Note: I wrote this last night and then went out to party for Pride. I left it for morning to make sure it's not a belligerent rant. It's pretty much a belligerent rant, but I'm okay with it, so here goes...

It's over folks, and I have to be honest: I'm feeling uninspired writing this recap. RuPaul Andre Charles has given the show's small, smarmy group of recappers a unique challenge by presenting his finale during Pride weekend. Yes, season nine of RuPaul's Drag Race has come to a splashy end. It was stunning. But if you're a Seattleite reading this recap, you're probably doing so while scurrying between gigs, parties, or trade. As I type this from the Stranger's office, I'm watching half-naked hotties stretch on Cal Anderson Park's green turf as the Trans Pride March is just now kicking off. As Peppermint said tonight, "Trans women have always contributed to the wonderful art form of drag," but the trans women in front of me DGAF about this season's finale because there's a march happening, it's nice outside, and PRIDE COMMUNITY IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN RPDR.

I want to enjoy Sasha Velour's crowning achievement tonight but I can't help but be consumed by Charleena Lyles and healthcare and how most of the commenters on these recaps felt it was A-OK for the queens to appropriate Native American culture for cheap, shitty laughs. Commenters who said, "Drag was so much more compelling before the PC Nazi's took it over." (Yes, I have a liberal arts degree, but I'm not a PC Nazi. I too think people overuse the word "problematic." And no, I'm not over that whole Village People mess. The Pride flag debacle happened right after that episode, and my faith in the G of LBTQIA+ continued to wane.) I had one friend wonder "if I really hated RuPaul's politics" then why do I keep watching? And they're right: I like RuPaul. I like RuPaul's Drag Race. I come back to watch even when it's a shitshow because somehow RPDR has become synonymous with Pride. And the show will hold precedence in my life even when so many other things deserve my attention and activism. Fuck. So here I am, watching RPDR instead of marching with the Trans Pride March.

But you came here for a recap...

SASHA VELOUR IS A GIFT

Sasha Velour is one of the most spectacular winners in the herstory of RuPaul's Drag Race. So why did it take so long for the show's formula to show her off? Surely, if the show would have gone its normal route (sans lip sync finale), Shea would have won. Shea had the most challenge wins. Shea was beloved by the judges. Shea couldn't do wrong. But she didn't win. It's like RuPaul watched the American election go down and was like, "Oh honey, I'm gonna give them the biggest twist. They're gonna think Russia's sponsoring this show OH OH OH and I'm gonna make a half-hearted reference to Trump's ties to Russia AND make 'America' the theme for the season finale because THAT MAKES SENSE?"

Sasha Velour didn't show off half her majesty this season and she won. At the very end, she was given a stage and an audience - a real audience, not a judging panel - and we were all left transformed. Truly, each of her lip syncs was among the best in all nine seasons of the show. I want to watch them over and over and over again. They are master classes in acting, drag, storytelling, gender... Ugh. But the show couldn't demonstrate Sasha's skills because the show is small and Sasha is big. Or rather, the world is small and Sasha is big. The world wants Sasha to wear a wig, and she comes bald. The world wants beauty, and she gives a unibrow. Sasha continuously showed us that in drag the highest beauty is not the illusion, but what inspires the illusion. It's not about the wig, but the imagination underneath.

Other things: Kimora's dress is gorgeous. Charlie Hides can't stop reminding us that her name is Charlie. Eureka's an elephant? Oh shit, Cynthia looks good as fuck. All these looks are great. Oh, and Wintergreen is fucking back. Cool. See you next year.