Bon retour, mes chers lecteurs, dans plus de classements! Drag Race Belgique Season 2 Episode 4 was titled “Masquerade,” which gave the queens a chance to propose a law as a part of Belgium’s first Drag Government. It was followed by Mille et Une Belgiques à l’Eurovision as the runway theme (“1,001 Belgiums at Eurovision”) – a chance to pay tribute to iconic Eurovision looks.
This is the first episode that allowed the cast to fully show off their intelligence and personality in a challenge. That created a night-and-day difference compared to the Girl Groups challenge last week. These queens are clearly more cerebral than they are choreographers – even the weakest speeches of this challenges were better than the safe verses from last week!
This episode also had a brief moment of controversy, with Star and Gabanna walking onto set before the judges arrived to peak at their notes behind the desk. Despite the campy “security footage” confirming their snooping, it did not seem like a very serious offense to me. Unusual and certainly inappropriate, yes – but, I question how a pair of queens in the middle of getting into drag even walked behind the judge’s table without a producer or director stopping them!
I know international seasons often have their workrooms and runways on the same set, sometimes even facing each other, but… this was in the middle of the full camera coverage of the queens getting ready. Heaven only knows how it happened, but I do think it’s funny that this supposed crime was perpetrated by both the oldest and the most youthful contestant (if not the youngest).
Aussi… mes amis, je dois être honnête avec vous: writing about Belgique this year has not resulted in much ongoing readership after the first episode. Of course, if you are reading this, you’re part of the solution, not the problem! And, it could simply be that this season isn’t very popular – it is one of the least-seen franchises. However, unless things change, this might be the only non-English franchise I cover this year. As much as I love to write about Drag Race, I could use this same time to write about comic books!
If you’re enjoying my writing (either during the run of the season or after the fact), please share this post on social media or in your favorite Drag Race communities or group chats! I’d love to have a reason to continue to cover every franchise of Drag Race.
An intellectual episode evened out our powers rankings a bit compared to last week’s disastrous Girl Groups challenge and its big power rankings shakeup. I think we now have a clear-eyed look at how this season might progress from here.
(Want to watch Drag Race Belgique outside of Belgium? For most of the world, it’s available with a Wow Presents Plus subscription as soon as the episode is done airing.)
Lecteurs, start your engines. Et, que la meilleure Drag Queen gagne!
Reminders: I consistently refer to Drag Race artists with their drag names and with she/her pronouns even when they are not in drag, which is the convention of the show. Some performers may have different personal pronouns. Drag is inherently brave, political, and artistic, and all drag is valid. It’s also hard to do. Every drag artist in the world deserves endless essays dedicated to their talents and life stories. I’m commenting on drag artistry in how it fits the established expectations of this specific television program, but the reason I’m commenting at all is because I am obsessed with drag and the people who create it.
Drag Race Belgique Season 2 Episode 4 – Masquerade Drag Government & Mille et Une Belgiques à l’Eurovision Power Rankings
Before we get to our power rankings, let us appreciate a solid episode of Rita Baga fashions! I don’t fully understand her deconstructed sailor look in the workroom, but it was unique and it looked very comfortable! I think clothes with a wider cut flatter Rita considerably.
Then, on the runway, Rita looked the best she has all season – maybe even the best she has looked across both seasons! This teal dress with pink flower appliqués was fashionable but still had the “touch of weird” we expect from Rita with its huge peaked shoulders festooned in flowers.
Sometimes dresses like this use the inner shape created by its contrasting color to create the illusion of a smaller silhouette. This dress did the opposite for me – the slightly jagged column of central pink flowers drew my attention to Rita’s figure, which looked great in this dress.
#1 – Alvilda – 2 wins (was #2, 2, 1)
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Alvilda truly came alive as Minister of Shade! It seemed to forge a connection between her drag queen self and her more timid out-of-drag persona that has experienced a fair share of trauma.
Her speech about how shade ought to be “bitchy yes, mean no” was swift and amusing. There was a moment in the middle where she spoke about the power of words to hurt and kill where real emotion showed through.
