RuPaul’s Drag Race season 10 episode 2 review: PharmaRusical

RuPaul’s Drag Race is the gift that keeps on giving. Two episodes into season 10, and the drama is flowing, the fashion is fierce, plus the queens are starting to show their weaknesses.

It’s clear from last week’s episode that anything could happen this season. Most people expected Kalorie to be the first queen to hang up her wig, but instead Vanessa Vanjie sashayed away (with an unforgettable exit line).

This season’s big rivalry is clearly Aquaria vs. Miz Cracker, or at least that’s what the producers are trying to feed us. The drama about their similar looks just doesn’t want to go away. Add that with The Vixen hell-bent on the villain this season, and we are in for an epic season 10. She keeps bringing up the drama to stir the pot, and she is ready to drag everyone down with her.

After winning the hoedown mini challenge, The Vixen and Asia are named team captains. The girls have to perform the parody lip sync extravaganza, PharmaRusical. Like clockwork, the first team challenge already brings out the drama. Eureka is left as the last choice, because nobody wants to have her chatting their ear off while trying to rehearse. They weren’t wrong either — Eureka does not shut up. In all honesty, am I the only one who wished she wouldn’t come back this season?

When the teams walk onto the stage for their first rehearsal, Drag Race legend Alyssa Edwards is there to surprise them as their choreographer. Miss Alyssa was putting in the work! Honestly, she worked those girls to the bone, constantly demanding more out of them.

Todrick Hall should take some notes, because Alyssa just schooled him on how to take control of a bunch of wild drag queens.

Right off the bat, Asia’s team was clearly more prepared. They took the time to figure out their choreography and characters before hitting that stage, and it showed. Eureka, who returned this season after leaving on the second episode on season 9, is showing serious restraint. It looks like her surgery really took a chunk out of her confidence.

The Vixen’s team was struggle city during their rehearsal with Alyssa (“This team has… some work.”) They focused on their characters and their looks, but unlike Asia’s team, prepared little to no choreography, because they knew they were meeting with a choreographer. Wrong move.

Self-proclaimed Broadway queen Blair St. Clair looked scared the entire time. If she wants to prove that she’s ready to be a drag superstar and wants to make Indianapolis proud as their first queen on the show, she needs to step it up.  A musical challenge should have been her chance to blow everyone away. Instead, she faded into the background.

On the main stage, The Vixen’s team came to slay. Despite being unprepared in their rehearsal, they must have worked through the night, because they killed it. They really worked together as a team to bring home a win.

Blair still didn’t quite live up to her Broadway potential; she could have done more, been bigger. Kameron was probably the most surprising. So far, she’s been kind of in the middle of the pack, but she proved that she has some serious comedy chops. She’s more than just a pretty lady with big muscles, I guess!

The underdogs came out on top this week, and Asia was not happy.

Her team came in hot during rehearsals, but had some weak links on stage. Eureka continued to falter during her performance. Her lip sync was off the entire time, and her dancing was lackluster. And she wore flats! Oh the Ru-manity!

Kalorie, unsurprisingly, was completely unimpressive from start to finish. I want to love her, I do, but between last week and this week, it was her time to go. Her and Eureka, also unsurprisingly, landed themselves in the bottom two.

Thankfully for Eureka, she found her confidence in the nick of time. Shantay you stay, Eureka, now step it up and prove you were brought back for a reason.

On the runway, the queens were challenged to show their very best drag. Apparently, “very best drag” meant “Night of 1000 Bodysuits” to most of the queens. Monique Heart stole the show with a ruvealing tearaway, but the judges weren’t as excited as I was apparently.

Aquaria came out like the couture creature she is. She rocked a high fashion, sheer gown paired with a green feather boa and oversized septum rings. The look was reminiscent of a Thierry Mugler creation, and she looked sickening. I thought she was pretty great in PharmaRusical, but the judges felt that she could have given more schtick as the old lady turned millennial. But on the runway, she delivered.

Other standouts were Kameron Michaels as the Queen of the Butterflies, and Miz Cracker in a wig that can only be described as a hair sculpture paired with a gold dress and structured bodice. None of the queens looked downright bad. But Kalorie’s bodysuit was just basic, and if that was her best, I’m glad she went home.

This season has a talented crop of girls, and the competition is already seriously stiff. The queens who are fading into the background — like Blair and Yuhua — need to come into the spotlight fast. It’s season 10, there’s no time for playing around!

Related Story: RuPaul's Drag Race season 10 premiere: 10s Across the Board

Random Ruflections

• The whole Aquaria vs. Cracker drama is already getting old.
• The Vixen may be here to fight, but she needs to calm down.
• Miz Cracker (when compared to Aquaria): “I just did a look that I know for a fact she’s never done. It’s called being on top.”
• Nothing says “country” quite like RuPaul and Andy Cohen in cowboy hats.
• Maybe we should start calling The Vixen “The Villain.”
• Alyssa Edwards (to a gaggle of unprepared queens): “We’re not in the preschool class, this is season 10!”
• I am not entirely convinced Blair St. Clair isn’t 12 years old.
• Halsey was a surprisingly good guest judge, with funny banter and proper critiques.
• “Don’t be sorry, be fierce.” — RuPaul