The winds were calling on RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 14 Episode 7, and it was a laugh riot.
“The Daytona Wind” didn’t take itself too seriously, so we got to go along for the ride. As strange as it might be, the fart jokes worked in getting all the laughs.
A confusing-yet-funny round of Drag Race felt like a breath of fresh air. A nice break from the cutthroat eliminations to enjoy the silliness of the series.
Filler weeks have a long depressing history with Drag Race.
As with any reality TV show, rounds where obvious contestants are eliminated or no one goes home tend to drag on the pacing. RuPaul’s Drag Race has many episodes to fill, so it has suffered this curse before. But “The Daytona Wind” didn’t feel like filler.
The editing had a purpose and followed the same structure as if someone were to go home. The scenes didn’t blatantly telegraph who would be eliminated or lip-syncing; instead, the footage teased which queens might be in trouble. I loved this style because the ambiguousness kept us on our toes.
Jasmine Kennedie: I don’t feel … Like, we clearly had a moment.
Kerri Colby: Yes.
Jasmine Kennedie: We had a moment.
And when it came time to drop the twist, the news felt fun and refreshing. We just witnessed an outrageous few minutes of Drag Race from the soap opera video; the twist simply continued the high from that energy.
We need more ambiguous editing like this in the future. The genuine surprise is worth more than giving it all away.
Drag Race still loves to set up its narratives of which queens will either rise or fall. Case in point: Lady Camden and Daya Betty getting to the top.
Daya’s journey to a high spot has been a big storyline for weeks now. Like, RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 14 Episode 6 was Daya’s crumbling episode over being “safe” yet again. She had the fire burning under her to rise or fall.
After her bitter bashing against Jorgeous, she was bound to end up at the top or the bottom this week. The storyline was there, the path was teased, and something needed to happen to put this plot to a rest.
Daya Betty: I am very proud of you, Jorgeous. That is the sexiest napkin ever I’ve seen out on the runway.
Angeria Paris VanMichaels: Bitch, get out!
[Willow Pill laughs. Shade rattle noise]
I’m glad Daya got the recognition she worked for; her CEO chaps runway was sophisticated, and her acting was the kind of outlandish that RuPaul loves. She gave everything needed to avoid a safe placement.
Let’s hope now the constant confessionals and monologues about being ignored are done. There’s only so much self-promotion we can take before it becomes a cycle.
In Lady Camden’s case, she served acting, darling!
The judges love legitimate acting performances that don’t rely on the absurdity of being on Drag Race. Lady Camden worked her skills and gave a stellar scene, especially against Angeria Paris VanMichaels, who kept forgetting her lines.
Lady Camden picking up the slack most likely made her look even better. She won me over by how dedicated she got into the role and the energy going between Angeria’s cuts.
But, it was her Freddie Mercury-inspired runway that pushed her over the edge.
Faking a fall on the runway might be on the Top 5 best runway reveals in Drag Race herstory. She fooled us all and owned the momentum. “The Daytona Wind” was an amazing round for Lady Camden.
Speaking of the soap opera, the acting was a good week for the queens overall.
Acting can be hit-or-miss for the queens, especially when there’s a week script holding them back. But, this scene worked to give everything the judges wanted.
[In confessional] This apology Daya is giving Jorgeous is faker than my breastplate.
Jasmine Kennedie
Daya Betty, Willow Pill, Jasmine Kennedie, Lady Camden, and Bosco had the best acting performances from the group.
Just like Daya and Lady Camden, Bosco felt her role easily. Small roles make the biggest impact, and she could’ve snatched the win had the others not killed it.
On the other hand, Willow and Jasmine embraced their weirdness, and it made them so much funnier. Jasmine’s acting in any other challenge would be bad, but her accidental Alyssa Edwards became a new favorite. It was so bad it became good.
And yet the farting sound effects were the biggest surprise of the night. Did anyone expect them to go for fart jokes?
Anything and everything is on the table with RuPaul’s Drag Race, but this gag took me by surprise.
It was so random, confusing, and weird, yet the tone was funny and stupid. The show knew 100% how this would look, so they got in on the joke.
I loved how the edit basically spelled out how silly everything was. Drag Race is better when it pokes fun at itself and rides the momentum. “The Daytona Wind” was all silly that no one should take seriously.
The “Chaps on the Runway” category, on the other hand, didn’t come to play with the looks. Most of the ensembles were heavy hitters that could’ve helped a few queens at the top and the bottom.
Willow Pill, Bosco, Angeria, Lady Camden, and Daya Betty had the most polished and best overall looks of the round.
As mentioned above, Lady Camden’s Freddie Mercury stole the show with its presentation on the runway, and Daya Betty’s CEO looked so chic and structured. Her ensemble elevated every feature to make her a star.
I, of course, have more of a fire under my ass now. So, watch the fuck out everyone!
[All the room cheers]Lady Camden
Willow’s and Bosco’s runways were both fun numbers that set them apart from the others. Bosco’s exuded her sex appeal and served something new on the runway, while Willow created an innovative look. No one could’ve pulled off a leather BDSM atomic wedgie EXCEPT for Willow Pill.
And Angeria’s golden disco chaps would’ve saved her from landing at the bottom two. She looked so elevated and beautiful! RuPaul loves disco references.
I agreed with the judges that Lady Camden won the Lip-sync For The Win of “One Way Or Another” by Blondie.
She hit the right tone out of the gate, and she served comedic energy that worked perfectly for the song. Her acrobatic moves and poses also balanced the rocker style coming off the track.
Daya served a strong performance, too, albeit with more edge and straightforward lip-syncing. Her rocker number worked in her favor; it wasn’t the flashier of the two, but it was a solid performance that could go either way.
A good lip-sync to end an upbeat week.
Last Thoughts From The Werk Room:
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Daya Betty caused all the drama by going after Jorgeous. Sure, Jorgeous wore a stunning outfit for Jorgeous, but keeping the messiness going on made her look bitter.
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I think DeJa Skye and Kerri Colby would’ve been lip-syncing if there was a bottom two. Kerri played the “pretty” role again, and DeJa kept forgetting her lines. Angeria’s past wins and her runway would’ve saved her.
- Was this a non-elimination round due to Kornbread leaving on RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 14 Episode 5?
Now, over to you, Drag Race fans!
What did you think of “The Daytona Wind”?
Are you happy Lady Camden got her first win? Who do you think would’ve ended up at the bottom? Will Daya Betty finally stop talking about not winning a challenge?
Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Justin Carreiro is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.