When Brooke Lynn Hytes introduces the season premiere of Canada’s Drag Race Season 4 as the beginning of a brand new period, she isn’t joking round.
Readers of my recaps will know that I’m an enormous fan of CDR, the little franchise that would. While its preliminary season was a blended bag (unbelievable queens, horrible judging), Season 2 noticed the present carve out its personal id within the more and more busy Drag Race panorama, and crown considered one of my all-time favorite queens (Icesis Couture!) within the course of. And whereas Season 3 wasn’t probably the most thrilling installment of Drag Race I’ve ever seen, the present continued to make strides in building its personal area of interest. More than the rest, CDR has grown to really feel just like the extraordinarily on-line Drag Race fan’s franchise, with a way of humour about itself that remembers what you’d see on Twitter—sorry, “X”—fairly than on the present itself.
But this season is CDR’s boldest try but to set itself other than the pack. Granted, the “Premiere Ball” conceit—three seems to be together with entrance, a efficiency outfit and a best drag runway—isn’t as recent as it will’ve been two months in the past, since Drag Race UK opened its fifth season the identical approach. But how CDR presents it’s fairly totally different: after coming into the werk room, every queen walks again out, successfully making their entrance a runway of its personal. The queens all come face-to-face with one another directly, breaking one of many longest-standing traditions in Drag Race herstory.
Combine that with numerous different twists and tweaks that we see all through the premiere, in addition to one massive promised change to come back, and CDR actually does really feel prefer it’s in a brand new period. And I, for one, am extremely enthusiastic about what’s to come back.
Tegan and Sara cease by the werk room forward of their visitor judging stint Credit: Courtesy Bell Media
I’ll do a full solid evaluation in my energy rating this week, however some fast takeaways from the entrances: Venus’ look is easy however cute, and makes a daring assertion about her anti-tucking philosophy. Denim is giving Y2K realness, and I really like her entrance line about not with the ability to assist being a trans icon: “It’s in my jeans.” Sisi Superstar’s underground bimbo aesthetic is harking back to Jimbo, however with out the identical exuberance. Edmonton’s first Drag Race competitor, Melinda Verga, is available in sporting rainbows, and is not brief on exuberance. And Aimee Yonce Shennel, the self-described “Beyoncé of Ottawa,” seems to be opulent as fuck.
Two others I wish to spend a little bit extra time on: Kitten Kaboodle is 57! That makes her, as she’ll word later within the episode, the oldest queen to compete on Drag Race. Older queens, significantly those that carry out within the vaudeville fashion that Kitten prefers, have traditionally struggled on Drag Race. But Kitten has a vibrant power each in entrance of the judges and within the confessional chair that offers me hope she will make a powerful run this season.
Then there’s The Girlfriend Experience, who wins The Miss Fiercalicious Award for What on Earth Is Kevin Going to Refer to Her As on Second Reference? (I’ve determined to go together with merely “TGE.”) TGE is considered one of two trans queens this season, a trans girl—Denim is a trans man—who serves body-ody-ody in her drag. She is, to place it merely, unbelievably attractive. Not solely that, however she’s obtained the efficiency chops and sense of fashion to actually stand out. I’m a little bit nervous about her getting critiqued for too-basic runway seems to be, however I’m immediately on board.
Watching all of the queens storm in directly is a bit overwhelming, however I like the way it provides us a distinct introduction dynamic. Almost instantly, the queens separate out into little teams, with one queen, Nearah Nuff, proudly declaring her nook with greatest associates Venus and TGE to be the “Pretty Girl Corner.” This can be annoying sufficient as-is, however she goes thus far to kick Aimee out as a result of the Pretty Girl Corner is just for three queens. There’s lots on this premiere to counsel that Nearah will give us some dramatics this season, however that is the largest purple flag of the lot.
Venus and Denim lip sync for the win, in a battle that Venus would in the end win Credit: Courtesy Bell Media
Our three judges—Brooke Lynn, Brad Goreski, and Traci Melchor—then enter to disclose the gag: they had been judging the doorway seems to be, and so they’ll be judging two different seems to be on this Premiere Ball. First up is a efficiency class of types, Shimmering Showgirls, wherein queens should not solely put on showgirl seems to be, however should additionally transfer round a stage in a compelling vogue. The last class is easier: a best drag runway known as “Me, Myself, and I.”
Before we get to these different classes, although, now we have one other new wrinkle to get to: first impression “rosebuds.” In a parody of The Bachelor and its ilk, every of the three judges will get to provide their rosebud to one of many queens who has impressed them of their entrances. Brooke Lynn provides hers to Denim, Brad provides his to Aimee, and Traci provides hers to Venus. It’s the latter alternative that attracts probably the most raised eyebrows from the opposite queens, and even I, as a fan of Venus, am a bit confused. I believe I’d have given it to Kitten or TGE as an alternative.
TGE additionally smashes the Shimmering Showgirls phase, understanding that with a view to work a stage like this for a sustained time frame, your efficiency will need to have ranges. The approach she does her reveals, every look is sort of a new character: a businesswoman in a blazer, a intercourse kitten in her man’s shirt, and a burlesque star for the ultimate phase. If the judges had been giving out second impression rosebuds, she’d get one right here in my guide, as would Kiki Coe and as soon as once more both Venus or Kitten.
