Drag Race’s Season 16 Finale: Our Take (Spoilers Alert!)

Drag Race Season 16 Finale: We Have a Winner, Baby!

The 16th season of Emmy-winning RuPaul's Drag Race came to a close last night with some yawns and some surprises. Is it us, or did the whole thing just seem a little anti-climatic and very lackluster? In any case, we were totally shocked when Plane Jane didn't even make it to the final round, to be even further shocked when Nymphia Wind totally BROUGHT IT and took home the crown (and scepter, and $200 K).

 

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Firstly, the finale took place in a studio rather than in the big theater performance we've seen over the last few years. We didn't get any glimpses of popular LGBTGQ influencers in the audience, we didn't see that many Drag Race alumni, it was just a streamlined, simple affair. Meh. The recent trend of just having an LED screen in the back of the stage to project any set pieces is getting a little tiresome. The production overall just seemed to be put together last minute, and a little sloppy. Also, the audience clapping and cheering seemed annoyingly canned. The opening with RuPaul's "Pink Limousine" was...meh. The four judges from the season (Michelle Visage, Ross Mathews, Carson Kressley, & Ts Madison) weren't given much to do, but they looked fab. The tribute to Elivra was cute, but seemed a bit rushed, and why wasn't there a runway with looks inspired by her legacy? The moments with the finalists' families are always heartwarming, but the talking to a younger version of themselves at age 4 was super rushed and didn't quite have the effect as past versions. The male dancers were fantastic, even if some of the dance numbers were a snooze fest.

As for the Queens, let's just say the entire cast looked AMAZING! Even some of the more questionable Queen from the season seemed to have gone to Drag U and come back looking polished. The outfits, the makeup, the pageantry. They brought their A-game! Though last year's winner Sasha Colby looked amazing as always, her number also seemed a bit messy and under-rehearsed. The audience didn't care, she can do anything and fans love her.

 

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Ok, let's get to the finalist. Oh, how the mighty have fallen. While we haven't been the biggest fan of Plane Jane's more-than-healthy ego or her Werk Room peer attacks, we do understand how talented she is. That being said, her ego seemed to get the best of her and we were gagged when she didn't make it to the final round. Her performance of "Bodysuit" was surprisingly bad, whether it was the dull choreography, her deadpan face, or the meh outfit, it just didn't seem like finale quality, especially from Jane. Here Q & A segment after was also devoid of any humility. Bye, girl.

 

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Sapphira didn't just kill her solo number. She MURDERED it. She brought the drama, she brought opera, she brought it all and nailed it. Everyone was on their feet in loud applause. We knew she had it, but she REALLY had it. If the finale was based on that number alone, then she would have won, hands down. She was amazing.

 

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When Nymphia Wind came out in a banana outfit, we were all like, oh, thrilling. Then she knocked it out of the park with her solo. She seems to have totally come out of her cocoon. We didn't quite agree with her making it to the finale, but she changed our minds right off the bat. She clearly has been working on her craft and though her looks were never an issue, she had a confidence and strength we had not seen before. Her moments with her mom were truly heartwarming, we finally see how Nymphia is.

 

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The final lip-synch to Kylie's "Padam" was a close call. Saphhira seemed bogged down by her breastplate and outfit, and she seemed focused on the win rather than having a good performance. Nymphia worked that stage, she worked her outfit, she worked that audience, she worked those floating balloons! She was clearly chewing up the scenery and loving every moment of it. We could see halfway in that she was going to win. Her reaction to winning was great. We can't wait to see how her drag takes off after this.

 

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All in all, it was just ok. It seems like a letdown, after going through this whole season to have that be the finale. Drag Race does need a little change, a little jolt of fresh and new ideas. After 16 seasons, anything is bound to dull a bit, yes?

What was your take on the Drag Race finale?