Who was eliminated from RuPaul's Drag Race Season 17 in Episode 2?

Despite a lip-sync battle between Acacia Forgot and Hormona Lisa in the bottom two, no competitors were eliminated during RuPaul's Drag Race Season 17's second episode. The episode, which aired as part two of the season premiere, had the remaining seven queens compete in their talent show, similar to the structure set in episode one.

While Acacia Forgot won the lip-sync battle, Hormona Lisa avoided elimination through the show's newly introduced Badonka Dunk Tank twist.

The episode maintained the competitive spirit of the long-running reality show, where drag performers compete in various challenges to be crowned America's Next Drag Superstar while introducing this season-defining new elimination mechanism that could significantly impact how the rest of the season unfolds.

How did the elimination process go down in this episode of RuPaul's Drag Race?

Hormona Lisa's descent into the bottom two was especially dramatic, given she had previously claimed to have been "hand-selected by RuPaul." Her decision to perform a stand-up act - traditionally seen as a "talent show kiss of death" - paired with a Marie Antoinette-themed runway that failed to satisfy judge Michelle Visage, sealed her destiny at the bottom.

Adding to her struggles, there appeared to be some predetermined tension, as the other queens seemed "primed to hate her act, no matter what it was."

The episode's most significant development came with the introduction of the Badonka Dunk Tank system. In this new mechanism eliminated queens have the opportunity to pull one of ten levers supposedly connected to a dunk tank where judge, Michelle Visage, is perched.

Two levers will dunk Michelle and save the queen, while the other eight result in elimination. However, some observers have noted that the levers appear to be "simply plopped on stage and are in no way, shape or form connected to the dunk tank," raising questions about production's control over the outcomes.

The debut of the new twist has already generated skepticism among viewers. As one critic noted, it seemed "a wee bit fishy" that the very first pull resulted in a successful dunk, conveniently creating a dramatic moment while leaving future contestants with "a 1/9 chance to save themselves."

The system's similarity to Season 14's chocolate bar twist hasn't gone unnoticed, with some suggesting this is just the same concept in "a new candy wrapper."

Highlights of RuPaul's Drag Race

While the elimination twist dominated conversations, the episode had other notable moments. Lexi Love emerged victorious after an impressive roller derby talent show performance and creative TV screen runway look. She secured her win in a top-two placement alongside Crystal Envy.

The episode also continued Season 17's "Rate-A-Queen" twist, where contestants rank each other's performances rather than being judged solely by the panel. This season's variation has queens rating the opposite group's performances, unlike Season 16 where groups rated themselves.

With all 14 queens still in the competition - Acacia Forgot, Arrietty, Crystal Envy, Hormona Lisa, Jewels Sparkles, Joella, Kori King, Lana Ja'Rae, Lexi Love, Lucky Starzzz, Lydia B. Kollins, Onya Nurve, Sam Star, and Suzie Toot - the season's dynamics remain fluid.

The Badonka Dunk Tank twist adds an extra layer of unpredictability to future eliminations on RuPaul's Drag Race, though some might argue it undermines the finality of the lip-sync battles that have long been a cornerstone of the show's format.

The retention of Hormona Lisa, despite losing the lip-sync, particularly suggests that Season 17 of RuPaul's Drag Race might prioritize drama and entertainment value over traditional competition structures. As one viewer quipped, channeling Drag Race alumna Alyssa Edwards: "Rigga Morris Girl!"