RPDR 18: Episode 1 Rucap
- Faiz Faisal
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Alright, squirrel friends — the engines are revving, the wigs are teased, and RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 18 has officially entered the werkroom 💅✨
Another season, another batch of queens ready to snatch the crown — 14 queens competing for a grand prize of USD200,000. Before we even get into the chaos of Episode 1, let’s talk about the real first challenge of every season: the entrance looks.
My Top 3 Entrance Looks
Right off the bat, three queens had me fully gagged:
Nini Coco – Colorful and polished.
Juicy Love Dion – Sexy, and unapologetically fun.
Myki Meeks – Neat and stamped!
Strong entrances really do set the tone, and these three made sure we remembered their names.
Mini-Challenge: Scream, Dolls, Scream
For the first mini-challenge of the season, the queens had to give their best scream while being surrounded by masked men — because Drag Race loves a little psychological torture with glamour 😭
The whole set instantly reminded me of Lady Gaga’s “Abracadabra” music video, and honestly? It felt like a full-on homage. The timing was too perfect — I wouldn’t be surprised if this was filmed around the MV release.
Kenya Pleaser snatched the win, becoming the first mini-challenge winner of Season 18, and honestly? A strong way to kick things off.
Maxi-Challenge: A Design Challenge (Finally!)
Then Ru dropped the bomb: a design challenge for the premiere. And not just any design challenge — the queens had to create their signature look using scraps left behind by queens from previous seasons.
Let me just say… after how many seasons of talent show premieres, this felt refreshing. You could tell some of the girls were shook, but that’s Drag Race, baby.
And yes — Hormona Lisa’s iconic bob made an appearance, which felt like Drag Race lore coming full circle.
Guest Judge: Cardi B 💎
The premiere guest judge was none other than Cardi B, and I loved everything about her presence. The look? Stunning. The energy? Authentic. The commentary? Cardi being Cardi.
What really stood out to me was how she gave flowers to her glam team, proudly acknowledging the Dolls who helped her get to where she is today. Especially in this cultural moment — when certain artists (yes, Nicki Minaj, I’m looking at you) are leaning into MAGA rhetoric and transphobia — it was powerful to see Cardi do the exact opposite and uplift the community.
Timing really is everything.
Runway: My Top 3 Looks
The runway was strong overall, but if I had to pick my personal top three from the design challenge:
Nini Coco
Vita VonTeese Star
Discord Addams
I actually mostly agreed with the judges — though instead of Jane Don’t, I would’ve placed Discord Addams in the top three. The look just felt more intentional and memorable to me.
Top 2 & Lip Sync
The top two queens of the week were Nini Coco and Vita VonTeese Star, lip-syncing to “Enough (Miami)” by Cardi B.
Going in, I genuinely thought Vita had this in the bag… but was it just me, or did she seem a little shaky on the lyrics? 😬 It wasn’t the strongest lip sync we’ve ever seen, but both queens still turned it out.
In the end, Nini Coco was crowned the winner of the first challenge, and honestly? A very solid and deserved win.
Looking Ahead
Next week, the queens will be tackling a girl group challenge, writing and performing their own verses — and Dove Cameron will be joining the judges’ panel 👀🎤
As I mentioned in my previous post, my Top 4 going into the season were:
Myki Meeks
Juicy Love Dion
Darlene Mitchell
Nini Coco
And after Episode 1?
My Top 4 are still standing strong.
Now I wanna hear from you — who are you rooting for this season? 👑💖
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