LalapaRuza Smackdown Reunited

Why give the win to the most mid perfeomance ever?

Sure! Here's a sassy and dramatic review of a fictional RuPaul's Drag Race episode where the wrong queen snatched the win with a lackluster performance:

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Episode Review: "Glitter Games: Where's the Sparkle?" - RuPaul's Drag Race, Season Whatever

Let's just say this: the judges must've been sipping something stronger than just tea this week, because that win was a choice-and not a good one.

This episode featured a glitzy "Showstopper Spectacular" challenge where the queens had to deliver a powerhouse performance with original choreography, live vocals (or at least the illusion of them), and undeniable stage presence. While the stakes were high, the crown for the night ended up in the wrong hands.

Performance? Meh.

Outfit? Basic with a capital B.

Energy? About as electric as a broken lamp.

She served... middle-of-the-pack realness and somehow sashayed her way to the top. The most memorable thing about her performance was how forgettable it was.

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I thoroughly enjoyed this episode. The biggest strength is the personality of its cast - the first 10 minutes, watching the girls come back into the workroom after the season aired to catch up on everything that has happened since filming, was just so refreshing. It had so much heart, and it also serves as a great time capsule of what was setting the fandom ablaze while the season was airing.

Where it starts to go awry is with the actual tournament. I don't think the lip syncs were bad by any means - Lucky vs Acacia and Lana vs Crystal were my personal standouts, but unfortunately it just pails in comparison to what we saw on Season 16. Season 16's Lalaparuza had so much storyline wrapped into it - Morphine dominating but Megami coming out of nowhere to surprise everyone as the underdog, Mirage getting her redemption from her elimination, and so on. It felt like there was so much character work to get invested in which made it such a satisfying watch, which Season 17's Lalaparuza sorely lacked. It just felt like we were going through the motions to get us to the to the eventual winner.

What didn't help is that in contrast to S16, S17 didn't have a live audience. It sucks the life out of these big event episodes when there isn't anyone in the studio to react to the performances, and places the burden onto the other queens on the cast to fill the dead air. There's so much to love about this episode, but it still felt like such a step back from what we had last year.

Some people might complain this season has lackluster lipsyncs but i think this LaLaPaRuZa made up for that. Some of these lipsyncs were geniunly great. A nice storyline of how the queens return after months of not filming and reflecting on their time on the season made for a pretty enjoyable beginning of the episode also. It isn't a 10 because the queens skills werent that varied. One of the songs were a Sylvester Song and i think we couldnt have used a more seasond performer to slay that lipsync and since everyone this season is quite young it kind of defeats the purpose of an 80s and back song to be used.

9/10 Stars, great watchability and good lipsyncs.

Wow, this episode could have been amazing, but unfortunately, this is what we got. How did we go from witnessing the phenomenal performances of Megami and Morphine last season to... this? It's honestly such a letdown. The lip syncs throughout this season have been pretty underwhelming, so the lackluster results of this LalaPuruza weren't exactly a shock, but that doesn't make it any less disappointing. I mean, considering how exciting and electrifying some past episodes have been, it feels like we've taken a huge step back.

I really thought this episode had the potential to deliver something incredible, especially given how exciting the season started. But instead, I found myself just watching in a state of complete indifference. The energy just wasn't there, and I can't be the only one who was bored out of my mind. The queens seemed to be lacking that spark that usually makes the competition so engaging, and the lip syncs felt more like obligatory performances than the high-energy showdowns we've come to love from Drag Race.

It's hard to ignore how much better things could've been, and it's disappointing that what we got felt so... flat. I truly expected more from a LalaPuruza, but instead, it felt more like a missed opportunity. This season would've definitely benefitted from the the traditional reunion instead.