Alvilda’s Mille et Une Belgiques à l’Eurovision look, inspired by guest-judge Gustaph, shut the whole category down. It’s actually quite a simple look – high-waisted pants, a thick lined cape, and a wide hat. Altogether, it gave high fashion. Also, Alvilda is the rare queen to pull off looking good in a headsock!
I love how she plays with red and pink throughout the outfit. They could clash, but here complement each other. It’s so much more interesting than the original, and it wisely dispenses with the original’s oversized chaps.
Also, her huge glittering lips were magnificent!
If Alvilda can maintain this connection between her authentic self and her drag presentation, then she is the obvious winner of this season. I suspect we’ll see her hit the bottom once as she encounters a crater of anxiety at some point before the finale. Chances are, that see her facing off against someone the show is happy to eliminate (just as Loulou had an easy battle against Morphae set up for her this episode). It is clear that Alvilda will be in the finale unless she has a complete, multi-week meltdown.
#2 – Loulou Velvet – 1 win, 1 lip sync (was #3, 1, 2)
Loulou Velvet had a terrific concept as the Minister of Movement, but her inexperience with public speaking got the better of her in the presentation.
Her speech was packed with the most physical humor of everyone as well as some personal touches. However, she alternated between cautious and racing through her remarks, and her face was glued to watching her cards for most of the time. It certainly was not a crash and burn, but it definitely was a significant stumble.
Loulou’s Mille et Une Belgiques à l’Eurovision look based on Emly Star was confusing. Choosing to render the original Grecian dress in a color other than white was probably wise, but Loulou skipped the wide patterned belt that broke up the dress and gave it identity. Plus, I think she went overboard with the “gladiator” elements of armoring her arm and wearing a leg sleeve (what else can I call it! it’s not a stocking or a sock!). I was more excited when I thought the odd leg sleeve was actually a full pair of golden pants beneath her diaphanous pink robe.
Will this stumble be Loulou’s only moment of weakness as she progresses to the finale? I’m not so sure. Now that we know she is shy about public speaking I worry for her in Snatch Game next week and the acting challenge almost certain to follow. She will need to overcome her hesitance and be bold and loud to match Alvilda’s shocking confidence in drag.
#3 – Gabanna, 1 lip sync (was #9, 5, 5)
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Gabanna was genuinely funny as the Minister of Fashion, accelerating from a slow start into a pleasing run of cartoonishness that is unlike anything we’ve seen from her so far.
I enjoy this silly, animated version of Gabanna – it fits her image and out-of-drag attitude so much better than being a severe fashion queen. Yet, it wasn’t especially personal compared to other speeches, which Rita singled out in her critique. Despite that, it was a strong week for her – and maybe if she hadn’t snooped on the judge’s notes she could have been handed a surprising win.
Gabanna’s Mille et Une Belgiques à l’Eurovision runway based on Liliane Saint-Pierre worked well. I think the jeweling on the original look was a bit more prominent than on Gabanna’s and Gabanna’s bare black leggings stood out to me. Yet, Gabanna still looked exquisite – keeping up her trend of surprising with high fashion on the runway after last week.
This episode we saw an attractive side of Gabanna – both sillier and more fashionable. As it turns out, she isn’t best as a catty pop tartlet, but as a silly young kid with an eye for severe fashions. If she has the suitcase to support that version of her identity, she could very well make a surprising mid-season sprint to reach the finale. But, I’m unsure if her personal silliness will translate well to Snatch Game next week.
#4 – La Veuve, 1 win, 1 lip sync (was #1, 4, 7)
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La Veuve as we saw her in the initial Talent Show finally returned as the Minister of Fame. Truly, she is not a singing and dancing queen, but a queen full of personality and humorous timing.
Her speech about sending Belgian drag queens on an international tour as paramilitary drag ambassadors was quick and to the point, with several solid chuckles throughout (#FreeSusan). She didn’t show her heart quite as clearly as Alvilda did, but it was all infused with her personality.
