The best Snatch Game of all time? Drag Race UK Ep 4

Warning : This article contains spoilers for this week’s episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, read at your own risk.

The challenge we have all been waiting for on Rupaul’s Drag Race UK is finally here, SNATCH GAME!

Comedy and characters are what many UK queens are known for while performing cabaret, so there was a lot of pressure on the queens to get this challenge right, especially with the lip synchs being pretty lacklustre till now. So lets not bother with the post runway debrief and dive right into it this week shall we?

Personally, I was very much looking forward to Ru doing his best impersonation of Lindsey Lohan on The Masked Singer Australia when the celebs were revealed as each queen mentioned their snatch character. After all you have to do something that will land with Ru and internationally. We’ve had plenty of queens miss the mark with reality tv celebs and such, but with so many iconic European characters to choose from who would it be?

In news that shocked no one, more than one queen came with Maggie Thatcher in their back pocket. A smart move, she’s the first female Prime Minister of the UK, has a ridiculous look and sound, and has plenty of material you can use for comedy. But what were Baga Chipz and Divina De Campo to do when they both decided to play here?

The soundtrack was working overtime to make this seem more dramatic than it actually was. Of course, it is stressful when two performers have the same thing planned, but Bagga wasn’t backing down because (apparently) she had nothing else planned. Though no one actually believed that after her week two runway. The most honest thing Bagga said in the conversation when asked about not having anything else is ‘they’re not my best clothes’ and from the looks of her runway, truer words have never been spoken.

It’s a nice conversation without bite and bluster, and Divina being the good judy she is and gives her outfit, so she doesn’t look like shit – I mean that’s nice, but this is a competition babe!

Image: BBC

Alan Carr salters into the runway with Ru, apparently to help the gals with their snatch, but more to help Ru cos she may not know who their characters are!  Blu Hydrangea is playing Mary Berry, the nation’s favourite baker. It’s a great choice for Blu, who doesn’t feel comedy is her strongest suit, giving her a strong base to play with – but is it enough to save the queen that seems to keep playing it safe each week?

Divina has swapped her political correctness for chef, author and tv personality Julia Childs. After seeing Milk’s sour performance in their season, here’s hoping Divina make it work. Honestly, even with just one-line Baga did a more entertaining Maggie. I’ve no doubt Divina can cement a character, but Snatch Game is all about the laughs. Will this cooking queen get us giggling?

Crystal has had nothing but trouble with her accent when it has come to scripting or characters, so why she decided to do Rue McClanahan as Blanche Devereaux from the Golden Girls I do not know! She is a great character, with plenty of great one liners, but it’s all about the set up. She was a part of an amazing ensemble, and without everyone else helping the jokes land, would this southern belle chime too late? Not being a comedy queen, I don’t think so.

Image: BBC

The Vivienne has brought her three strongest characters with her, and while we aren’t gonna get Kim Woodburn or Cilla Black, she and has hit gold with her impersonation of Donald Trump. We all knew she was going to bring out the goods, after all no one seems more prepared or strategic than The Vivienne, but it breaks my heart that we didn’t get to see more of her Cilla.

Sum Ting Wong had me torn with her critique with Ru and Allan. I know she has been on a downward projectile since the first ep in their eyes, but to me she is a great thinker and I just want more. She has planned Sir David Attenborough and Nigella Lawson, either characters are instantly recognisable, but which way will she go? Ru is liking Nigella, and tells Sum Ting to turn her trajectory around. After heavy consultation with the other girls she decides that David is the way to go.

Oh, and then there was Cheryl Hole. They saved her critique for bonus twitter footage because in news that would shock no one, she is playing someone from Essex – Gemma Collins. Don’t get me wrong, there is a lot of fun to be had with Gemma if you know how, put it wouldn’t kill you to take a risk would it, and to push yourself out of your comfort zone slightly?

In this week's EXCLUSIVE bonus footage you get to see @IsSumTingWong's impression of Alan Carr. It's quite something. #DragRaceUK pic.twitter.com/BwjaXHwtoa

— RuPaul's Drag Race UK (@dragraceukbbc) October 25, 2019

Let’s get ready to rumble.

