S09.E14: Grand Finale

[BloggerAloud]

I am a big Shea fan and thought her lip sync would've been perfectly acceptable in a "this is my second/third number of the night at Hamburger Mary's" but did not have any of the drama or energy you'd expect for a lip sync for the crown. I know a lot of people think that maybe Shea and Trinity thought that the lipsyncs weren't going to factor in as much as they did and probably assumed if they just kept enough with their competition that they would win their lipsyncs.

[HunterHunted]

14 minutes ago, noveltylibrary65 said:

You're right I shouldn't have used the word 'clearly' -- it was definitely something I felt though.

I get that. Everyone has their feelings and perspectives on the outcome. My opinion is that Peppermint's was the stronger of the two, not by much, but stronger. I think that if you give it a week and from memory try to recall Trinity's lipsync, it's going to seem pretty unremarkable as time passes. There are some lipsyncs that I remember both performances and not negatively (Kennedy vs Katya, Detox vs Jinkx). I just don't think that this is one of them. Others have different perspectives. 

http://www.vulture.com/2017/06/rupauls-drag-race-season-9-finale-recap.html

[jaync]

That was...Sasha FIERCE.

[Dave in Chicago]

When they started doing those celebrity Skype cameos, I was really hoping for an appearance by Gabrielle Carteris or Judith Butler.

[Glade]

Sasha really did turn it out with her lipsyncs, even though I'm incredibly over her one-note look.  I wish they would have split the crown between her and Peppermint, because that lipsync was almost even.  The format was exciting and really did matter, though in other seasons where there was a clear winner vs filler ratio in the final 3/4, it wouldn't work as well.  This season was still lacklustre and bland as hell, and I am glad that trinity's 80's pageant burnout didn't win, and neither did Shea who looked and performed horribly during her lipsync tonight.  So...whatever.  Please cast S10 better.

[violet and green]

What a great and satisfying end to a disappointing season. I remained unspoiled, mercifully, but everyone here seemed to be so behind Shea all season I thought well, Shea is obviously the contender for the crown and I just can't see it. Then during the day I asked my inner psychic who would win and it replied, Sasha Velour. I thought, no way. I heard the name Sasha Velour later during the day as well. I should set up a streetside stand selling sessions!

Anyway, marvellous treat to see her turn out those two numbers, and her exquisite thoughtful costuming and reveals. I really like a bit of old school glamour and a few dramatic moves, and to see someone unashamedly selling the passion and emotional undertones of a song, and Sasha killed it both times.

I did think Trinity beat Peppermint for the first three-quarters of hers, but then faded to the background after Pep's reveal and finishing gusto.

Prefer the old format. Would prefer a better season. But a fitting winner, and reigning Queen. And lovely to see Papa Velour and boyfriend's joyful, overcome reactions.

[JakeyJokes]

17 hours ago, rozen said:

 

 

I was rooting for my dark horse, Trinity, for her surprising versatility and can-do attitude, but sadly it was not to be. I then cheered for Shea for destroying nearly every challenge, but my application was rejected. I then cheered for Pep, who embodied the spirit of the song as one of strength and redemption, rather than deranged frustration, but was denied. I had picked Sasha to win at the start of the season, but man was it unsatisfying. I think I got sick of hearing 'I AM SO UNIQUE IN THE DRAG WORLD' over and over and over again*. But her fashion is ferocious and she has a good message, so it's fine. 

Sasha is the queen I'd want to have hosting an intimate dinner party followed by a book discussion. I would pay money to watch any of the other queens perform. 

 

 

This cracked me up. And it's true. I would love to watch a TV show of Sasha doing a drag version of "Real Time".

I had a gig the night of the finale so I knew I'd be spoiled (incidentally I was performing with someone who is best friends with Bob and the T that I was getting!! GIRRRRLLLLL). Anyway, I'm in total agreement with you here. When I first heard Sasha won, my reaction was "Really?" Trinity was my favorite because she reminds me of pageant queens I know, and I love that she has this competitive spitfire edge to her, and I also have deference because we're the same age and she is WORKING it. I know girls who worked with Shea and they loved her, and I laugh out loud every time I watch the reunion when they do Toot or Boot and she says "Shoot". I saw Peppermint live last week at Denver Pride and I'm telling you, she just has this *it* about her. It didn't always translate on TV, and I don't know how to describe it without sounding hippy-dippy, but there's this energy or light within her when she performs. She was on the same bill as Chad Michaels, Aja, Alexis Michelle, and very talented Denver-based queens, and she was clearly the star of the show. She's absolutely luminous and you can't take your eyes off her when you see her.

