RuPaul's Drag Race season 16 episode 12: Recap and more details explored

Episode 12 of season 16 of RuPaul's Drag Race was released on Friday, March 22, 2024, and saw one more queen being sent back home. In episode 11, fans saw the contestants compete in front of a live audience to present comical Drag Awareness seminars by taking on the role of corporate employees.

The episode also saw comedian and actor Joel Kim Booster as a guest judge with Michelle Visage, Ross Mathews, and RuPaul on the panel. The guest judge for episode 11, Booster is known for his appearances on Fire Island and Unplugging. Queen Mhi'ya Iman Le'Paige was eliminated while Sapphira Cristál was announced the winner in episode 11.

Episode 12 of the Emmy-award-winning show was titled Bathroom Hunties and saw the return of the remaining six queens. They were set to compete in a challenge that, like episode 11, was all about teamwork.

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What happened in RuPaul's Drag Race season 16 episode 12?

The new episode began with showcasing the tension rising high between Q and Sapphira. The former felt that she was robbed of victory when the latter won the challenge in the last episode. It appeared that Q wanted to pick a fight but decided to not let go of her control in front of the cameras.

However, it seemed like Plane Jane was trying to incite some drama when she advised Q to confront Sapphira about her reservations. Ultimately, viewers saw the queen resolving their issue with a conversation with the beef long-forgotten.

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The maxi-challenge of RuPaul's Drag Race season 16 episode 12

In the werk room, RuPaul informed the remaining queen that this week they would be pitted against one another in a club-design challenge. The task, which viewers have previously seen in All Stars 4 and 5, commanded the contestants to create custom powder rooms. Forming teams of two, the queens were tested for their designing, comedy, hosting, and concept-building skills.

Q and Morphine joined hands to deliver their ‘Hell’ concept which failed to leave an impression. Though Q’s comic skills outshined the set, the duo lacked chemistry. At one point, Morphine seemed to go off the rails and Q took the reigns to try and salvage their performance.

The next to present were Dawn and Nymphia who came up with the Museum of F.Art concept. Though the idea appeared promising, the queens couldn't deliver the way they wanted. Nyphia took the lead but Dawn seemed to find it difficult to match the former's energy. Whenever Dawn took center stage, she seemed out of character.

The last to come up on stage were Sapphira and Plane Jane. Though their concept wasn’t the best of all, they had the best delivery which got them positive critiques.

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The runway segment of RuPaul's Drag Race season 16 episode 12

Last week, the runaway segment dealt with the sensitive subject of paying tribute to the queer generation lost to the AIDS epidemic in the 80s. Q publicly disclosed her HIV-positive diagnosis ahead of the segment. This week, the concept was ‘Chain Reactions’ wherein the queens were tasked to whip out looks with chains taking the centerpiece of their ensembles.

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Who was eliminated on RuPaul's Drag Race season 16 episode 12?

After the judges' critique, Sapphira and Plane Jane’s team were announced to be the winners of this week. Meanwhile, falling to the bottom were Dawn and Morphine, who faced each other in a lip-sync battle for survival. They performed on Megan Thee Stallion's smash-hit number Body and it was eventually announced that Morphine was safe and Dawn had to sashay away.

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RuPaul's Drag Race season 16 will return with episode 13 on Friday, March 29, 2024, at 8 pm ET on MTV