RuPaul’s Drag Race season 10 episode 10 review: Social Media Kings Into Queens

A non-elimination last week left fans in shock. But it’s time for the makeover challenge, and it might be the best one in RuPaul’s Drag Race herstory!

This season of RuPaul’s Drag Race is really breaking out all the stops to make sure it’s one of the best ones ever. Even with only six queens left, there’s no telling who will come out on top. That’s part of why this season is so great!

On a season like season 8, when Bob The Drag Queen was the obvious front-runner from the first episode until her crowning moment at the finale, it takes some of the excitement out of it. But not this season!

Last week’s controversial double shantay — or non-elimination — ruffled a lot of feathers with fans. Sure, it was a great lip sync and a synchronized jump split will ALWAYS be a winner in my books. But did both queens really deserve to stay?

I’m not a huge fan of Eureka, but in all honesty, I’m almost glad she wasn’t sent home, just to see her participate in this week’s mini challenge. The queens had to create hyper-masculine characters to help promote a new men’s fragrance called “TRADE”. For once, we got to see the look queens and pageant girls come out as full-blown men, henny!

We all know Kameron is a knockout when he gets out of drag, so there was no surprise there. All he had to do was take off his clothes, deepen his voice a little, and he got the viewers (and probably Ru) sweating.

Some queens made it more of a joke, like Cracker’s terrifying interpretation of being a man, while others just… couldn’t hide the homo very well, like Monet. It’s okay, girl, sometimes it’s hard to hide that swish in the hip!

But it was Eureka who most surprised us. Clad in a garage jumpsuit, a curly mullet wig, and manly, hairy chest, Eureka became BJ (stands for “Being a Jokester”) right before our eyes. She had us both cracking up and feeling supremely uncomfortable at the same time. So it was no surprise that she won the challenge.

For this week’s maxi challenge, however, that meant getting to choose which queen makes over which model. Or in this case, social media influencer. As part of this season’s makeover challenge, the remaining queens had to take a handful of social media stars from man to glam. Chester See, Kingsley, Tyler Oakley, Anthony Padilla, Raymond Braun, and Frankie Grande (the human personification of a migraine) are paired off with the queens, as chosen by Eureka.

Eureka strategically placed the queens with the influencer who she thought would be the biggest challenge for them. Aquaria, for example, got Kingsley, and she figured it was because Eureka thought she couldn’t paint someone of color, but she proved her wrong.

Some of the queens immediately hit it off with their new drag daughters. Asia and Raymond were kicking right off the batt, so the chemistry was perfect, but Kameron felt a little uncomfortable with her straight male partner, Anthony.

Of course, Eureka and Frankie were annoying the entire workroom the second they laid eyes on each other. If you were worried Eureka wouldn’t shut up, pairing herself with Frankie was a surefire way to ensure they’d be the loudest drag family in the workroom. Plus, as Miz Cracker pointed out about Eureka’s choice of partner, “she chose the one who was already in drag.”

The pair that both surprised and endeared us the most was Miz Cracker and Chester. Chester is also straight, like Anthony, but he and Cracker immediately got along because of their eye for detail and their more quiet, work-oriented personalities. Chester was the only man there with a beard, which could’ve been seen as a challenge, but not for Cracker!

Since this season’s makeover episode was probably one of the most successful in RuPaul’s Drag Race herstory, let me break it down pair by pair.

Asia O’Hara & America O’Hara (Raymond Braun)

If you’ve read any of my reviews in the past, you know how much I hate Asia’s sense of style. This queen has never met a clashing pattern or ugly fabric that she doesn’t love, but the judges seem to love her for it, so more power to her. And she made sure that her drag daughter America O’Hara was just as tacky as her!

There was a definite family resemblance between the two of them, and Asia even made America her own version of the coat that she fell in love with in Asia’s closet so that they could match. Part of the challenge is listening to what your partner wants, and Asia aced it.

Eureka & Eufreaka (Frankie Grande)

Eureka got a little cocky with this challenge. After being saved last week, it went to her head, and then winning the mini challenge and getting all that power really made her think she was safe. I mean, she ended up being safe in the end, but still.

Eureka and Eufreaka definitely had a family resemblance. She gave her drag daughter a hair loaf of her own, and they both had huge puffy sleeved gowns to go with their huge personalities. They were really playful on the runway, but Cracker pointed out on Untucked that Frankie’s drag transformation wasn’t a homerun. Eufreaka’s padding was off, her boobs were too big, and her head looked tiny compared to the huge sleeves and hair loaf. But they had fun with it, and the judges could tell.

