RuPaul's Drag Race Season 13 Episode 13 Review: Henny, I Shrunk the Drag Queens!
Justin Carreiro
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The end is almost here! Five queens are left to compete for the title of America's Next Drag Superstar.
Standing in their way of the final stages is one all-important Maxi Challenge. In the case of RuPaul's Drag Race Season 13 Episode 13, it's an acting challenge featuring a parody of "Honey, I Shrunk The Kids."
One bad role can be a disaster for a queen so close to the crown. Did the skit spell success for the aspiring winners?
"Henny, I Shrunk the Drag Queens!" was a funny and upbeat movie.
The Top 5 queens delivered with their acting performances to bring personality to the characters. Each queen picked a role that suited their typical style, so they easily captured the magic to shine on-screen.
Plus, the remaining queens had great chemistry with one another. They had enough acting experience (or just personality) to work off the script and pull the scenes together.
Though, the real star of the film had to be the script itself. "Henny, I Shrunk the Drag Queens!" was a developed and structured film that gave each role a significant part and established character.
Sometimes the past Drag Race acting challenges weren't so generous, and the scripts hindered the smaller roles. However, this movie was easily in the Top 5 parody films with the queens because it was balanced and so funny.
Rosé killed it in her acting performance! It's no surprise she won the Maxi Challenge because she's proven to be a serious threat in every acting role.
Part of her secret weapon was that she brought plenty of little nuances to the role and acted throughout the film.
Dominique is the villain, crazy, delusional. That’s me! Dominique is mine.
Kandy Muse
Whenever the camera was on her (or not), she would act with her whole body and add little touches, like the cross-eyes or the big expressions. And, she brought new styles to the character that she hadn't done in the past, like different accents and movements.
It's a shame the edit didn't highlight her breakthroughs. The pace made it seem expected that she'd do great, so the show didn't want to focus on her rehearsals or her winning over the judges.
The attention was placed on other queens to shape their stories.
Gottmik's emerging comedic chops will serve her well after the competition. She delivered plenty of laughs and body comedy in her role as the whiny Chardonnay.
A queen who can think on her feet and add more to the scene, like her improvising during the sneezing, was the type of innovation the judges love. They want to see what a queen can bring to the table and what more she can offer.
Plus, her sensual attack by the cat will no doubt become a GIF-worthy moment!
Gottmik: RuPaul compared my comedy to Phyllis Diller.
Rose: Down the road, in a few years if there’s a little roast tour, I wanna sit next to you, bitch!
Gottmik's performance highlighted a common trend during RuPaul's Drag Race Season 13 Episode 13, where the queens delved back into their familiar styles and personalities.
Gottmik went for the sexy and whiny character she's played in the past, like during RuPaul's Drag Race Season 13 Episode 11. Her acting was funny, but it was too familiar and something she's done before.
The same can be said about Symone.
Symone's character of Marguerita was her confident and sassy alter-ego, right down to the inflections in her voice. The same characters came out during RuPaul's Drag Race Season 13 Episode 4 and RuPaul's Drag Race Season 13 Episode 12.
Don't get me wrong, Symone killed it in the final edit. She captured the essence of the role and owned each line as the smart leader of the pack. If it wasn't for Rosé's dynamic acting capabilities, Symone could've battled for the top spot.
Interestingly, neither Gottmik nor Symone were critiqued harshly about utilizing the same styles. Sure, Gottmik got praised for adding hills and valleys for her performance, but the character type was brought back again.
This critique might be a case where Symone and Gottmik just did so amazing in the end product that it didn't matter the inspiration.
Kandy Muse, on the other hand, needed more inspiration behind the character in the movie.
I agree with the judges that she should've pushed herself further to add more to the role. The performance was too simple and subdued.
Playing a villain, especially on Drag Race, needs an overdramatic soap opera edge that fills the scene. It's "go big or go home" in this type of iconic role.
Kandy Muse: Divas! Divas, divas, divas, it’s anyone’s game baby.
Gottmik: Coast-to-coast.
[All the queens cheer and raise hands]
Kandy Muse: And on that note, f*** you, bitches!
Kandy Muse played the villain as a shady contestant instead of a soapy supervillain. Though, the biggest issue was that Kandy was playing Kandy yet again!
It's a shame she didn't hit it out of the park, especially since she fought to get this role.
Olivia Lux was another case of the queen playing the same character yet again.
Didn't she learn after the judges read her to filth for playing shy and cutesy girls? Apparently not since she jumped on the Ginger Ale role before anyone else.
[In confessional] The judges have been telling Olivia that every time she gets up there, she gives this “apologetic shy girl” thing and that’s what this Gingerelle role is. If I were here, I would not be trying to do that.
Gottmik
The role of Ginger Ale was a huge retread for her since she played it with the same inflections, the same smiles, the same ditzy attitude, and the same happy demeanor. Neither the judges nor we as viewers got a different side to the queen.
Olivia Lux played Olivia Lux's comfort zone. At this point in the competition, playing safe and comfortable won't land you in the finals. The result was set in stone once she chose the role.
The pocket runway was a clever idea that pushed the queens to be creative. All five outfits were unique, stylish, and crafty in their individual ways. Symone, Rosé, and Gottmik had the best ensembles on the runway.
Symone's zipper jumpsuit looked like an elevated outfit you would see in an editorial magazine. It's something crafty and different that tweaks the meaning of a pocket dress.
Rosé's mod-inspired outfit made her look fashionable and beautiful. Her style has positively improved over the previous weeks (let's forget all the shapeless outfits!), and this '60s dress shined because it accentuated her features. She dominated the runway with this look!
Gottmik's surprise trenchcoat was fun, cheeky, and stylish. She took a Disney nod and turned it into an editorial piece that thought outside the box for the pocket theme.
Gottmik deserves all the credit for her looks and what she's brought to the runway.
Kandy Muse and Olivia Lux performed a great lip-sync of "Strong Enough" by Cher.
You could tell that the queens had a fun time on stage. "Strong Enough" is the kind of song you can't help but have a good time singing and dancing to it. It's an empowering number!
Kandy easily won the lip-sync from the first playful look she gave to Olivia on stage. The judges were laughing and eating up every instance Kandy sang to Olivia to leave. The small touches rounded out the song and made it a stronger lip-sync, which Kandy served throughout.
Olivia did a great job with the dance moves and playful looks, but she couldn't match Kandy's style. Olivia missed plenty of opportunities to give it back to her competitor.
In a few years, she may be ready to snatch the crown of America's Next Drag Superstar. Olivia's not ready at this time.
Last Thoughts From The Werk Room:
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Why couldn't Olivia give a name during the "Who should go home?" vote? Not giving a name is so much worse!
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You go, Michelle Visage! Get those acting credits where you can.
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Is Symone getting the vulnerability/redemption edit that Alaska got during RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 2? Symone was already the frontrunner, but after her mirror moment and confessional, it might be a shoo-in at this point.
- RuPaul's Drag Race should keep doing the video surprises from celebrities. The guests have been strong (Scarlett Johansson! Anne Hathaway!), and they've offered great advice to the queens.
Now, over to you, Drag Race fans!
What did you think of "Henny, I Shrunk the Drag Queens!"?
Which acting performance did you like the best? Are you happy with the Final 4? Which queen will win it all?
Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Justin Carreiro was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow him on X.
