RuPaul’s Drag Race S16E6 Recap: “Go Ahead, Miss C-3PO”

“We’re turning a new leaf,” said Plane Jane about her self-proclaimed change towards an advice-taker that has been humbled, a phrase also uttered more than once by Trishelle Cannatella about her relationship with Chris “CT” Tamburello on this week’s episode of The Traitors. In both cases, I rolled my eyes, but more as Plane gambles on bettering herself if she can manage to go all in towards that goal. No one believes Plane, not even slightly. The Queens have their weekly post-elimination meeting about gratitude where Dawn congratulates last week’s winning team on their “quarter-of-a-win,” to which Geneva playfully tosses back that it’s still “more than you.” This is the kind of banter I love to hear between the ladies!

The next day in the Werkroom, the ladies have a quick discussion about botox and fillers before famous Spanish actress and singer Charro drops by to see the Queens perform in a mini-challenge that finds the competitors in quick-drag doing Flamingo Dancing. Plasma almost pulls her dancing partner to the ground while dipping backwards, a hilariously relatable moment because I would also be mortified and feel less delicate if it happened to me. Rest assured, Plasma, all is fine. We all still think you’re dainty. Xunami wins the challenge and a trip to Spain, a diversion away from cash prizes powered by Cash App. Wouldn’t it be funny if the contestants had to provide their CashTags before giving up their phones while filming, only to receive their phones later with the money earned deposited directly into their Cash App. Imagine the fees on that instant deposit! Ru then explains that the Queens will be creating two looks this week, one for themselves and an identical but smaller version that will be used to craft their drag persona onto a doll. Before leaving them to their own devices, Ru also informs them that Law Roach will be the guest judge on the runway this week, the very idea exciting Morphine to the point of begging to be read. 

When it’s time to go for fabric, Nymphia surprisingly reaches for yellow like her very soul depends on it. It seems so second nature for her to gravitate towards the color as a signature, but remains impressively versatile when presenting the full range of her fashion. Plane comes over and immediately offers Geneva shady and unsolicited advice about what she’s working on, so for those needing a reminder, it was no less than two paragraphs later in this recap after relaying Plane’s insistence on her own change that she reminds her fellow Queens that isn’t going to happen. Nymphia, known fashion queen and seamstress, is still bothering everyone by being coy with her talents, but it seems like she’s just a little scatter-brained and perhaps ideas come to her after a bit of buffoonery. That’s what she’d have everyone believe, and I’m choosing to stick with her on this. Visible annoyance on Plasma’s face coupled with the irritation on Q’s face in dealing with Nymphia seems to be more from her aggressive chatting while everyone attempts to construct something. 

You might think that this week’s challenge revolving around dolls would spark a conversation around the competitors’ relationship with the toy and how it was growing up with or without them. Dawn had the same thought, so the audience gets to see their own thought process played out in real time as she asks the other Queens if they were allowed to play with the toy growing up. Plane reveals insecurities as she discusses growing up with a homophobic father that replaced her dolls with firetrucks, something many queer men will identify with. The episode then shocks the audience with a whiplash transition of trauma that finds Q telling Megami about growing up poor and how it affected her perception of what and who she is now. After Plane has to remind Nymphia of how she’s “turning over a new leaf,” to which Megami has the most baffling response possible: “when you turn over a new leaf, it’s still the same leaf.” By the very definition of “new” being in front of the word “leaf,” that can’t possibly be true. It’s new, so it can’t be the same. Not even bringing into consideration the meanings’ origin of turning the page of a book, which also would be… a new page, therefore a different one. I hate to digress so far away from the point, but I haven’t been able to shake it since I heard her say it. We can move on, but this must be rectified.

A quick rundown of the runway: 

• Xunami’s pants look fabulous on her with a wonderful doll
• Sapphira is consistently glamorous and her doll is my favorite
• Plasma jumped right out of David Lean’s Summertime to be on this runway
• Denali would look great skating in Plane Jane’s look, who also has an identical doll for the look
• Nympia stuns as usual
• Morphine has so much glitter on that she looks like Rosalie Cullen in the sun
• Mhi’ya looks poised to host the most aggressively acrobatic aerobics class you’ve ever attended
• My favorite look from Megami so far!
• Geneva is cosplaying as a child from Toddlers & Tiaras
• Dawn’s intergalactic look presented versatility for her so it’s nice to see it be recognized that she took criticism and adapted
• Q’s outfit is stunning and she looks great; she also has my favorite doll

Sapphira uses her Immunity Potion, to the surprise of pretty much everyone, to save herself. She understands almost instantly that this is a mistake because she had no reason to believe she would be in the bottom, even less of a reason to believe she might have to lip sync. I couldn’t believe my ears! I wish she would have used it later, if necessary during a week she doesn’t succeed at the level she has been so far, because I feel like this was a waste. Plane Jane now possesses the only Immunity Potion left amongst the contestants. After the judges critiques, Q is announced the winner, who says one of my favorite possible things in this situation: “It could not have come at a better time.” What does that mean, in the context of Q complaining for weeks on end that she hadn’t yet won a challenge? Law Roach proves to be an excellent guest judge for the panel, providing insightful critiques that the Queens seem to really appreciate. After everything is said and done, Ru announces Mhi’ya being in the bottom with Geneva joining her to lip sync to “Control” by Janet Jackson.

As anyone who has seen any of this season might have known, Mhi’ya flips around the stage, acrobatics on display as if she’s prequalifying for the Paris Olympics. It’s quite a display, and though Geneva brings her consistent high energy to the performance, it’s no match for what Mhi’ya is doing. She wins the lip sync, ending Geneva’s run on Drag Race for now. I would love to see her fine tune a couple things and come back for All Stars after a few years and give the girls some grief. Next week, we will tune in to see if Plane was ever serious about becoming more tolerable to the other Queens.

Photo: MTV