Tea was spilled. Dirt was dished. And some queens got some long-awaited grievances off their chests.
The reunion gave us a 2-hour montage of unfiltered fun and edited segments on RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 15 Episode 15.
Even if the competition comes first, the reunion always finds a way to give us the needed drama. This special is welcomed and a must-have for every year!
A good reunion needs a few key things: the queens being together in person, an openness to spill all the tea, and some drama in and out of the competition.
“Reunited” checked many of the boxes we’d come to expect; the reunion was a good time that mainly stayed upbeat. Though, for a 2-hour show, it felt like many of the queens were silent or were staying in their “Congenial Era.”
Like why did a good number of queens not talk as much?
Queens like Salina EsTitties, Princess Poppy, Jax, Aura Mayari, and Malasyia Babydoll Foxx spent most of the reunion just watching and reacting. In many cases, they only piped in a little, but they mainly stayed silent in the background.
I may have gone home first, but I’m also a bitch.
Irene Dubois
Even some queens, like the twins Sugar and Spice, only popped in to throw in a line or answer a question.
I can understand why early boots like Princess Poppy and Jax didn’t jump in much since they weren’t in the competition during some big moments. However, Salina staying silent was shocking.
Her big personality should’ve felt right at home in a setting like a reunion.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy the queens weren’t jumping over each other and constantly stealing focus. There was a nice balance and flow throughout the reunion that helped keep things moving.
And queens who didn’t get much screen time in the competition, like Irene Dubois, Robin Fierce, and Amethyst, got to show their personality and shine.
However, for a 2-hour reunion, I had expected more of a full discussion between the queens.
This feeling may be due to the queens themselves. Not even RuPaul could’ve forced them if they didn’t want to talk. You gotta take the opportunity; look at Irene making the most of her moment.
Speaking of the flow, “Reunited” did a great job covering many segments.
Toot or Boot, fan questions, controversies, reading, unaired footage, challenge debates, and so on. RuPaul and the queens had a lot to discuss, and they checked many boxes on the reunion list.
I’m quitting drag. You’re welcome.
Princess Poppy
Not every segment was needed, like the unaired footage of the celebrity guests. These moments were fun easter eggs that filled time, but they were basically filler to pad the runtime.
It would’ve been better to focus more space on moments from the competition that weren’t explored.
For instance, why did Princess Poppy decide to quit drag? How did the queens feel when Anetra saved Spice in the tournament?
How did Loosey feel about the queens being harder on her all season?
Many of the questions could’ve gone deeper than what was said. The reunion only scratched the surface of the topics.
And the drama and controversies would’ve had more legs as a talking point.
I’m happy RuPaul talked about all the “Gates” controversies, like Metalgate, Heavengate, etc. These fights were the big-ish scenes in the competition that caused much of the battles and drama.
You couldn’t have a reunion without them.
Though, due to the Congenial Era, some of them were unfortunately brushed off quickly. (Looking at you, Baby Bumpgate!)
We were deprived of the in-depth feelings of the queens and why things go out of hand. These are the must-have chats people wait to see at the reunion.
My favorite of the discussion was about Metalgate.
Malaysia opened up a lot about how she felt triggered by Luxx Noir London and Mistress Isabelle Brooks. She didn’t come from a place of blame or hurt; she acknowledged how she felt and what she knew/didn’t know about her fellow queens.
And I loved how Mistress finally acknowledged her part in how things got out of hand.
Ain’t no rest for this bitchface.
Anetra
Mistress loves to joke, stir the pot, and brush things off, but she sparked chaos and hurt feelings. She showed good growth by recognizing how she could’ve solved the problems by talking with Malaysia about Metalgate.
Many of her problems on RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 15 could also be solved the same way.
The reunion also addressing the power of social media and online trolls was a long time coming.
Since the infamous RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 9 reunion, social media and fan posts have been an ongoing discussion. Sometimes direct, like with Valentina/Alexis Michelle/Nina Bo’nina Brown, or subtly through comments.
Bad bitchery is as bad bitchery does.
Robin Fierce
I liked that RuPaul said something about the situation.
Many queens have been attacked online, like Luxx and Mistress, so it was a good reminder for fans not to spread hate online. And a good show of strength from the queens to remind people they won’t accept the hate.
Something needed to be done.
And RuPaul’s Drag Race discussing all the recent political debates and potential laws against drag queens was a nice change of pace.
Sure, the competition is a fun game with many outrageous moments and reality TV flair, but Drag Race is a show about drag queens. At its heart, drag is a protest and a political statement.
Drag Race is a great platform to speak about the issues and inform people who might not have been aware of them.
Plus, I wouldn’t be surprised if many donations were raised because of the reunion. Drag Race has the power to make a difference; look at how they shaped drag queen acceptance in mainstream media.
Last Thoughts From The Werk Room:
- I wish Robin Fierce and Amethyst had dug deeper into their past relationship. There is some tension going on about why they broke up. The reunion would’ve been a good time to discuss the “delusion.”
- Come on, Luxx planned how she would answer the elimination question. Each response seemed thought out and directed; she wanted to hit her hardest against Loosey.
- Salina winning the Golden Boot Award for the billboard metallic dress was swift and on the money.
- The reads were scalding! We needed all of them, including more of the unaired segments.
Now, over to you, Drag Race fans.
What did you think of “Reunited”?
Who do you think will win RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 15? Which drama shocked you the most? Who do you think is lying to Irene Dubois about the rumor: Mistress Isabelle Brooks or Loosey LaDuca?
Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Justin Carreiro is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.