Given that this is the annual Snatch Game episode — in which Drag Race contestants show off their best celebrity impersonations and throw some comedic barbs — the show starts off with various queens throwing shade at each other, even before they know what the challenge will be. Darienne Lake makes comments about Milk, Laganja Estranja feels tension with Bianca Del Rio because of something that happened during Untucked, and side-eyes go all around. And then, the actual competition!
Legally Sassy: Bianca Del Rio as Judge Judy
This was Bianca’s challenge to win. As the reigning queen of shade, she channels Judge Judy for her impersonation. Little does she know, Judge Judy is one of Ru’s favorites. And Bianca doesn’t disappoint. While she doesn’t win the challenge, she’s still at the top of her game, and shows off her sweeter side when she lends Adore Delano her extra cincher.
So Contagious: Adore Delano as Anna Nicole Smith
With her slightly Southern drawl and patented Anna Nicole loopiness, Adore soars in this challenge, garnering lots of laughs from the guest judges — and even RuPaul, who knew Anna Nicole once upon a time. But she doesn’t quite win because the judges decide that Adore’s personality kind of is Anna Nicole.
Half-Baked: Milk as Julia Childs
The real question: how long will Milk be able to maintain her “artistic integrity” before her gender-bending bites her in the ass? Intellectually, I get and like what she’s doing, but her execution isn’t always the best. Her Julia Child impersonation isn’t funny at all — it can be summed up by the awkward sausage joke she tries and fails to make — and when she shows up as workplace Ru for the runway walk, the judges don’t know how to react. You can’t tell whether Milk is a genius or should be taken to task for going for a less-fabulous RuPaul look. She barely avoids elimination.
Acting Fine: Courtney Act as Fran Drescher
Courtney Act may not have pulled off a jaw-dropping performance of Fran Drescher, but Fran’s nasally voice isn’t that hard to pull off, so Courtney’s performance is a safely laughable and she moves on.
Super Meh: Trinity K. Bonet as Nicki Minaj
While Trinity’s Nicki Minaj impersonation wasn’t as funny as it was mean to some of the other queens, she wasn’t in the bottom two this week (for a change). We have to give her props for changing her hair in the middle of the game, even though it left her no time to actually participate in the round.
Fashion Weak: Laganja Estranja as Rachel Zoe
Even though Rachel Zoe could have been a great comedic character, Laganja didn’t live up to a performance that could have been bananas. She ends up in the bottom two, and scrapes through by giving the judges her best during the lip sync, crazy splits and all.
Buttered Up: Darienne Lake as Paula Deen
Darienne provides a pitch-perfect impression of Paula Deen, not just in Southern hospitality, but also in the nonchalant way she starts chomping on a stick of butter in the middle of the game.
Jersey Girl: Joslyn Fox as Teresa Giudice
Playing the Real Housewives of New Jersey wife Teresa, Joslyn mispronounces words, asks for some wine, and looks positively tan. It’s everything you’d love and expect, which means Joslyn is safe for another round.
Kan’t Kope: Gia Gunn as Kim Kardashian
This is another episode of Gia Doesn’t Get It. While she initially was all prepped to be Selena, when Ru points out that Selena isn’t really a comedic character, Gia changes course at the very last minute (like, when the queens are putting on makeup). So then she dresses up as Kim Kardashian, only sans cleavage or anything remotely associated with Kim. And then doesn’t even try to make a joke. After she gets eliminated, she goes on an offensive rant about how she’s mad that “other cross-dressers who came to a drag show dressed as boys” are still in the competition. Ahem.
Damn, Dame: BenDeLaCreme as Maggie Smith
Even though everyone was a little skeptical that BenDeLaCreme could make Maggie Smith funny, she pulled it off and made Downton Abbey jokes that prompted everyone to laugh — even those who had never watched the show before. From looking delighted at the prospect of “citrus libations” to misunderstanding anything related to modern technology, BenDeLaCreme brought on the LOLs and won the challenge. It’s her second win of the season, so she may just be the queen to beat.