Top 10 Moments from RuPaul's Drag Race Season 12
#10: The Ever-Present "Brocc-Ally"
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Dahlia Sin appeared to be a very strong look queen, until she donned a ridiculously large broccoli costume. Dahlia was sadly eliminated first because the costume obscured her face and performance. Her faux-pas allowed for hilarious mocking during the “Grey’s Anatomy” parody, especially since it fit the show’s zany hospital so well. Despite her aggressive energy at first, Dahlia’s goofy Droop appearance and apparent “stalking” of the judges had us in stitches all season. The bit gave a lot of comedic mileage to a queen who would have otherwise left early in the show. Whether it’s what Dahlia planned for her appearance or not, she was certainly memorable.
#9: Crystal's Musical Mullet
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Crystal Methyd stood out for wacky makeup, an ecstatic personality and that luscious mullet. RuPaul loved the hair so much that she compared it to singer El DeBarge, who Crystal hysterically didn’t know at the time. This reference laughably evolved into playing DeBarge’s “Rhythm of the Night” every time they talked, as Crystal would find silly ways to dance along. All the DeBarge name-drops were giggle-inducing, and Crystal cleverly brought her mullet into her political campaign. While Methyd’s Phenomenal Phil character showed a high-energy side to her, it didn’t have the lasting power of this haircut. With curls this iconic, it was as easy for fans to fawn over her look as it was to crack up at the music.
#8: "Starships" Lip Sync “I’m That Bitch”
Fabulous first impressions had Widow Von’Du and Gigi Goode lip syncing for extra dol-ars, to Nicki Minaj. Ms. Minaj unexpectedly faked-out the runway intro first, and gave us a fun twist on the show’s format. The laughs kept going with Gigi’s joking take on “Starships”’s lyrics and some restrained choreography to mock her tight outfit. From lying around to intentionally bad shuffling, she offered a funny counterpoint to the song’s high-energy beat. Widow kept us in awe of her lightning-fast moves and continuous flopping all around the floor. Though her slide across the stage was spectacular, Widow really set the bar high with her contortionist moves. For a first episode lip sync, Gigi and Widow danced like it was the finale.
#7: Guest Judge Leslie Jones “The Ball Ball”
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“Saturday Night Live” alum Leslie Jones came onto “Drag Race” singing along to “Cover Girl,” and cheekily claimed she’d live tweet her whole appearance. While she definitely fangirled, her comedic talents pushed judges into an unprecedented teenage giggle-fest at the three-part runway. Between her desire for Nicky Doll to run at her and a horse-themed pun on a Ru catchphrase, Jones’ banter was sensational. Jones’ riffs on Jaida Essence Hall’s basketball skills were welcome reads for smaller details. Her humor was so on point that both the judges and queens were laughing from the second she appeared. Given that some guests end up only commenting once, Jones went above and beyond here.
#6: Individual Finale Lip Syncs “Grand Finale”
Covid-19 forced Season 12’s finale to film over video chat, which gave the top three a unique opportunity to pre-film lip syncs. As exciting as the three-way lip-sync’s side-by-side comparisons were, the individual performances were like small music videos. Crystal Methyd’s Nelly Furtado track featured puppets, green screens and makeup to tell a quirky story in her style. Gigi Goode’s homage to “Take On Me” creatively recreated the video’s famous cartoon effects and showed a fun clothing swap to boot. Since eventual winner Jaida Essence Hall was crawling over furniture and her own floor, her clip’s camera movement was refreshingly lively. Against the technical setbacks for this finale, the competitors turned it into an opportunity we may never see again.
#5: "Heidi’s Hydrates" Infomercial “Droop”
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Heidi N Closet was never at a loss for goofy banter, especially in her commentary towards other queens. This meant her moisturizer ad was full of hilarious tooth whistling and oddly specific pricing. The tone-shift in her ingredient reveal was fantastically jarring, as she threw her crying face over a jar. All the screams and physical acting drove the bit over the top to the point that it was able to add hysterical callbacks. All the comments on Heidi’s full name in season 12 were fun, though they couldn’t beat this comedy gold. So by overpacking her script, Heidi’s commercial was a laugh riot.
#4: Jan's Epic Face Crack “Madonna: The Unauthorized Rusical”
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Jan put 110 percent into every episode of drag race, but had trouble securing a win. The Madonna musical saw her dominating rehearsals and seamlessly slipping into character. After her stunning performance, it was palpably disappointing to see her declared safe. And her frown as she heard the announcement was, how do we put it, loud! Jan’s ongoing scowl was almost unwatchable, and Widow Von’Du laughably clocked its horror movie energy. It was all the more painful since Ru set up her praise as if she’d won. Jan wanted a win so bad that whether or not she was quote-unquote “Robbed,” she definitely deserved better.
#3: Robot Maria in “Snatch Game” “Snatch Game”
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When Gigi Goode pushed for a robot in “Snatch Game,” RuPaul told her it wouldn’t be funny. Gigi’s sassy intro and lip twitches quickly showed she had a creative concept at hand. All her random cursing played against the dry expectations of a robot, as did her anger at being controlled. The slapstick of her fumbling with her cards was the surprising comedic gem of the night, and it explored the funnier setbacks of being a machine. Despite Ru’s worries, Gigi not only created a smart routine but also one that could volley back and forth with others on the fly. This risky choice stood out and assured viewers Gigi had comedy chops to match her looks.
#2: Jackie's "Firework" Lip Sync “Choices 2020”
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Jackie Cox made a statement by celebrating both American and Iranian culture in a red striped caftan and a blue hijab with silver stars. Other events of the week left her in the bottom two, to dance to “Firework” by Katy Perry. After problematic questions from guest Jeff Goldbum pushed her down more, Jackie shed it all off on-stage by kicking a bag and hilariously chasing it. Her cartoonish spin on the lyrics showed her eccentric style and humor in one exciting package. It was all her flailing, power poses and jumping that really countered the exact cultural critiques she had faced. Heck, Goldblum was won over enough to cry. And that fabric-spinning finale was dynamic and showed just how much she could put into one moment. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. The Del Rio Trio in "World's Worst" Because of that Shaky Charlie’s Angel Pose "Look Over There!" in “Choices 2020” Because It Kept Bringing the Laughs Meeting Janet the Planet in “Superfan Makeover” Because She Had a Huge Personality The Mirror Song in “Viva Drag Vegas” Because It was Touching & Seamless Miss Vanjie's Many Appearances in Multiple Episodes Because It’s Vanjie, Vaaaaaaaaaaaaanjie
#1: "I'm That Bitch" Rap Challenge “I’m That Bitch”
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To introduce us to the first seven queens of season 12 with a wider range of talents, we got a full-scale rap in the debut. Brita and Crystal Methyd’s verses were wacky and loud ways to start, and showed the whole group had the energy for the challenge. Gigi Goode proved her sense of humor and sassier attitude early, to avoid claims she would just be a look queen. Heidi N Closet really raised the bar with her upside-down moves and flips, which she performed impressively without missing a line. And the massive split intro from Widow Von’Du helped leave viewers' jaws on the floor. In a first-day challenge that had everyone figuring out choreography and lyrics, the new queens delivered like professionals.