Yet, La Veuve does not seem to have the the fashions to make her mark on this season. Her Mille et Une Belgiques à l’Eurovision runway was version of a look from both Serge & Christine Ghisoland from 1972. Yet, neither look was very good. The initial white suit was tailored in a flattering way, but far too plain for the Drag Race Belgique runway. I don’t just mean that it lacked rhinestones – the runway lights devour plain white clothing. Then, La Veuve’s version of Christine’s dress was similarly plain and an awkward cut for her stature. La Veuve needed some padding and the skirt needed a few extra inches.
I suspect the rest of the season will be less focused on dance and design and more on acting and comedy, and if that’s the case La Veuve likely has several weeks of strength upcoming. I will not be surprised if she wins Snatch Game next week. But, even if she makes the finale I am not sure she can win this season with her runway package. Last season, Susan’s runway package was immensely stronger than this one, and the judges still beat her up for it right through the finale. Even if La Veuve picks up another one or two challenge wins, I fear her looks may betray her when it comes to having the winning energy to take the crown.
#5 – Star (was #4, 3, 4)
Star delivered a solid speech as Minister of Societal Makeover. She relied on her reputation as the oldest in the cast to argue for outlawing social media and made a decent case for how it has eroded in-person experiences.
Alas, there was barely a chuckle in her speech – it felt like some of the jokes from her earlier runthrough with Rita were squeezed out.
(Also… Star is barely older than I am! I love to joke about how elderly I am, but she reads as having a decade on me – or more! I wonder if she lied about her age for the confessionals…)
Star’s Mille et Une Belgiques à l’Eurovision dress was a copy of a look worn by Ishtar, but Star’s version looked like a “Spirit of Halloween” version of the fashionable original. The fabric was all wrong – it wasn’t stiff enough to give the shape of the original and it looked rumpled. It was somewhat saved by being a reveal to a decent ballroom dancing dress, but I think it hurts your runway presentation and reception when an initial, obvious reveal look isn’t very good.
This was a challenge where Star really needed to prove herself. We are now nearly at the halfway point of the competition and we have yet to see Star truly excel at anything. I tend to root for the drag veterans who appear on Drag Race, but in this case I don’t think Star has the Star Power it takes to make it to the finale compared to some of the other more-intriguing queens in this cast.
#6 – Chloe Clarke, 2 lip syncs (was #8, 8, 3)
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Chloe Clarke gave a puzzling speech as Minister of Acceptance that felt in line with her tentative approach to drag.
She had a good central point that drag artists ought to be accepted for who they are, but she spent at least a third of her time slowly introducing herself, and the back half clumsily saying that you wouldn’t ask Picasso not to paint. I think there was a resonant “fish gotta swim, birds gotta fly, let people be who they are” message to be found in there, but Chloe doesn’t have the self-editing skills to drill down to that.
Chloe Clarke’s Mille et Une Belgiques à l’Eurovision tribute to Nicole succeeded in some ways and failed in others. I think her addition of swirling rhinestones and a bolero jacket was eye-catching. However, she lost two of the most remarkable elements of the original look – the massive bell sleeves and the slinky lower half. Rendering this as a chaps was a mistake. If it was pants or a tight column skirt it would have preserved more of the elegance of the original pantsuit.
(And, good for Rita for calling out the poor nude illusion.)
The judges continue to fluff Chloe Clark up in their critiques. I think they are sincere. There is something incredibly likable about Chloe that overcomes her lack of confidence. Yet, you cannot win Drag Race on likability alone – even RuPaul’s favorites also have to deliver solid performances to back up her obsession with them. At some point, Chloe simply needs a standout performance to match her charismatic runway presentations – and, the window to deliver one is quickly closing.
Quit: 7th Place – Morphae (was #5, 6, 6)
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Morphae was unhappy with getting middling critiques for lackluster drag and chose to exit the competition rather than lip sync.
As the Minister of Sensuality her speech was great on characterization, okay on jokes, but completely lacking in content. I don’t know how you can have the evening to review and time your speech and then be surprised that you ran over a minute.