After a werk room phase that includes dialogue of the queens’ pronouns and gender identities—in addition to an emotional dialog with TGE in regards to the discriminations and assaults she’s confronted since beginning her transition—it’s time for the ultimate runway class. Like any early “very best drag” class, the variety of queens who really put on what should be their greatest look is fairly minimal. Kiki’s pearls look is better of present for me, particularly contemplating she made it herself. Luna DuBois goes a bit anticipated with a Mugler look, however the silhouette is beautiful on her. Denim goes with a bizarre as hell tribute to Prince Edward Island that comes collectively magnificently. And although I’ve some points with the nude phantasm, Aurora Matrix’s dragon look is impressed.
The solid of Canada’s Drag Race Season 4 celebrates being within the werk room throughout their premiere episode Credit: Courtesy World of Wonder
Three queens land within the backside for his or her Premiere Ball shows: Nearah, Sisi, and Melinda. All three have some basic points with their seems to be, with Nearah’s second specifically being incomplete. Sisi can’t walk within the boots of her third look, whereas the match is all incorrect in Melinda’s last gold look. (Plus, she has some fairly basic points along with her make-up, which Brooke Lynn factors out as kindly as she will.) Nearah will get known as protected, leaving Sisi and Melinda because the presumed backside two.
But excellent news for them: that is secretly a non-elimination episode! We’ve had loads of these just lately, however this episode does a very good job of truly making the choice a fake-out. Venus and Denim beat out Kiki as the highest two of the week, and lip sync for the win to Tegan and Sara’s Tiësto collaboration, “Feel It in My Bones.” It’s an entertaining battle, albeit one which jogs my memory: oh, proper, CDR lip syncs are fairly lengthy! Still, it’s enjoyable to look at one of the best of one of the best this week battle it out, and Venus in the end takes home the win.
This episode is a extremely satisfying table-setter for the season, and it has me genuinely brimming with pleasure for the season. But nothing fairly catches my consideration like one thing within the preview for subsequent week: a brand new twist known as the “Golden Beaver.” Brooke Lynn teases all through the episode that the queens could have extra energy than ever earlier than. Are we an All Stars-style twist on the way in which? I’m unsure how I’ll really feel if it’s only a reproduction of that format, but when it’s a twist on it that makes extra sense for CDR, color me intrigued.
As increasingly Drag Race sequence crop up all around the world, every one goes to need to struggle more durable to make itself distinctive. Some have achieved this with full-fledged Untucked spin-offs; France grew to become the primary worldwide sequence to have a reside finale this 12 months. But I don’t assume some other sequence is taking the type of peculiar swings that CDR is. And that’s why, for all its crunchier, rougher moments, it stays my private favorite franchise.
Untucking our last ideas
✨ “Hi, queens, it’s Tegan and Sara!” Our first visitor judges of the season are the dual singer-songwriter duo, and so they really simply walk into the werk room with no warning on elimination day. It’s enjoyable! They’re enjoyable! They apparently obtained into Drag Race due to their mother, which can also be lovely. Canada’s Drag Race has struggled with high-caliber visitor judges up to now couple seasons, however getting Tegan and Sara is a significant step again up. Excited to see Ra’Jah O’Hara and Jaida Essence Hall later this season, too!
✨ Can we take a second to speak about how fucking good Traci seems to be all through this episode? Her all-black search for the runway makes her look wealthy as hell. I really like how she continues to develop into her function on this present.
✨ I touched on it within the recap, however there’s actually no overstating how heartbreaking it’s to listen to about TGE’s experiences throughout her transition. “I have girls coming to me for advice, but I have no one to turn to,” she says. It should be extremely tough to be each a job mannequin and somebody who remains to be actively discovering herself—I like her energy.
✨ Brooke Lynn’s introduction of Brad will get a tremendous dig in on the maligned Real Friends of WeHo: “He’s my best friend, and one of us actually lives in WeHo!”
✨ Cannot rave sufficient about Brooke Lynn’s efficiency on this premiere. She has actually settled into herself as each host and decide, her seems to be proceed to be unbelievable, and she or he will get some enjoyable quips in, as well. When Venus talks about her untucked drag philosophy, she fires again, “If you’re not untucked, you’re only getting half the story!”
✨ Melinda’s companion had a mini-stroke proper earlier than she headed off for Drag Race, which is heartbreaking. Good on Venus for prompting her to provide us a way of what’s occurring in her head, and I hope she will discover her approach by way of her ache and succeed on this competitors.
✨ Guys, we’re so again. CDR is a pleasure to look at, and I’m so excited to debate it each week with you all. If you’ve been watching Drag Race UK’s wonderful fifth season and are questioning if you happen to can tackle extra, I actually encourage you to come back on this experience with us. After just a few fairly iffy seasons, it’s good to see Drag Race firing on all cylinders like this.
The subsequent episode of Canada’s Drag Race shall be available to stream on Thursday, Nov. 23, at 9 p.m. EST on WOW Presents Plus within the U.S. and on Crave in Canada. You can subscribe to our drag publication, Wig!, for unique Drag Race content material delivered straight to your inbox each Tuesday afternoon.
