Bathroom Hunties - Power Ranking RuPaul's Drag Race S16E12

RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 16, Episode 12 was called “Bathroom Hunties,” an interior design challenge with a heavy helping of improv. On the runway, the theme was “Chain Reaction” – and a few queens served imaginative chained-up looks different from anything we’ve seen before.

Drag Race occasionally serves these oddball “experiential” challenges that profess to be about giving the judges a live walkthrough of interior design. We’ve seen it before in “Queen of Clubs” on All Stars Season 4 (whispers “club 96″) and “Get A Room!” on All Stars Season 5.

What some fans – and queens – miss about these challenges is they’re not about design. The challenge is never to design the best room or create the most credible commercial. They’re either about improv or branding. Maybe both! The brief is basically “what would you do with an empty room,” in the same way that many of the marketing commercial challenges are “what would you do with a green screen.” Queens who get mired in painting the walls are missing the forest for the trees.

Of course, there’s also something to be said for the fact that Trixie Mattel is one of the very few queens to sell her own solo show with Trixie Motel – an interior design show! It’s not unusual for Drag Race to borrow from the success of their favorite alums to inspire challenges, and I think that was intentional here.

It was no surprise to see the two queens with the strongest brands easily win this challenge, although watching their process revealed some interesting things about them both. While they retained their spots compared to last week’s “Corporate Queens” drag seminars challenge power rankings, the rest of the semi-finalists shuffled their standings as they vie for the chance to be second-runner-up.

Readers, start your engines. And, may the best drag queen win!

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.

RuPaul’s Drag Race, Season 16 Episode 12 – Bathroom Hunties & Chain Reaction runway Power Rankings

Before we get to our Power Rankings, let’s take a moment to appreciate RuPaul in black and white and red all over!

I loved his black-and-white spattered suit in the workroom. The cut of the jacket and pants made him seem extra-slim and -tall, and I adored the loud red boots.

Then, on the runway, I think Ru served the perfect slinky silhouette in this red sequined dress. I don’t love dresses with little sparse dangly bits that are mostly meant to catch the light while in motion, but here they were unobtrusive enough that they didn’t bug me when Ru was standing still. Her proportions are phenomenal in this, in no small part thanks to perfectly square shoulders. Also, this asymmetrical lump of curly hair is delightful.

#1 – Sapphira Cristál, 4 wins (was #2, 2, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 1, 1, 1)

Sapphira Cristál won a third episode in a row, which is a rare feat on Drag Race. More than that, she utterly dominated this challenge, showing a true mastery of improv that places her in the upper echelon of Drag Race comedians.

Sapphira & Plain Jane’s Bathroom Hunties room was a prohibition era “Bootylickers Speakeasy” full of liquor and laughs. While the other teams tried to go high concept on their room designs and lost touch with their jokes in the process, Sapphira pushed to keep her room grounded in basically just one bit: hidden liquor in every crevice.

That doesn’t mean the room was boring. The jokes were just streamlined. Sapphira & Plane didn’t have to re-explain every gag like they would need to do in a room themed on hell or a museum, because the gag was built into the concept both figuratively and literally. When they weren’t drinking, they were being jazzy. When they weren’t being jazzy, they were relying on a straightforward pair of characters.

Then, on the Chain Reaction runway, Sapphira SHUT. IT. DOWN.

We’ve seen so many high glam, huge silhouettes on Sapphira throughout the competition. It was totally mind-blowing to see her walk out in a snatched vinyl bodysuit in a look that was totally clubkid (but still with a perfect train to fill out her silhouette and serve opulence).

There’s really nothing to critique on this sexy chain gang Dalmatian outfit because it’s so specific and highly-detailed. It’s a completely realized vision that works perfectly on Sapphira’s body. There’s nothing to change.

I don’t know if we’ve ever had a queen heading into the semi-finals in a position as powerful as Sapphira’s. Even with Sasha Colby last year, there was a looming Anetra insurgency to give us some hint of tension that she could have a legitimate challenger for the crown. On Season 16 it felt like that would be Nymphia, but even if she takes the makeover next week she simply hasn’t done well enough in enough challenges to feel like she has the narrative heft to knock out Sapphira. Could Plane Jane be the queen that could usurp Sapphira? Or, do we have an

#2 – Plane Jane, 3 wins (was #4, 5, 5, 3, 2, 4, 1, 2, 3, 2)

Plane Jane scored a third win – all three based in making RuPaul laugh. Yet, Plane Jane doesn’t feel like a one-dimensional comedy contestant, because she has also scored top marks in two out of three design challenges and the first Girl Groups challenge. She has cracked the code of Drag Race.