Even if Morphae reached “Bitch Eating Crackers” status for me pretty quickly after the first episode, I can also appreciate why she bristled so much at the judging. Morphae isn’t an act or a drag character – it’s an extension of Morphae’s personal gender expression.
When drag artists whose art is tied closely to their own identity are on Drag Race, the critiques often feel excessively personal to them. Yet, that’s the game of Drag Race. It’s rarely a show where you can excel by simply being yourself. It demands adaptation and growth, even from the most seasoned and self-possessed queen.
I don’t know Morphae’s backstory. Perhaps Morphae isn’t a huge Drag Race fan and wasn’t sure what to expect. Or, perhaps she went in naively thinking that the judges would understand her drag was just an extension of herself and that would be beyond critique.
No matter the case, I just wish we got to see more of the incredibly imaginative, in-control version of Morphae we saw in the Talent Show. Ironically, she was a Drag Race competitor I could not stand, but off the show I suspect her art is very much to my personal tastes.
I’m coming out of the shadows and saying that I’ve enjoyed reading your reviews and your take on what has happened in this franchise since your season 1 reviews last year. Also read the Sverige one as it dropped. Other than the fact that this one is the least watched, I feel it is unjustly set aside by most when it is one of the franchises that feels authentic in showcasing the queens’ aesthetic and the drag culture in their country/region. Your reviews make me feel less insane because even though I don’t agree with some of your points I still think you give it a well-thought-out commentary for each aspect– from the host, the judges, and the contestant’s performance+runway. Reading your reviews makes me feel I have someone to discuss this with without having to sit through a 20-minute video full of unnecessary shade toward the host or tangents. I get it, it’s not as polished and heavily edited as the US seasons. It’s not hosted by Ru. So many other people are airing out their opinions for those episodes anyway. But what I appreciate the most is that your review is an actual review and not just someone filling up a 1000 word count webpage summarizing what went down, slapping screenshots, or inserting the latest promo of the show on Instagram and calling it a day. I sure hope you continue.
Thank you so much, Daphne! Those words all mean so much to me – and, they’re exactly why I spend the time to write these posts (and posts for the other franchises as well). I also get zero enjoyment from lengthy video or from folks who simply recap the episode (which I used to more of). I’m fascinated by what these artists are able to create every week for us all to consume, and I think it deserves as much discussion, analysis, and praise as films, music, and novels.
Thank you once again for your reviews!
On your point regarding the lack of popularity, just adding to what Daphne said, even S1 winner of Belgique has 33k followers on Instagram, a lot of queens don’t even get 10k followers, which I guess are the lowest queen followings across all franchises. I understand it might not seem rewarding doing reviews for non-English franchises and I will understand if you stop doing these. Still, these reviews are of great quality and always interesting to read, especially as there’s little content for the non-English franchises.
Regarding this particular season, something that confuses me is that Alvilda has been killing the season in terms of track record, yet I do not see a clear “winner edit” for her, as every episode has focused somehow on her anxiety – it’s too much of a recurring theme. At the same time, even with shown anxiety she has killed 3 out of 4 challenges so far.
On a different note, you are not covering Espana All Stars, if you are watching, how are your feeling towards it?
Thank you for reading and commenting, Fer! I appreciate it. Sorry it took me some time to get back to you.
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I wish I had the time to write about all of the non-English franchises! They really all deserve attention. They are full of stunning artists and help open our eyes to the different ways queer people experience life all around the world. Personally, I find it hard to write about the seasons not in English or French, because I miss so many of the double-meanings that are lost in translation in the subtitles.
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I would agree that Alvilda has a strange and somewhat-mild “winner edit,” which is why I keep expecting them to spend more time building up everyone else (other than Chloe Clarke, who I enjoy, but is clearly not going to win).
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Of all the franchises, I find I disagree with the Espana judges the most often. I have quit all three seasons and come back to finish them later. When I saw a few specific All Stars walk into the workroom I felt like I knew just how the judging would go and never even finished the first episode.