Ru Paul's Drag Race Season 4

[Fergus]

It hit me last night, after 3.5 seasons, that Class Uniquness Nerve & Talent is also an acronym.

Oh COME ON! Really?

Aw, our Beefangel, so pure, so unsullied........

[Beefcake]

Yes, really. Pure and innocent, like a spring duckling.

Oh, and ... d'oh, I think it's "Charisma" vice "Class".

[taf2002]

I have to watch this on the internet on Tuesdays & their website is down so I haven't seen this episode yet. I'm glad Kenya is gone. Was Milan also in the bottom 2? Can't stand her or Phi Phi.

[Fan123]

Sharon Needles seems to be the one to beat, although Chad Michaels is not too far behind; she's more likeable and less controversial. My top 4:

Sharon Needles-edgy and unique, but can she still win with a softer look?
Chad-polish and articulate
Latrice-I don't see a big girl winning, although she does command the respect from the judges and other queens
Milan-no matter how horrible she is in the regular challenges, she can always LSFYL out of trouble.

[Allen]

I have to watch this on the internet on Tuesdays & their website is down so I haven't seen this episode yet. I'm glad Kenya is gone. Was Milan also in the bottom 2? Can't stand her or Phi Phi.

Milan and Kenya were the bottom 2. Phi Phi was bottom 3.

[Beefcake]

Good assessment, Fan ... one I cannot argue. Nor would I want to argue, as it'd be optimal -- the best ever F3 for Drag Race.

Chad -- so in pretty much every challenge ... almost can't picture her falling into a LSFYL situation. That doesn't say she'll win it all, but CM seems a lock for the F3.

Dida, despite the rough edges, is gonna be a tough out! There's something about her that I really like ... and the judges do too.

If I were to predict: F3 = Chad, Latrice, and [not sure -- hopefully Sharon, but maybe Dida, or, ugh, Phi Phi]

I'd like for Willam to hang around for a while for the snark ... and to help drive Phi Phi to slit her wrists. PP's "you don't BELONG here" Untucked bitch-stab at Willam has me wondering, "does 'here' mean 'here in the F3/late stages in the competition, or ... here in RDR, in general?"

[Aceon6]

I'd like for Willam to hang around for a while for the snark ... and to help drive Phi Phi to slit her wrists. PP's "you don't BELONG here" Untucked bitch-stab at Willam has me wondering, "does 'here' mean 'here in the F3/late stages in the competition, or ... here in RDR, in general?"

I took it to mean RDR in general. The younger queens don't seem to appreciate an actor in the mix. I think Latrice has an easier time as there are more actors among the older crowd.

[Fergus]

I took it to mean RDR in general. The younger queens don't seem to appreciate an actor in the mix. I think Latrice has an easier time as there are more actors among the older crowd.

I also think Ru was spot-on with her assesment that the younger queens have GOT to brush up on their pop-culture references.

I am so afeared of the vintage camp we're gonna lose when old queens (like yours truly!) are put out to pasture.

[Nomad]

I hope Phi Phi is the next one to sashay away. I don't know how she even got cast in the first place; she doesn't seem to have any real talent in any aspect of drag. For me the top three are Chad, Sharon, and Latrice; Willam is too blase despite the snark. His Jessica Simpson could have been hilarious but was too low energy, and the teary little runway speech was weird and squirm-inducing. Milan is like Sahara Davenport 2.0; I guess Jiggly is the token Asian queen (I can't think of any other reason for her being on the show); Dida's kind of like Shangela 3.0, the raggedy-ass queen with some performance skills. I wonder she wouldnhave fared better in Snatch Game if the other girls in her row hadn't gotten so out of hand.

[skateboy]

Willam is too blase despite the snark. His Jessica Simpson could have been hilarious but was too low energy, and the teary little runway speech was weird and squirm-inducing.

Agreed, although I'm still enjoying the snark for now. I did think Willam's "teary" speech was absolutely fake, since the judges told him he wasn't emotional enough just before that. I don't think he's all that great an actor...

[Nomad]

The real disappointment on Snatch Game was Latrice. I didn't get Aretha from that performance at all - it was more like a glammed-up rehash of Stacy's performance last season. Fortunately Chad and Sharon really brought it and kept that challenge from being a complete debacle. What is it with these queens who say they do an awesome Pink/Gaga/Whoever and then completely tank on Snatch Game? Is it that they normally just lipsync to said popstar and mimic a few gestures and nothing else?

ETA I ask because the only drag acts I've seen live were Charles Pierce and a guy who did the most incredible Patsy Cline - did his own singing (so spot-on it was almost eerie) and patter in between songs.

[olympic]

^I think that while Lady Gaga is a huge icon for the 20 somethings, she is not noted for her one-liners or in-your-face behavior (fashion - yes; behavior - no)

[taf2002]

Agreed, although I'm still enjoying the snark for now. I did think Willam's "teary" speech was absolutely fake, since the judges told him he wasn't emotional enough just before that. I don't think he's all that great an actor...

I'm not sure about that. He had gotten emotional in the lounge & that stage speech seemed to be an extension of that.

I agree with Nomad about Latrice's Aretha. It was pretty bad (she is overweight but I've never seen her eat in public) but at least she wasn't acting ridiculous like Jiggy, Phi Phi, & Kenya. Jiggly did not deserve to be declared safe so early.