That all being said, once I actually saw the finale, I was okay with Sasha's victory. If you would have told me even a week ago that Sasha Velour was going to slay the hell out of two Whitney Houston songs, I would not have believed you. "It's Not Right But It's OK" is a jammmmmmmmmmm. I CAN PAY MY LIGHT BILL. TAKE CARE OF MY BABIES.

 

20 hours ago, Couver said:

Were there less drag alum than normal? I saw Jaidynn and Tyra but not many others. No Porkchop shout out?

 

Because the season started late, I wonder if a lot of the queens had Pride season gigs. (Yes, most cities do Pride the last week of June as to correlate with Stonewall, but smaller cities do theirs earlier in June, and the finale was filmed on the second Friday of the month). Also, I remember Willam, who used to have a Logo gig as a "whorrespondent" for the reunions,  wrote on Tumblr that he stopped going to the finale tapings in part because the tapings run very long and it's a long day to sit in the audience in the drag, and former contestants are invited to attend but they don't get paid to show up. It's a lot of work and effort to show up just to be seen on TV for a few seconds. World of Wonder usually puts the pre-tape stuff on YouTube, and I haven't checked out who did the intros this year (if anyone).

[noveltylibrary65]

4 hours ago, HunterHunted said:

I get that. Everyone has their feelings and perspectives on the outcome. My opinion is that Peppermint's was the stronger of the two, not by much, but stronger. I think that if you give it a week and from memory try to recall Trinity's lipsync, it's going to seem pretty unremarkable as time passes. There are some lipsyncs that I remember both performances and not negatively (Kennedy vs Katya, Detox vs Jinkx). I just don't think that this is one of them. Others have different perspectives. 

http://www.vulture.com/2017/06/rupauls-drag-race-season-9-finale-recap.html

I actually fully expected Peppermint to topple Trinity, but was surprised to find her LS boring, while Trinity put everything into it.  In the final LS, the Peppermint I expected came back and so I was disappointed at that outcome too!

[niklj]

This was my first season of Drag Race so I had nothing to compare it to but I found it incredibly entertaining and....educational? I know some people didn't like the sad stories this season, but I found them very eye-opening. So I feel like Sasha's win was a great embodiment of this season and I love how she is getting to use her artistic talents for activist purposes: http://ew.com/tv/2017/06/23/rupauls-drag-race-season-9-winner-interview/

 

Am with everyone who hopes Trinity shows up in AS3.

[Egg]

I was spoiled as to the format, and who win each round and the finale, and I still found the finale riveting! But I've had the very unpopular opinion that this has been a really great season. 

 

Watching Peppermint v. Trinity, I spent a lot of time thinking "how does Pep win?" But what I love is that she held onto her reveal until the exact right moment, and made me forget about Trinity. In retrospect, I kinda thought we've already seen Trinity do this exact same performance to a Britney Spears song.

Sasha really took the costume destruction to the next level. She won via gimmick, but ultimately, those gimmicks weren't cheap and I think that's what drag is about. I love Shea but was disappointed with her lip sync. 

We haven't had a Whitney song since Shannel, right? I've been wondering for years when we were going to get "It's Not Right but It's Okay," which I love for. When Ru announced that song I was hollering. Sasha did not disappoint. 

[HunterHunted]

17 hours ago, Avon.Blakes7 said:

I think Trinity was too busy trying to perform like Alyssa Edwards throwing the hair around! That was really something seeing Peppermint change hair and dress right before our eyes! Trinity was done even with that roll/flip at the end of the song! Sasha was adored by the judges and given her tons of credit for a modern POV even when dated! The bald head just took me back to Ongina who was mercilessly cut at times for trying to get away with no hair! I can't fault the choice, but it was a choice, not a real win if you go by the "LSFYL!"

I agree that Trinity was trying for that Alyssa thing and it doesn't really work for her because Trinity isn't a dancer. Alyssa has training underlying her style so she knows not to overuse the hair whips and when to use them. I think Trinity was emulating that style because she was impressed by it and it seemed reasonably replicable. Additionally, it was very similar to her LSFYL to Britney during the competition. I think Sasha's win is a reminder that each of the queens should do their own thing. Sasha can't dance, but she put together 2 great performances.

I don't want to be cynical about Shea's performance in the finale, but I'm starting to think that she might have intentionally half-assed it. This isn't to take anything away from Sasha. Shea's energy was suspiciously low, but she coincidentally has 3 very polished Beyoncé's Lemonade inspired videos drop the exact date of the finale. I watched them. They are very good. The songs are good; the videos are good, though Ride is my least favorite. I assume the winner is contractually obligated to do the tour, but I don't know if the other queens are able to pop in and out of the tour if they need to. 

 

And certainly better than C.L.A.T.

