There were tears and tiaras during Canada's Drag Race's first pageant

We’re down to our top 6 and, phew, tensions are heating up in the Canada's Drag Race (Thursdays at 9pET on Crave) werk room. Lemon was still feeling bitter about Jimbo, BOA, Ilona Verley and Scarlett Bobo telling the judges she should be sent home in last week's episode. In her confessional, though, she turned any lasting resentment into motivation and beamed as she said, “It’s a new day and all these bitches hate me so I’m gonna send them packing!” Dang, tell us how you really feel.The sissie spat we saw develop last week between Ilona and Scarlett Bobo only got worse this week, and they were at each other's throats, going in circles, to the point that Priyanka called out that their argument was legit about nothing. The pageant world can be cutthroat, after all.[video_embed id='2014528']WATCH: Ilona Verley shares the highs and lows of her 'Canada's Drag Race' exit[/video_embed]

Who needs a mini challenge anyway?

Since it was the first pageant in Drag Race herstory, this week’s maxi challenge was too major to leave room for a mini challenge.ICYMI, drag pageants have been around since the 1960s, mirroring mainstream beauty contests like Miss America. If you’re a fan of the Drag Race franchise, chances are you’ve heard a lot of drama about pageant placements. Coco Montrese replacing Alyssa Edwards as Miss Gay America in 2010 kicked off their legendary feud that featured heavily in season 5 of Rupaul’s Drag Race and judge Brooke Lynn Hytes and eliminated queen Anastarzia Anaquway have won multiple pageants themselves.The Miss Loose Jaw pageant wasn’t so much about serving poise and touting the benefits of world peace as much as it was about improvising as archetypical pageant characters in a backwoods legion hall affair. As last week's big winner, Rita Baga was given the task of assigning the characters swiftly and mercilessly, which left Scarlett Bobo fuming after being chosen to play Miss Informed but seemed to embrace it on stage.

...and world peace

The pageant judges were truly legendary, with Canada's Squirrel Friend, and etalk's own, Traci Melchor, Canada’s oldest performing drag queen Michelle DuBarry, and Snake from Degrassi himself, Stefan Brogren. The pageant itself was a trainwreck in the best way possible, between Jimbo’s over-the-top impression of animal sounds (of the dirty-filthy variety) as Miss Behavin’, Lemon bumping into imaginary  invisible walls during her mime act in the talent portion and Bobo’s bizarre bongo spasm.

 

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Welcome to the inaugural Miss Loose Jaw Pageant ?? #CanadasDragRace is now streaming on @cravecanada. ??

A post shared by Canada’s Drag Race (@canadasdragrace) on Aug 13, 2020 at 6:31pm PDT

On the runway, the queens were asked to serve Pageant Perfection, with all except Lemon, who went the Toddlers and Tiaras route, taking the theme literally and wearing gorgeous gowns. It was refreshing and intriguing to see Rita Baga and Scarlett Bobo serve glamour while keeping the edge fans love them for.The judges had mixed feelings about Ilona Verley's crystal-heavy pageant look and gave her a similar critique to last week, saying her performance was too one-note and that she missed the comedy potential of playing Miss Erable. Priyanka’s performance as Miss Demeanor also earned her repetitive critiques, though the judges loved her Bollywood-inspired runway look, which Pri revealed was inspired by her grandmother.Guest judge, Canadian synth-pop singer Allie X, noticed the lack of confidence in Priyanka's posture, which made it all the more heartbreaking watching Pri's emotional confessional wondering if she made the right decision leaving her career in kids' TV to pursue drag full-time.

 

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It’s about damn time ⏰. And I’m a Jimbo stan. That’s all I’m saying for now. @canadasdragrace

A post shared by allie x (@alliex) on Aug 7, 2020 at 3:28pm PDT

Emotions ran high while the queens awaited the judges' decision, especially with Jimbo, who was already upset with the feedback that her voluminous runway gown was not at all glamourous, firing back at Rita Baga after the Québécoise Queen said she looked older than usual with her purposely pulled-back skin in an effort to give constructive criticism.Lemon won the challenge as the judges were impressed with her ditzy and demented Southern belle take on Miss Fits in the pageant, and her risky child beauty pageant look for the pageant perfection runway. It do take nerve, as Ru always says.

Hello and goodbye

Priyanka and Ilona faced off in the lip sync to Allie X’s banger “Hello”. Ilona emoted the heck out of it while Priyanka tapped into her comedy skills and had the judges LOLing. Ultimately, it was Ilona's turn to go, and she faced her exit with grace, noting that she was proud of herself for representing her two-spirit and Nlaka'pamux identity on Canada's Drag Race. And she got the ultimate consolation prize when this week's guest judge came backstage to wish her a personal goodbye. "I don't need a crown, I got to hug Allie X!" Awwwww!Next week is another Drag Race tradition; the makeover challenge. The queens will be putting LGBQT+ refugees from charitable organization Rainbow Railroad in drag for the first time.  Grab a box of tissues beforr a new episode at 9pET, Thursday on Crave.[video_embed id='2009956']RELATED: Can weTalk About… ‘Canada’s Drag Race’ S1E6[/video_embed]