‘Canada’s Drag Race’ makes herstory with its first ever Queen of the North

All hail, [SPOILERS]!
September 3, 2020 10:30 p.m. EST
September 4, 2020 6:14 p.m. EST
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After taking some time to reflect on Jimbo’s departure, our Top 3 came out guns a-blazing, ready to take on what Brooke Lynn Hytes called the most difficult maxi challenge of the season and win the crown.Before that though, Rita took a moment to call attention to her French-Canadian divination earlier this season, when she said Team Lemon (consisting of Lemon, Kiara, Jimbo, Tynomi Banks, and BOA in the "Sorry Not Sorry" challenge) wouldn’t make it to the end. Iconic.

U wear [the crown] well: a Canadian RuMix

The final maxi challenge was multi-faceted, as the queens were tasked with writing and recording a remix of RuPaul’s “U Wear It Well”, as well as performing a choreographed routine while lip-syncing to the track. So yeah, nothing too complicated or anything.Though all three queens have singles, Scarlett Bobo was the most intimidated going into the recording session with Ralph, the indie songstress who helped the queens with the recording of "Sorry Not Sorry" earlier in the season. While Priyanka and Rita Baga nailed it fairly easily, a very humble (and honestly, endearing) Bobo eventually found the note after a little help from Ralph.Bobo turned it around in the choreography session with Hollywood Jade, despite being a little nervous with Brooke Lynn watching them. “I don’t want to see you thinking about what you’re doing, I want to see you knowing what you’re doing.” Oh, okay, is that all, Brooke?! Rita Baga was definitely having the hardest time with choreo, but her deadpan facial expressions were totally reaction image material — so, thank you in advance for that, Rita.[video_embed id='2027058']RELATED: The Top 3 of 'Canada's Drag Race' dish on the toughest challenges [/video_embed]Before performing on the main stage, the queens got up close and personal with Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman and Squirrel Friend-turned-guest-host Traci Melchor. One of the most engaging parts of Drag Race as a whole is learning more about the people behind their larger-than-life drag personalities. The usually stoic Rita Baga opened up about how she felt she wouldn’t have a chance as a French-Canadian in a fairly Toronto-oriented season. Scarlett Bobo got emotional speaking about how her mom, who survived an abusive relationship, always makes sure to be at her shows. It was particularly touching to see Priyanka, who always seems to have that TV personality veneer, get vulnerable about not yet being out to her dad and feeling like she was living a double life as a children’s TV host and a drag queen.

The Last Dance

The queens were equally matched in the jaw-dropping performance of "U Wear it Well" that, dare we say, surpasses the original song. ("Sorry Not Sorry," Ru!)On the final runway, Rita wore an alien eleganza look, saying that’s how she saw herself, as she often feels like an outsider. Brooke Lynn said that despite her nervousness about the choreography, Rita came through and delivered a great performance. When asked why she should win the competition, Rita said she won the most maxi challenges with three wins and had accomplished a lot in her 13 years on the Montreal drag scene. It was beautiful to hear her say in French that she wanted to represent the francophones of the world.This was our first chance to see Bobo lip-sync, and she turned it out, using every inch of the stage, as Brooke put it. The judges also loved her look: a gorgeous regal gown that still had that Bobo punk-rock edge. Bobo teared up when asked why she should win, saying she wanted to give queer youth the armour to rise above.[video_embed id='2028446']RELATED: The finalists of 'Canada's Drag Race' talk about the show's impact [/video_embed]Priyanka beautifully represented her Indo-Caribbean roots by wearing a luxurious lehenga dripping in jewels. Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman said it was one of his favourite looks all season, while Traci praised her performance, saying it looked effortless. Priyanka told the judges she felt that though she stumbled in the competition, she rose to the occasion and could inspire others to do the same.As the judges deliberated, the final three got a special visit from all the eliminated queens! It was a touching reunion, showing there's a lot of love between the girls despite the competition. There were some funny moments as well, such as Juice Boxx saying she thought Priyanka was going to win the Snatch Game. BIG OUF. The eliminated queens did NOT hold back with their looks, with special mention going to Ilona Verley’s pastel jingle dress, Anastarzia Anaquway’s gold plated look, complete with her own crown, and Jimbo’s larger-than-life neon creation.

Le trip à trois de tous les temps: a three-way lip-sync

The judges felt that while they all had their own unique strengths, the queens were so equally matched that they should ALL lip-sync for the crown. Bobo wasn’t lying in her confessional when she said Canada was about to see the best lip-sync we’ve ever seen! The queens all brought their own unique flair to Love Inc.’s "You’re a Superstar," with Bobo twirling all over the stage before spinning into a gorgeous black-bodysuit reveal; Rita serving that dignified diva energy and giving a reveal of her own; and Priyanka having the time of her life, serving a mix of comedy and passion.And then, came THE MOMENT. Canada's first Drag Race superstar is....what's her name? PRIYANKA! The charismatic queen of perserverance addressed her young fans from her children's TV show days saying she hoped she could show them that hard work pays off. No doubt, she will continue to make us proud, as all the queens have, and keep giving us some much needed inspiration in these troubling times. Congratulations Pri![video_embed id='2028923']BEFORE YOU GO: Can weTalk About… ‘Canada’s Drag Race’ S1E10 with Priyanka [/video_embed]

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