7 hours ago, Mayberry said:

Pre-Show Runway: 

 

Why was nearly every queen who did the runway dressed like they were going to the Academy Awards nominees luncheon? This was like ladies who love to drag. Even the more sheer outfits like Naysha's or Morgan's were things you might on a regular red carpet for something boring like the Walmart and Food Network Event to Stamp Out Hunger.

Edited June 25, 2017 by HunterHunted

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I love that Sasha won both LSFYLs by just lip syncing as fiercely as possible. The flower petal thing was a gimmick and it got applause, but I know there is no way in hell RuPaul would award someone a win based solely on flower petals. I think Ru recognized it for what it was - Sasha creating a moment, no more or less a guarantee of a win than a death drop or the jump splits.

I feel like I need to give Trinity some credit because it was obvious that she was pulling out all the stops, and I am fine with people letting their ambition and drive show (and I prefer to see that as opposed to someone who seems like they don't care if they win). But there is a fine line between showing how much you want it and naked desperation. To me, all that hair flipping was the equivalent of when you see someone doing a frantic tap dance with jazz hands and crazy eyes - I just want to tell them DAMN GIRL, CALM THE FUCK DOWN!

To me, the difference between Trinity and Sasha's LSFYLs was that Trinity threw in everything but the kitchen sink and it came off as desperate. On top of that, it just wasn't well executed. The moves she was doing didn't always match the music so it felt like she was just doing them to do them without any regards for the actual song. Sasha, on the other hand, was emotionally committed to her songs. The faces she made and the things she did were done with intention to match the lyrics.

As a former dancer, I love seeing other dancers perform but it was nice to see Sasha lip sync with none of the usual bells and whistles we often see during LSFYLs. That was 100% lip sync without any fancy tricks or gymnastics. It was all about the lips, the lyrics, and the face.

[WhineandCheez]

Quote

Pre-Show Runway: 

Thats the BEST I've ever  seen Bob look.  PURSE FIRST

Well something was fishy about that finale and it wasn't Valentina.  First Trinity was robbed in her lipsync.  And now that Sasha won she's never going to wear a frickin wig again.  Trinity and Shea were the obvious F2 for some time now, Shea since the start.  I wonder how they feel about the rug being pulled out from under them?

Sasha's still wearing ugly shoes

Edited June 25, 2017 by WhineandCheez

[ClareWalks]

3 hours ago, Mayberry said:

No, no, we mustn't forget WINTERGREEN!

The true star. The true winner. *Sparkles*

Wintergreen is such a goddess. She has more charisma than all the other queens combined.

[twinkietwin94]

3 hours ago, Mayberry said:

No, no, we mustn't forget WINTERGREEN!

The true star. The true winner. *Sparkles*

I was living when Wintergreen came on stage. When she said"this is all you" and pointed to Pep I practically shouted at my TV bc those faces are all Wintergreen, or maybe all the Queen's she's seen over the years. Please oh please WG keep doing drag!

[Stardancer Supreme]

I'm cool with Sasha winning the crown. There can be only one Drag Superstar!  The real test is how she will parlay this honor to ramp up her drag.  It's mostly the queens who don't win who have big upswings in their craft after RPDR.  Shea Coulee, while giving the weakest lipsync this season at the end no less, will be just fine. I saw her videos and ran to iTunes to buy the songs. "Ride" is my current fave and is on repeat.

Watching the finale, I was living!  I'll admit I cackled when Trinity chose Pepper... Bitch you know the rest to lipsync against.  Trinity put herself in 4th place, IMHO. Todrick had the best description of Trinity's performances: it is like we are watching her on Skype!  Poor rhythmless queen. Even exposing the Tuck didn't help her. 

I love a good stunt, so Peppermint took it! I'm sure she hit Trinity in the face with the wig. I'm still cackling.

I'll admit that Sasha gives good but crazed faces. 

Bob the Drag Queen is Bae. He never disappoints me. 

Every queen should take the time to dig Valentina.  It will never not be funny. "I'd like to keep it on, please."  *cackles*

[Kaboom 2.0]

9 hours ago, Mayberry said:

No, no, we mustn't forget WINTERGREEN!

The true star. The true winner. *Sparkles*

OMG YES WINTERGREEN! Love love love her. Can she appear on every new season of RPDR and just be Wintergreen? Please? 

I am still Bob's bitch. When she walked on stage I gasped. Drop. Dead. Gorgeous. And of course the dig at Valentina! And thank you, Mayberry, for posting the pre show runway...purse first! And Bob threw in Tyra Banks' infamous ANTM screeching speech for another Valentina dig.

Agree with so much of your comments. I'm ok with Sasha winning although I'm still a big fan of Peppermint and Shay. If you had told me that Sasha would be crowned after delivering an epic LSFYL to a Whitney Houston song I would have laughed in your face. I'm glad I was wrong. LOL 

[ClareWalks]

Wintergreen simply must return, perhaps as a judge, or as a Werkroom Cun-sultant. 