Would Plane Jane have been able to pull off as strong of a Bathroom Hunties bathroom without Sapphira at her side? It’s hard to say. Plane Jane certainly has her own brand of totally stupid humor and a knack for selling comedy with her face that is pure Lucille Ball. Yet, I’m not sure she could have edited her ideas as tightly with another queen – or found a collaborator as cooperative as Sapphira.

The real source of this win was Plane’s ability to “Yes and” with Sapphira. That’s not just about what happened live in the room, but also their entire planning process. A lot of Sapphira’s concepts were outside of Plane’s typical wheelhouse, but we never saw her shut down or say no. A 1920s theme? Sure. You want me to try to sing opera next to you, a professional opera singer? Yeah, okay, I’ll try it.

One of the top skills for any queen to have on Drag Race is a willingness to just go for it every single time. When RuPaul talks about an inner saboteur, she’s not only talking about confidence issues and second-guessing, but also just that inner doubter who says “maybe hold back just a little.”

Plane has plenty of internal doubt, as we saw this episode, but it doesn’t seem like much can stop her from going for it.

Plane Jane’s Chain Reaction runway might have had more impact earlier in the season – before seeing other, similar runways from her, as well as two very similar design challenges. There’s nothing wrong with this skimpy, sexy take on being wrapped in chains, but it seems clear Plane has re-used this pattern several times over. We even saw her do the same pattern with chains on it for the Neo-Goth challenge a few weeks ago!

I would not have pegged Plane as a queen with a insular set of fashion references earlier in the season, but it really does feel like she is trapped within a few similar concepts and silhouettes. They’re all beautifully executed, which speaks to her ability to project manage the show’s rushed prep process – which gives queens just a few weeks to prep their entire season of fashion. If we ever see Plane Jane back for an All Stars season, I suspect we’ll get a lot more opulence from her runways.

Of course, getting Plane back for an All Stars season involves her missing out on the crown this time around. Does Ms. Jane have a legitimate chance to usurp Sapphira in the finale? This episode hinted at that, with a real moment of emotion from Plane as she faced her self-doubts in the workroom. I think there’s a case to be made that she has become the most fully-rounded character left this season. Yet, I don’t think anything she (or Sapphira) can do next week in the makeover will fundamentally alter Plane’s trajectory as a lovely runner up in the finale.

(Also, there’s no way she can beat Sapphira in a lip sync.)

#3 – Nymphia Wind, 2 wins (was #1, 1, 2, 1, 1, 5, 6, 3, 5, 4)

Nymphia Wind floundered in yet another challenge this week, disarming the potential comedy of her Bathroom Hunties improve but not giving herself (and her bathroom) a chance to breathe. At this point, it’s starting to feel like Nymphia has become the queen the show is protecting from a bottom placement thanks to her ability to bring it on the runway just as much as Q.

The concept of a pretentious, high-art bathroom is hilarious. I think there’s a world where Nymphia and Dawn could have sold it hard enough to win the week and send Q to the lip sync in Dawn’s place. In the workroom Dawn & Nymphia had a neverending list of great gags. Yet, when it came to their live presentation Nymphia was so intent on filling every second of perceived silence that her concept never had any room to breathe and be funny.

I’ve seen some fans take exception with RuPaul’s comment to Nymphia that sometimes the good stuff comes from the silences. Is Ru really telling a queen to talk less? Is silence the key to good improv?

Kinda.

As someone who writes a lot and gives a lot of presentations, I understand what it’s like to try to express all your thoughts all at once. It’s what I do in these power rankings! It’s reflected in my approach to lyrics. I like to fill all of the space. Yet, as fun as it is to express all of your creativity in unedited diatribes, it gets hard for people to consume it that way.

The same is true in a professional capacity. I know the speed and density of information I enjoy on my own, but a big audience is rarely ready to absorb that from me. They’re going to get lost as I try to pack every second with high-speed, high-value content. And, if I don’t give them time to absorb and respond, they aren’t going to feel like they had a chance to participate.

I recognized that facet of myself in Nymphia’s gushing art gallery manager in her Bathroom Hunties “F.ART Museum.” She had the concept, the character, and even the jokes – but she was trying to deliver them all simultaneously without letting anyone else participate in the process. Michelle and Carson had trouble finding moments to interact, and Dawn was flummoxed as she tried to get a word in edgewise.

Ru isn’t literally saying “talk less.” She is saying that you have to trust your ideas enough to edit them down to their essence so that people can get hooked. Look at Trixie & Katya – they used to deliver a much more slimmed down version of their inanity before they amassed an unstoppable army of superfans. Now they vomit out every thought across several vehicles crafted exactly for that – but they can do that because we understand their brains now.

