Andy Warhol predicted that in the future (which is now), everyone will be famous for 15 minutes. In Ru’s factory, her All Stars know a thing or two about the fame game.

They know what it is like when someone turns off the spotlight and tells you to sashay away, and what is waiting for you on the other side. This week, we said goodbye to a young queen, redeemed a fan favourite, and the children got an education on Pop Art and Studio 54.

THE CHALLENGE

This week, the queens took part in Warhol Ball, in tribute to the iconic artist, star-maker, and pop culture figure.

Since last week’s so-so Snatch Game, I am perhaps being a little hard on AS3 but this was not All Stars worthy challenge. I am struggling to recall a ball challenge that only featured two looks instead of the usual three.

In recent years, the ball challenge sees the queens wear two looks they brought from home and one they have to make from scratch. This season’s Warhol Ball saw them make one Studio 54-inspired outfit…and design a soup can that best reflects their catchphrase charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent.

Andy Warhol, for the children, was a big deal in the world of art and celebrity. He cut an unforgettable line through post-war America and it’s rampant consumerism, no more iconically than with his series of Campbell’s Soup Cans. Years later, he was a darling of the Studio 54 set. Again, if you are too young to remember (I AM ALSO TOO YOUNG) Studio 54 was THE nightclub of the NYC disco era.

It’s also a late 90s movie starring Crying Sister from Party of Five, The Former Mr Reese Witherspoon, Mexican goddess and Weinstein obliterator Salma Hayek and… Austin Powers?

Confused? You should be.

Also, since when has the most difficult part of a design challenge been choosing which Officeworks the intern runs to and prints off the “designs”?

Trixie finally got out of the gate this week and disco-hustled her way into the top spot. She truly wore a can with her face on it better than any other queen this week.

After five weeks of us screaming “wake up, Trixie”, I was hoping for a little more “canned laughter” from her in this challenge but I am glad you got here, honey. Extra points for the Karen from Finance shout out!

 

BeBe has been coasting through the competition thus far, which has made her the subject of some conspiracy theories. Is she a mole, sent by Ru to infiltrate the workroom and bring back intel on who the rightful winner should be (as if all the camera operators, producers, and crew aren’t literally there to do that job?).

Well, this week BeBe was definitely one kind of moll after she got Aja to make her Studio 54 outfit, and then took complete credit for it on the runway. Classic bitch move, and it got her in the top two.

This week, Shangela slipped a disc…or four. Back in her season, Shangy was infamous for her terrible sewing and costume construction skills. Now she is back and she claims to have learned a thing or two.

Looks like what she learned was pay someone with better taste to make her outfits, because when she got to this week she stumbled and landed in the bottom two. Trixie helped her out in the workroom, cementing their alliance (FOREBODE!).

It must have been tricky to judge this because Shangela did a bad outfit, but a good can (it had “HALLELLOO” written on it, which means it was a very clever can).

Aja’s soup can made the gravest mistake you could make: it didn’t properly reflect her brand. She went for a diabetic sugary soup, but the judges told her she was famous for being spicy.

Aja totally made a mess of this very clear, not at all stupid challenge and as a result landed in the bottom two.

She also tried to pass off a Bardot reference as 70s, when everyone knows that is a 60s thing, or quite possibly an early 00s thing if we are talking about the other Bardot (brb, updating my Tinder bio to “Some people say that I’m hard to tame…”).

THE LIP SYNC AND THE ELIMINATION

This week, the tables were turned when Trixie was lip synching for her legacy and had the power to send Shangela home. Given the pedigree of these two and their high likelihood of making the top four, it seemed like if Trixie won, Aja was going home.

Backstage, BeBe spoke over Aja and railroaded her out of their one-on-one chat faster than I kick out trade after we have both finished

Aja was quick to realise her time here was done, and became upset but resigned to her fate (that’s how you do it, Barnaby).

The lip sync could have been Trixie’s chance to finally nab a win AND cement the unofficial alliance with Shangela…but then Ru gave them The Boss by Diana Ross and handed BeBe the win.

So right!!! ? ??? @BeBeZaharaBenet @trixiemattel #AllStars3 pic.twitter.com/TluQWxSWPc

— RuPaul’s Drag Race (@RuPaulsDragRace) February 23, 2018

BeBe JUST PLAYED Miss Ross in the Diva’s challenge, and the song (which, btw is my favourite Diana Ross number. Look it up, children.). BeBe is an old school, stand and deliver queen and a Diana Ross number is perfect for that. Also, Ru loves Diana Ross. That lip sync was more rigged than wigged, but at least it may put the conspiracy theories to rest.

In the end, BeBe lied about having to get to work and Aja jumped in the big Ru-ber to the sky and said farewell.

AFTER EP 5, WHO DO YOU THINK IS GOING TO WIN?

 

Whatever is happening with this Handmaid’s Tale rudemption narrative is coming to a head (how is your head, by the way?). Each week,  Alaska and Chad have been green-screened into the final shot o the episode, violently collecting the losing queens.

Now, we know at least three queens are up for their return/revenge. But which ones?

In a way, this has made the eliminations less shocking as we knew this stunt was coming up. It is rare, nigh on impossible for a returning Drag Race queen to make it all the way to the top, but it may destabilise some of the others.

DeLa is getting the weary edit, and Shangela and Trixie are talking like they are definitely in the top two. Between this week and last week though, no-one is the winner – especially the audience. Come back, five star All Stars! We miss you.

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RuPaul’s Drag Race is fast-tracked from the US on Stan. Read more Drag Race recaps here.

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Nic Holas has written for The Guardian, Sydney Morning Herald, Archer Magazine, and Hello Mr. You can find him on Twitter @nicheholas, or in his role as co-founder of HIV movement The Institute of Many.