Alas, we have come to the final lap of RuPaul’s Drag Race. And my my my there was quite a tizzy over the final results even before we officially knew them. Was it rigged? Was the outcome in response to rumors that it was rigged? We were definitely pleased with the results, based on the final three (obvi Katya would have been our choice for the win) but I for one actually appreciate the extra drama that made the wait worth the palpitations throughout the one and a half hour Finale. Margaux m’shady lady, let’s run around the track one more time together shall we. And I promise it won’t end like “They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?”
Margaux: I appreciated the extra layer of that shady one-two punch of an ending, I was afraid I’d OD’ed on Drag Race conspiracy theories of how the winner had been picked by the time Miss Fame had been eliminated. Apparently Ginger Minj, who’d played ‘the game’ well, was supposed to win, according to the internet.
But I should’ve known better than to try to read Ru’s mind, she does what she wants, but I also can’t say I’m surprised Violet ended up snatching the crown. Something about her entrance in the very first episode made it seem like Violet even knew she’d already won.
Samir: Well, I have a habit of ALWAYS betting on the losing horse in any race, figuratively speaking (Violent ain’t no horse-face, no matter what Jasmine Masters said way back when). And in seasons past, the whole series of episodes really did tell a story of how the winner came to wear the crown in a way. I was rooting for Raja, I was rooting for Sharon Needles and Jinkx Monsoon. Last season I was really rooting for Adore Delano. That was one of the few aberrations, as I think the show has always done a really good job of setting us up for a payoff that satisfies based on what we’ve seen, which is difficult for any reality show, whose main goal is to manipulate your addiction to your own voyeuristic impulses as a viewer.
Margaux: And I’m still on the fence on whether I feel satisfied with the ending or not. In terms of the remaining queens up the crown, I think Pearl truly had the most traceable transformation of the three and really came a long way while still maintaining her flazéda-ness. But you could say Violet and Pearl had a similar To Wong Foo… coming of age arc on the the show, beautiful queen who learn to be themselves, too.
Even though Ginger didn’t handle herself as well as I’d liked in the last episode, I still feel like she got robbed, in a sense. Much like America’s Next Top Model, I really felt Ginger was the total package the judges say they’re always looking for, so it brings up the question you posed earlier, was this outcome a response to the audience thinking this season was formulaic?
Samir: I was surprised to find that I had grown bored with Ginger by the end-I always knew what I would get from her, and it’s something we’ve seen before, no matter how well executed it was. Sharon Needles called herself the “future of drag” and at that time, we hadn’t seen anyone quite like her, and I feel a vibe about Violet that feels more now AND future, than I did with Ginger. Pearl definitely got the most epic wake-up call in the show’s history I think, yet I felt the show telling us a complete arc with Violet, who went from a self-important loner to someone who learned to be a part of a community on the show. Ru also mentioned on many occasions that Violet was part of the newer generation that learned drag through isolation in the age of the internet, and not understanding how to work with others. And the editing definitely highlighted this in other people’s responses to her as the season wore on. That was the most impressive growth to me, since I felt she was picked on a lot throughout the show just for being young and confident. combined with her shady style of communication. We know she has friends, but we didn’t really see a drag family in her tearjerker messages from home videos in the finale.
Margaux: I do really like Violet, and think she’s a very interesting performer, as opposed to Ginger like you were saying, you know exactly what you’re gonna get every time. I never know what or who Violet’s going to be, and I really like that about her. Maybe what I meant by Ginger being robbed is that, you could feel her disappointment (and bubbling bitterness) and being that close to winning it all probably stung extra for Ginger. Especially losing to Violet. Pearl is only in her first year of drag (!!!!!!!!!!), I cannot wait to see what she does next, and no, I’m not talking about her forthcoming album – I mean, like, live shows and stuff.
But I think mainly my heart is and will forever be with Katya. It’s great she won Miss Congeniality, but I really wanted to see her in the top three.
Samir: And Ru knows this, because she TOTALLY played on that when she was about to announce the winner, and then called Katya out… to bring her a glass of water like a parched Mariah Carey in concert. I was watching at a gay club viewing party, and the entire place erupted in laughter at that moment, AFTER the giant surprised gasp as if we were all duped! I think that Redditer posing as a World of Wonder staffer knew exactly what s/he was doing. We all almost bought the conspiracy theories about Ginger, but there were some details that didn’t add up, not to mention that this anonymous spoiler-er flat out told everyone that they deliberately post false leads to build interest and social media inflammation.
Margaux: I guess even if John Waters is rooting for you, it doesn’t guarantee shit in Ru’s world. I should’ve read between the lines with the Redditer, but the cold medicine I was on this weekend fueled my delusions of reality show grandeur. Though I say otherwise in my day-to-day life, I do actually love surprises. Well, good ones at least, and “Grand Finale” was definitely a good one.
Samir: In the end I kind of appreciated the twisted social media aspect of the show, which felt so blatant when Ru talked about it in this finale. I just love watching people getting fooled, and Ru was so stealthy about it that I appreciated being in the passenger seat for this race. It’s a more open way of acknowledging just how much any reality show is as much a construction as any fictional show. I don’t mind being played like a fiddle, so long as the musician creates beautiful music, and (unlike some of the albums that come out of this show) RuPaul succeeded for me. We got the great tragedy (Katya, your elimination was as devastating as your homeland’s literary treasures, we will always love you) and the ecstasy, the highs and lows that make great TV, so I can’t complain too much. Even if the constructedness stood out too boldly at times.
Margaux: As Miss Fame said upon her departure, “it’ll all make sense in the end”. Indeed chicken queen, indeed.
So, before our hearts burst with sadness that it’s all over, wanna talk stars?
Samir: We have to save our deep deep shade for the podcast, and I will say that, in the photo finish on this final lap, I will also speak for the whole season with a solid 4.5 stars. Not as great as Seasons 4 and 5, but at least on par with last season. I almost feel guilty for not giving it 5, since this season felt like gay Thanksgiving every week, topping itself with ever more inventive challenges and that hot ginge-ineer who joined the Pit Crew year.
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