RuPaul's Drag Race season 17, episode 8 recap: Queens take on ‘The Wicked Wiz of Oz’ Rusical

MTV aired RuPaul's Drag Race season 17, episode 8, titled The Wicked Wiz of Oz: The Rusical on February 21, 2025. The episode saw the final ten participants take part in the season's Rusical challenge, a musical theater-style performance inspired by Wicked, The Wizard of Oz, and The Wiz. However, it did not feature a mini-challenge, letting contestants concentrate on their roles, singing, choreography, and stage appearance.

As the queens selected their parts, some roles were contested, with Jewels Sparkles and Kori King debating over the character of the Good Witch. Kori argued that the role required a certain look as Jewels countered by stating her success in the previous challenge.

A vote determined that Jewels would play the Good Witch, while Kori would be a Flying Monkey. Other roles were assigned with less debate, including Suzie Toot as the Green Witch, Acacia Forgot as Kansas Dorothy, and Sam Star as the Wicked Witch.

The queens then moved into rehearsals, working with Michelle Visage and music producer Gabe Lopez for vocal coaching. Choreographer Jamal Sims guided them through their routines before the main stage performance in RuPaul's Drag Race.

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Rehearsals and stage performance in RuPaul's Drag Race

After receiving their roles, the queens started preparing for the Rusical in the latest episode of RuPaul's Drag Race. Michelle Visage and music producer Gabe Lopez worked with them on their vocals.

Some queens had an easier time adjusting to feedback, while others struggled. Lana Ja’Rae and Lydia B Kollins showed improvement, while Kori King had difficulty with pitch.

Suzie Toot and Onya Nurve, both previous challenge winners, noticed they were becoming direct competitors in the competition. Onya acknowledged this by saying that they were "both gunning for that crown."

Jamal Sims led the choreography session. The queens had to match their movements to their characters while keeping up with the music. Jewels Sparkles and Onya found the choreography difficult to execute smoothly, while Lexi Love, Lana, and Arrietty adjusted well. Kori and Lydia, who played the Flying Monkeys, struggled to synchronize their performances.

On the main stage, the queens performed in front of RuPaul, Michelle Visage, Jamal Sims, and guest judge Adam Lambert. Jewels took an energetic approach as The Good Witch, while Sam Star’s Wicked Witch was inspired by Cher.

Onya’s Harlem Dorothy brought a different tone to the performance. Acacia Forgot, playing Kansas Dorothy, had a central role but did not stand out. Kori’s performance as a Flying Monkey also did not have a strong presence.

After the Rusical, the queens presented their runway looks for the “Parasols: Shady Ladies” theme. The judges named Lana, Lexi, Lydia, and Arrietty as safe. The top performers were Suzie, Jewels, Sam, and Onya. The judges declared Sam as the winner on the latest episode of RuPaul's Drag Race.

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Lip sync and elimination

The bottom two contestants were Acacia Forgot and Kori King. They competed in the Lip Sync for Your Life to Adam Lambert’s Wet Dream. While Acacia took a slower, more controlled approach, Kori focused on movement and voguing.

During the lip sync, Kori attempted a split, and her wig came off. Despite this, she continued performing without stopping.

“She’s doing her best, but that wig is gone,” Suzie commented.

The judges considered both performances before announcing Kori as the winner. Acacia was eliminated from the competition of RuPaul's Drag Race. The preview for next week revealed that the next challenge would be a design-based task inspired by fashion designer Betsey Johnson. The queens will have to create their own looks, testing their sewing and creativity skills.

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Watch new episodes of RuPaul's Drag Race season 17 airing every Friday at 8 pm ET exclusively on MTV.