This week, the girls were challenged with one of the standout tasks from last season: The Snatch Game. The girls had to dish out their best celebrity impersonations in a send-up of the ever-popular Match Game. RuPaul, however, was not having it. Just look at how he responded to plus-sized queen Delta Work saying she would be doing her best Cher.
Or what about when Miss Yara Sofia, a native Puerto Rican with a thick accent, revealed she would be portraying Amy Winehouse using the British accent skills she learned from Harry Potter?
Then there's that time when Alexis Mateo said she would make Alicia Keyes funny by playing her super butch and super pregnant.
The most baffling choice had to be Miss Stacy Layne Matthews declaring she would make Anna Nicole Smith funny with puffy shoes and a handbag.
And then Mariah chose to be Joan Crawford, which would require a pulse and a knack for extravagance beyond wardrobe to work. RuPaul was not amused.
The game started up whether the girls developed characters or not, giving us the bizarre celebrity panel. From left to right, top to bottom: Cher, Imelda Marcos, Tyra Banks, Mo'Nique (formerly Anna Nicole Smith), Tina Turner, Joan Crawford, Alicia Keys, Jennifer Lopez, and Amy Winehouse.
Standouts? Raja channeled her former employer Tyra Banks (Sutan, his male identity, was the make-up artist for years on Top Model, until he shined too bright and Tyra kicked him to the curb), smizing until his eyes bled.
Manila Luzon, spurred to action by Shangela's insistence that a Filipino could not appropriate a stereotypical Chinese accent (which is, coincidentally, a stereotypical Japanese and Filipino accent too, Shangela) for comedy, impersonated former first lady Imelda Marcos, complete with insane shoe collection. It was physical shtick and face-pulling, but significantly better than most of the other girls.
Stacy Lane Matthews turned a bad reading from RuPaul into inspiration as she channeled Mo'Nique in Precious. The performance was surprisingly deep considering she played off the fat girl jokes and kept threatening to whoop RuPaul for not fetching her dinner fast enough. She was quick-witted and nailed many of the nuances of Mo'Nique's performance without breaking a sweat. I'm a big fan of Precious and even I know that performance, out of context, is melodramatic camp. In context, it's heart-breaking and terrifying. Fortunately, no one chose to play Gabourey Sidibe and talk about not being able to read and incest, so Stacy pulled off comedy with great ease. Again. Acting is her strong suit.
Stacy managed to win the challenge in spite of her pedestrian runway efforts; her presence was good, but the outfit was off the rack Lane Bryant clearance-wear with a gold lamee jacket.
Yara Sofia was in the bottom three because of her horrible Amy Winehouse, but she became my new favorite by selling the gothic ice queen persona better than ever. This was Gaga meets Ursula the Sea Witch and I think I love her for it.
Once again having the stand out look on the runway, Raja gave us pan-national chic without even trying. Clay-pot bikini top, large plate earrings, Mayan war-paint, and vaguely Mexican skirt made for a shocking and memorable runway.
Delta Work sent home another boring contestant with a bad attitude. Her position in the bottom meant she was tearing other girls apart in Untucked. Her crosshairs are now set on Stacy Layne Matthews. I'm honestly waiting for the brawl to breakout backstage between these girls, as we've already had thrown drinks and physical altercations on the runway.