Culture

RuPaul’s Drag Race season 11 episode 1: Thank god for Silky Nutmeg Ganache

Mar 01 2019
Written by Charlie Jones

RuPaul's Drag Race is back for season 11. Silky has split fan opinion.

Silky Nutmeg Ganache split opinion on Drag Race season 11, but we stan. (Netflix)

RuPaul’s Drag Race is back, back, back again for Season 11.

Did you gag when this big, bad box of b****es got unpacked? Or were you looking for a receipt?

Drag Race Season 11 Episode 1 Watcha Unpackin? the verdict

How much Charisma, Uniqueness, Nerve and Talent was episode one packing?

Overall: C.U.n

Season 11 of RuPaul's Drag Race hit the runway.

The cast of RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 11. (Netflix)

Just like Theresa May’s social media team, I’m cautiously optimistic about how Drag Race will work out for me this season. I wasn’t wowed, but there’s definitely potential.

Mini challenge: C.u

It’s always fun to see the fan faves.

I’m sure a few of you were triggered seeing Manila Luzon so soon after her assassination, but at least she got more than two seconds of airtime.

The challenge was too quick (Sonique deserved better) and the gag wasn’t really a gag—bring back the dunk tanks!

Jinx Monsoon splashes around in a tank for a photoshoot.

Jinx splashes around in the good old days of Drag Race. (Netflix)

Main challenge/lewks: C.u

Season 11’s big opening had C.U.N.T. written all over it.

But these lewks?

We may be back on Netflix, but these queens were staying resolutely in their BritBox—paying homage to the new venture by creating cheaper, less imaginative and more basic content.

Soju: a tribute to our fallen cys-ter

Soju's Drag Race silhouette was a choice.

The Queen Anne of Drag Race Season 11, Soju. (Netflix)

She’s gay and regal.

Her dress was an old, unflattering mess.

Puss was oozing from cysts in her private parts.

Soju is truly the Queen Anne of Season 11, and what a Favourite she turned out to be.

I identify strongly with Plastique literally bursting out laughing #DragRace pic.twitter.com/CjsbbIDI3H

— Kevin O’Keeffe (@kevinpokeeffe) March 1, 2019

Best first-out queen ever?

Drag Race Season 11 Episode 1: Let’s get these queens in line

Which queen is the most exciting? What will their edit be? When will they go home?

Having watched the episode on my phone from an Insta live-stream that only cut out about seven times, I feel perfectly qualified to take complete stabs in the dark on each question.

Queens are ranked in the order they most excite me.

Thank god for Silky Nutmeg Ganache

My wrecking ball.

She came to protect the dignity of this season like a drag queen at the border.

Granted, her kids-camp-leader “attitude check” shtick got tiring—the new sponge?—and mutiny was definitely satisfying.

silky trying to get the girls in the work room to respond to her #dragrace
pic.twitter.com/Wt1fE7iVyk
— . (@jxvintage) March 1, 2019

But y’all know this queen makes up at least 50 percent of the personality on this season, so don’t try and make her out to be Laganja-level annoying. You hear me, production?

She also had the best workroom entrance look. #StanSilky

Edit: Villain-lite (Laganja) —but we know she’s more Monique

Place: 5^th (and wins All Stars 6)

Vanessa Vanjie Mateo

Miss Vanjie serves Ru-demption realness. (Netflix)

Face of an angel, voice of a toad, and an attitude as classy as the owner of the magazine.

During the photoshoot it felt like she was Farrah Moan’s guest star. I’m in.

Edit: Villain (PhiPhi)

Place: 6^th

Yvie Oddly

Clever, different and fun—Yvie could well be the one to beat. She also proved herself a woke queen on Untucked—I’m ready for the oddly.

Edit: The talented oddball (Sharon, Jinx, Alaska)

Place: 1^st

Brook Lynn Heights

Her pre-show press hasn’t exactly been glowing. But she’s proven she can turn a look and slay a runway.

Edit: All there on paper but not the winner

Place: 4^th

Kahanna Montrese

Damn, boy. The trade of the season, Kahanna Montrese. (Netflix)

Say it with me thirsty people of the world: traaaaaade.

And what do we do with trade?

Keep them in.

Girl Khana is a bit of a mess and cries that she can’t live up to drag mother Coco Montrese—are we thinking of the same Coco?—and I would be fine if she left.

But please don’t, because I’m head over heels in love with boy Khana.

Edit: Trade that gets further than she should (Kameron)

Place: 7^th

Plastique Tiara

Plastique Tiara is all woman. (Netflix)

That is a WOW-man. Possibly the most polished look ever on Drag Race, but I worry her personality might not live up to the hype.

Edit: High-fashion, runner-up fish (Courtney)

Place: 3^rd

Ra’Jah O’Hara

She didn’t get a whole lot of screen time, but something tells me she’s here to slay.

Rajah’s earrings after getting a small gust of wind #DragRace pic.twitter.com/xSPxclkDW8
— Kristin (@icekkfish) March 1, 2019

Edit: Black Horse (Naomi)

Place: 2^nd

Shuga Cain

I love drag but I’m lazy AF so it’s genuinely really assuring to have queens that only got in the game in their late 30s.

Edit: Out too soon

Place: 11^th

Mercedes Iman Diamond

The look was a boot but the ululating entrance was a shoot.

Edit: The weak link (Khloe Karbdashion)

Place: 14^th

Scarlet Envy

Drag Race’s Scarlet Envy. (Netflix)

I didn’t warm to the cross between Daniel Radcliffe and Pearl, and I don’t know why. Just a bit meh.

Edit: The less talented oddball (Dusty)

Place: 10^th

Nina West

Drag Race doesn’t blow that much smoke up your front bottom unless you’re either going to win, or you’re going to leave first. My money is on the latter.

Edit: Out too soon (Yuaha)

Place: 13^th

Ariel Versace

OmG I hAve InsTaGram FolLowErz lyF is So HaRd.

Edit: The one who wants to be known for something other than what she’s known for but ultimately can’t deliver on anything but what she’s known for (Farrah)

Place: 9^th