Posted in: TV | Tagged: drag race

RuPaul's Drag Race Season 18 Episode 3: RDR Live! Painfully Watchable

The third episode of MTV's RuPaul's Drag Race Season 18 brought us the return of RDR Live! We're happy to say that it was... watchable?

Live from MTV's RuPaul's Drag Race, it's one of the most disliked and boring challenges, it's RDR Live! That said, as much sh*t as I talk about the "improv/acting/sketch comedy" challenges, this episode wasn't unwatchable. It wasn't good, but it wasn't quite bad. This week's runway theme was "Animal Attraction," which was lowkey giving last season's "sea creature couture" runway. It just all feels like things we've seen before. Maybe that's a hazard of being in season 18 – there is nothing new under the sun, and as a result, it all comes off as boring. That said, some of the looks were still good. Will I dream about them tonight? Nope. But did they still eat? Yeah.

Back to the challenge, though. It's SNL but way worse, and I have many issues with the basic structure of this challenge. For starters, the queens all get to pick their roles and then have one take come showtime. They reiterated that, but it feels like nobody flubbed a single line. Is this real? Was it really one take? The world may never know.

Athena Dion was the host, and she was fine – absolutely no remarks, good or bad. There was drama about it during role assignments, but meh. Briar Blush basically tripped over everyone to play her inner sabetour – for whatever stupid reason, Briar has decided to pick on Athena in mean ways, and it's just coming across as asinine. Guess every season needs a forced (or not) villain edit.

Not mincing words here, Briar Blush is awful. In another boring episode with another boring challenge, she's like trying to do the mean girl supreme thing, but she's just so annoying and a bitch (derogatory). This is season 18 – be better, or at least be likable, or maybe a little nice? Heinous cunt for no reason is so early seasons RuPaul's Drag Race, and I'd like to think we've grown out of the "mean gays being awful for entertainment" trope. Then again, we did get the MIB fiasco last season of "All Stars," so clearly not according to the producers.

But I digress. The sketches aren't funny, and the premise of most of them feels like a Drag Race circle jerk leaning on the same busted references to prior seasons. An origin story for Michelle Visage where she's dressed like Madonna? Who writes this, and why? Please hire better writers, RuPaul. Ooh, a midwest mom character wants to support her queer kid and stumbles into a group for daddies. So innovative, did they steal that idea from a Groundlings Pride performance? Maybe the Duffer Brothers secretly used ChatGPT to write RDR Live! I'm convinced of it. Either that or they just directly ripped off concepts from SNL (the Lipstick Lovers one is nearly a direct lift of the "making classic cinema gay" series SNL has done on at least half a dozen different occasions).

The funniest one of the night was Darlene Mitchell, Mandy Mango, Mia Starr, and Discord Addams in a state fair butter churning sketch. Surprisingly, Darlene is praised for playing the same white-trash character she's been playing for the last three weeks, and Mandy is torn apart for… making a dynamic character? Yeah, that one makes no sense, but welcome to RuPaul's "Huh?!?" Race. Mandy clearly stole that sketch in the best way, and it makes the production narrative of her being an early out make zero sense and just exposes the show so badly.

RuPaul is giving Grace Jones the role of musical guest, and it's expected. Boring? Yeah, but typical. Juicy Love Dion wins the week – notice how I didn't mention her in the Michelle Visage sketch? Yeah, she was forgettable. But good for her, we're praising mediocrity here on season 18 of RuPaul's "why do I still do this, oh yeah, I like money" Race.

Lip syncing this week are Briar Blush and Mandy Mango (holy alliteration, Batman). Ofc, Mandy turned it while Briar…resorted to stripping and giving a sad half-performance where she didn't even know all the lyrics. And here is the point where we're fully down the rabbit hole, because can somebody please tell me how in the H-E-L-L Briar won that over Mandy? We were so close to getting the good timeline and having Briar be an early out, and this season not being about mean-spirited, manufactured rage bait drama, but clearly, we live in the worst timeline. Honestly, they just wanted her gone – Mandy's performance was hilarious and absolutely not even bottom worthy. Plus, she's a fun, kooky queen, and they've done nothing but throw shade towards her all season. Seriously, if they've already picked a winner, why do we even have these challenges?

#JusticeForMandyMango🥭

RuPaul's Drag Race season 18 airs on MTV in the Americas and is streaming on WOW Presents Plus in all other markets.

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