Nymphia Wind’s Chain Reaction runway was a relatively plain turquoise corset ornamented with chains crafted into intricate knots, to which she added a bull whip and blue thigh-highs.

The whole thing was kinda “meh” for me. I feel like we see these “kitten with a whip” types of looks over and over again on Drag Race, and while they are all slinky I’m always waiting for someone to bring something unique. Nymphia’s version was styled well, but I was surprised it merited a positive reaction. It was ultimate pretty plane with an unresolved bottom – and I’m not sure lucite stripper heels elevated the look.

Nymphia seemed like such a surefire potential winner earlier in the season, but at this point she is giving “Future All Stars Champion.” We’ve seen Nymphia fail at too many challenges and succumb to her anxieties too many times for her to be crowned on a regular season. The show clearly loves her, but Nymphia’s edit never showed her clearing any of those hurdles. That lack of growth in the edit practically screams: “We’ll resolve this character arc on All Stars.”

#2 – Q, 2 wins, 1 lsft-win, 1 lip sync (was #3, 3, 4, 7, 4, 3, 4, 4, 4, 3)

Q and her smirking sense of humor barely escaped a dire fate after her hellish Bathroom Hunties performance was a full-on flop. I think Q escaped a bottom placement here purely on the power of having two wins while Dawn had none.

Q and Morphine’s “Naughty Potty” bathroom had the potential to be the funniest of all three of the Bathroom Hunties rooms. Even in execution, some of its gags were the most memorable – especially the toilet paper that was just out of reach.

Yet, this room was all gags. It was the interior design version of Nymphia’s character. It felt like some kind of Halloween fun fair where you are whisked directly from bobbing for applies to a corn maze, without a single moment to unwrap some candy and enjoy the vibes.

That still could have worked for Q & Morphine. Again: they had the best gags! However, the other problem with this room was a lack of specificity from their characters. Were they devils? Had they escaped hell? What were they getting out of hosting a bathroom? The concept of tormenting people by small degrees was baked into the concept of the room, but Q never explained how that connected to her character.

I think the judges’ comments on Q’s Chain Reaction runway were fair. It was a good look, but she gave herself difficult materials to work with and I don’t think the color combination was the most flattering way to render the concept. It almost would have been better as an outfit in the Naughty Potty room than it was on the runway!

Also, as cool as the chain-linked grommets on the side of the legs looked when Q struck a pose, when she was in motion they just looked bulky.

I find it intriguing that even a master designer like Q is starting to repeat concepts and silhouettes in her eleventh competitive episode this season. Even if Q’s looks aren’t feeling as “samey” as Plane’s, at this point it’s getting harder for her to deliver a true surprise.

(It’s fascinating that really only Sapphira managed to avoid repeating silhouettes out of this finalist group, maybe owing to the fact that the thing she often repeats is “opulence” and can take many forms.)

I think Q is on shaky ground heading into next week’s makeover semi-final. Her paint is very distinct to her rounded face and prominent cheekbones, which might not translate onto a makeover partner with more masculine looks. Also, at this point it feels as though the edit is starting to be infatuated with Morphine while Q is developing a “bitter” storyline. Could Q get the cruel semi-final cut delivered to past competitors like Ms. Cracker and Loosey DaLuca? I think there’s a very real chance of her lip syncing next week if the judging is fair, which would spell the end of her run.

But… we could also see Q execute the best makeover outfit to snag a last-minute win! I think she has both the most to win and the most to lose next week.

#5 – Morphine Love Dion, 1 lsft-win, 3 lip syncs (was #9, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 8, 7, 7, 6)

Morphine Love Dion gave this improv challenge a much better effort than she was giving credit for in the critiques. Yet, as the remaining winless in the cast queen, it was easier to send her to lip sync to dispatch Dawn than risking Q or Nymphia … especially to a song like “Body”!

There’s not much to say about Morphine’s contributions to her “Naughty Potty” room with Q. They shared all of the same pitfall in the challenge – relying too much on too many interior design gags and not bringing any specificity to their characters.

Personally, I found Morphine a lot funnier than Q. Morphine played her devilish host with a sort of ditzy blitheness, which might not have been intentional but was still amusing. I think if Morphine had given it a bit of a character it could have landed. Imagine if at some point she looked dead into camera and said, “I’m an archdevil and they have me working in a bathroom. I don’t know why they book me for these chickenshit gigs.”

I think that sort of quick-witted comedy will come to Morphine with time. The wit is already there, as evidenced by her confessionals.

