Drag Race's Sweet Sixteen (RECAP)

RuPaul's Drag Race S16 E1: "Rate-A-Queen"

It’s the reason for the season! RuPaul’s Drag Race is back with a new crop of queens from across the country all vying for the title of “America’s Next Drag Superstar” and a whopping $200,000 cash prize. 16 seasons in, Drag Race can finally drive — and based off the first of two premieres, we’re in for a wild ride. 

In sticking with tradition, we meet seven of the fourteen new queens in this episode. While split premieres make it difficult to gauge the full potential of the competition, it’s nice to get ample amount of time with each queen before anyone goes home. Group one is a well-rounded bunch who seemingly all bring something unique to the table and it really shines through in the first maxi challenge of the season, the “MTV Spring Break Talent Show” hosted by Season 8 legend Derrick Barry. After a rousing operatic comedy number and an utterly enthralling puppetry performance, Sapphira Crystál and Q are given high praise by the judges and deemed the top two of the week by their peers via the newly introduced Rate-A-Queen system.

In the grand scheme of Saw-esque twists that RuPaul has been known to throw at the queens, Rate-A-Queen isn’t as nefarious as previous season gags. While I don’t think it will last too deep into the season, I would love for someone to choose violence in that room at some point. Forget about what the fans will say and make a choice that will probably ruin someone’s life — Drag Race used to be evil and there’s $200k at stake! The best part of Rate-A-Queen for me thus far is that it looks like that computer board from The Hunger Games. Hacking into the MotherBoard.

I do have a few observations from episode one that feel refreshing to me. The significant one is the emphasis on queens who make their own garments. Over the last couple years there has been a lot of talk about how the more Drag Race has progressed, the more it has become a rich girl’s game. In an article from 2021, queens from Miz Cracker to Bob the Drag Queen detail the immense financial risk of doing the show these days. Queens will come with extravagant, gorgeous, custom runway looks that land them high praise in the competition, while others are sent home for not being able to match that standard. 

This isn’t to say that designing and creating your own garments can’t be expensive — between fabric, embellishments, and the time it takes to design and assemble, the profession of drag is always a financial gamble. Still, after previous seasons where custom-made fashion has become a focal point, it’s a welcome change to have RuPaul ask a queen who made her outfit and for her to reply “I did”. I’ve always been impartial to the girls on the show who can sew like it’s nobody’s business, and in just this first batch of queens it seems like we’re in for a treat when it comes to the design challenges (early indicators tell me that will be Q’s challenge to lose). 

I want to take a moment to acknowledge the purple alien in the room. Amanda Tori Meating is a mixed bag. She has one of the best names I’ve ever heard on the show. Her makeup is constantly being picked apart by judges and peers alike. She performs with such high energy and conviction that I enjoyed her talent show performance. Her wig flew off the second she rounded the corner for her very first runway. She dictated that she was going to start over as if she were directing the episode. She “RuVealed” herself to be a purple alien but only her face and bodysuit were purple. I can’t tell if her limbs were not purple on purpose or if she just didn’t do it. For me, if you paint your face a certain color your exposed limbs should also be that color and when they aren’t, it is the biggest cardinal sin of Drag Race. Still, there is something enchanting about the mess of it all, and I wish her the best. 

I’d like to dedicate the rest of this recap to a true diva amongst divas, a woman who immediately claimed my heart — Sapphira Crystál. She won me over in the mini challenge, she won me over when she called RuPaul her beloved father in a stunning operatic voice, and she won me over with her mini breast plate. I love her. As she battled for the challenge win in a lip sync to “Break My Soul” (a Renaissance song in episode one? RuPaul broke era incoming) I watched in amazement as she dropped into the splits. Nothing new or revolutionary, but when she started bouncing she held the breastplate down so it wouldn’t move. As someone who has been burdened with the infinite task of going up and down stairs with big boobs, I wept tears of elation. Even better was when she simply let it extend to the ground. That image is a renaissance painting. We should all consider ourselves lucky to be experiencing greatness in real time. 

Next week we do it all again! Seven new queens, and a wide open realm of possibilities. Until then, stream “O mio babbino caro” by Sapphira Crystál. Bye!

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