In a surprising late-season twist, none of the five queens remaining in RuPaul’s Drag Race went home Friday after a poignant, family-oriented Maxi challenge. Following a jaw-dropping lip-synch that was too close to call, Season 17’s top five queens, including Suzie Toot, Onya Nurve, Sam Star, Lexi Love and Jewels Sparkles will all stay to race another week.
This week, the contestants dove deep into the essence of their drag by fashioning their family members in their own drag style. Sam, Suzie and Lexi’s mothers surprised them in the workroom, while Jewels and Onya were ecstatic to see their dads don their drag personas.
“You’re so crazy for doing this!” Onya told her father Andre as he walked into the workroom during the episode.
The parent-child reunion was quite emotional for the queens, especially for Lexi and Onya.
Lexi, who is trans, had a complicated relationship with her mother Tammy over her gender identity and lifestyle in the past. But during the episode, she was stunned to hear her mom call her by her preferred pronouns for the first time. “My mom using the correct pronouns—this is something that has never happened,” Lexi said during a confessional. “Holy f****** s*** Tammy!”
On the other side of the workroom, Onya was overjoyed to see her father Andre support her and step into drag for the first time. When she was growing up, her father was in prison for robbing five banks—causing him to miss big life events like her high school graduation. “While he has been a part of my life wholeheartedly recently, he has also missed very monumental moments in my life,” Onya said during a confessional. “So, for him to be here means the world to me.”
As the queens reconnected with their parents and styled them for the challenge, viewers learned more about the personal lives of the Season 17 contestants, including Jewels’ tragic death of her older brother in a car accident. But once the racers hit the runway, their family members were near-unrecognizable.
Lexi showed off her mother’s persona Mimi Lovely in a stunning Valentine’s Day-inspired look, while Sam and Sassy Star gave their best Dolly Parton in a gold-and-denim ensemble. Suzie and Queenie Toot brought out Suzie’s signature Betty Boop-esque vaudeville, while Jewels and Salchicha Sparkles rocked the slopes in a snow-bunny look. And to cap it off, Onya and Nunya Bidness showcased a bright, cartoonish burst of color in their runway look.
The judges, including guest judges fashion designer Law Roach and actress June Diane Raphael, loved the queens’ walks with their protégés, but had some minor complaints for Lexi, Onya and Jewels. Sam was the winner of this week’s challenge, taking home a $5,000 cash tip as well as $2,500 for her mother Leslie.
After further deliberations, Jewels and Onya ended up in the bottom two of the rankings, leading them to a lip-synch battle to Amerie’s “1 Thing.” However, after a show-stopping performance from both contestants, RuPaul decided that neither would be sashaying away this week.
This late into the season, it’s shocking to see a week where none of the queens go home. It proves that the competition is fiercer than ever, and all of them have the chance to take home the top prize of $200,000.
Looking at the scorecard, Onya Nurve has won the most challenges so far, with four total Maxi challenge wins and only one bottom-two appearance. However, Sam Star is close behind with three wins after this week’s victory. Suzie Toot and Lexi Love both have two wins, while Jewels Sparkles brings up the rear with one.
At this point in the competition, it’s anyone’s game—and next week, one of these top five queens will have to leave for good.