This week’s challenge was “The Rusical,” a lip-synced parody of a musical for the queens to perform in. Since the challenge debuted in season six, “The Rusical” has been one of my least favorite parts of the show every season in which it appeared. However, contrary to my usual opinion, this season’s parody, “The Sound of Rusic,” was delightful. The story of three dueling girl groups was well-written, and while a usual critique of the challenge is that certain roles can’t win, “The Sound of Rusic” felt fairly written with almost every part able to win. There were many more major victories this week than major flops, so without further ado, here are my top three and bottom three queens of the week.

My Top 3 of the Week:

1st place – Plasma – With such a massive role this week, Plasma had an equally large potential for success and failure. As expected, she continued her narrative as the theater queen by destroying this challenge. She memorized so much information, added strong comedy and used her makeup, especially her signature Broadway lip style, to destroy her role. Plasma brought a stunning runway this week as if she hadn’t already won. Her yellow floral runway brought signature musical theater to the stage, destroying her competition with that massive sunhat. 

2nd place – Q – Personally, Q was the funniest actress in “The Sound of Rusic.” She embellished the prerecorded role she was given with physical comedy, and that neverending stole was killer. Her makeup and overdrawn lip translated really well into her character. I think that this is one of the casts with the best makeup looks overall, and Q is at the forefront of the cast’s talents. Her runway was also amazing, with an extraterrestrial take on the floral theme. 

3rd place – Dawn – Although she played a smaller role in “The Rusical,” Dawn was quite humorous. In all of her scenes, I found myself fixated on her dancing, especially grabbed by her wacky makeup and a faked missing tooth. Her performance in the challenge did not matter; however, her runway look was the strongest out of the entire cast. Red and lighter blues pair as one of my favorite color schemes, and the ombre effect across her dress was beautiful. Her horns played into her ethereal drag aesthetic, and the dark flowers around the bottom of her dress tied together her gorgeous look.

My Bottom 3 of the Week:

8th place – Xunami Muse – In a normal week, Xunami’s performance would be very acceptable, but with so many strong performers, she didn’t stand out. Next to her trio members of Q and Plane Jane, Xunami never really grabbed my attention. I liked her runway, but I wouldn’t have understood the concept of her upside-down bouquet without her explaining it in the confessionals. I liked the cellophane stole she wrapped herself in, and I especially liked how the translucent red tied into the “flower” ruffle of her dress.

9th place – Megami – Missing beats, getting in her head and a failed attempt at quirky makeup destroyed Megami’s performance this week. Working with the hilarious Nymphia and the precise Dawn, Megami’s bumbly dancing fell behind her competitors. The runway had the right idea, but the concept of a ruined wedding gown did not read without her commentary. The garment she had after the reveal was busy, with the excess of details drawing attention to both her neck and waist. While the attention brought up towards her face would be strong alone, drawing focus to her waistline and that diaper-looking panty confirmed Megami’s spot in the bottom.

10th place – Mhi’ya Iman Le’Paige – I am sure that there are plenty of bobby pins in the werkroom, and there is no reason that Mhi’ya’s veil fell into her face. That oversight, along with missing many comedic opportunities with her performance, did not paint her in a good light. Her makeup was also not painted in a good light, as her heavy bangs shaded her face. Her wig was reused, and these long bang wigs don’t flatter her face shape. I’m not a fan of her silhouette in drag either; I feel that she could pad better to get more of the figure that Michelle Visage usually reads the queens for not having. I hope that they come up with a slow song to get Mhi’ya out, because as long as they give her upbeat lip-syncs, she will undeservingly stay in the competition.

Make sure to return for the next episode of the Racer Ruview, breaking down more hot opinions on “RuPaul’s Drag Race: Season 16, Episode 8”!