[laschifosavita]

I'd like something like this for the last episode before the finale.  The choreography drama is pretty boring after this many seasons, especially since it isn't the only time during the challenge that they have to dance.  They might have to get creative with how they edit the episode, but I think it would add a bit more excitement to the episode.

[ladle]

Normally I love Ru's style, but what was with that dress?  It looked like it was covered with very symmetrically spaced puke stains.  "Sickening" indeed. 
 

On the other hand, how cute were Sasha's father and boyfriend?  Oh my goodness! 

[film noire]

I loved that, in the end, it was the cerebral queen who convinced me she was feeling something big & grand; pure drag.

[vixenbynight]

On 6/24/2017 at 11:25 PM, Mayberry said:

Exactly. I was not expecting Sasha to excel with a Whitney Houston song.

 

I think with the lip sync contest there was also less focus on the other drag queens in general, including this season's.

But Porkchop was in the Pre-Show. A few alums did a runway. I would like to have seen a few more as well like Sharon, Latrice, Violet, Pearl, Raja, Alyssa etc.

Pre-Show Runway: 

OMG, all the queens looked fantastic in the video. Tyra Sanchez looked exactly like Amanita aka Freema Agyeman from Sense8.

[twinkietwin94]

So was Pep wearing a blond wig or was that her hair, it was always blond fuzz in the TH during the season. I could just see her going with that as her every day look

[film noire]

3 hours ago, twinkietwin94 said:

So was Pep wearing a blond wig or was that her hair, it was always blond fuzz in the TH during the season. I could just see her going with that as her every day look

She looks gorgeous in that blonde crop cut.

Edited June 26, 2017 by film noire

[Couver]

On 6/24/2017 at 8:25 PM, Mayberry said:

Exactly. I was not expecting Sasha to excel with a Whitney Houston song.

 

I think with the lip sync contest there was also less focus on the other drag queens in general, including this season's.

But Porkchop was in the Pre-Show. A few alums did a runway. I would like to have seen a few more as well like Sharon, Latrice, Violet, Pearl, Raja, Alyssa etc.

Pre-Show Runway: 

 

Thank you for posting the video! They all look amazing. One of the reasons I love the finale is seeing what looks the previous queens are wearing. I always love seeing Porkchop too! Also for all the drama surrounding her and her generally messiness I can never fully be done with Tyra because she always serves amazing fish.  And I apologize for not remembering who but I have to echo what another poster said. It's wonderful to see the African American queens serving very African and African American inspired looks. Bob, Nina, Shea, and Tyra all representing. And Bebe is always doing so as well (and does it best imo). 

I can understand why the show focusing more on the YouTube personalities and young audience members since they know where their demographic is now. But I still miss the focus being on the queens. 

[MaryWebGirl]

On 6/23/2017 at 5:59 PM, okerry said:

wow, they always look better on award night. Are there professionals doing the queens' hair & makeup & wardrobe for these events?

 

I think so. Rember Raja saying she helped Shangela for the reunion on her original season?

[Avon.Blakes7]

1 minute ago, MaryWebGirl said:

I think so. Rember Raja saying she helped Shangela for the reunion on her original season?

I think there's a lot more help we don't see! I seem to remember a couple seasons ago, the 1st episode had the girls perform a runway show off the bat sporting 2 outfits; then later a nude illusion runway! I saw early on the girls got a lot of help with hair and makeup before going on the catwalk! I have to believe some help is given on the episodes when all the queens have to pay homage to a star like Ru or Lady Gaga! It's hard to believe they ran up all those costumes that day or brought it with them unless told ahead of time! I love when it's done well and at times it looks too professional to be something impromptu thrown together in a day with little or no help! 

[Couver]

I think the queens have assistants for the finale. If you watch some of the videos of the queens backstage getting ready. A lot of them seem to have helpers. 

[niklj]

Regarding Trinty flipping her hair constantly during her lip sync, to me it looked like her wig kept getting in her face and she was trying to hide it with choreography (kind of like Shea had to keep doing to her drag daughter's wig in the makeover challenge.)

[CaioF]

What else we missed on the edited version:

Edited June 27, 2017 by CaioF

[Avon.Blakes7]

19 minutes ago, CaioF said:

What else we missed on the edited version:

 

Well there's no doubt these looks are "true drag!" Forget about "being real!" Farrah was truly stunning and real! Aja more like a circus clown! What was up with her make-up job? 

[CaioF]

Top 2 watching the finale/waiting the winner announcement: 

[SteveAC10]

Sasha's ability to channel Whitney is all the more impressive since it appears to be well outside her typical wheelhouse of Shirley Bassey, 60's era Streisand, Marlene Dietrich, Annie Lennox and New Wave. One of my faves: