S04.E04: Jersey Justice

[OnceSane]

Quote

In a salute to all things Jersey, the All Stars plead their cases before "Judge" Michelle Visage in an unscripted courtroom parody. Extra special guest judges: Zoe Kravitz and comedian Erica Ash.

Airs January 4, 2019.

[latincoffee]

Can't wait to watch it tonight! 15 more minutes to go!!!  Let me get my tortilla chips & hummus ready. 

[latincoffee]

I like Valentina's looks and all but she's so fake. 

[Temperance]

I really miss Ross Matthews when he's not here. He's one of my favorite judges.

I really liked Naomi this week, and her Wendy Williams  (last week) was underated (watched it again: Trinity stole the show).  

As someone who watches ASMR videos, I loved the judges version of ASMR. 

Yay! Elton John!

Yay! Monique kept her wig on.  The elimination was hard.  

[DanielleC.]

Hmm, my least favorite episode of the season so far... The main challenge/that sketch was messy, didnt found anything really funny at all.. The runway theme was a little all over the place aswell... Still, based on performance, judges got it right..  Based on performance at the challenge, I would give Valentina a edge over Manila, but on the runway, I got Valentina´s intention but its a look that will split opinions and I dont think she used it at the right time/the best way so I´m pretty sure that kept her out of the top..

Damm,  the edit should make a better job on not be so obvious showing one of the top queens giving us who she would be sending home while the other is split... OFF COURSE the one not giving us the ´´spoiler`` will win the lip sync! It happened last week, it happened again. It was a close lip sync, I think Manila was better (Monique looked more like Tina, had some good moments but she seemed lost in some points). I was actually expecting her to let the pressure of keep Latrice because she ´´deserves more respect`` get to her but I´m glad she made the right decision. I´m sorry, I respect Latrice but she wasnt delivering (and no more excuses on other queens not giving her space to act).. Latrice is a beloved queen and will always be.. but shes is not a winner material or a top 4 all stars material aswell and we dont need the queens making decisions because they feel sorry for each other..

PS: Lmao, Valentina´s ´´tantrum`` was soooo fake/a bad acting that I want to see who will fall for that..

Edited January 5, 2019 by DanielleC.

[Psycho Suzy]

Goddamn, that was my all time favorite lip-sync! Manila is always an amazing performer, so it says a lot that Monique killed it.

I. Am. Impressed.

Love ya, Latrice, but tenure doesn't entitle you the crown.

[2727]

Maybe I just prefer a more dramatic, interpretative style over jump-jump energy, but I thought Manila's LSFYL was better. She was assuredly upset and sad about her friend being in the bottom, but managed to screw her face up and cry without any actual tears.

1 hour ago, latincoffee said:

I like Valentina's looks and all but she's so fake. 

Seriously, does she pose her way through life? Eating breakfast, going to the dry cleaners, taking the subway. Tired of it.

It was amusing how quickly the other queens shut down the self-absorbed theatrics about her negative runway critique.

Trinity's runway wig was beautiful!

[Keywestclubkid]

Just because she’s beloved she should stay? Really that’s your reasoning to stay? She wasn’t standing out at all this whole competition it was her time to go 

Edited January 5, 2019 by Keywestclubkid

[Psycho Suzy]

Yeah, I'll always love Latrice, but she did herself no favors this round. She came off as entitled, instead of fierce and humble.

Manila, Naomi, Valentina and Trinity are giving stellar performances each week. And I'm not surprise.

Monique and Monet are doing well but not very consistent.

[AntManBee]

That was some weird editing during the lipstick reveal.

[Aerobicidal]

I have seen Latrice live and would pay money (like, at least fifteen dollars) to see her again.

I wouldn't pay fifteen cents to see Monique live.

This show isn't the best of drag or the best of Drag Race but I'm starting to think it's not even the best show that's on Friday prime time. Manila's "How Will I Know" will probably be the only thing I'll rewatch from the first four episodes.

[Gothish520]

OMG Valentina outright telling Trinity that if it was between her and Latrice, she'd send Trinity's ass home - really girl? 

I felt for Latrice but that was the right call. And I'm fine with some ego but damn.

I like both Carson and Ross as judges, would love to have them both on every week with one guest judge.

Is it just me or is this show on fire? Maybe it's just the mood I'm in but I'm loving this season.

Edited January 5, 2019 by Gothish520

[Amello]

The right girl went home. Of course, I love Latrice, but I thought she should have been in the bottom last week as well. Not only was her snatch game bad, but her look was ugly/basic as hell. Valentina's look should have saved her last week but then we wouldn't have gotten the iconic moment of her "You really think I could go home this week" reaction. Not to mention, Naomi should have been top two for her fabulous Wendy. The judging was weird for the Variety performance as well but they got the tops and bottoms completely correct this week and I think Monique won the lip-sync, though I thought it was a pretty close call because Manila is always great and is my hopeful choice to win this damn thing. The queens have to realize that their stature outside the competition rarely matters on this show. I don't want any Roxxxy Andrews fuckery this season, please and thank you.

[Glade]

Manilla was hilarious, again and deserved her win. I still keep forgetting that Naomi is here, the only storyline she's gotten is when she says something to Manilla.

Latrice missed her chances, just like on snatch game she brought a bored, understated performance and it's not funny.  It felt like she wore a similar gown on the runway recently too. However, it's part of AS for the eliminated queens to be brought back, it could even happen next week, and if that happens, Latrice is the best one that's gone home.

Valentina did not come here to make alliances, bitch! I don't think Trinity the bland noticed how Valentina never said 'id do the same for you' last week, but I did. I still love Valentina and find her amusing.

[phoenix780]

I appreciate Valentina going for as much airtime as possible, I just wish she were less obvious about it. I feel like she should be more skilled at trying to pull focus, or maybe just stick to doing it during the workroom entrances instead of inserting a random monologue. 

As a long time addict/viewer of daytime court shows I was into the challenge concept, but wish two of the three didn't devolve into physical comedy. There's so much to make fun of without that! 

Also, though I get why they did it, I wish the role of the judge went to last week's winner, or a former queen, or a mini challenge winner--someone other than Michelle. I think they needed someone a little more dynamic in that role for the contestants to play off of. 

The lip sync saved this episode for me. I love Manila, I enjoy Monique (more out of drag, usually--she's a great narrator), and it felt like a close battle, to me. I would have preferred Latrice stay for the sake of nostalgia, and because I just don't get into Monet. I'm guessing she's amazing live, hosting a show or whatever, but in the context of this show...I forget her.

[ivanp91]

Yeah, as much as I adore Latrice, she wasn't winning any fans with the whole "I deserve to stay just because I've done drag for so long" thing. Manila and Latrice crying on one another was heart wrenching, you can totally see just how much they love and respect one another. Latrice was delusional to think her performance in the challenge was amazing, it was very clearly the worst of all the contestants, and as much as I'm not a fan of Monet's, she deserved to stay.

The producers must think the fans are stupid if they're gonna keep editing the picking of the lipsticks this way - as it's already been pointed out it became clear straight away who would win the LSFYL.

I think Monique has run the cow thing into the ground now - let us have the rest of the competition, please, without any more cow patterns!

Not an enormous Valentina fan, but I fucking love her posing and over-the-top telenovela acting. She's got that perfect combination of knowing she's playing it up for the camera, but also believing she's all that at the same time. The queens dismissing her "I AM SO INSULTED!" rant was brilliant.

 

7 hours ago, Glade said:

It felt like she wore a similar gown on the runway recently too.

I've kind of always thought that Latrice's runway looks were similar looking. Yes there have been exceptions, but she's very much into the gown thing most of the time. Definitely not as broad in style as many other queens.

[annewithaneee]

Y'all, I'm out. I've hated this make-the-queens-vote nonsense since the jump, I think it basically ruins everything about the show that I love, and since they're clearly married to it I'm done. It's a stupid choice to make on a talent competition show to begin with, but combined with the fact that it neuters LSFYL and you have a bunch of queens who are transparently very uncomfortable with the idea of Survivor-esque eliminations and incurring the wrath of an increasingly unhinged fandom....it's a real bad look.

I dipped at 9 to watch Love After Lockup (because I'm a trashmonster) and checked in here to see what the outcome is...the first hour was so boring and blech to me that I'm not gonna finish it, or the season, out. And yeah, loving Latrice might be part of it -- but it also comes back to why the AS format pisses me off. They keep bringing back queens who were most memorable for their LSFYLs, and weren't good at improv and acting challenges. I'm not here for watching my beloved queens slowly tank on a show that's overall just not entertaining. 

And again, I didn't finish it so I'm not sure how the Latrice's belovedness thing panned out during the asinine pre-elimination deliberations (again, this show was turned into Survivor by people who clearly didn't understand what makes Survivor good, and how it'd never work here), but as far as the staged Trinity vs Valentina mirror moment -- I think that was Valentina edging as close to the fourth wall as she could. It was similar to AS2 with Katya, basically "I'm not here for voting out a fave and risking endless Twitter death threats and having it possibly affect my bottom line". I'm not sure that Latrice really carries that same risk as a Katya or Trixie or Alaska (she's not white, for starters...), but I think she was one of the queens this season the others were uneasy about eliminating because it would incur fandom wrath. Again, this show would never have jived with this elimination model, but it really, really doesn't as the regular seasons march on and the way the fandom and the economics of appearing on the show works now.

[Keywestclubkid]

17 minutes ago, annewithaneee said:

Y'all, I'm out. I've hated this make-the-queens-vote nonsense since the jump, I think it basically ruins everything about the show that I love, and since they're clearly married to it I'm done.

you should have held on to watch the preview for next week new rules are introduced somehow lol

[Temperance]

1 hour ago, Keywestclubkid said:

you should have held on to watch the preview for next week new rules are introduced somehow lol

They announced a "temporary suspension of All Star Rules".

[Rosenrot]

Hey y'all! I've been lurking here for a while, and just now decided to make a profile because I feel like I'm exploding with all things Drag Race that I can't talk to anybody about, because nobody I know watches it! All them feels! So here I am. :D

I was excited about this season after AS3, which was… a disappointment at best and an effin' unforgivable travesty at worst, but I wasn't quite as excited anymore when I realised the moronic queens-voting-each-other-out rule was still in place. It's stupid, and it's dumb, and it's unfair, and I don't like it, for reasons annewithaneee already has pointed out better than I could. But, alas, here it is again, and of course I'm gonna watch it, but I'm also gonna bitch about it. I JUST hope they don't let the eliminated queens to decide who should be top 3 again 'cause what. the. fuck. was. that. Why not let them decide who should win altogether! What fun! In fact I'm surprised they didn't!

(They're airing AS1 at the moment here in Finland [ahem… we're WAY behind], and even though I've obviously watched it from elsewhere ages ago, I'm watching to refresh my memory, and I even liked the pair BS better than what they have now. That concept was faulty IMO, but managed to not piss me off so royally.)

Latrice! :( I was so ready for the top 3 to be Manila, Latrice and perhaps Trinity. Blah. I wish she could've stayed, but she wasn't so good this week and last week was kinda meh for her as well. I suppose she had to go. (Although if they're bringing bitches back this season, Latrice better be back.)

I'm kind of ready for Valentina to go. I've been trying to like her, and I do in a way - I don't DISlike anybody this season. I'd just rather she went before the rest. 

I can't with Monique's cow patterns. Girl, let it rest. I'm begging. 

Somehow I'm thinking that Ru's "temporary suspension of All Star rules" can't mean anything good, but… I guess we'll see!

[Temperance]

Annewithaneee makes good points how awkward it is for queens to eliminate each other. I haven't really disagreed with any of the eliminations so far. 

That said, I'm wondering if Ru was secretly hoping Manila would save Latrice (although it probably would have been better to put Latrice up for elimination against Gia Gunn). Manila is a great lipsyncer and Monique had a never won a lip sync. Everyone knew Manila would save Latrice and elminate whoever else was in the bottom.  But then Ru must have thought Monique won although it was close.  (It also occurs to me that Monet must have realised that she was hanging in this competition by the hair of Monique's wig.)

That said for people who don't want Trinity to win, she slipped this week. She saved from the bottom by her past wins and maybe a good runway. Anyway it leaves room for other queens to move up in the competition, particularly Manila Luzon and Monique Heart.  I hope people who claim they care about seeing someone different win actually support diversity when it counts. 

Edited January 5, 2019 by Temperance

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I wish I had the delusional confidence that Valentina has. I thought she was not very good in her sketch, but she was convinced that she had done amazing. Trinity wasn't very good either. I found their entire skit boring.

I agree that Latrice was the weakest one in her group. Monet and Monique were much more entertaining.

I loved Manila's poodle look in her skit, and she did well creating a character and making her funny. The barking cracked me up. I thought Naomi looked good but she didn't do as well as Manila.

Loved Manila's runway look. As always, flawless and gorgeous.

I go back and forth on Naomi, but I liked her yellow 50s housewife runway look. Her padding was great too - the best of the runway with a beautiful hourglass silhouette. I agree with Carson - it's great when we immediately know what your look is supposed to be (as opposed to when I'm staring at a costume trying to figure out what the hell it is à Ross on Friends with his Spud-nik Halloween costume).

Trinity's comic book hair was fantastic but I didn't like what she was wearing.

I did not like Valentina's look either. I really did not like her dress which looked like a crappy patchwork quilt.  I also didn't like her makeup (which is unusual because normally the best thing about her is her face). I really didn't like the light patch around her eyes.

I'm over Monique's cow print, but I liked the exaggerated silhouette of her dress which was perfect for this runway theme.

I liked Latrice's bedazzled gown but I feel like we don't get as much variety and wow factor from her on the runway. 25 years doing drag and this is the first time she cinched?

I liked Monet's padding from the front, but I wasn't a huge fan of the booty because the shape wasn't done well.

That was a great LSYFYL. Manila and Monique both did a great job, but I agreed that Monique won.

Man, Valentina is THAT desperate for more screen time that she decided to throw a fake temper tantrum about her critique from the guest judge? Bitch, please. I loved that Monique shut it down immediately.

[Blakeston]

I actually thought Naomi should have been in the top two instead of Monique. Monique was committed to the bit, yeah - but with the exception of "I objectify," I didn't think her schtick was particularly clever. Whereas I thought a lot of Naomi's gags were truly clever (like her dog being named "Panini," which killed me for some reason).

Also, Naomi worked with Manila to create a segment that was funny throughout and actually made sense, whereas Monique's segment was a mess overall.

Monique is very talented, but I'm getting sick of her in general. The "giraffe/brown cow" moment in S10 was nowhere near as memorable as she thinks it was. And even if it was freaking hilarious, I still wouldn't want to see or hear another reference to it again for as long as I live. And her speaking voice annoys me to no end, whether she's in or out of drag.

I'll be shocked if Latrice doesn't come back at some point.

[ClareWalks]

I love Latrice. I mean I LOVE Latrice. That said, she was clearly the worst in the challenge and she wasn't bringing it to the runway, so she deserved to go. I don't envy Monique's position because the potential for backlash was huge, but I think the scuttlebutt on the forums (here and elsewhere) seems to agree with the choice to send Latrice home. All told, though, this was definitely the best improv challenge in RPDR history, nobody was terrible and several were great. We have a stable full of PERFORMERS this season. I'm living for it.

[Jesse]

17 hours ago, 2727 said:

Seriously, does she pose her way through life? Eating breakfast, going to the dry cleaners, taking the subway. Tired of it.

Years ago, I was on a plane with Benny Ninja and the only reason I realized it is because he was totally posing in the waiting area for no reason. So probably!

7 hours ago, ivanp91 said:

Yeah, as much as I adore Latrice, she wasn't winning any fans with the whole "I deserve to stay just because I've done drag for so long" thing. Manila and Latrice crying on one another was heart wrenching, you can totally see just how much they love and respect one another. Latrice was delusional to think her performance in the challenge was amazing, it was very clearly the worst of all the contestants, and as much as I'm not a fan of Monet's, she deserved to stay.

