RuPaul's Drag Race Season 17, Episode 4 Recap: The queens honor historic moments with guest judge Julia Schlaepfer

RuPaul's Drag Race Season 17 came with another entertaining MTV episode on January 24, 2025. This is the show's third season airing on MTV. The episode challenged the queens to create a curation of a historical moment or rant by portraying it through their costumes, lip sync skills, and stage aura.

Julia Schlaepfer known for playing Alice Charles in Netflix's The Politician joined Michelle Visage and Carson Kressley in an intriguing runway show, leading up to one winner and one elimination. The theme of episode 4 was simple as each queen had to record and produce their own version of an iconic historical event.

The episode focused more on the characters this time rather than the storyline, each queen was judged based on how well they portrayed the characters on the stage. The queens were divided into two teams, Volume 1 and Volume 2. Volume 1 had Lydia and Lana, Joella, Jewels and Arrietty, Hormona, and Crystal.

Volume 2 had Suzie, Sam, Acacia, Onya, Lexi, and Kori. Here is the official synopsis of RuPaul's Drag Race, Season 17, Episode 4:

"The queens are tasked with singing songs based on iconic rants and legendary moments from Drag Race herstory. Actress Julia Schlaepfer (1923) guest judges."

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What happened in RuPaul's Drag Race Season 17, Episode 4?

RuPaul's Drag Race Season 17 tasked the queens with delivering "legendary moments from Drag Race herstory," and fans would agree that they did not disappoint. However, like every week, one performance stood out for the judges and was crowned runway winner, while another performance witnessed the wrath of elimination.

Who won the title of runway winner in Episode 4?

In Episode 4 of the show, Onya Nurve, who represented Volume 2, delivered a captivating solo performance of “Put Your Lighters Up” as a tribute to Laganja Estranja's stand-up routine from Season 6. With her impressive stage presence and the Jazz's exceptional musical hints, Onya received widespread praise and attention.

Since the beginning of the competition, she has embodied a "lone wolf" character, which has highlighted her grit, expressive facial expressions, and outstanding vocal abilities.

Onya Nurve took the challenge as a test of individual capabilities and said:

"The challenge still seems very individual"

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How were the other performances in Episode 4 of RuPaul's Drag Race Season 17?

In Volume 1, Lana and Linda were paired together to perform the iconic routine "No Class, No Manners," originally by Morgan McMichaels and Mystique Summers Madison from Season 2. Additionally, Jewels and Arrietty performed a duet to "Backrolls," which references Jade Jolie's confrontation with Alyssa Edwards in Season 5.

Harmona, Crystal, and Joella performed solo, “I Nominate Myself” a rendition of Shannel‘s self-elimination on Season 1, “Unprofessional” from Latrice Royale's Season 4 performance, and "We Write the Stories” on Mariah Paris Balenciaga‘s monologue on Season 3 respectively.

In Volume 2, Sam and Acacia performed "Star Qualities," a fight between Kandy Muse and Tamisha Iman from Season 13.

Suzie, Lexi, and Kori showcased solo acts featuring "You’re Perfect," a performance inspired by Aja and Valentina’s confrontation in Season 9, "This Is Your Moment," a response from Jasmine Kennedie to Maddy Morphosis in Season 14, and "Glamazon B**ch," a performance by Kennedy Davenport reflecting on herself from Season 7 respectively.

Joella and Kori ended up at the bottom after the runway performance and were put in the elimination arena. While Kori redeemed herself by lip-syncing her way, Joella performed "Buttons” by the Pussycat Dolls and had to resort to "Banoka Dunk", a healing immunity. However, Joella pulled the wrong lever and got eliminated in episode 4 of RuPaul's Drag Race Season 17.

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RuPaul's Drag Race Season 17 airs every Friday on MTV.