• reality shows
  • reality TV reviews
  • about
  • contact
  • reality TV schedule
  • best reality TV
  • send tips or feedback
  • support
  • subscribe
Big Brother 20 RuPaul's Drag Race

Questions about Drag Race’s finale and BB20’s second episode

RuPaul's Drag Race season 10 finale
The RuPaul's Drag Race season 10 finale. (Photo by VH1)

by Andy Dehnart 29 Jun. 2018 | 9:42 am

From the possible death of butterflies to a sad robot getting a hug, Big Brother 20‘s second episode and RuPaul’s Drag Race season 10’s finale left me with a lot of unanswered questions.

So here’s my recap of each, in the form of those questions.

RuPaul’s Drag Race ends, and so do some butterflies

Was Asia O’Hara’s disastrous lip sync performance the most disappointing and shocking flame-out in the show’s history?

How many butterflies died? (Asia’s answer and apology, which says she spent “months of research and rehearsing with a professional company” and will now volunteer for the ASPCA, doesn’t say.)

Did the butterflies fly away like doves during rehearsal? Where were they supposed to go? Will this be the end of trying to one-up each other with revealing hidden things in their costumes?

Beyond Asia’s performance, were these the most lackluster lip-syncs in the show’s finale history? Did Eurkea actually know the words to either song?

Was RuPaul’s decision to not choose a winner between Eureka and Aquaria a clear signal that Kameron Michaels was not going to win, because RuPaul wanted to choose between Eureka and Aquaria? Or was it just a cop-out to avoid angering their fans?

Even if Aquaria’s win was well-deserved and a fine ending, did it not still seem like the strongest season in the show’s history deflated into a limp version of itself these past three weeks?

Will the conversations that started on the reunion continue? Will they affect future seasons, and perhaps even change the show? Or nah?

Does Oprah actually watch Drag Race regularly, or just know about it from interviewing RuPaul? What about Judi Dench?

Big Brother has its first nominees

Was the first HOH nominating the two oldest people and weakest challenge competitors what Big Brother producer Allison Grodner was referring to when she said, “the game just sort of takes off for the beginning”? Or is the most-obvious, least-interesting move now qualify as a season taking off?

Was having Sam’s picture show up as a robot on the nomination screen the best part of the episode? Why was there so much recapping, and so little content for what was billed as the second part of the season premiere?

Were the HOH challenge balance beams supposed to teeter from side to side, or was that just a crappy challenge build? Is it too early in the season to have a challenge where they target each other, or is it a good way of stoking tension?

Can we please stop with the technology themed challenges?

Is the robot punishment making it easier to turn Sam into a target? Did the producers decide in advance when to force her to be a robot, or are they making arbitrary calls and screwing with her game even more?

Does it make sense to form alliances this early, since they nearly always fall apart?

When Tyler said he was going to lay low, was he referring to winning HOH and then starting to accuse others of plotting against him?

Was Tyler hugging Sam the robot in the supply room cute or creepy? Where is Sam when she’s operating the robot?

Is the result of the first App Store popularity contest—the person who had the least number of votes and their punishment was revealed on the live feeds last night—as disappointing as it seems? And is it potentially a sign that some BB viewers are as bigoted as some of the show’s contestants?

Are many of my questions here just a way of reframing sarcasm and disguising judgment?

discuss this story

more great reality blurred stories

  • The 20 Survivor winners who will compete on Survivor season 40
  • How Antiques Roadshow works
  • Scare Tactics: The surprising way the show was cast
  • Behind the scenes of the Guy’s Grocery Games grocery store
  • The Survivor rule book and Survivor cast contract
  • How Big Brother’s house is designed

Reality TV in your inbox

Hand-crafted reality TV news and recommendations sent most Fridays. Unsubscribe any time!

most-popular stories on reality blurred

Boston Rob Mariano and Sandra Diaz-Twine on Survivor: Island of the Idols

Survivor 40's cast of 20 Survivor winners

Survivor season 40's all-winner cast has been revealed. Original winner Richard Hatch is not competing, but nearly every winner from seasons 22 to 37 is returning.

On Kings of Pain, Rob “Caveman” Alleva puts a tarantula hawk, a massive wasp, on Adam Thorn so it can sting him

Is Kings of Pain science or stupidity? An interview with a History Channel executive

An interview with a History Channel executive about Kings of Pain, on which two men are bitten and stung to see how much it hurts.

Jeff Probst on the premiere of Survivor Island of the Idols, standing next to a sign that reminds everyone what Survivor used to focus on.

Survivor season 40 will start earlier than usual

Survivor: Winners at War will premiere in February, and have a two-hour premiere.

