RuPaul’s Drag Race: Heidi N Closet’s Heartbreaking Elimination

The dolls are almost down to the final four on RuPaul’s Drag Race. It’s sad to be closing out one of the greatest seasons in the history of the series, but it’s not over yet! One of the reasons this season has been so stellar is that the grand prize winner is still not clear.

In this episode, the queens are tasked with creating their own one-woman show. This feels like a slam-dunk for Sherry Pie, which is obviously a bummer. It would be great to never see any more awards go to Alison Mossey Casting (Sherry’s pseudonym she used to catfish people in NYC). Jackie Cox wins the mini-challenge so she gets to choose the order and decides to go first. This usually isn’t a winning spot. As Alaska and Willam pointed out on the Race Chaser podcast, the first person in the lineup usually gets forgotten about. It happened earlier this season to Marcia. Whoops! Sorry, we meant to say Jan. Jackie, she seems confident about going first anyway.

In Jackie’s rehearsal, it is very uncomfortable. It’s starting to look like it might be her last night until guest judge Whoopi Goldberg gives her excellent advice, “Show us who you are.” Speaking of giving advice, one of the many strengths of Heidi N Closet is that she is very open and it somehow gets people to just give her great ideas. Raven, RuPaul and Whoopi have now given her bits to do in her performances. Sherry Pie struggles in rehearsal, which is a welcome surprise. Gigi Goode, the perfectionist, is starting to truly crack. She really loses it after being coached by RuPaul and Whoopi. Its the first time we really see Gigi be vulnerable. It’s beautiful and as Ru says “it gives us, the audience, the opportunity to fall in love” with her. It’s heartbreaking and real and we hope its Gigi’s opportunity to regain her confidence in this game.

Jaida Essence Hall gets vulnerable onstage with Whoopi about her love of The Color Purple and Whoopi gets up and gives her a hug. Jaida makes the connection from The Color Purple that what Celie went through, she was able to overcome and see that things would get better on the other side. Whoopi hugs her. Its a radiant moment and feels truly authentic. This show has earned its Emmys this season. Each of these queer boys had a truly emotional and joyous breakthrough with Whoopi Goldberg, because they each had a piece of her long career that they connected with from childhood. It’s inspiring. Whoopi is a wonderful addition to this show, unlike many guest judges in the past who can’t seem to keep up. “Make it fun to you” is one of the best pieces of advice ever given on this show and she somehow is able to articulate drag performance advice in a much more specific way than RuPaul.

Jaida not knowing Betty White’s character from Golden Girls is the funniest thing that has ever happened on this show. Then it is time for the performances! Jackie Cox is so vulnerable. It’s wonderful and heartfelt. Crystal is hysterical. It may be time for her first win! Heidi is giving typical Heidi, but the classic performance woe happens. She does well in rehearsal and it makes the actual performance shine less. She seems to be trying to recreate what made RuPaul and Whoopi laugh earlier. She just isn’t, as Whoppi suggested, having fun. She is trying to be funny rather than letting loose. It’s one of the biggest surprises of the night that she does not slay this.

Then comes Sherry Catfish Pie herself. The editors adding a time clock in Sherry’s performance is expert shade. And they were loving seeing the other girls roll their eyes at Sherry during her performance. They nearly edit out all of Sherry’s one-woman show. It is a masterclass in producing and editing around a predator to make them seem like a villain on the show as well. Jaida seems like she is extremely nervous before she goes on. Then she seems extremely nervous as she is performing. It’s a mess. That’s why this season is so great. Everyone is so talented that the two front-runners are finding themselves near the bottom.

Crystal Methyd gets praised on the runway for her make-up skills and the major up-slide she has had in this competition. This portion of the episode is truly moving. RuPaul says, “You six really are some of the best we’ve ever had here. I wish you would be the six of your forever and ever.” That is a humongous statement coming from the show’s host, who has ushered in well over 100 girls in this arena. They should all be very proud. The judges go into the critiques and the emotions do not stop flowing there. Would we be feeling this much if we were not in quarantine? Who knows, but the conversation around Crystal Methyd finding her confidence and embracing her uniqueness in this competition is hitting home. She found the fun within herself and wasn’t afraid to follow it or worry about what other people would think of it. That’s what being queer is all about. Wow, there are water droplets all over this keyboard! Is there a leak in here? A conversation about the selfishness of Sherry Pie sure does stay in the edit. Michelle Visage says that it was very rude and was not fair to the other girls, which is absolutely correct. Its a completely unacceptable way to behave as a performer and anyone who has performed live knows that. They should have read her even more for it.

Crystal Methyd gets her first win! The lip sync comes down to Jaida and Heidi N Closet. Sweet, hilarious, and open-hearted Heidi sashays away. She leaves us with, “A small-town queen with big-city aspirations. And remember if I can do it? So can you.” Maybe it’s the seven weeks of isolation or maybe it’s just that this show is really good, but this writer is crying watching her go. Heidi N Closet will be missed, but she has captured the hearts of millions.

Source: VH1

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