Queens Behind Bars
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"Queens Behind Bars" is the fourth episode of the fourth season of the American reality competition television series ''
RuPaul's Drag Race ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' is an American reality competition television series, the first in the Drag Race (franchise), ''Drag Race'' franchise, produced by World of Wonder (company), World of Wonder for Logo TV (season 1–8), WOW Presents Plus, ...
'', which aired on
Logo A logo (abbreviation of logotype; ) is a graphic mark, emblem, or symbol used to aid and promote public identification and recognition. It may be of an abstract or figurative design or include the text of the name that it represents, as in ...
on February 20, 2012. The episode has contestants pose for fake
mug shot A mug shot or mugshot (an informal term for police photograph or booking photograph) is a Portrait photography, photographic portrait of a person from the shoulders up, typically taken after a person is placed under arrest. The primary purpose ...
s for the mini challenge, and to act in the mock prison
sitcom A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...
''"Hot In Tuckahoe"'' for the main challenge.
Max Mutchnick Jason Nidorf "Max" Mutchnick (born November 11, 1965) is an American television producer. He has received an Emmy Award, a People's Choice Award, and several Golden Globe Award nominations. Early life and education Mutchnick was born in Chicag ...
and
Nicole Sullivan Nicole Sullivan (born April 21, 1970) is an American actress best known for being a cast member on the sketch comedy series '' MADtv'' for six seasons (1995–2001). She also played Holly Shumpert in five seasons (2001–2005, 2007) of the CBS ...
serve as guest judges, alongside regular panellists Billy B,
RuPaul RuPaul Andre Charles (born November 17, 1960) is an American drag queen, television host, singer, producer, writer, and actor. He produces, hosts, and judges the reality competition series ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' and has received List of awards ...
, and
Michelle Visage Michelle Visage (born Michelle Lynn Shupack, September 20, 1968) is an American television personality, singer, broadcaster, producer, and actress. She gained recognition as a member of the dance-pop group Seduction (group), Seduction, who char ...
.


Episode


Mini Challenge

The ten remaining contestants are told to pair up to pose for fake mug shots. The pairs are as follows: * Madame LaQueer and
Willam Willam Belli (, born June 30, 1982), mononymously known as Willam, is an American drag queen, actor, singer-songwriter, reality television personality, author, and YouTuber. Willam came to prominence as a contestant on the fourth season of ''Ru ...
*
Chad Michaels Chad Michael Storbeck, known professionally as Chad Michaels (born March 20, 1971), is an American Drag queen, drag performer and professional Cher impersonator. He was a runner-up in the RuPaul's Drag Race season 4, fourth season of ''RuPaul's D ...
and
Sharon Needles Sharon Needles (born November 28, 1981) is the stage name of Aaron Robert Coady, an American drag performer and recording artist. Needles rose to international attention on the RuPaul's Drag Race (season 4), fourth season of the Logo (TV channel) ...
*
DiDa Ritz DiDa Ritz is the stage name of Xavier Hairston, an American drag performer who competed on season 4 of ''RuPaul's Drag Race''. Dida Ritz is based in Chicago, where she performs regularly and hosts ''Drag Race'' viewing parties. Her performance ...
and
Jiggly Caliente Bianca Castro-Arabejo (November 29, 1980 – April 27, 2025), known professionally as Jiggly Caliente, was a Filipino-American transgender drag performer and entertainer. She rose to prominence competing on the fourth season of ''RuPaul's Drag ...
* Kenya Michaels and
Phi Phi O'Hara Jaremi Lee Carey (born Jeremy Lee Carey; October 10, 1985) is an American actor, streamer, singer, cosplay artist, and former drag performer who performed under the name Phi Phi O'Hara. In the O'Hara persona, Carey came to international attentio ...
*
Latrice Royale Timothy K. Wilcots (born February 12, 1972), better known by the stage name Latrice Royale, is an American drag performer, recording artist, and reality television personality. She is best known for her appearances on the fourth season of ''RuP ...
and
Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...
The queens are handcuffed together and have to do each other's prison style make-up. Madame LaQueer and Willam win the challenge for their blue
dye pack An intelligent banknote neutralisation system (IBNS) is a security system, that is used by banks, ATMs, retail establishments, vending machines and the cash-in-transit industry, to render stolen funds un-useable and easily identifable. Dye packs ...
inspired looks making them team captains for the maxi challenge.


