RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 17 Episode 13: The top five queens transform their parents in drag 

In this emotional and entertaining episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 17, the top five queens faced one of the most heartwarming challenges of the season - transforming their own parents into drag performers.

After Sam Star survived last week's lip sync against Lana Ja'Rae, the remaining contestants - Jewels Sparkles, Lexi Love, Onya Nurve, Sam Star, and Suzie Toot - welcomed their loved ones into the Werk Room for the seasonal makeover challenge.

The episode featured touching moments of family bonding alongside the usual drama and fierce competition that fans have come to expect. RuPaul was joined by Michelle Visage, Law Roach, and special guest judge June Diane Raphael to evaluate how well each queen could transform their parent into a member of their drag family while maintaining a strong family resemblance.

What happened in this episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race?

The episode kicked off with the "Spill the T" mini-challenge, where queens answered questions about each other, hoping their answers would match the majority opinion. The revealing game exposed some interesting group dynamics - most notably that Jewels and Onya wanted to see each other exit the competition and that Jewels was widely considered the most vulnerable contestant. Onya Nurve, adding to her impressive track record this season, claimed victory in this mini-challenge.

The main challenge brought Sam's mom Leslie, Suzie's mom Susan, Onya's dad Andre, Jewels' dad Douglas, and Lexi's mom Tammy into the competition. For Sam, her mother's arrival provided perfect timing after her bottom placement the previous week.

Meanwhile, Suzie faced immediate challenges with her mother's discomfort about wearing heels and concerns about her energy levels.

Highlighting her plan to create looks inspired by Dolly Parton, Jessica Simpson, and Joe Exotic, Sam joked:

"My mom won the bikini contest back in 1920-whatever it was hanging out with Suzie Toot"

The challenge created space for vulnerable conversations between family members. Lexi shared an emotional moment with her mother, Tammy, who used female pronouns for Lexi and emphasized that she was her "biggest fan." Suzie noted that the challenge gave them all a chance to "talk about subjects that we haven't talked about before," using the opportunity to ask if her mother always knew she was gay.

The runway showdown

On the main RuPaul’s Drag Race stage, the queens presented their family makeovers with varying degrees of success.

Lexi and her mother, Mimi Lovely, wore red, white, and pink lingerie; Sam and Sassy Star strutted in blue, white, and gold cowgirl looks; Suzie and Queenie Toot showcased mouse-eared black-and-white cartoon realness; Jewels and Salchicha Sparkles appeared in lavender and baby blue fur coats, while Onya and Nunya Bidness wore mismatched baby girl corset dresses.

During critiques, Michelle felt Lexi and her mom looked more like "distant cousins" than having true family resemblance. Law Roach praised Suzie's looks as the "most fashion-forward" of the night. The RuPaul’s Drag Race judges unanimously agreed that Jewels' father, Salchicha, stole the show with his enthusiasm, though they found the outfits somewhat "pedestrian."

"God, I can't wait until my kids put me in a thong on TV," quipped guest judge June Diane Raphael during the runway presentation.

Sam Star and her mother, Sassy, were crowned winners of the challenge, with Suzie and Queenie taking second place. Lexi and her mom secured the final safe spots, leaving Jewels and Onya to face off in the lip sync battle to Amerie's "1 Thing."

Despite RuPaul’s Drag Race's Jewels acknowledging that "the odds are stacked against" her given Onya's impressive track record this season, both queens delivered such powerful performances that RuPaul made the rare decision to save both contestants. In a dramatic "double shantay," both Jewels and Onya earned the right to continue in the competition.

This RuPaul’s Drag Race episode highlighted both the competitive nature of the show and the powerful emotional connections between the queens and their family members, setting the stage for an increasingly tense battle as the finale approaches with all five queens still in the running for the crown.

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Watch RuPaul’s Drag Race Fridays at 8/7c on MTV and stream the next day on Paramount+.