It’s the end of the road for two queens on RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 14 Episode 5.
Injuries happen on Drag Race, and it’s not the first time a queen has had to be medically pulled from the competition. So, it’s not surprising for the possibility to pop up. However, it’s sad for anyone to lose out on their dream due to something out of their control.
And for the removal to be one of the expected Top 4 queens, her exit was a shocking reveal.
Before her news, did anyone expect Kornbread “The Snack” Jeté to leave early on?
Kornbread had the most confessionals so far in the competition. Drag Race had been setting her up as the “narrator” (i.e., the queen who viewers can follow that explains everything), and she seemed like a lock for the finals.
The feeling from her abrupt exit proved that the editing wanted us to get to know Kornbread and feel for her when she had to go.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m very sad she’s gone because Kornbread was funny and a strong queen; it’s just how her storyline was edited also elevated that sadness. It’s a handy reality TV trick that works every time.
Though, will she be returning for RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 15? Typically, the spot is given to the removed queen because the injury was out of her control. Hopefully, Kornbread does get the chance to compete again.
It’s also weird to think that the saddest moment during “Save a Queen” transitioned into the funniest moment of the round.
The queens popping balloons on the Pit Crew members will go down as one of the funniest and cringest segments in Drag Race herstory. The Pit Crew members better have gotten paid extra!
DeJa Skye: Well, I know how Angie is feeling. $5,000 richer!
[All the queens cheer]
Jasmine Kennedie: You’re the richest bitch in here!
Angeria Paris VanMichaels: It’s the most money I’d never had at one time. Bitch, I’m like, “Girlllll!”
Everything during the balloon popping was hilarious: how no one could keep a straight face, the room descending into madness when it was Maddy Morphosis’ turn, Jorgeous not being able to pop the balloon, the Pit Crew members hysterically laughing, and so much more.
Drag Race embraced its campiness and did a game I never thought would air on TV. Now that RuPaul has won several Emmys for the show, anything and everything is on the table.
For the Maxi Challenge, it was an interesting idea for the queens to create funny PSA commercials about first-eliminated Drag Race queens. It’s an easy concept to understand, and if you’ve seen one commercial, you understand the tone and idea.
Tempest DuJour, Jaymes Mansfield, and Kahmora Hall were great additions to have back.
I loved that Drag Race showed respect to the past queens and gave them a spotlight for how they’ve grown. Plus, them getting involved in the challenge and runway made the most of their talents (and the time they spent in quarantine to do the guest spot).
Drag Race should have more chances in the future for past queens to return and do guest spots. Longtime Drag Race fans love seeing past queens return, especially outside RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars.
The Kahmora Hall video was the best out of all three PSAs.
Lady Camden, Daya Betty, and Bosco worked really well together. They had a vision of what they wanted to do and used their time effectively to get all the footage they needed. And even when one queen stumbled a little, it wasn’t a big hurdle they had to overcome.
Kahmora Hall acted her butt off and served comedy in the video. Her performance here made up for her early exit on RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 13 Episode 4. (All three returning queens did an amazing job; they came out as the stars of the round.)
I’m surprised that all three queens in this group weren’t all the top queens of the week. Their runways were on fire, and they killed it in the video; they should’ve all received team credit instead of only Bosco’s Maxi Challenge win and Lady Camden’s top placement.
Jaymes Mansfield’s and Tempest DuJour’s videos were good as well. However, their PSAs had clear issues from lackluster queens.
Jorgeous had no confidence in her video; she read her lines with no energy. Typically, that could get her a “safe” placement, but the fear was all over her face. She couldn’t hide from that situation.
[In confessional] I know what the judges want to see now. So, if they want “monster” and they want “Scary Kerri,” they’re gonna get Scary-Motherfucking-Kerri, period.
Kerri Colby
Jasmine Kennedie had a bad inflection problem. Once Michelle Visage brought up that she sounded like The Count from Sesame Street, that’s all you could hear from her line reading. She needed to pace herself and add personality to her words.
And finally, Orion Story was clearly the worst of the acting.
Monotone. Low energy. Stiff performance. She was the obvious queen who would be landing at the bottom; it’s a confident guess any Drag Race fan could’ve made.
The “Spring Has Sprung” runway felt lackluster. None of the options blew me away and offered something different we hadn’t seen on the runway before.
Jorgeous, Jasmine Kennedie, Daya Betty, Lady Camden, and Bosco had the best outfits of “Save a Queen.”
Jorgeous and Jasmine had cute ensembles that showed off their personalities. Jorgeous’ mint green dress didn’t wow me, but it suited her cutesy tone and aesthetic. And Jasmine’s sexy emerald-stoned corset gave off major Poison Ivy vibes without the greenery.
Time to release the ginger.
Lady Camden
Lady Camden and Bosco had very clever outfits that made them stand out. Lady Camden loves anything where she can be creative and campy, which helped with the teapot fascinator. And thankfully, Bosco’s cloud revealed into a gorgeous yellow gown because that cloud looked like a loofah.
And about Daya Betty, how did that orange butterfly ensemble not push her into the top? It was gorgeous! Such a travesty that it wasn’t recognized.
At least the performance during the lip-sync of “My Head and My Heart” by Ava Max rightfully got all the needed recognition.
Can we all agree that Jorgeous slayed this performance? The queens were hyping her up in the confessionals, and she didn’t disappoint one second on stage. This was one moment where Drag Race was upfront about the flawlessness that was about to be served.
Jorgeous moved around the stage with powerful dance moves, and then her jaw-dropping trick sealed Orion’s fate.
[In confessional] Alyssa just got told to go home. Honey, she didn’t have the golden ticket where the Wonka didn’t pop up out of nowhere. The chocolate bar sent the girl packin’.
Kornbread “The Snack” Jeté
Though, Orion sealed her fate, too, with a few sloppy moves. Why kick off your shoes after seeing June Jambalaya eliminated on RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 14 Episode 3? And why didn’t she glue down her wig? Her sexy blonde wig kept sliding back.
Orion had a bad week. There was no way she was going to survive this battle.
Last Thoughts From The Werk Room:
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Could there be a possibility where Tempest, Jaymes, or Kahmora make an appearance on All Stars?
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Whenever RuPaul looks unimpressed during a walkthrough, that should be a huge red flag for a queen to change direction.
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If Willow Pill doesn’t win, her mirror moment during “Save a Queen” guarantees her a spot on All Stars.
- Cheers to Sarah McLachlan for filming the cameo and being in on the PSA joke!
Now, over to you, Drag Race fans.
What did you think of “Save a Queen”?
Did you predict Orion Story would get eliminated? Will Kornbread return for RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 15? What was your favorite commercial?
Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Justin Carreiro is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.