RuPaul's Drag Race (TV Series) The Pork Chop (2021) User Reviews

Great queens stuck in a rough format

[jamieaholding · 6/10 · 3 January 2021]

Season 13 certainly looks to be a strong season, and contrary to one queens opinion I'm bot sure there are any Filler Queens.

The problem with this episode is that 6 lip syncs and 6 eliminations is repetitive and cruel.

Most people watching would've worked out early on the half of the cast isn't going home week one, so you end up just watching people panic, which is uncomfortable. If only they had replaced Ru's line with "... and one of you will be at risk, of getting the Pork Chop". Then it is clear that the losing queens are simply the group from which the first eliminated queen will come from, as I believe is the case.

There is also something very awkward about the judging panels first questions to the queens. It feels like they are reading them off a job interview assessment sheet.

Overall the episode is not bad, just a poorly executed format. I'm confident the rest of the season will be much better.

Interesting, surprising and different.

[arthursilbreuaa · 10/10 · 7 January 2021]

I like the way they did this debut episode. It was different from everything they've ever done and it's not that same boring format. We got to meet the queens better and now we're excited to know who's going home.

What Was the Point???

[acrotinger · 2/10 · 2 January 2021]

Fans of drag race know that the first episode is the first chance we get to see all of the casted queens walk-in to the werkroom and interact with their fellow contestants. The first challenge of the season is usually a design challenge that showcases the queens talents and helps us get to know them better.

That was completely missing from this episode.

I'm all for changing things up, and drag race is no stranger to a format change, but things got old real quick. After two queens enter the werkroom, they receive a video message from Ru asking them to report to the main stage where the judges ask them a couple of questions and they must lipsync for their lives. One will stay and the other will get the Pork Chop.

I actually like the idea of the judges getting to interview the queens and learn a little about them before the competition begins, but by the time the second two queens were asked to report to the main stage, the novelty had worn off. It's a rinse and repeat cycle that's ultimately too predictable.

You would have had to be a fool to think that the queens who didn't win the lipsync were actually going home. The episode would cutback to them and it was the same thing every time. "What's going on?" "I have no idea what's happening." "Are we actually going home?!"

The end of the episode saw Ru announcing that the queens that got "the chop" must vote one of themselves off so the others can return. I don't know why Ru would put the fate of a queen in the hands of other queens that don't know them. As an audience member, I really don't care who stays or who goes because I don't know them either. It's an unnecessary stunt.

I will say that it's very on brand for Ru to emotionally abuse half of the cast to ring in the new year.

Overall, this has been one of the weakest openings in drag race herstory. Let's hope the cast can pull this season out of the weeds.

The Most Cruel Twist

[mikeripdos · 1/10 · 9 January 2021]

This is the most mean-spirited episode i've ever watched. It's not fun to watch half of the cast and thinking they'll get eliminated without showing anything on the show.

So unforgivably boring

[Itwassoannoying · 1/10 · 2 January 2021]

This is the worst first episode they've ever done. It was so boring and drawn out. You don't even get to know the new contestants, and the lip syncs were all mediocre at best.

Pointless and unbelievably boring

[moorejade-14209 · 1/10 · 20 April 2022]

I love drag race but wtf was that? Pointless, cruel and so boring. If you watch season 13 just skip the first episode, adds absolutely nothing to the show whatsoever.

Choices, Choices, Choices

[JJay37 · 1/10 · 11 January 2021]

What a terrible format to the show, it lagged and wasn't very exciting, telling the queen's they was all going home and then didn't. also the choice of the queen's this season are "BLAH" by far the most boring queen's I have ever seen. I think the U.S drag race has run out of talent. I think it's time to call this quits.

Condragulations for boring me.

[hannah-gareau · 3/10 · 25 April 2021]

I was scrolling on my phone within the first 10 minutes. Yawn. This was such a bad choice for the season premiere. Why mess with a good format? If you're watching season 13 it's because you're a fan of the show and have watched previous seasons. Throwing this new format at fans clearly backfired. The build up of lip syncs couldn't be built. The shock value of twists was close to zero. If I can be completely honest, by the 30 minute mark I grabbed my remote and skipped to the end of the episode to just get it over with and surprise surprise (not) no one was eliminated - so I didn't miss anything. Stick to the regular format.

Just why?

[lohselind · 2/10 · 26 July 2022]

This whole episode was boring and unnecessary. I don't see the point of this format at all. Only positive is that we got to see all queen's performer a lipsync.

Just No

[mrconorsullivan-65334 · 1/10 · 9 January 2021]

What a bad start to S13 Could this cast be even worse than S12?

Why?

[johnnyboygrant · 3/10 · 26 June 2022]

WHY keep all the ugly queens?? The first group are all extremely unattractive and not very believable as women. I mean the big one called Kandy... NO. And go back the the original format, please!!