Wrap Battle guest judge Shiho Masuda and judges Wanda Wen, Carson Kressley, and Sheryl Underwood watch contestant Eddie Ross

Wrap Battle is an imperfect but welcome Christmas gift

The gift wrapping competition Wrap Battle is a lot of holiday fun despite some baffling judging and discordant choices.

A New Hampshire bridge in winter, which will take us from fall to spring reality TV shows

Winter 2020 reality TV schedule and guide

This winter reality show 2019 and 2020 schedule is a frequently updated list of premieres for broadcast, cable, and streaming reality TV shows, documentary series, game shows, and other prime-time nonfiction TV.

Survivor: 19 seasons, at least 19 naked cast members

From the site that brought us shirtless American Idol contestants and naked Real World cast members comes "A (Not So) Complete History of Naked 'Survivor' Castaways." In honor of Survivor's anniversary, YuppiePunk asks, "how better to look back on its history than how it began -- in the nude"? That history starts ...

The central cast of MTV's Ex On the Beach: Peak of Love

Ex on the Beach: Peak of Love cast includes Adore Delano and Temptation Island singles

MTV announced the cast and air date for Ex On the Beach season 4, which has relocated to the mountains of New Zealand and now has the nonsensical name of Ex On the Beach: Peak of Love.

Bob Harte, The Last Alaskans season 4

Bob Harte's death arrives on The Last Alaskans. How the show handles it—and his legacy.

Watch a scene from "No Regrets," the episode of The Last Alaskans that deals with Bob Harte's death, and hear from a Discovery Channel executive about how the network and production company handled his loss.

Survivor toilet facilities toilet paper

Is Survivor water drinkable? Where do Survivors poop? Is there toilet paper?

What kind of toilet facilities do Survivor cast members have? Do they get toilet paper? Is their water in the well drinkable, or do they have to boil it?

Carl Ruiz after winning the Guy's Grocery Games Diners, Drive-ins and Drives Tournament

Carl Ruiz, Guy's Grocery Games judge and champion, has died

The chef was first featured on Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, and later became a regular judge on Guy's Grocery Games, which he also competed on.

behind the scenes of reality TV

Survivor

Survivor’s composer Russ Landau on why he left, what he’s doing now

An interview with Russ Landau, composer of Survivor theme song “Ancient Voices,” on why he stopped writing new music for the CBS reality series last year.

Survivor

Survivor rules: the contract that details pay, tie-breakers, prohibited behavior, and more

The Survivor rule book: the games rules, part of the cast contract, details consolation prizes, how ties are broken, prohibited behavior, and more.

Survivor

Survivor: how challenges are created, how Samoa impacted the crew, why twists are fair

I talked to the people responsible for Survivor challenges including challenge producer John Kirhoffer and executive producer and host Jeff Probst.

older

Big Brother 20’s premiere: plenty of potential, a few problems

newer >

BB20’s unwanted touching, racist language prompt a new kind of CBS statement

other recaps more stories about Big Brother 20, RuPaul's Drag Race

discuss this story

about Andy Dehnart

Andy Dehnart’s writing and criticism about television, culture, and media has appeared on NPR and in Vulture, Pacific Standard, The Los Angeles Times, and other publications. He has covered reality television for more than 18 years, and created reality blurred in 2000.

A member of the Television Critics Association who serves on its board of directors, Andy, 41, also directs the journalism program at Stetson University in Florida, where he teaches creative nonfiction and journalism. He has an M.F.A. in nonfiction writing and literature from Bennington College. Learn more about reality blurred and Andy.

stay connected with reality TV

Get advice about what to watch and keep up with the latest in reality television with reality blurred's e-mail newsletter. Just enter your e-mail address:

about reality blurred

reality blurred is your guide to the world of reality TV and unscripted entertainment, with reality show reviews, news, and analysis. It was created in 2000 by Andy Dehnart. He's still writing and publishing it today.

reality blurred is regularly updated with highlights from the world of reality TV: news and analysis; behind-the-scenes reports; interviews with reality TV show cast members and producers; and recaps and reviews of these reality TV shows, including Survivor, Big Brother, The Great British Baking Show, Shark Tank, The Amazing Race, The Bachelor, Project Runway, Dancing with the Stars, Top Chef, and many more.

explore

  • recent news
  • reviews of reality TV shows
  • behind the scenes reports
  • interviews with producers and reality stars
  • archives
  • send tips
  • search
  • advertise on reality blurred
  • about reality blurred
  • newsletter
  • RSS and social media
  • contact reality blurred
  • send tips & contribute
  • privacy policy
  • terms of service
Copyright © 2000 to 2019 Andy Dehnart and individual contributors.