With a groundbreaking two-part opening, MTV’s “RuPaul’s Drag Race” has begun its seventeenth season. With this new structure, the contestants have more power, and the elimination process has a new twist.
To begin the season, 14 new drag artists from all over the US are added. Contestants will now judge each other using an updated version of the “Rate-a-Queen” system seen in Season 16. This is a major departure from tradition.
With this new format, the premiere is split into two parts. People from one group will rate the acts of people from the other group. The top two queens who “Lip Sync for the Win” will be chosen by their peers and the bottom queen will be sent home.
This twist has already made the contestants play more strategically. For example, Kori King voted strategically, while Lana Ja’Rae and Arrietty worked together to change the ranks.
With Acacia Forgot, the bottom queen from the first week, having more control over her fate in the elimination round, the game’s strategic dynamics became clear. Her plan seemed to work because Hormona Lisa, criticized for having a weak stand-up act, finished last after the second week of performances.
There was a lip-sync fight between the two queens to Ariana Grande’s song “Yes, and?” Acacia Forgot gave a great performance, and during her act, she showed off a hidden makeup brush. At first, RuPaul wanted to get rid of Hormona Lisa, but the show added a new twist: the Badonka Dunk Tank.
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This new feature gave Hormona a 1 in 5 chance to stay in the race. To dunk judge Michelle Visage, sitting on top of a water tank in a cheetah-print swimsuit, she had to pick the right button. Hormona surprised everyone by picking lever number seven. She dunked Visage, which secured her spot in the race.
These changes to the premiere style are a big step forward for the franchise, which has been around for 16 years. People have said bad things about the show and how it judges. By letting contestants participate in the review, “Drag Race” hopes to address these issues while making the game more fun and strategic.
In the third show, all 14 queens will return to determine how they ranked among their peers. This new information will surely add to the drama and change the characters’ relationships as the season progresses.
Season 17 of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” airs on MTV every Friday at 8 p.m. ET/PT. You can watch past episodes on Paramount+.
