Acting challenges are make-or-break games for the drag queens. The campy horror flick on RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars Season 6 Episode 6 was no exception.
Choosing the right role gives a queen a juicy scene to shine in. However, choosing the wrong role pushes a queen into the background and out of the competition.
Not all roles have the “wow factor,” which explains the queens’ results on “Rumerican Horror Story: Coven Girls.”
The results of the lipstick vote from RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars Season 6 Episode 5 was a gag-worthy moment. Did anyone expect it to be a tied vote?
Jan and Scarlet Envy were neck and neck in their campaigning after the challenge; it was a close race. For it to come down to a tied vote, it confirmed these queens were willing to play the game. (I much prefer this than nearly unanimous votes, which ruin the suspense.)
Jan needs to realize that everyone is following their own set of rules for their lipstick votes.
Winning a challenge on RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars Season 6 Episode 4 might not have been enough for some queens to keep her. They probably saw more potential in Scarlet Envy, especially after the judges consistently give Jan the same critique of being “too on.”
She needs to play the game and go with the flow. If not, the queens could look to her as an easy target to eliminate.
The acting challenge of “Rumerican Horror Story: Coven Girls” was inspired by the events of American Horror Story Season 3, along with some nods from the rest of the series.
American Horror Story: Coven is my favorite season, so it brought a smile to my face having certain characters and easter eggs dropped in from Ryan Murphy’s list of shows. And, the dramatic flair of Coven wasn’t lost in translation from the mini-series to the Drag Race stage.
[As Frances] Mariah! Paris! Balenciaga!
Pandora Boxx
The meaty roles to have are the fabulous head witch Jessica, the fashionista Emma, and the bearded witch. Each role allowed the queens to be dramatic and stand out with a scene that utilized both camp and comedic acting.
The human voodoo doll, the conjoined twins, and the Frances/Joan Crawford roles were all too constricted with not many moments to shine. Overall, the screen time was balanced, but the scenes themselves were uneven.
Plus, Jan’s role as Lea could only be played overdramatically by Jan. (The role was basically made for her.)
Kylie Sonique Love did an amazing job channeling Jessica Lange’s elegant flair and dramatics.
If she had not pulled out the scene after Michelle Visage taught her, she would’ve landed at the bottom again. The judges don’t typically get out of their seats to instruct, so failing that could’ve been a recipe for disaster.
[In confessional] Honey, I know what I signed up for. And, if there’s one thing I’ve learned in the last few years, it’s that voting is very important.
Kylie Sonique Love
Kylie matched the sensual energy with each dialogue, and she got into the role. (Though, I would’ve loved her to scream “Neely O’Hara!” like Patty Duke from Valley of the Dolls.)
She made a great choice fighting for this role. That decision might’ve tipped the scales in her favor over the other top queens.
Eureka! and Ginger Minj both could’ve snatched the win based on their acting performances. Specifically, it’s shocking that Ginger didn’t win.
Ginger served every line as the fashionista, Emma. She had the sass, the class, and the facial comedy to land the surprise jokes in the script. It could be that winning the previous challenge hindered her from taking another win so soon.
Eureka, on the other hand, had a role that was right up her alley.
The facial comedy and sass gave her the spotlight to shine against Ginger. The judges saw her as one-note with the levels, but I didn’t find it as a big concern since she delivered on the needed scene.
The bottom two queens were where I thought needed some changes.
A’keria C. Davenport was the right call as her performance was stiff and didn’t flow right. She tried her hardest, but she couldn’t nail the fire or sharp-tongued flair behind the character. The delivery of her lines was awkward compared to the other queens.
The thing that really sucks about this is that I’m here with my sister too. The last time I was in a position like this, it was her sending me home. But, it wasn’t her that sent me home, it was me that sent myself home that season. Being defeated in my mind. It really sucks because we had that experience together, and in my darkest hour, she was my strength. She was full of joy and full of love, and that’s what I’m so grateful for, that even on my second experience I can share it with my sister.
Ra’Jah O’Hara
For the second queen, it should’ve been Trinity K. Bonet at the bottom instead of Ra’Jah O’Hara.
Ra’Jah tried to act and give something different with her character; the final scene had a bit of sass and comedy to it. Trinity, on the other hand, played the same deadpan serious character who didn’t offer anything new to the scene.
Ra’Jah had to do most of the work to carry their conjoined twin dynamic. The amount of effort put in, and the final product should’ve carried Ra’Jah to safety since she stood out instead of Trinity.
For the “Oh My Goth” runway, the best looks of the night came from Ginger, Eureka, Ra’Jah, A’keria, and Kylie.
Ginger, Eureka, and A’keria each had looks that felt like a traditional goth style. Lots of black, and the looks toed the line between lace and spooky or sharp and sexy. A’keria’s look, in particular, had an editorial quality that looked high-fashion.
[In confessional] Shit, I’m glad this whole competition doesn’t rely on rock, paper, scissors.
Ginger Minj
Kylie’s bodysuit continued her trend of sensual-inspired ensembles on the runway. Only Kylie and her gymnastics quality could pull off the slim fabric that looked painted on her body.
Ra’Jah, on the other hand, didn’t seem goth with her elegant look, but the gown was positively stunning. The fabric and beaded sparkles was a fabulous outfit that highlighted all her features.
When it came to the lip-sync of “Dirrty” by Christina Aguilera, Kylie had the number in the bag. Did anyone else expect it was a foregone conclusion?
Don’t get me wrong, Manila Luzon from RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 3 is a great lip-sync assassin and can hold her own. However, the song is a very sexual number, and Manila is more of a comedic queen.
Kylie exudes sex appeal in everything she does. Once she started flipping and serving body, the battle was over in Kylie’s favor.
If the battle had been Manila vs. Ginger or Eureka, the outcome could’ve been up in the air. Still, “Rumerican Horror Story: Coven Girls” was a great and deserving round for Kylie overall.
A’keria getting the chop was the right call this round.
Landing at the bottom for the third time couldn’t be avoided. Sometimes a queen doesn’t get the hang of All Stars; A’keria couldn’t match the competition this time with the queens she was competing against.
Plus, Ra’Jah’s track record and campaigning were much stronger than A’keria’s effort.
If A’keria knew she had a chance, she would’ve campaigned harder to convince the queens to get out a big threat. The results felt like they were set in stone that this was A’keria’s time to go.
Last Thoughts From The Werk Room:
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Angela Bassett and Emma Roberts were such joys to have around!
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In hindsight, Ginger should be happy she ended up with the Emma role. The dialogue and scenes worked much better for her acting style.
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Ra’Jah and Kylie seem like they have such a great friendship. You could tell they care about each other a lot.
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RuPaul has a strange fascination with Joan Crawford. The scene didn’t need her twist, but she was there regardless.
Now, over to you, Drag Race fans!
What did you think of “Rumerican Horror Story: Coven Girls”?
Who do you think had the best acting performance? Would you have voted out A’keria or Ra’Jah? Were you gagged over the tied vote?
Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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Justin Carreiro is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.
You can view the original article HERE.
