RuPaul's Drag Race season 17 episode 1 recap- Werk Room with the 14 new queens

The premiere episode of RuPaul's Drag Race season 17 introduced the 14 new queens who will compete for the title of "America's Next Drag Superstar." The episode, titled Squirrel Games, which aired on January 3, 2024, featured the queens participating in a Squid Game-inspired challenge, "Ru Light, Green Light," as part of their introduction to the competition.

The queens began their journey in the Werk Room, facing both the mini-challenge and the maxi challenge, setting the stage for the rest of the season.

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RuPaul's Drag Race season 17 episode 1 overview

The queens enter the Werk Room

In the opening of the episode, the 14 queens were introduced to the Werk Room. The queens competing in season 17 include Suzie Toot, Arrietty, Crystal Envy, Hormona Lisa, Jewels Sparkles, Lana Ja’Rae, Joella, Kori King, Lexi Love, Lucky Starzzz, Lydia B Kollins, Onya Nurve, Sam Star, and Acacia Forgot.

Notably, some of the queens have family connections to former contestants. Kori King is the sister of RuPaul's Drag Race season 16 finalist Plane Jane, while Arrietty is the daughter of season 15 first boot, Irene Dubois. Hormona Lisa was chosen by RuPaul during his book tour, and Sam Star is the daughter of All Stars 4 winner Trinity the Tuck.

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The first challenge: “Ru Light, Green Light”

The first challenge of the season was inspired by Squid Game and titled “Ru Light, Green Light.” The challenge required the queens to remain still when the lights were red and move only when the lights turned green. The challenge tested the queens’ ability to stay composed under pressure.

All queens completed the challenge successfully, with Lana Ja’Rae winning the mini-challenge for her pose during the red light phase. The queens were unaware that their poses would be captured by cameras, which added an element of surprise to the competition on RuPaul's Drag Race.

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The maxi challenge: Drag Queens Got Talent

For the maxi challenge, the queens participated in "Drag Queens Got Talent." In this split-premiere format, the contestants were divided into two groups of seven. The queens were responsible for selecting which group they would perform in. The non-performing group had the power to rate their peers, which added a layer of strategy to the competition.

Several queens made strategic decisions as they arranged themselves in opposite performance weeks to influence the ratings. Arrietty and Lana, for example, arranged their performances so that they would rate each other highly. At the same time, Hormona Lisa was focused on ensuring she performed the same week as queens with whom she anticipated conflicts.

The queens performed a variety of acts, including Joella’s performance for Katy Perry, the guest judge for the episode. Each performance was critiqued by the judges, which included RuPaul, Michelle Visage, Carson Kressley, and Katy Perry.

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The lip sync for the win

Following the performances, the top two queens, Suzie Toot and Jewels Sparkles, were selected. Both queens performed well during the talent show, but Suzie Toot was chosen as the winner after a comedic interpretation of the song "Woman’s World" by Katy Perry. Suzie received a $5,000 cash tip for her victory.

Acacia Forgot was rated the lowest in the challenge and was in the bottom position. The ratings and performances played a significant role in determining which queens would advance and which would face potential elimination on RuPaul's Drag Race.

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In the next episode of RuPaul's Drag Race, the queens Crystal, Hormona, Kori, Lana, Lexi, Onya, and Sam will perform in front of guest judge Doechii. The queens will again rate each other, and the lowest-rated queens will face off in the Lip Sync for Your Life. One queen will be eliminated, while the competition continues toward crowning the winner of season 17.

New episodes of RuPaul's Drag Race Season 17 will be released every Friday at 8 PM EST until the 16-episode season concludes.