RuPaul introduces 'punch to the gut' twist to Drag Race LaLaPaRuza lip-sync smackdown
Warning: This article contains spoilers for RuPaul's Drag Race season 15.
RuPaul just gagged the queens a bit — for sure — when she added a major twist to the Drag Race LaLaPaRuza lip-sync smackdown that shifted the power balance among the cast.
For the second regular season in a row, RuPaul determined an elimination through a series of lip-sync duels among the entire group. All 10 queens paired off for one-on-one battles until three gals — Anetra, Spice, and Jax — remained, after losing all of their prior match-ups against Sasha Colby, Luxx Noir London, Mistress Isabelle Brooks, Malaysia Babydoll Foxx, Marcia Marcia Marcia, Loosey LaDuca, and Salina EsTitties.
For the final round, RuPaul implemented the twist, which she attributed to the famous "fickle finger of fate," as she revealed that only two of the three queens left on stage would lip-sync against each other.
"[Pit Crew member] Bruno randomly chooses the name of one queen," RuPaul told Anetra, Spice, and Jax. "That queen will have the power to save one of her fellow queens on stage and send her straight back to the Werk Room."
Anetra's name emerged from Bruno's random lottery, and she made the difficult decision to save TikTok-famous artist Spice — who, alongside her already eliminated twin sister, Sugar, previously discussed being the least-experienced live performers among the season 15 cast.
MTV/World of Wonder (3) Spice, RuPaul, and Anetra on 'RuPaul's Drag Race'
"I can't lip-sync against Spice. Like, do ya'll think that's fair? Honestly, I have no problem taking Jax out," Anetra joked in a confessional.
Jax said, "This is a punch to the gut. I thought we were closer than that. But, if Anetra wants to lip-sync against me, then it's a battle she's going to get."
The pair duked it out to "Finally" by CeCe Peniston, with RuPaul declaring Anetra the winner while Jax sashayed away.
In EW's exclusive group interview with the cast ahead of the season, Salina teased this very plot development when she promised that the "power lies a lot more in [the queens'] hands" with regards to the season 15 twist.
RuPaul's Drag Race season 15 continues Fridays at 8 p.m. on MTV.
Subscribe to EW's Quick Drag podcast for recaps of RuPaul's Drag Race, including reactions with the cast, special guests, and more.
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