The producers must think the fans are stupid if they're gonna keep editing the picking of the lipsticks this way - as it's already been pointed out it became clear straight away who would win the LSFYL.

I think Monique has run the cow thing into the ground now - let us have the rest of the competition, please, without any more cow patterns!

Not an enormous Valentina fan, but I fucking love her posing and over-the-top telenovela acting. She's got that perfect combination of knowing she's playing it up for the camera, but also believing she's all that at the same time. The queens dismissing her "I AM SO INSULTED!" rant was brilliant.

 

I've kind of always thought that Latrice's runway looks were similar looking. Yes there have been exceptions, but she's very much into the gown thing most of the time. Definitely not as broad in style as many other queens.

These are all of my thoughts!

[howiveaddict]

They should have had Bianca Del Rio, as Judge Judy, play the judge.  

[Ruby Gillis]

On 1/5/2019 at 5:05 AM, phoenix780 said:

I appreciate Valentina going for as much airtime as possible, I just wish she were less obvious about it. I feel like she should be more skilled at trying to pull focus, or maybe just stick to doing it during the workroom entrances instead of inserting a random monologue. 

Valentina should drop the half-assed telenova villain act and play up being the weird crazy Tammy Brown thing, which I think might be closer to who she is?  Honestly, she should have waited another season.  I get the sense she doesn't know who she is yet.  On her season, she was trying too hard to be sweet and beautiful.  On this season, she seems to be somewhat aware of wanting to control her image but I don't think it's successful.  Also, Rupaul hates when girls try to "produce" themselves on the show.  

[palmaire]

Sorry to be so basic, but can someone explain why Latrice is extremely popular with fans? I don't follow any of the queens outside the show. From what I've seen, she seems like a pretty standard old school sparkly gown lipsynch performer. Same with Stacy Layne Matthews, to be honest.

What makes those two so beloved? Is there a bit of subconscious big girl/fat acceptance overcompensation going on?

[Sew Sumi]

You have to see Latrice's prison sketch from her original season. It was GOLD!

[Kaboom 2.0]

21 hours ago, howiveaddict said:

They should have had Bianca Del Rio, as Judge Judy, play the judge.  

Omg THIS. I thought Michelle did well but Bianca would have slaaayed.

Speaking of slayed, that challenge was ALL Manila and I LOVED everything about it. Honorable mention goes to Miss Henny as the court stenographer, she did not have to say one word, her facial expressions & body language almost stole the show. Ru as the court reporter in a track suit with toothpick firmly in check was quite jarring. 

After Latrice's elimination I am totally Team Manila since there is no more Latrila...for now? I add the question mark since we don't know what Ru is up to re the teaser for the next ep. Manila crying in Latrice's arms seemed so honest & emotional, just thinking back on it now makes me all sniffly.

[aussieinsydney]

On 1/6/2019 at 6:35 AM, Blakeston said:

I actually thought Naomi should have been in the top two instead of Monique. Monique was committed to the bit, yeah - but with the exception of "I objectify," I didn't think her schtick was particularly clever. Whereas I thought a lot of Naomi's gags were truly clever (like her dog being named "Panini," which killed me for some reason).

Also, Naomi worked with Manila to create a segment that was funny throughout and actually made sense, whereas Monique's segment was a mess overall.

 

    This a thousand times over.

9 hours ago, Ruby Gillis said:

Valentina should drop the half-assed telenova villain act

 

   I know! What is up with that?! LOL. The squinty eyes, the hunched shoulders. All she needs is a moustache to twirl and she'd be set. I don't do social media that much, but why has her personality changed so much from her season? Is she off med or does she need some perhaps? It's just bizarre!

22 hours ago, howiveaddict said:

They should have had Bianca Del Rio, as Judge Judy, play the judge.  

