By Jake Tickle, Deputy Film & TV Editor
This year’s drag race brings us the biggest cast to date of sixteen queens, including drag legend Sasha Colby as well as twins Sugar and Spice, and it all begins with a double premiere, topped off with forty inches of human hair and duck walking. Consider my engine well and truly revved.
The first episode begins with the first eight queens walking into the workroom: Irene Dubois, Luxx Noir London (with apparently forty inches of human hair…), Aura Mayari, Marcia Marcia Marcia, Anetra, Malaysia Babydoll Foxx, Princess Poppy and Sasha Colby.
For those of you who don’t know, Sasha Colby is a drag legend in the states, and across the world, she is someone to truly keep your eye on this season.
After talking for a while, the queens are greeted by none other than Ariana Grande, before RuPaul whisks them off for their first challenge, where they will have to model whilst being hosed down by the pit crew. Hot.
Then, we are taken back to the workroom to meet the remaining eight queens: Salina EsTitties, Amethyst, Jax, Loosey LaDuca, Mistress Isabelle Brooks, Robin Fierce, and the twins, Sugar and Spice.
Now that’s over, this group of queens also have to do a modelling challenge, except instead of water, they have to deal with wind. Shortly after, both groups are joined together and are told they have to choreograph a performance for the Talent Show Maxi Challenge – yes, all sixteen of them.
Now onto the main stage for the second episode/part of the season fifteen premiere. RuPaul and Michelle look amazing as always, Ross Matthews is, well, himself, and Ariana Grande is the guest judge. The queens begin with their lipsync, which they choreographed themselves, and it’s… OK.
Now onto the Talent Show. It would take far too long to go through all the queen’s performances, but here are my highlights:
Sugar and Spice surprised everyone with their catchy and hilarious Britney-Esque performances, which were truly a treat to watch, whilst Marcia’s performance harked back to Willow Pill from season fourteen in a hilarious and smart piece where she pulls out some of her ballet moves in front of a portrait of the hilarious Ross Matthews.
Jax also did a great job at lipsyncing whilst doing something we haven’t seen before – rope jumping with her own hair – which had everyone up on their feet.
And that brings me to Anetra. Words cannot describe how obsessed I am with this performance. She comes out spelling her name whilst reminding us that it’s ‘six letters, three vowels’, telling us she is here to ‘wear your pussies out’ and that she did. She duck walks to the front of the stage, quacking, of course, and vogues to a techno beat.
But that’s not all! She also chops wood with her hand and then kicks the other piece of wood, chopping that in half too, all while walking the duck. Anetra blew my mind, her performance was equal parts hilarious, catchy, gaggy and actually good. The phrase ‘you better walk that f*cking duck’ has been living in my head since the premiere.
The episode concludes with an actual elimination (unlike other seasons where a queen hasn’t gone home until around four episodes in), and I have to say, this was one of Drag Race’s best premieres to date, but maybe I have Anetra to thank for that. You better walk that duck.
Featured Image: WOW Presents Plus on IMDB
Tune in to watch the rest of Season 15 of Rupaul's Drag Race on WOW Presents Plus every Saturday!
