RuPaul's Drag Race Episode 9: An Inevitable Matchup Between Lovers

Editor's note: Before you dive into episode 9, read our recap of last week's episode.

With the cast whittled down from 14 to nine and in anticipation of a top-four finale, the queens conclude they'll need a win under their wigs. This leaves Jewels Sparkles, Kori King, Lana Ja'Rae, and Lydia Butthole Kollins in a precarious situation. Even queens with wins, like Lexi Love and Arrietty, are nervous that Onya Nurve, Suzie Toot, and, most recently, Sam Star, are pulling away from the pack with double wins.

If that's not stressful enough, RuPaul enters and opens the library. The queens partake in the revered reading challenge, which, while not a main competition, remains a critical moment to make a lasting impression on RuPaul. Suzie triumphs with three clever reads, while Lana and Kori garner the most jabs from the cast. But the best jokes come from Lexi's perfectly crafted Stonewall reference, Jewels' play on gendered pronouns, and Lydia's top-bottom wordplay (all of these at Kori's expense).

The performance-based mini-challenge leads to the season's third design main challenge. The queens are tasked with constructing looks inspired by three separate Betsey Johnson collections: Punk Grunge Flapper, Betsey's Prom, and Prenup. Arrietty appears to sail through yet another challenge, Onya avoids any charges of sabotage, and Suzie gets a reprieve from the villain edit she's gotten as of late. Instead, the episode focuses on Sam, Lexi, Jewels, Kori, and Lydia.

Early in the episode, Sam reiterates her apparent transformation per the judges' critiques. It all feels a little exaggerated, as Sam has been pretty funny from the start of the season. It feels a little overproduced, which makes sense, as Sam is a producer's dream. She's front and center with commentary in the confessional this week.

She's also at the center of Lana's great two-face read. Even as the edit repeatedly cuts away to Sam offering some catty commentary, Sam is also seen mentoring Lexi on overcoming her inner saboteur.

There's an interesting parallel between Lexi and Jewels throughout the episode. Both queens stood out during the talent show, with Lexi nabbing the win. But since then, they've both struggled to earn the judges' attention. While Jewels has experienced an upward trajectory lately, Lexi's safe plateau has felt like a potential spiral. Each responds differently this week. Jewels dives headfirst into the challenge by picking the unexpected Punk Grunge Flapper collection. Lexi, on the other hand, collapses into tears. In the end, both queens succeed in landing at the top, but the cutaway to Lexi after Jewels' victory is heartbreaking.

Kori and Lydia share a lot of screen time this week. Their budding romance has been a growing focal point of the season, and it hits its crescendo this week. Working as a team landed Kori at the bottom last week, and there's an awkward moment when Lydia picks Lexi over Kori without much thought, yielding a strategic advantage. Like Jewels and Lexi, the couple appears to be on two different trajectories. Lydia has displayed more personality since her placement in the bottom two a couple of weeks back, while Kori, after two lip-syncs for her life, remains content playing it safe. She vocalizes her desire to just get by another week. Where is the drive? RuPaul presses her to try something new, but she starts and then abandons the task at hand.

It all culminates with Suzie, Lana, and Sam placing in the safe spots. Arrietty makes it to the top. Lexi and Jewels both craft looks that could seamlessly appear on a Betsey Johnson catwalk. Lydia lands in the bottom three with Kori and Onya — it's the first time Onya's personality fails to compensate for her poorly crafted look. Luckily for her, Kori haphazardly reverts to her comfort zone. Lydia once again showcases a fascinating aesthetic betrayed by a lack of finesse and editing.

A lip-sync between Kori and Lydia was inevitable this season. No producer would miss the chance to pit two lovers against each other, as they did with Brooke Lynn Hytes and Vanjie in Season 11. When the Lita Ford track starts to play, it's hard not to give the advantage to Lydia. Once again, Kori comes alive during the lip-sync; something she has not translated into challenges.

The two give RuPaul exactly what she wants from them when they orchestrate a perfectly timed make-out section during the performance. But only one can win, and in the end, it's just difficult to overcome a third lip sync, especially when you ignore the advice of the show's host. It's Kori's time to go, but they should let her hang out in the Werk Room and Untucked just for laughs and to stir up drama.