Member Since: 10/25/2010
Posts: 3,112
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The new showrunners they picked up in season 5 are such a disservice to this show. Everything is so blatantly contrived but not always in a fun, wink-wink, nudge-nudge way. Regardless, it's still the most fun hour on TV.
Opinions on the girls (and these are based off of more than this week's episode--also taking into account interviews/performances/etc. that I've seen leading up to the premiere)
Adore: Much less annoying than I thought she'd be! Her valley girl schtick and rough-around-the-edges aesthetic actually give her an endearing charm. I look forward to seeing more of her.
Ben: Sort of a bummer that Ben came after Jinkx, cuz I think that handicapped her chances of winning from the outset. And I think she's pretty clearly a better queen. At least for the RDR stage. She's more confident in her character, probably just a touch sharper and quicker on her feet, and definitely has her look together. Her character is completely thought out. I'm a definite fan, though Michelle was right: her character could definitely wear thin with extended exposure. We're not seeing her at a gig on stage, we'll be seeing her week-in and week-out in a variety of contexts, so she's going to have to modulate her persona.
Gia Gunn: A necessary character for the show. She'll fill the shady queen/antagonist role nicely. Her fishy aesthetic is nice enough but nothing to write home about. Though, I was living for that ridiculous hula hoop purse, just like she was, lol.
Laganja: Has an interesting look, and will obviously kill a stage (though, gurl, we get it: you can do a death drop. Now stop it). But lord, does she grate. And they really played that narrative up. I'm seeing a redemptive, she-learns-to-be-herself arc in her future.
April Carrion: Wasn't expecting much from her after her MTQ video, but I've been pleasantly surprised since then. I actually loved her parachute/gurl scout realness look. Everything else I've seen from her is pretty feminine (and with a genuine sense of style), so I loved that she wasn't afraid to come in in an ensemble that had a butch twist to it. And she worked that Duck Dynasty look (and I don't really think they had an option to not include Duck Dynasty--this was filmed well before the incident. There was no amount of creative editing to get them out of that one).
Kelly Mantle: Sad to see her go, because she's a genuinely talented queen (guarantee you she's a better artist than at least half these girls). But I don't think RDR was a gig that fit well with her particular aesthetic (which, for a drag queen, is pretty demure--I feel like she taps into that Midwest/Plains State heritage). Disappointed she didn't make it to the challenges that would have let her shine, but, given her performance in this first challenge, the right decision was made.
Vivacious: Similar to Kelly, I don't think RDR is a great fit for her club kid drag. Vi's powered by raw fierceness--it's her greatest attribute--but that doesn't serve her particularly well in a competition as structured as Drag Race. Her runway strut is EVERYTHING, but it's not going to be able to save busted looks.
The preview for next week:
Overall, a much more exciting set of queens.
Bianca Del Rio: Frankly, these other queens should just start packing their bags. She STOLE the whole premiere and was only in ten minutes. I LIVE for her.
Trinity K. Bonet: Meh. Pretty, but doesn't seem to be bringing much else.
Joslyn Fox: Meh. Same as Trinity.
Milk: Obviously going to be so much fun. I love me a subversive, playful art-queen. The toilet paper on her shoe? lmao
Magnolia Crawford: A very interesting queen from what little I've seen. She's got a definite point-of-view with her drag, which I love. But I don't think she'll be sticking around long.
Courtney: She's the whole package. Her girly look, a sense of humor, and a set of pipes. Her and Bianca are already pretty much legends, and they're clearly the two to beat.
Darienne Lake: Seems like she'll be a lot of fun. It'll be nice to have a big girl representing and hopefully going far in tthis competition again.
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# of Looks
Bye Gurl 
