Friday night’s episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race was a bit packed. Between a mini-challenge featuring Charo (maybe a wink to the recent launch of Drag Race España All Stars), and all the Werk Room scheming, there’s much to get into. This week’s maxi-challenge was essentially a task of design and branding: create a look for yourself and your doll, as well as a voiceover to tell the story of said doll.
In the Werk Room, there’s a slight scramble over fabrics. Nymphia Wind gives another swing at her “Queen Who Cries Wolf” tactic but the girls have her figured out. Plane Jane also keeps at her strategy, which I’ve recently actually figured out, is a lot like Nymphia’s. She stirs up a bit of drama, stokes some inner saboteurs, then knocks the challenge out of the park. Mother Sapphira Cristal lends a helping hand to Mhi’ya Iman LePaige. That help seems to bite her in the ass later: She planned to have an opera coat but there is no coat to be found on the runway.
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On the runway, the judges get it exactly right. Plane Jane (the judges are really eating out of her hand), Dawn, and Q look perfect and all land in the top with Q winning. Sapphira Cristal (wisely) uses her immunity potion which I think keeps her out of being the top of the bottom three, leaving Plasma, Mhi’ya, and Geneva on the chopping block. Mhi’ya turns out the signature flips we’ve seen her go viral for many times before, sending Geneva home in the process. But let’s talk about our extra special guest judge, Law Roach.
“Did you play with dolls?” RuPaul asks Law, the celebrated image architect who has worked with Zendaya, Celine Dion, Ariana Grande, Tom Holland … the list really doesn’t end.
“Yeah, voodoo dolls,” Law replies. “I’ve been sticking it to Michelle Visage for about six seasons trying to get on this show.” Yeah. Talk about an introduction!
If we’re being completely honest, it takes a lot to be a good Drag Race guest judge and even more to be a permanent fixture. The best guest judge in my memory is Nicki Minaj (this was before her current state). She came in and really engaged with the queens, gave them frank and honest feedback they could actually incorporate, and clearly paid attention to what was happening, writing down detailed notes to refer back to. And for the queens, she was someone still in the height of her stardom, making the comments mean all the more.
This is such high and deserved praise for dawn. THEE Law Roach saying this… huge #dragrace pic.twitter.com/vj2Gu3i5zT
— gio 💋🩸 (@giohalliwell) February 10, 2024
Law seemed to follow in that blueprint. It’s not common that a guest judge’s comments on almost every single queen are included in the final edit, in addition to their runway quips. Telling Plasma that she needs to learn her way around a bobby pin … or even “your doll has RuPaul’s legs and you have Danny Devito’s legs?” But wow … what a moment I will never forget. A read most pleasing to me.
He’s able to blend praise, critique, and comedy in a way that RuPaul loves. The queens also respect it: Geneva laughs after being told she has Danny Devito’s legs, clearly not taking it as someone punching down. Dawn says that praise coming from Law means a lot. He, in turn, responds with a divinely cunty “It should.” And of course he’s not new to this as he was immaculate on the judging panels for America’s Next Top Model for two seasons and Legendary for three.
law roach went INNNN on the queens i’m crying 😭😭😭 #dragrace pic.twitter.com/vTsp81MKPA
— ray ✨ (@mascarayde) February 10, 2024
You all know where I’m going here: give him the job. Yes, Law is going to be doing OMG Fashun with Julia Fox and is still styling Zendaya but he undoubtedly has the time for an occasional appearance on Drag Race. And after so many seasons, the panel could use another injection of new blood.
And honestly, the day that Michelle Visage and Law Roach don’t agree on a critique … I would like to see it.
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