Tag: Kyne

SPOILER ALERT: DON’T READ THIS IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN EPISODE 2 OF ‘CANADA’S DRAG RACE.’

Jimbo wore the zombie outfit, but it was Lemon who came back from the dead on “Canada’s Drag Race.”

After lip-syncing for her life last week, the New York-by-way-of-Toronto queen slayed on the runway and was tops in the maxi-challenge: videos based on Canada’s iconic Heritage Minutes. Condragulations, indeed.

My compliments to whoever came up with the “Her-itage Moments” idea; it was truly inspired to take something so quintessentially, earnestly Canadian and give it a drag makeover. More on that below.

But as much fun as it was to make light of a Canadian tradition, we were reminded that there’s more to Canadian values than TV infomercials when Anastarzia revealed why she immigrated here from the Bahamas. She told a harrowing story about being shot by two men back home for being gay. She still carries a bullet in her right kidney.

“The minute the doctor gave me the clearance I said, ‘You know what? Peace out.’ Got my drag and I came straight to Canada, claimed asylum and I’ve been here ever since … I am so grateful to Canada,” she said.

The other queens surrounded and comforted Anastarzia as she broke into tears.

“As Canadians we live in a lot of privilege that we’re born with,” said Jimbo. “So I think this is a great reminder to all of us that what we have is lucky and that it should be celebrated.”

Agreed, Jimbo. We’re far from perfect, but I’ll sure as hell wave the flag for that.

Back to the competition.

The mini-challenge was inspired by the resident ballet star on “Canada’s Drag Race,” the divine Brooke Lynn Hytes.

The queens had 20 minutes to transform themselves into ballerinas and perform “The Nut Smacker,” about a “demure ingenue who at the stroke of midnight transforms from a bashful ballerina into a nut-smacking bitch,” in Brooke’s words.

(Apropos of nothing, was Brooke’s outfit during that challenge an homage to David from “Schitt’s Creek”? Just asking)

Anastarzia won for doing her best “Black Swan” with a bitch-smacking chaser. BOA also won for … well, I don’t really know what BOA was doing, but it was funny.

Honourable mention goes to Priyanka, who finished her dance by miming undoing a fly and getting smacked by, ahem, nuts.

As for those “Her-itage Moments,” they weren’t as hilarious as I hoped they would be, but they certainly separated the actors from the queens.

Team BOA performed “Muffragettes,” a takeoff on the 1991 “Nellie McClung” Heritage Minute, except it was drag queens instead of suffragettes getting the vote; for Team Anastarzia, it was “Burnt Tuck.” The inspiration was the “Wilder Penfield” Minute from 1993, in which a patient having a seizure smells burnt toast. (You can check out all the Minutes if you visit historicacanada.ca.)

A couple of stars were born: Kiara, playing a drag queen with a disease that kept her from doing death drops, and Lemon, as a queen with “contouritis.” Rita “Teabag” Baga (that will make sense if you watched the Moment), Priyanka and Jimbo were standouts too. But a couple of duds were also born. BOA, blaming her ADHD, couldn’t remember her lines. Neither could Tynomi Banks and when she did, her delivery was flat and stilted.

Tynomi also had bad luck on the runway, where the queens displayed reinterpretations of their first time in drag. The judges didn’t like her cinched silver dress with sequinned hood. Brooke said she looked like a Knight of the Round Table. The only good news was that they liked Kyne’s outfit less: a pleather take on Ursula the Sea Witch.

As for the winners, Lemon ran away with the runway, pun intended. I’m a sucker for old Hollywood-style glamour and her long-trained gown, platinum wig, faux diamonds and long, sheer gloves were to die for, not to mention the regal way she swished all that fabric around.

I also enjoyed Priyanka’s slinky latex dress and Jimbo’s zombie cheerleader outfit, complete with detachable ponytails. As guest host Jade Hassoune said, “Jimbo is the reason I watch ‘Drag Race.’ I want to be freaked out.” Me too, Jade, me too.

And while I didn’t love her outfit, tribute must be paid to the fact that Scarlett BoBo ate fire on the runway.

And what of Kyne, you might be wondering (or maybe not). After distinguishing herself with brattiness last week, did the Kitchener queen see the error of her arrogant ways?

Yes, she was much more humble and downright collaborative — although she did “forgive” Brooke Lynn for last week’s runway critique. Insert eye roll here. But the new ‘tude could only go so far.

Kyne and Tynomi had to lip sync for their lives to “If You Could Read My Mind,” the Ultra Nate, Amber and Jocelyn Enriquez version (yes, OK, I’ll admit there was a split second where I wondered how they’d lip sync to Gordon Lightfoot).

Tynomi’s years of experience saw her through. Although Kyne was very emotive, her moves were far less dynamic and varied. Still, Tynomi was convinced she’d be sashaying away and broke down in tears while Kyne comforted her.

Kyne left with “a group of some great new friends and a big slice of humble pie.”

Next week, we get to see some singing and dancing and maybe a little reading too. Until then …