   Oh Bianca, Bianca, Bianca... sigh. My favourite queen of all time. :)

[Blakeston]

2 hours ago, aussieinsydney said:

I know! What is up with that?! LOL. The squinty eyes, the hunched shoulders. All she needs is a moustache to twirl and she'd be set. I don't do social media that much, but why has her personality changed so much from her season? Is she off med or does she need some perhaps? It's just bizarre!

I think Valentina's always been super-calculating. She played up the ingenue act as much as she could while she was on season 9, but after she got called out at the reunion that wasn't going to fly anymore - so now she's embracing the telenovela drama queen angle.

[calpurnia99]

I like Trinity but her walk is like a baby elephant stomp. The face is all kinds of strange-dat nose! And she is really whiny in confessionals. I guess I don't like her. 

I know they are told the themes before they come to bring looks. But this was supposed to be ad libbed, but how did Manila bring that poodle wig with her? Did the show provide that after she got there? stuff like this keeps me up at nights....did the show provide the Jersey wigs?

[Omeletsmom]

I was really rooting for Latrice, but she lost me with the "I should stay because I am the most beloved!!!" stuff.  Seriously?  It's not RuPaul's most beloved race.  She just was not bringing it this season.

[Keywestclubkid]

4 hours ago, calpurnia99 said:

I like Trinity but her walk is like a baby elephant stomp. The face is all kinds of strange-dat nose! And she is really whiny in confessionals. I guess I don't like her. 

I know they are told the themes before they come to bring looks. But this was supposed to be ad libbed, but how did Manila bring that poodle wig with her? Did the show provide that after she got there? stuff like this keeps me up at nights....did the show provide the Jersey wigs?

it looks like a old curly white wig that was styled to look that way ... wigs can be styled just like real hair

[Blakeston]

11 hours ago, Mayberry said:

The previews last week looked like Valentina was mad at someone - and it turned out to be a critique :S .

It reminds me of season 4, when they showed us that clip of Latrice calling someone a balding bitch over and over and over again, and it turned out he was just complaining about Santino!

[Not4Me]

On 1/4/2019 at 9:44 PM, DanielleC. said:

Hmm, my least favorite episode of the season so far... The main challenge/that sketch was messy, didnt found anything really funny at all.. 

 

PS: Lmao, Valentina´s ´´tantrum`` was soooo fake/a bad acting that I want to see who will fall for that..

 

I wasn’t a fan of the Jersey sketch at all, as I knew the material would end up being very messy, but Manila and Naomi at least kept the histrionics down a few notches and were at least funny. I knew the others would be a hot mess with the obvious cue to strangle or pie (or cake) someone in the face.

Funny enough I took Valentina’s camera hog with  her fake offense to the judges as her way of brightening up a very depressing mood in the lounge. It failed of course, but I think she was trying to somehow cheer the girls up.

A lot of this unnecessary drama could’ve been easily avoided if the bottom two were allowed to lip sync. Then by far, Latrice probably would’ve been safe. I really hate how they eliminate here.

Edited January 9, 2019 by Not4Me

[Sile]

Wasn't a fan of the brawls, that's more Springer than Judy.

My recording glitched during the cake brawl and the sound went out so I didn't hear the whole thing.  Did they really let that whole thing go without a "eat the cake, Anna Mae" reference?  That couldn't have been a coincidence, especially with the LSFYL being Tina Turner.

I love Latrice personally, but I'm not a big fan of her drag.  But the same can be said for Monet, so I was going to be slightly sad but not really bummed either way.

Edited January 9, 2019 by Sile

[ladle]

It was disturbing how much Monique resembled Delores from Real Housewives of NJ in that challenge.

[Silly Angel]

How come no one said, "Eat the cake, Anna Mae!" I mean, duh.

[Tammee]

On 1/4/2019 at 10:01 PM, Gothish520 said:

OMG Valentina outright telling Trinity that if it was between her and Latrice, she'd send Trinity's ass home - really girl? 

I felt for Latrice but that was the right call. And I'm fine with some ego but damn.

I like both Carson and Ross as judges, would love to have them both on every week with one guest judge.

Is it just me or is this show on fire? Maybe it's just the mood I'm in but I'm loving this season.

I'm really enjoying it too!