My favs were Chad of course, Sharon, & Willum....I disagree Willum was too low-key. Jessica Simpson is not in-your-face & I thought Willum played her just fine. Dida was just ok & Jiggly started out pretty good until she started the shenanigans. Latrice, Phi Phi, Kenya, & Milan were beyond awful....the look & the performance was not their characters in any way.

[Allen]

I expected Latrice to just kill it with Aretha and she was really rather bland. She's a very good actress, so I'm not sure what really went down there.

I'm so over Phi Phi. Sharon was kind of a brat in the previous episode, but I'm so over Phi Phi talking about how Sharon and others aren't on her level and how she should ahve been in the top 3. She's really been middle of the pack to lower on basically every individual challenge and in the group challenges, she still never shone as bright as she seems to think she did.

I think Dida is kind of busted, but I really like her personality. I think that with this experience, she'll be amazing in about 2 or 3 years. She does, however, need to find a wig master stat. Those dry wigs are driving me insane.

Sharon and Chad are the class of the field to me right now. I think either Latrice or Willam will be in the final three with those two.

[luenatic]

It hit me last night, after 3.5 seasons, that Class Uniquness Nerve & Talent is also an acronym. Ru, you naughty naughty thing.

WTF? Are you kidding me?

[Beefcake]

Some bonus scenes from Snatch Game, a showcase for Willam ... and it didn't even include the cardboard cut-out/"I'm going to Macy's" bit that we saw on Untucked.

I have to admit to also ing over Jiggly-as-Snooki's "pickle" answer.

[taf2002]

Some bonus scenes from Snatch Game, a showcase for Willam ... and it didn't even include the cardboard cut-out/"I'm going to Macy's" bit that we saw on Untucked.

I have to admit to also ing over Jiggly-as-Snooki's "pickle" answer.

I agree, Willum's Britney was priceless!

[Aceon6]

Haven't watched yet (other than seeing who sashayed away), can someone recap?

[Beefcake]

Find yer own recap.

Let's see ... in a nutshell ...

The mini-challenge started with everyone being gifted with cartoonishly large breastplates. (Although they looked very small on Latrice.) The challenge was a wet T-shirt contest. Willam said she's got it in the bag ... and she did. No contest.

The main challenge was "Gay Pride", and the queens had to decorate little boats, and match their outfits to it. [Odd challenge, I say.] Willam got to "assign" the 8 rainbow flag colors to the queens using hankies, but aside from giving herself blue, didn't play favorites ... just blindly handed out the hankies. (Milan ended up with yellow ),

Phi Phi was FULL of hate throughout the episode. I really didn't have to report that, though, did I?

Willam owned the episode. Lots of funny snark, lots of wink wink "I'm gonna win all this sh*t beotches" in the workroom, and some honest (or faux, what-eva) warm moments with Ru on how Ru's book inspired a younger Willam.

Runway: Top: Willam (winner, deservedly so!), Phi Phi (who would've cut herself or Willam on the runway, when Willam was announced as winner, if she could've), and Latrice or Chad (Michelle driving home her "she's too perfect" BS about Chad).

An aside: The edgic has turned in the past two/three weeks to being Phi Phi obsessing over Willam (versus Sharon) ... echoes of Raven/Tatiana. Whee, I'd like that as long as it means Phi Phi finishes a heartbreaking 4th place, ala Tatiana. .

Bottom: Dida - last "safe", leaving Jiggly (truly a hot mess the entire episode ... ) and Milan (yawny, yet somehow grade school level, everything) to LSFYL to Gaga's Born This Way. Milan ripped her wig and entire top came off by the 10 second mark, certainly losing at that moment but giving Dida some wonderfully snarky/funny comments as the LSFYL continued. So, despite looking like a beachball from KMart, Jiggly was safe (though surely out next week?). Milan out.

The judges were Kelly Osbourne -- the most charming I'd EVER seen her (esp. when she visited the queens backstage) -- and some chick from NCIS -- who I cannot remember a thing about except for Sharon "needling" Willam pre-runway "so how many times did you work with her, Willam"? (The answer: "Just once.")

Untucked was notable for Kelly's appearance, where she was genuine and had everyone swooning ... and asked the queens who among them they'd "get with". Also notable for a "letter from a former contestant", which turned out to be Kenya. Conveniently, Kelly handed the letter to Phi Phi to read, since Phi Phi was Kenya's "sister," and of course Phi Phi fared well in the letter while the others had to hear petty criticisms from the creepy dim troll doll. I was surprised that some took offense (Willam took it humorously, but others were offended) to what this [eliminated] vacant queen had to say.

Notable, also, was the older/knowledgeable queens -- Sharon, Chad, Latrice, Willam -- teaching some younger ones the gay rights struggle, with Stonewall as the centerpiece. Jiggly, turns out, is a completely aloof dumbazz who has performed at that bar, but never even read the plaque outside ... nor bothered to notice that gay rights didn't begin with Ricky Martin's coming out "announcement".

Finally, the most moment was Phi Phi, who seems to have some knowledge of said historical struggles, explaining how gays must be kind and respectful to each other. M-kay, you're doing a wonderful job ... keep on being the classy, supportive, giving queen we've grown to love loathe, Phi Phi.
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[Aceon6]

You must spread some rep around before giving it to Beefcake again.
Thanks! I won't see it until this weekend. At least I've got fodder for the water cooler!