“RuPaul’s Drag Race” is back for Season 17 and it’s returning with a brand-new talented and dynamic cast, and plenty of twists and turns galore to keep both fans and the competitors, on their toes! Right off the bat, Episode 1 (the aptly titled “Squirrel Games”) shows a galaxy of drag performers playing the most gag-worthy game of Ru Light/Green Light you’ve ever seen.
Queens like Honey Davenport, Morgan McMichaels and Mayhem Miller don’t get too far before they’re socked with pies (the ever-iconic Pork Chop receives the first pie, in a nod to her being the first queen ever eliminated from “RuPaul’s Drag Race”). We’re left with the stunning cast of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” Season 17, who now can make their way to the Werk Room to be properly introduced.
Lexi Love (a true showgirl in every sense of the word), Joella (a Los Angeles favorite), Kori King (arriving fully prepared to shake things up) and Lydia B. Kollins (sensationally spooky) all enter the Werk Room followed by Arrietty (a youthful alien hybrid queen) and Tampa, Florida’s own Jewels Sparkles (who might have coined the first tagline of the season #ting). Lana Ja’Rae and Sam Star both arrived delivering high glamour and a distinct perspective on their drag, while Onya Nurve arrived and proved quickly that she is a wonderfully larger than life competitor. Fort Lauderdale’s own Suzie Toot arrived with the front page in hand and all eyes on her, while Hormona Lisa quickly let her new sisters know the unique way she joined the competition. Asbury Park NJ’s first ever “Drag Race” queen Crystal Envy was next, followed by the 80’s-tastic Acacia Forgot and the wonderfully colorful (and direct from Miami) Lucky Starzzz.
RuPaul popped into the Werk Room to let the dolls know that their first mini challenge had occurred already, courtesy of Squirrel Games and a “candid camera photo shoot” during the challenge- and the winner was New York City’s own Lana Ja’Rae! RuPaul let the dolls know that their first official challenge of their two part Season 17 premiere would not just see the return of “Rate A Queen,” but would include “several many twists!” First up, the queens are going to be broken up into two separate groups, with the first seven queens hitting the stage this week for Drag Queens Got Talent. The queens not performing will not just be cheering on their sisters: they will also be rating the queens that have performed.
Katy Perry was revealed as the first extra special guest judge of the season, with all of the queens (particularly self-appointed “Katy Kat” Joella) thrilled to have the pop princess on board for their first strut on the runway. The girls discussed what talents they would be bringing to the runway this week and broke down the set of girls that would be performing during Week 1. As the queens were preparing their first looks for the main stage, Perry paid a visit to all of the queens in the Werk Room, offering them the sage advice to “play with their alter ego” and not to be afraid to “take the mask off.”
We get our first look at a new and improved main stage and runway (giving glistening oil slick realness) and RuPaul is joined by Michelle Visage, Carson Kressley, and Katy Perry at the judges table. The runway category is Masc for Masc Singer, and the queens did not “mask” their ingenuity and creativity. Lexi Love emerged as a modern day MTV moon person, while Crystal Envy showed why she is the “doll” of Asbury Park NJ, literally cracking her doll face open to reveal another stunning one underneath it! Suzie Toot stayed perfectly on brand, floating down the runway with a larger than life dime on her head, decked out in a sparkling and fitted tailcoat (Toot said on Instagram that her inspiration for the look came from the “We’re In The Money” sequence from “Gold Diggers” among other references)!
Drag Queens Got Talent then kicked off and the queens all game prepared to impress. Whether it was Kollins showing up as a giant puppet or Starzzz performing a sweet and soaked ode to lemonade, the queens were demonstrating their individuality. Joella showcased classic drag stylings, while Acacia (who comes from a blues band family of her own) performing a country song, complete with live guitar!
Toot delivered a sensational tap dance dedicated to her love to the leggy tap dancers of the 1920s, nine toes and all!
The queens who did not perform this week got to take part in “Rate A Queen,” with some surprising votes submitted and alliances slowly starting to form. The results were in: Acacia is going to be lip-syncing next week in Part 2 of the premiere, while Toot and Jewels Sparkles (who delivered a rapid fire dance anthem of her own) were going to be lip-syncing for the win.
If you had told me that Perry’s summer anthem “Woman’s World” would be able to be re-crafted into a perfectly timed, tap dancing track, I would have been hard-pressed to believe it. That is though, exactly what Toot did when she and Sparkles were the top two queens of the week. Toot started the performance slow, but then took center stage on the runway and made certain that RuPaul and the judges kept their eye firmly planted on her performance during the second verse, breathing new life into the pulsing track. While Sparkles tore through the song with whip-smart precision, once Toot incorporated classic 1920s dance moves perfectly synced with the chorus, Toot had the judges captivated, leading her to the win for the week and a cash tip of $5,000.
For next week’s episode, the remaining queens will be taking the stage for Drag Queens Got Talent, with Rate A Queen remaining in play, and one queen being eliminated, or will they?
Follow RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 17 on Instagram @rupaulsdragrace.
