WARNING: The following contains major spoilers for RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 13, Episode 16, “RPDR Grand Finale,” which aired Friday on VH1.
After a longer than usual run, RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 13 has come to its end, and there is a new reigning queen. This finale was unlike anything the show has done before, with the top four competing in a theater while the audience watches a live recording of it from a drive-in. To properly celebrate her win and the finale as a whole, the following article will go in depth about Season 13, Episode 16, “RPDR Grand Finale” with lots of spoilers ahead.
The Runway Looks
Kicking off the finale, the queens show off some of their best looks in the final ball of the season. The first category is Black and White, with Gottmik wearing her classic white makeup with a Hellraiser twist. She’s an elegant Cenobite with her own Pandora’s box. Following her is Kandy Muse, who proudly proclaims she wears gowns now in a simple black and white dress with a powerful Black Lives Matter statement incorporated into its design. Rosé has not been shy when it comes to referencing her love of musicals, and her look continues this tradition as she pays homage to Audrey Hepburn’s dress from My Fair Lady. Finally, Symone comes out in a larger than life wig and Marie Antoinette like gown that is made from bandanas.
The next category is Red All Over, and Mik comes out in a statement piece that brings attention to trans lives and AIDS awareness. Kandy is up next is a leather number that includes headphones and a tiny boombox, paying homage to her denim entrance look back in Season 13, Episode 1. Following her is Rosé, who looks like she just stepped out of the woods in a red vine number that wraps around her body. Ending the category is Symone, and she’s made her dress out of red acrylic nails, accompanied by a blonde wig that features a pair of Black hands showing off their manicure.
The last category is Grand Finale Eleganza, and Mik kicks it off in a royal blue trumpet dress that exposes a jeweled heart on her bare chest, and she dons a golden exoskeleton. Kandy also wears blue for the last category, but she is pulling inspiration from peacocks. Meanwhile, Rosé is the self declared Scottish queen in a light green, silver and jeweled number that feels at home in a palace. Symone is the last look of the ball, and she presents herself as a Greek goddess who is also a warrior. She wears custom armor, and her hair resembles that of Medusa’s.
Remembering Chi Chi DeVayne
Tonight was a night of celebration, as well as remembrance. Sadly, Drag Race alum Chi Chi DeVayne passed away August 2020. Her first appearance on Drag Race was in Season 8, where she placed fourth. She was then brought back for All Stars Season 3, placing seventh before Morgan McMichaels returned, thus putting Chi Chi in eighth place. She delivered one of the most iconic lip syncs on Drag Race in Season 8 when she performed against Thorgi Thor to “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going.” The finale featured loving messages from Drag Race alumni Bob the Drag Queen, Kennedy Davenport, Thorgi, Eureka O’Hara, Kim Chi, Latrice Royale, Cynthia Lee Fontaine and Heidi N Closet, where these queens remembered what a talented, show stopping, charismatic, bubby and honest performer and friend Chi Chi was.
Who Is RuPaul’s Miss Congeniality?
Along with the winner of Drag Race, the finale gave fans their Miss Congeniality, who was chosen by the competitors. Last year’s winner, Heidi, passed on the title to LaLa Ri, who placed tenth on this season. The title awards LaLa $10,000 presented by Olay Body, but in the spirit of giving, Olay also awards the other queens $2,000 each.
Who Is the Winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 13?
To compete for the crown, scepter, $100,000 and a year supply of Anastasia makeup, the queens are randomly paired up to lip sync against one another, with Rosé going against Kandy and Mik competing with Symone. Each pair will also perform to a song by Britney Spears. Rosé and Kandy are first, performing to “Work Bitch.” Rosé has never been in the bottom two, while Kandy has survived the bottom two lip sync three times. Her streak continues, as she knocks Rosé out of the competition. Meanwhile Mik and Symone perform to “Gimme More.” Mik has also never been in the bottom two, while Symone has performed in the bottom two twice before, and she wins yet again.
The top two are Kandy and Symone, and they lip sync against each other like they did in Season 13, Episode 8. The song for this round is “Till the World Ends,” and both queens bring out all the stops. At the end of the day, Symone bests Kandy, making her the winner of Season 13.
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