RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 6 Episode 9 Recap: the Queens of Talk

RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 6 Episode 9 begins with the post-Laganja elimination kiki. We’re establishing that most girls think Joslyn is going home next, which means she probably isn’t. Other than that, there’s just some good-natured wholesome banter among the girls. The guest judges this week are Paula Abdul, Cher’s mom Georgia Holt and Cher’s son, Chaz Bono. The trifecta of close, but not-Cher.

This week’s mini-challenge involves Mr. Scruff of the Scruff social network app and of the Scruff pit-crew. It’s basically Wheel of Fortune but with no Wheel, a lot of A-S-S and letters on the butts of the Scruff pit crew. Ru calls it Hung Man. For some reason the girls that guess the puzzle in 1 letter don’t get extra points, but who’s quibbling. BenDeLaCreme wins the mini-challenge and a lifetime supply of fake eyelashes.

The main challenge is a talk show. The girls are interviewing two of their extra-special guest judges Chaz Bono and Georgia Holt. Joslyn knows she’s been read for her look pretty consistently, so she decides to focus on her wardrobe first. So the other girls read her for the outfits she’s picking out in their confessionals.

In Ru’s check-in with the girls, most queens are scared or unsure about what they’re doing. And if they’re confident, then Ru gives them something to be scared about. BenDeLaCreme needs to figure out how to show his real personality. Courtney Act flat-out asks “what do the judges want from me?” Joslyn decides she’s going to go with comments about who came out of whose vagina. We’re setting up for a semi-disaster.

And then we get to see all of the awful bits of each queen’s interview. No one seems to do well. Adore isn’t really listening. The response to ‘depression’ of any kind is never ‘party.’ Bianca has too many questions and doesn’t ask Georgia Holt anything. Trinity keeps calling Chaz Chad. Darienne is kind of blah and pieces of her outfit keep falling off her. UPDATE: Want to see more? Logo just posted the talk show intros in a bonus scene from the Queens of Talk.

The two queens that do well are Courtney Act and BenDeLaCreme.

And then there’s Joslyn. Poor, poor Joslyn. First she keeps the Chaz coming out of Cher & Cher coming out of Georgia in her intro. Out of a sense of respect she doesn’t use the word vagina. Psst… Joslyn… that word wasn’t really the issue. She also decides to ask Georgia Holt how she feels about abortion. Why, Joslyn? Why?

The runway theme is ‘animal jungle fever.’ Darienne goes for elephant realness. Really it’s just a grey sack with some fake tusk earrings. Adore has a sparkly Hannibal Lecter mask and some cheetah print, but that’s about it. She claims she’s a jaguar. Ok. BenDeLaCreme has a fly outfit with some fly walking realness mannerisms that’s really cool. Bianca goes cheetah. And we get three birds – Joslyn goes with a jacket over her usual bikini with a few head feathers. Trinity has a huge tribal explosion of feathers coming from her back. But Courtney Act’s huge expandable wings take it for me. They’re super-cool and moveable, which I think gives her a slight edge over Trinity. She also did not call anyone Chad.

After the judging Bianca Del Rio is safe, as is BenDeLaCreme. Courtney Act is declared the winner. Darienne Lake is safe. Up for elimination is Adore Delano and Trinity K Bonet. Were you thinking Joslyn should be in the bottom? Of course Joslyn isn’t in the bottom; all the girls have set up that she would be in the bottom. Too predictable. Michelle Visage does read her for her meaty tuck. She does not get read for wearing a bikini. Again. I assume because everyone is sick of saying “STOP WEARING A BIKINI!”

Adore is reasonably scared as Trinity has sent a lot of girls home with her lip-synch. However this is Adore performing a Paula Abdul song in front of Paula Abdul after having been judged by Paula Abdul on American Idol. The girls must’ve done a little ki-ki-ing about their performance ahead of time because they interact with each other like Raja and Carmen Carrera did on season 3 (which was also to a Paula Abdul song – if you missed it, it’s the video below. Enjoy. Fair warning, the naughty word that’s always bleeped isn’t bleeped.). There’s even a bit I think Logo decided was a bit too naughty so we get to see a shot of RuPaul instead.

Adore is safe and Trinity is sent home. She’s been unstoppable in the final lip synch for so long, but not this time. She gives Ru a heartfelt thank you as she gives a classy farewell. A nice change after last week. It feels like Trinity got what she needed from the competition, and it was time for her to go.

Was it Trinity’s time? Were you disappointed in the lack of word salad from Paula Abdul (I was)? Will Joslyn go home next week? Apparently there are makeovers of brides next week, so we’ll see who can handle the drag makeover challenge. If the queens have to make wedding gowns, I’m guessing that Adore & BenDeLaCreme will have the toughest time. Is anyone going to make their bride cry?

What do you think?