WARNING: The following contains major spoilers for RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 13, Episode 13, “Henny, I Shrunk the Drag Queens,” which aired Friday on VH1.
This week on RuPaul’s Drag Race, the queens are cast in a short film inspired by Honey, I Shrunk the Kids! Along with that, the runway is all about pockets, and the competitors better turn it out since this is a battle for the top four. The following article breaks down the challenges and the eliminations of Season 13, Episode 13, with plenty of spoilers ahead.
The Fallout From Last Week
After Utica went home, the queens return to the werk room, and Symone reminds herself that she needs to get out of her head, especially since this is the top five. Meanwhile, Kandy Muse is feeling like a real competitor now with her first win, and she’s determined to remain on top.
The Maxi-Challenge: Heny, I Shrunk the Drag Queens!
In Henny! I Shrunk the Drag Queens, the competitors will be performing in a short film. Olivia Luxx wants to be Ginger Ale, the dumb one, which concerns Gottmik since the character is super innocent and that’s what Olivia has been criticized for on the runway. Rosé wants to be Brandy, the sarcastic one, and Gottmik wants to be Chardonae.
While these queens don’t run into issues with their choices, both Kandy and Symone want to be Dominique, the villain of the film. Finally, Symone reluctantly agrees to be Margarita, the smart one, with Kandy trying to convince her that this role is more up her alley given her similarities to the character. In fact, each queen ends up with a character who is similar to their real life drag persona in some way.
In the midst of the queens’ preparations, Scarlett Johansson appears on screen to give the queens some acting advice. Olivia asks the Black Widow how to best approach acting against imaginary monsters, so she advises her to have conviction since acting is making the unbelievable believable. Kandy then asks her what is the best way to play a villain, and Johansson says that you have to love that character and still have sympathy for them. Mik also asks her how to elevate playing a small role, and Johansson tells them, “there are no small parts, only small queens.” As they wrap up their conversation, Johansson’s husband, Saturday Night Live’s Colin Jost, pokes his head in to make a size queen joke before the queens disband to get to work.
On set, Michelle Visage and Carson Kressley are the directors, and they remind the queens they need to go big despite the film’s premise. As the shoot starts, Symone is advised that she needs to present a stronger character. After that scene, Kandy has a scene by herself, and the directors keep asking her to repeat her line, but she makes everyone laugh in the process.
On to the next ensemble scene, Olivia is asking a lot of questions about what to do. Meanwhile, Rosé is the one to watch out for according to Mik, with even the directors whispering to themselves about what a great actor she is. As for Mik, she takes direction well, so when she gets her solo scene, she has the room laughing over her performance.
The Runway – Ode Pockets
Symone is up first in a pant suit that looks like she is tucked inside someone’s jean pocket, and her hair is channeling classic Paramore vibes. Olivia then enters wearing a short dress with huge pockets and crystals. Rosé follows up in her black and white maude dress, which makes her look like a ’60s barbie doll. Kandy then comes out in a colorful bodysuit, with the bright pockets hanging off of it. Gottmik is the last queen, wearing a trench coat that she opens up on stage to reveal a dress made of watches, paying homage to a joke from Disney’s Hercules.
The Critiques
While Michelle was originally nervous about Symone losing herself, the movie proved that she actually popped on screen, bringing nuance to the humor. Her runway look was also stunning and what the judges were hoping for with this challenge. Olivia, on the other hand, wore a gorgeous dress with pockets, but the outfit wasn’t about the pockets. She also did okay with her character, but she’s played innocent before, and the judges wanted to see more range from her, especially since this character was her choice. This lands her in the bottom.
As for Rosé, Michelle and Carson praise how professional, efficient and fun she is to work with, and this pays off because her physical comedy is fantastic in the final product. Her runway look is also great, with Michelle saying it’s one of Rosé’s best looks of the season, cementing her win for the episode. Unfortunately for Kandy, her runway was a miss, as it didn’t fit well, wasn’t elevated enough and comes across as sloppy for the judges. She even admits that she doesn’t feel beautiful in it. As for her performance, it’s very Kandy, and the judges wanted to see more than that, so she’s in the bottom two.
Wrapping up the critiques is Gotmik, and the judges cannot get enough of her outfit, describing it as fun, fashionable, well executed and a great cultural reference. Her performance was also stellar, thanks to her physical comedy, ideas and timing.
With the critiques over, RuPaul asks the queens who they think should go home. Everyone, aside from Olivia, say she should go because she’s grown the least. Meanwhile, Olivia struggles with an answer, not wanting to say herself, but she also doesn’t want to say anyone else. Finally, she says Kandy should go based on the critiques.
Who Went Home This Week
This is Kandy’s third time lip syncing, and Olivia’s second time, aside from their initial lip syncs. They preform to Cher’s “Strong Enough,” which starts off slow before the queens break out into a full on dance number. In the end, Olivia loses, making the top four Symone, Gottmik, Rosé and Kandy.
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