The rule to Snatch Game is simple. MAKE RU LAUGH. You don’t even need to be that great as long as the laughs keep coming. With Lorraine Kelly bringing so much fun as one of the celebrity guest contestants, I guess it doesn’t matter that Stacey Dooley was just, well, she was just there wasn’t she? The only thing flatter was Geri Halliwell’s walk on the runway in the opening.

The amount of work everyone (except Cheryl) has put in is fantastic. But all they’re introductions pretty much tells us where the rest of the Snatch Game is going to go.

Bagga and Viv are dominating; Blu, Divina and Crystal are all keeping it moving, Sum Ting looks fantastic and is nailing it in character but not in humour, and Cheryl, well Cheryl is there.

Just when you thought you didn’t want any more of Donald Trump, The Vivienne knocks it out of the park with her impersonation and works brilliantly with the other characters. I think what kills me is we had brilliant characters by all the queens, but not enough laughs from most, which is what it all comes down to.

Not just one or two of the girls didn’t nail Snatch Game, so they all are unsure where they are at. As they are getting married Blu talks about the fact that in Northern Ireland, she can’t get married, if only this episode had aired a week ago. It’s still an important conversation even though it will be legal in 2020. Especially when some of the other queens didn’t know it was the case. But anyway, it’s time to take it to the runway with the theme Weird Science, with genetically modified drag queens!

Ru enters the runway wearing what can only be described as the embodiment of the season one filter of the US show and is joined by Geri Halliwell who could not be more composed. Someone get this gal a drink!

Now let’s talk looks.

Blu Hydrangea: Blu killed it on the runway this week with a giant eyeball for a head and a bloody skin flap poncho. I think she is quietly climbing her way to top three and the editors are giving us a slow burn with Blu.

Baga Chipz: What the hell is this. This entire runway look was what we needed in week two for the Bond Girl Challenge instead of that terrible Liza look. Is she a superhero at a kids party? What’s with all the karate chops. Also, just because you wear silver boots, doesn’t mean it’s futuristic. Luckily, she did such a good job in Snatch Game because this is hideous.

Image: BBC

Cheryl Hole: Is a packet of Twisties with a bloody stupid narrative in an ill-fitting bodysuit.

Sum Ting Wong: Sum Ting, you in danger girl. It’s a plastic surgery Britney Spears look from a costume shop. Also, as with last week, delivery is everything. Walking stiffly aint gonna cut it.

Divina De Camp: Is the right kind of Blue! Serving alien futuristic plant realness and delivering it. After the runway she needed to come out strong, and this look is the perfect way to turn that around.

Crystal: Is apocalyptic beauty, with a rockin look and an even smarter hook. Actually, using the angle grinder on stage is a sure-fire way to make your mark in the judges minds and in ours. But more than that, what a fantastic face they have crafted.

Image: BBC

The Vivienne: I am GROOT, but is it toot or boot? The face is awesome, but the body … It’s like she is in a Grinch body suit but brown, plus, I can see your bits sagging.  After constantly delivering, this look was a step down. Great ideas, but the more you move down the body, the harder it is to swallow.

Cheryl has broken her bottom three streak and joins Blu being safe in the Werk Room. The UK season is all down to the nitty even at this stage of the competition, and that is a brilliant thing. Everyone is bringing strong ideas and committing, even when it is a mistake. You can’t fault anyone, and it is great to see such elevation in the competition.

Baga and The Vivenne took an equal win this week, all because of their Snatch Game (and certainly of because of their runway looks), with Sum Ting Wong and Crystal on the bottom. Would we get a great lip synch this week? The number the gals are given to perform is Spice Up Your Life by the Spice Girls, and whomever made that decision should be ashamed of themselves.

Image: BBC

It’s a one note song when it comes to energy with no levels or layers, and that came through in both the queen’s performances. Crystal is dry humping whatever she can, while Sum Ting is all of us when this song hits the dancefloor at a family wedding.

It’s time to go unfortunately for Sum Ting, as she sashays away, but not before Geri pops by to hijack her farewell.

Sum Ting, I am going to miss you. But at least you found the time to drop a song this week to announce your departure.

It’s getting harder and harder to figure out who will go home each week now, who are your top three?