how does it work when they are portraying Madonna at different eras?  They chose parts in the workroom.  So how did they all have perfect costumes for the show?   Just curious.

For this one, I am sure they had assistance with the costumes since they didn’t know which Madonna they would be.   But the have to get a lot of advance info on themes...you can guesssome, but Night if a Hundred Michelle Visages?

[Sew Sumi]

5 minutes ago, DEL901 said:

For this one, I am sure they had assistance with the costumes since they didn’t know which Madonna they would be.   But the have to get a lot of advance info on themes...you can guesssome, but Night if a Hundred Michelle Visages?

They get the runway looks in advance.

[truthaboutluv]

I posted the following in the specific episode thread but think it's appropriate here as well. 

I know this comment is like four years late but sue me, this pandemic has had me doing a binge of all the past seasons I missed. And I have the unpopular opinion that I think the hate for Season 7 was slightly over the top and in my opinion, the contestants were far more talented and better than those of Season 8. The Snatch Game episode of Season 8 solidified this opinion for me. 

That was one of the absolute worse, most boring Snatch games episodes of the show that I've ever seen. Ru was trying but I felt like we only got a real laugh out loud from him when Bob was playing Carol Channing and started interacting with Chi Chi as Eartha Kitt.

It was just bad. I mean hell, even boring ass Pearl delivered a decent Big Ang and Violet who was no comedian either, did a serviceable Alyssa. And Ginger's Adele and Kennedy's Little Richard were tops. 

But the most egregious part for me wasn't even the boring as hell Snatch game but WTAF was that runway? These Queens get Madonna as a theme and half of them come out in some basic ass kimono? Really - seriously?

The problem with Season 7 was that there weren't many comedians/all around performers, which made many of the main challenges not great. But those bitches could serve some looks on the runway. And I cannot imagine they would have delivered that level of mediocrity for a Madonna theme. 

Season 8 on the other hand had a lot of Queens who were legends in their own minds and thought they were funnier and better actors than they apparently were - Robbie Turner, Acid Betty, Thorgy.

[joanne3482]

I only started watching the show with last season because Nikki Minaj was a judge so now I'm going back and re-watching. I don't know what it is about Season 4, but I was so bored and I don't think I liked any of the queens. I gave up on episode 3 or 4 and jumped to season 5. I'm not sure why Alyssa is familiar to me, but she is.  

[le bordel chaud]

Season 7 is unfairly maligned in my opinion. It didn't help that it was following Season 6, which was nearly universally beloved with an exceptionally popular, talented, and funny victor. 

However, there is a lot to love about S7. It had an extremely strong cast who consistently turned out stunning looks. I mean the fourth girl eliminated later came back to win an All-Stars season--that's how stacked the cast was.

There were far too many comedy and acting challenges for some reason, which didn't play to the strengths of most of the queens. There really should have been far more sewing and fashion challenges. It's like all the challenges had been planned and then they didn't cast accordingly. It was doomed to be unsuccessful from the get go.

Even despite that, there are still plenty of amazing moments and it is a very entertaining season to me anyway. I definitely think overall it is better than S8 or S9.

Violet is one of my favorite winners, if not my very favorite winner. From the very first episode when she did the incredible quick change on the runway, she never stopped serving glamour and excellence. I also enjoy her acerbic wit and personality. I think initially many people thought she was boring and/or a bitch and preferred Ginger. Thankfully the tide has turned and I think Violet is much more appreciated nowadays. It started with her iconic look at the Season 8 finale where she upstaged all three finalists and RuPaul herself. And she's shown herself to be a fashionista who can give great commentary on YouTube. I just love her to pieces.

[truthaboutluv]

On 6/15/2020 at 11:04 AM, Victim Noises said:

Season 7 is unfairly maligned in my opinion.

 

On 6/15/2020 at 11:04 AM, Victim Noises said:

There were far too many comedy and acting challenges for some reason, which didn't play to the strengths of most of the queens.

As one who's been doing a week long binge of all the seasons I've missed, I completely agree with this. As I said in another thread, in my opinion Season 7 was definitely better than Season 8, where other than Bob, I found most of these Queens completely unmemorable.

And as far as I'm concerned, Season 8 became officially one of the worse seasons when these Queens delivered that mess for a Madonna tribute runway. Shit was so bad that they had to re-do the challenge in another season. And what kind of self-respecting drag queens can't do a proper Madonna inspired runway challenge. 

I also agree about the emphasis on comedy and acting challenges being a big part of what made Season 7 seem so weak. Because aside from Ginger, and maybe Katya, most of the queens weren't very strong actors. I will admit that Pearl and her dead eyes and mediocre talent making it as far as she did was bullshit. But then Kim Chi made it to Final 3 in Season 8, not being able to act, lip sync or walk very well. 

[nicepebbles]

I started watching S2 after watching S1 recently. As I started S2, I realized I had watched at least part of it years ago. I was immediately reminded that I disliked Tyra then and I dislike her now. She does lack warmth as Merle said and she has a nasty attitude. I'm only on S2E5. I'm annoyed she's going to win. 

I like Pandora Boxx. Her style may not be the best; there's just something about her that has me rooting her. I think Titianna is the prettiest. I like Jujubee and Raven. I can see why some don't like Raven. She's kinda one note with the makeup and can be bitchy. I can't stand Sonnique and Morgan. Too full of themselves. And I really like Jessica Wild. 

Compared to S1, S2 does appear to be a downgrade as far as production quality. 

I can't believe that Jessica Glasscock made it to the final 3 in S1. She was only pretty. She didn't have anything else going for her compared to the final 2. I forget who Glasscock beat in the lip sync for your life. (I can see the face but can't remember the name.) I just know that girl got robbed. 

[Sesquipedalia]

I just got Paramount Plus, and this is the first time I've had access to Season 1 of Drag Race. I'm surprised how similar it is to later seasons, not as big a difference as some reality shows' first seasons. They didn't do a lot of trial and error.

One weird thing I noticed is that they had a lot of big-name guest stars and judges, but they are treated a bit offhanded. Like Lucy Lawless barely got in two words. I bet those fighter girls were dying when they saw she would be a judge.