Main Challenge

For the main challenge, the queens star in the mock sitcom "''Hot In Tuckahoe''" starring four friends and one butch prison guard, ''"Large Marge".'' Madame LaQueer's team is made up of DiDa, Kenya, Milan, and Sharon and Phi Phi, Latrice, Chad, and Jiggly are on Willam's team. The queen's are directed by ''
Will and Grace Will may refer to: Common meanings * Will and testament, instructions for the disposition of one's property after death * Will (philosophy), or willpower * Will (sociology) * Will, volition (psychology) * Will, a modal verb - see Shall and wi ...
'' co-creator Max Mutchnick. He mentors the teams as they act in two innuendo-filled episodes, "''Dressed in Beaver''" starring team Madame LaQueer and "''Mr Happy's Tasty Nuts''" with team Willam. Latrice is cast as the prison guard and Ru asks if she will draw on personal experience as she previously served time. While directing Max Mutchnick specifically praises DiDa and Latrice for their performances. Back in the workroom, Phi Phi and Sharon fight after Sharon reveals she criticised Phi Phi's leadership skills the previous week on the main stage. This leads to a heated argument and Phi Phi tells Sharon to "Go back to
Party City New AmScan PC LLC formerly, Party City Holdco Inc. is an American chain of party supply stores founded in 1986 by Steve Mandell in East Hanover, New Jersey. Party City's headquarters are in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey. Party City was the largest ...
where you belong", criticising Sharon's '
costume Costume is the distinctive style of dress and/or makeup of an individual or group that reflects class, gender, occupation, ethnicity, nationality, activity or epoch—in short, culture. The term also was traditionally used to describe typica ...
' like
drag Drag or The Drag may refer to: Places * Drag, Norway, a village in Tysfjord municipality, Nordland, Norway * ''Drág'', the Hungarian name for Dragu Commune in Sălaj County, Romania * Drag (Austin, Texas), the portion of Guadalupe Street a ...
, one of the most famous quotes from the show.


Runway

RuPaul introduces guest judges Max Mutchnick and Nicole Sullivan, and reveals the runway theme for the runway category: "Television Premiere" (
red carpet A red carpet is traditionally used to mark the route taken by heads of state on ceremonial and formal occasions, and has in recent decades been extended to use by Very Important Person, VIPs and celebrity, celebrities at formal events. History ...
style outfits). On the main stage, the judges watch the performances of both groups and Ru declares Willam's team as the winners and Latrice as the winner of the challenge for her performance as ''"Large Marge"''. She wins a cruise courtesy of the company ''AlandChuck.travel''. Willam's team are all declared safe and head backstage while Madame LaQueer's team are critiqued. Kenya and Milan are both praised for their runway looks but criticised for their acting in the challenge. The judges also note that Madame LaQueer made poor casting choices and performed badly in the challenge. DiDa is highly praised for her performance in the challenge but has negative critiques of her outfit. Max Mutchnick also critiques Sharon for speaking back when being directed but Nicole complements her unusual character. DiDa, Sharon, and Kenya are declared safe and Madame LaQueer and Milan
lipsync Lip sync or lip synch (pronounced , like the word ''sink'', despite the spelling of the participial forms ''synced'' and ''syncing''), short for lip synchronization, is a technical term for matching a speaking or singing person's lip movements ...
to "
Trouble Trouble may refer to: Film and television * ''Trouble'' (1922 film), an American silent comedy-drama film directed by Albert Austin * ''Trouble'' (1933 film), a British comedy film * ''Trouble'' (1977 film), a Soviet drama film * ''Trouble'' ...
" by
P!NK Alecia Beth Moore-Hart (née Moore; born September 8, 1979), known professionally as Pink (stylized as ), is an American singer and songwriter. She is known for her acrobatic stage presence and activism. At the age of 15, Pink formed the shor ...
. Milan wins the lip sync and Madame LaQueer is eliminated from the competition.


Reception and legacy

Oliver Sava of ''
The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was created in ...
'' said the mini challenge was "a brilliant challenge, forcing the queens to put their faces in the hands of another, and the smart pairs take advantage of the handicap and create a story around their messy makeup." The performances in the main challenge were criticised by Mark Peikert from
Out magazine ''Out'' is an American LGBTQ news, fashion, entertainment, and lifestyle magazine, with the highest circulation of any LGBTQ monthly publication in the United States. ''Out'' was owned by Robert Hardman of Boston, its original investor, until 2 ...
who says "The sitcoms are… leaden, I guess is the word. The judges cackle good-naturedly, but they’re mostly only impressed with Latrice and DiDa." Latrice reprised the role of ''"Large Marge"'' for a mini challenge on season 7 episode 8 where the queens had to dress up as prisoners in ''"Tuckahoe Prison for Ladies"''. She also repurposed a quote from the episode, "Get those nuts away from my face!" as her entrance quote on the '' Holi-slay Spectacular'' episode where she entered saying "Get those chestnuts away from my face!"


References


External links


Queens Behind Bars
at
IMDb IMDb, historically known as the Internet Movie Database, is an online database of information related to films, television series, podcasts, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and biograp ...
{{Portal bar, LGBTQ, Television, United States RuPaul's Drag Race season 4 episodes Television episodes about crime Television episodes about television