Morphine Love Dion’s Chain Reaction runway was very nearly the best in show. I was obsessed with this “gold-dipped Cleopatra in chains” looks. It was opulent and absolutely dripping with chains in the place of beads. It looked so heavy.

Yet, this look shared a common detraction with many other looks we’ve seen this season: the panty! Morphine’s sparkly gold panty didn’t look out of place on her look, but when queens wear these plain bottoms beneath opulent looks it just looks like they forgot to put on the actual bottom of their oufit!

That wasn’t enough to turn me off of Morphine’s look, which I truly might have preferred to Sapphira’s. After some dowdy early runways this season, Morphine has really turned up the heat with several of her later-season looks. She is definitely benefiting from the runway order.

Of course, we have to talk about the “Body” lip sync. Each year, the show asks queens during their application to name some of the songs and artists they commonly lip sync to in their acts … and then, magically, those songs tend to pop up at critical junctures during the season. I have a sneaking suspicion that’s what happened here with “Body”… although I’d also believe that Morphine is just that big of a Megan Thee Stallion fan who could pull that choreo out at a moments notice.

Last week I said, “I don’t have the highest of hopes for Morphine to escape the lip sync, but there’s a very real chance she could assassinate Dawn or Q to stay in the game until Top 5.” And lo, it came to pass! Now, Morphine is heading into a semi-final that is her #1 most-powerful challenge – a makeover!

We’ve seen the show deliver some truly absurd critiques to cut queens at the makeover before – notably to Cheryl Hole and Loosey DaLuca. I think there’s a very strong possibility that even if Morphine stuns when it comes to her partner’s mug, she’ll get slammed for her outfits. If that’s the case, I expect whoever hits the lip sync with Morphine to get one of their own favorite lip sync songs to finally send her packing on her fourth lip sync.

I’d much prefer seeing any of the other queens dispatch Q to bring Morphine to the finale as a wild card, but she might be too good of a lip sync artist to risk bringing to a Lip Sync For the Crown!

Eliminated: 6th Place – Dawn, 1 lip sync (was #5, 4, 7, 8, 5, 6, 7, 6, 6, 2, 5)

Dawn could not find a way to survive a second week paired with another hesitant, inconsistent scene partner. Nymphia Wind presented the opposite problem from Mhi’ya last week – too much to work against, instead of not enough. It’s a real shame the show never gave us a chance to see Dawn fly solo in one of these intellectual challenges, because she seemed very well-equipped to make them work on her own.

I suspect one of the hardest things about being on Drag Race is knowing you are on Drag Race. Aside from the occasional queen like Carmen Farala who can claim total ignorance to the show’s history and tropes, most Drag Race contestants are also superfans who are walking encyclopedia’s of the show’s lore.

When you’re that big of a fan of the show it must be scary to watch your edit unfolding in front of you in real time as you compete. Dawn knew full well that it is rare for queens to make the finale of the American franchise without a win. It felt as though the fight was entirely knocked out of Dawn by the time she hit the runway after missing a high placement last week and knowing she wasn’t contender this week.

It must be so frustrating and frightening to be in that place as a competitor while also trying to present the best version of yourself and your brand. I love that Dawn stayed positive to the end and left the show with a smile on her face.

Also, a lot of folks are already beating up on Dawn’s lip sync. I thought she was fine. The song didn’t feel like a blowout to me until the final seconds when it became clear Dawn had run out of ideas. As someone not familiar with the “Body” video, I thought some of Morphine’s copied choreo bordered on being a little manic and cringy while Dawn was giving me slinkiness.

I don’t say that to tear down Morphine, just to point out that not everyone sees these lip syncs with the same eyes. To me, it felt like Dawn was always right on the verge of a breakout moment that would make her performance funny or sexy or even a little creepy, but she couldn’t quite figure out how to escalate.

Dawn had a fantastic run on Drag Race with only Snatch Game as a standout low point. She was eliminated not for being bad, but just for being not the best. Ultimately, geeky contestants with their own unique aesthetics always resonate with me, so I was predestined to fall in love with Dawn. Not only did I enjoy her drag, but I kinda have the parasocial urge to want to be her buddy. I loved how Dawn told Michelle that she created a spreadsheet of elements to prep and potential looks even before she was cast.

(DAWN LET’S BE FRIENDS!)

I think Dawn probably connected with a lot of the geeks and weirdos in the Drag Race fan base over her run, and I hope that brings her all the success and recognition that she desires (and deserves). I’m not sure she could snag a better edit than she got this season if she returned for All Stars… but I’d love to see her try!