Drag Race season 16 episode 11 recap: ‘Lip-sync sabotage’

Ross Matthews during the lipsync of season 16, episode 11 of RuPaul’s Drag Race (@RuPaulsDragRace/ X)

RuPaul’s Drag Race season 16, episode 11, saw the queens take part in a corporate drag employee seminar (really), a healthy bit of Plane vs Dawn drama and the competition finally getting down to a top six.

Last week, no-one went home – meaning Plane’s immunity potion was completely useless, just like Sapphira’s – and the girls are thrilled, we’re sure. Sapphira and Morphine did a top two lip-sync which was lovely, and Q and Plane came dangerously close to the bottom.

In episode 11, the remaining queens of season 16 spilled the tea in a mini challenge and Sapphira continued her streak as Reverend Mother by being the best drag queen in the world. Dawn struggled to keep her group afloat in the maxi challenge, and the producers continued to wage war on Q’s pysche – which, unfortunately for her, is really funny for us.

Here are 35 thoughts I had watch RuPaul’s Drag Race, season 16, episode 11.

As the girls enter the Werk Room again, Sephora manager Morphine Love Dion is pressed that she made top two but didn’t win and to be quite honest, I don’t blame her! So pressed, in fact, that she snatches Sapphira’s c*nty Marge Simpson hair from her head.

Plane discusses giving her immunity potion to Nymphia and Q is talking mad shit for someone that absolutely a) would have been lip syncing and b) would have gone home if the episode had been an elimination ep.

Plane stands up and calls Dawn a “doo-doo-clown-mess” because the latter calls her runway boring (fair). I am shocked! We have finally seen her crack, and it’s wild.

The audacity of Mhi’ya telling Nymphia that she’s next to go in the quietest argument you’ve ever heard the next day? And out of nowhere, too?

The queens have a ‘Who’s who’ mini challenge – i.e. they have to vote their sisters in various categories. Surefire way to generate shade.

Nymphia gets most passive-aggressive, Plane gets most delusional, Sapphira basically gets nicest in three separate categories, and Ms. Cristál gets the most answers right, meaning she wins.

Obsessed with RuPaul accidentally giving away $500k away in this mini challenge. Go on then.

The queens are then given the week’s Maxi Challenge – essentially a hosting challenge, that’s a ‘drag employee seminar’. I just know Amanda Tori Meating would have killed this challenge. Miss her.

Immediately, these groups look ripe for drama. Plane and Q, Mhi’ya and Dawn, and Morphine, Sapphira and Nymphia. No shade but Dawn and Mhi’ya seem ever so different as drag queens.

I love that Dawn says: “I have a degree in engineering, so this should be perfect for me” as if Engineering 101 class has specifically prepared her for Drag Race, episode 11, season 16.

Ooooooh Mhi’ya is giving absolutely nothing unfortunately. Morphine does a phenomenal impression of the pair in her confessional.

Sapphira with Nymphia and Morphine is giving teacher and children. Poor Sapphira. Released her from the shackles of motherhood.

Q and Plane are the two c*ntiest people on the cast. Feel like they’ll nail it.

Celebrity guest judge Joel Kim Booster I am free this evening.

Mhi’ya and Dawn’s runthrough with Michelle Visage and Mhi’ya is so painful. Dawn is nailing it and Mhi’ya is … silent.

I live for Michelle asking Mhi’ya if she hosts and Mhi’ya (according to Morphine) straight up lying to Michelle and saying yes.

Joel using a threesome metaphor to ask how the trio are operating. He’s so me.

I don’t know why, but Plane’s Werk Room outfits make me howl. That is a heterosexual dad of three from Ohio.

The editors are being ever so heavy-handed with these Werk Room chats; Dawn talks about Mhi’ya maybe lip-syncing, so let’s all see ~~when~~ whether that happens.

Q comes out as HIV positive, and it will never not make me emotional thinking about the stigma that those living with HIV go through. Q says that she’s had awful things said to her by those in the community and even been treated differently by healthcare providers. Awful. In admiration of Q for opening up about it.

Let’s get into the Drag Awareness Presentations. Plane Jane and Q appear to teach us about Drag History – straight out the gate, they’re strong.

They talk about historical figures actually being drag queens, which is such a strong concept.

There’s Silky Nutmeg Ganache references, there’s actually funny jokes, it’s slick and well prepared. They ate it up.

Dawn comes out strong and Mhi’ya comes out confused. There’s a solid enough concept, but Mhi’ya skills really rely in performing a lip-sync, rather than sort of navigating … verbal comedy?

I’m ever so confused about Morphine, Sapphira and Nymphia’s group. It’s so much clunkier than I thought it’d be. Sapphira – as she notes – drops the ball for one singular second, but picks it back up immediately.

Morphine stumbles and then says “Drag Queen flopping” like a robot, which I think is hilarious.

Runway is ’80s Drag Con and I live for Plane’s pant suit.

I also live for Q’s Keith Haring tribute. Q has never missed on the runway (apart from last week).

The rest of the runway is so strong, apart from Mhi’ya who literally is dressed in a catsuit with zero embellishments and Morphine’s who is just slightly too simple.

Plane and Q get strong critiques, and Dawn is commended for captaining what was quite obviously a sinking ship.

Mhi’ya’s critiques are pretty damning, and Sapphira’s charisma carries her through her brief flub.

Morphine doesn’t exactly get glowing critiques either – and Nymphia is a solid safe.

Sapphira wins? I’m not complaining, because that’s my winner right there, but I did not see that coming. Q has NEVER looked more pressed. I thought Plane would have won!

Morphine and Mhi’ya lip-sync and I completely forgot these were the two Miami divas! Let’s go storyline!

MHI’YA PUTS HER TRAIN ON MORPHINE’S FACE? I BELIEVE THE STRAIGHT PEOPLE CALL THAT A FOUL. And then Morphine throws her tits at Morphine. I’m laughing. Lip-sync sabotage is so back.

Who would have thought that Morphine would be the one to send Mhi’ya home? She f**king burnt that stage.

RuPaul’s Drag Race season 16 continues on Friday on MTV in the US and on Saturday on WOW Presents Plus internationally. You can read last week’s recap here.

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