Dragula: Season 4 Episode 5 Review (TV Series, 2021)
content warning: death by suicide (discussed), foul language, flashing lights
Editorial note: these Dragula reviews will feature spoilers.
The opening short this week is a narrated ghost story at the seashore. Stylistically, we’re in Carnival of Souls and The Seventh Seal territory. I don’t want to spoil anything on this. It’s the best non-competitive scene in the show since the voodoo doll Extermination in season two.
Back in the Boudoir, Fangoria makes its presence known. The contestants walk in to see a stack of magazines and merchandise. The crowd seems small because of last week’s challenge. Remember, all four members of Sigourney Beaver’s band were up for Extermination. Only Dahli, Hoso Terra Toma, La Zavaleta, and Saint get to recap the events. Production had a lot of fun with this one. The contestants would say “[x] is definitely coming back” and [y] would be sent back in instead. Dragula season four is produced.
As a reminder, these are real people competing on a reality show. Everything down to what you’re allowed to wear on camera is approved by the production staff. These shows are a high pressure situation where contestants are encouraged to perform. They even lifted the curtain on that last season when Maddelynn Hatter was shown talking to producers after the Dungeons & Dragons challenge about the edit, about production matters, and about putting on a show. This is true on any reality competition, whether it’s Survivor or The Voice. Watch these shows to support the contestants and enjoy the narrative constructed from real people participating in a manufactured environment.
In one of the most entertaining twists of the season, the quiet contestants have their mics turned on for once and it’s the audible equivalent of an eyeroll. Dahli and Hoso basically say “we don’t care” when everyone starts fighting again. Meanwhile, Jade Jolie took the note from last week on the mainstage and is speaking up and leading the story. Thatta girl.
This week is the Ghostship of Glamour challenge. The contestants have to create a unique look inspired by the idea of a luxury cruise liner lost at sea. The prompt is glamour, which has always been one of the three main categories of Dragula. They also have to choreograph a lipsync performance to the Boulet Brothers’ new song “Wicked Love.” The winner of the challenge will receive $1000 shopping spree to Premiere Products, a special effects makeup company.
The Fright Feat returns with one of the most dramatic twists from Dragula in season three. There is a key to life and death hidden in the Boudoir. The contestant who finds it gets special power over everyone else. They can save themselves from Extermination or choose to send someone else into the Extermination this week.
Remember how I just mentioned the Maddelynn Hatter moment? Yeah, that was caused by Dollya Black finding the key last time, saving herself from Extermination, and, in turn, putting Maddelyn in the bottom two on a challenge she was meant to be safe on. Produced. Reality. TV. Gold.
Well, almost. The contestants can’t find the key. Someone asks, “what if we’re just stupid?” Over 10 minutes later, Jade finds the key. Thatta girl.
The contestants are then given a chance to blow off some steam. Jade is instructed to lead a séance that’s really a reading challenge. The lights are dimmed, electronic candles are put on the table, and everyone watches and laughs along as she goes down the line.
One of the things I appreciate the most about Dragula is that there is a sense of care for the contestants. The performance segments are edited to show them at their best and even the worst performing contestants always get a few compliments in addition to constructive criticism. Clearly, after things got so heated last week, there were efforts made to rebuild relationships between the contestants and let them have fun.
The guest judges this week are Phil Nobile, Jr. and Kristian Nairn. Phil Nobile, Jr. is the editor in chief of Fangoria magazine. Fangoria has been all-in on Dragula content since season one and remains one of the top horror publications in the world. Kristian Nairn is the actor best known for playing Hodor on Game of Thrones and showed up fully dressed as a classic vampire. He reveals later on that he started his career as a drag performer, which gives him some insight that other judges don’t always have. He’s here to have a good time and that always pays off for the judges on Dragula.
I’ll say right now this is one of my favorite Floor Shows of all time. Glamour is often an afterthought for a lot of contestants on this show, so it’s good to see who can actually fulfill that element of the competition. This is the best a lot of these contestants have looked the entire season. Glamour lends itself to a level of polish, but can still be quite scary or even disgusting in the right hands.
Sigourney Beaver is by far my favorite contestant in this challenge. Her costume is stunning and her makeup is perfection. She created an original ghost character that looks like it stepped off the set of a big budget film. Saint and Dahli also have excellent looks, playing with androgyny and light Steampunk influences. While I didn’t totally understand Hoso Terra Toma’s look, her lipsync performance is spectacular.
The Boulet Brothers have their private discussion before the actual judging begins. I’m still laughing about Dracmorda straight up saying, “my only regret so far is wearing this helmet.” The stunning 3D printed helmets—putting a gothic spin on an old bell diving suit--are incredibly uncomfortable and they have a good sense of humor about the struggle.
The Boulets are worried about Bitter Betty plateauing in the contestant. She’s not doing bad, but she’s not showing the growth they want. Jade Jolie improved from last week, but she’s almost too controlled for the contest. They focus on her “pageantry.” And…that’s it. No one else gets that extra special focus this episode.
Before judging begins, Jade Jolie is asked to use her key of life and death. Jade decides to put Bitter Betty up for extermination. Now Jade gets to be the only safe contestant of the week. Thatta girl.
Saint is praised for dressing as a worker on the ship, rather than a guest. The judges like their movement style, but want them to push harder. Sigourney Beaver is praised for her strong lipsync and nailing the assignment. Dahli also nailed the lipsync and brought a great blend of horror and glamour to the challenge.
Hoso Terra Toma’s look confused the judges, but they loved her performance. She just wasn’t glamourous enough for the prompt. Bitter Betty is up for Extermination no matter what. The judges loved her look, but her tearaway pearl necklace didn’t tearaway and she missed some words on the lipsync. La Zavaleta missed the style of the song in her performance, but the judges loved her look.
Ultimately, Sigourney Beaver is the winner of the challenge. She is an incredible performer and it looked like this song was written just for her. Anyone who gets that excited being compared to Kate Bush is a winner in my book.
Hoso, Betty, and La Zavaleta are up for Extermination. They have to do a water-based photoshoot with a spectral camera. Whoever does the worst on camera will not survive. This is actually the second time we’ve seen this challenge on the show. Season one’s Top 4 had to do a photoshoot on the beach just like this, which gave the contestants one last chance to prove they could deliver a performance under any circumstances going into the finale.
I have to address the fights (plural, yes) in the Cauldron. I’m not here to rehash the drama. This is a high stress environment and this challenge was a lot of contestants’ breaking points. Dahli is apparently the only contestant not at all phased by the judging and gets to act as a narrator of events before the camera rewinds (VHS markings and all) to show us how the fight started.
There have been rumors going around about the Boulet Brothers having to actually step in and break up a particularly heated Cauldron session and I’m pretty sure this is that episode if it happened at all. I’ll keep saying this here because last week was very rough on social media for the contestants on this show. These are human beings. Be kind. Rather than attacking someone you don’t like, go support the contestants you do like. Send them compliments on social media or buy their merch. Tearing down someone else because they were mean to your favorite contestant months ago in an isolated reality TV setting is not helping anyone.
Ultimately, it is Bitter Betty who gets Exterminated this week. She did a great job taking the Boulet Brothers’ critiques each week and should be praised for that. She gives one of the best performances in an Extermination short in the entire series and gets to go out looking that stunning on camera.
New episodes of The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula premiere Tuesdays on Shudder.
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