Aquaria & Capricia Corn (Kingsley)

Aquaria managed to pull off what Eureka didn’t think she could do, and that was paint a person of color and do it well. Capricia Corn’s makeup was stunning, like mother like daughter. Unfortunately, it was apparent that Aquaria put more effort into her look than Capricia’s.

The judges definitely noticed that there wasn’t a great storyline between them or much of a family resemblance. Aquaria was a very regal Queen of Hearts, but they thought Capricia looked more like Little House on the Prairie. Luckily, Aquaria managed to land herself safe and cinched her spot in the top 5.

Miz Cracker & Miz Cookie (Chester See)

This makeover was the gag of the season and the production crew knew it because they were being shady AF leading up to the big reveal. We hardly got to see Chester mid-drag, and then all we see is a big, blonde wig in the workroom. The wig turns and — BAM — Chester is a full-blown womaaaaaan! Even Chester, or rather Miz Cookie, was living.

Miz Cookie looked amazing, and there was no doubt who her drag mother was. She was undeniably Cracker-influenced, and on the runway the two had an adorable banter, running around as if Cookie was the rambunctious daughter and Cracker the uppity mother.

I won’t lie, I’ve been a huge Cracker fan since before this season, and was starting to get disappointed by the fact that she hasn’t been delivering what a lot of us had hoped. But this week, she proved exactly why she’s there and finally snagged a win! I’m going to say it: this was probably the greatest makeover moment from any season of RuPaul’s Drag Race ever.

Monet X Change & Short Change (Tyler Oakley)

Monet and Tyler really hit it off in the workroom, and you could tell the two had great chemistry. The family resemblance, however, wasn’t there. Short Change is a genius name for Tyler, and the judges were thankful to see Monet wear a wig bigger than a yarmulke. However, I found Tyler looked a little more like Reba McEntire than Monet.

They both had big hair, curves for days, and a pair of glasses. That’s pretty much where the similarities ended. If Asia and America O’Hara proved anything, it was that even two queens of a different race can have a family resemblance.

Kameron Michaels & Kelly Michaels (Anthony Padilla)

Kameron did finally warm up to Anthony in the workroom, but their chemistry still felt forced on the main stage. There was a resemblance between the two, with both of them wearing disco jumpsuits and curly bob wigs. Still, the judges weren’t buying it.

To make matters worse, Anthony (he doesn’t deserve to be called Kelly!) strutted out on that stage like a big ole man! Come on, now’s your chance to be the woman you never got to be, have fun with it! Even though Kelly did look beautiful, Kameron landed in the bottom yet again.

In a lip sync to guest judge Lizzo’s anthemic single “Good As Hell,” both Kameron and Monet reminded us just how talented this season’s pool of queens was. Just when we thought it would go to Monet, Kameron does a CARTWHEEL across the stage. Then Monet makes a hilarious entrance from backstage at just the right moment and slides down the runway in a split.

Oh but Kameron did not come to play, and this queen does a FULL ON SPLIT. Not a side split, oh no, she does a perfect split right there on the stage. If last week’s Double Shantay hadn’t happened, I have no doubt this lip sync would’ve resulted in a non-elimination. That is what a lip sync for your life should always be like!

Even though we love Monet, she had to sashay away. This season has so much talent that, now that it’s down to five queens, every week is going to be harder and harder. But the finale is right around the corner!

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Random Ruflections:

• “Trade … made entirely of essential oils found at gas station bathrooms.”
• Frankie Grande shrieking the biggest understatement of the season: “I love talking about myself!”
• Monet finally brought out a big wig, and ends up getting eliminated. Guess she’s going to stick to those “pussycat” wigs from now on!
• “Bitch are you in a coma?!” – RuPaul to Kameron Michaels in the workroom
• Ru definitely seems more energized and giggly today. Is he on a new medication? Did he take an extra multivitamin this morning?
• Usually, the queens have to make over straight men or biological women, so it’s nice to see some wild gays unapologetically strutting their stuff around the workroom in half-drag for once.
• I still can’t get over how flawless Miz Cookie looks. I may never look at Chester See the same again.
• Seriously, what was Ru on tonight?
• Ru made a Miss Vanjie reference on the runway, take a shot!
• Did I mention that last week’s double shantay should’ve been reserved for this week? I’m bitter.