Once again, while re-watching this first season, I'm struck by how much the producers got right in this short little "lost" stretch of episodes. The lead-up to the mini-challenge, where the queens give feedback on their peers, was surprisingly candid and interesting without resorting to (too much) cattiness. And having the queens make each other over was brilliant! Not to mention the intriguing results, seeing their faces painted in dramatically different styles. Nina looked soft and understated, Ongina looked fresh-faced and lovely, and Bebe gave Rebecca a smoldering, smoky eye.

I always feel bad for the shy queens on this show. We get some screen time with this season's two quieter queens, Jade and Rebecca, but they express dramatically different attitudes. Rebecca, irritated that the other girls don't "get" her, says fuck 'em. Jade realizes that her introverted personality isn't anyone else's fault, and she needs to step up her game.

The Viva Glam challenge was an especially complicated one--how do you balance a socially conscious message of HIV prevention and research while also projecting an image of yourself as glamorous and fun? Nearly all the queens stumbled, in variously hilarious ways. The way they edited Shannel's wandering monologue was laugh-out-loud funny, resulting from yet another misunderstanding of the challenge's criteria. (Do you think in subsequent seasons they've been extra careful about meticulously spelling out the requirements for each challenge to avoid these blatant screw-ups?)

Rebecca's breakdown was a face-palm moment, Nina's language problems continued to plague her, and Jade just plain missed the mark, despite bringing more energy and confidence than I had expected. Bebe, however, brought a sincerity and seriousness to her commercial shoot, as well as a stunning outfit. But Ongina was the clear winner. Oh, Ongina! Just the best.