Athena Dion competes in a group challenge in the second episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 18.
MTV phot
The first group challenge of RuPaul’s Drag Race separated the South Florida syndicate of Athena Dion, Mia Starr, and Juicy Love Dion. The queens were divided into three groups for Q(ueer)-Pop performances inspired by disco, pop, and punk music. As they competed against one another, the South Florida queens all assumed leadership roles with varying degrees of success. It was a rollercoaster for the trio, but it all ended in a tearful three-way embrace.
Like last week, much of the episode revolved around the season’s veteran queen, Athena. Her frontrunner status seemed to alienate some of the other queens; she was not picked by either team captain. Relegated to the “leftovers” group, she successfully manipulated her way to her desired music genre and attempted to power through with professionalism. Some questioned her ability to be a team player — sleeping through a teammate’s recording session and laughing through another’s did not help her case. She did take the lead in choreography, leading to tension with DD Fuego. While Fuego defended her, she also gently pushed Athena toward the proverbial bus during critiques.
Starr, on the other hand, was the first queen to be picked. Her reputation and experience as a choreographer made her a sought-after teammate, and she met those expectations. While seasoned dancers often leave novices behind in dance challenges, she proved to be a patient and supportive leader. Starr also did her homework, even presenting proof of her choreography scrawled on a piece of paper. Likewise, her verse and performance impressed the judges and demonstrated that she is ready to go from backup dancer to star. All of this, combined with her clever and directional interpretation of the runway, earned Starr a spot in the Top 2. The only negative critique was about her mask, and for the judges to want to see more of you is never a bad sign on RuPaul’s Drag Race.
On the other end of the spectrum, after her bottom-three placement last week, Juicy needed to prove herself. She got some help fine-tuning her lyrics, but she took control during the choreography portion. No winning team was declared, but the judges’ reactions indicated they favored the punk group. Juicy missed out on critiques this week, but her thrilling, death-defying acrobatic moves will likely grow her following.
In a Freaky Friday moment, drag granddaughter and grandmother switched placements this week. Athena found herself in the bottom three. Considering the judges’ largely positive critiques, it was clear she would not be leaving. Yet, there was an underlying warning for Athena. Even with all her polish and professionalism, the judges said her group had missed the soul of the challenge. That will be Athena’s challenge moving forward: How will she balance her strength and vulnerability in the competition?