Original subtitles

You're not doing too much, are you?

You're not gonna spin me around

and I'll look like Jim Carrey from "The Mask"?

Although somebody should stop me.

- Don't worry. I got you.

Look, I'm sorry.

It's just it's my first day and I'm kind of nervous.

- See for yourself, you're all set.

It's me.

Wait, but this is all I get,

not like a mustache, or a goatee, or little beard?

You know, they say facial hairs make it for men.

But I shouldn't get in the way of this jaw line.

Oh, hey, have you been there the whole time?

I'm queer comedian and righteous arm bearer,

Cameron Esposito.

Bet you weren't expecting to see me.

But, come here, let's go have some fun.

♪♪ Flaunt it ♪♪

♪♪ Got it, flaunt it ♪♪

♪♪ You never had nothin' quite like me ♪♪

♪♪ Say what you gonna ♪♪

♪♪ I'm a real king ♪♪

♪♪ You're in the presence of royalty ♪♪

♪♪ Come on and get it ♪♪

♪♪ I'm a real king ♪♪

♪♪ I'm a real king ♪♪

♪♪ Say what you gonna ♪♪

♪♪ I'm a real king ♪♪

♪♪ You're in the presence of royalty ♪♪

♪♪ Come on and get it ♪♪

♪♪ Yeah, I'm a real king ♪♪

Last year, "King of Drag" made history

as the first drag king reality competition show

in the world,

and proved that drag kings have what it takes

to make it to the top.

King Molasses was crowned the first-ever King of Drag.

Now, eight new kings have arrived from all over the country,

ready to battle for the throne, the crown,

and all the glory.

We'll have wild new challenges, new twists and turns,

and a new host!

Me!

What is this? The best day of my life?

Brought to you by Revry, which is free, by the way,

so you can stop using

your ex's ex's cousin's sister's login.

Come on down. Grab a snack.

Get your dog and your cat.

Who will be crowned the next King of Drag?

Let's meet our leading men and leading thems.

Send in the kings!

Almost knocked myself over I was so excited.

Seeing my beautiful picture, and to see everybody lined up,

wow, wow, wow, I'm here.

- I am blown away at the Man Cave.

It's just so cool.

This is for everyone.

I see a shark, too, for the shark lovers out there.

- I'm grabbing some of this primer.

Let's put it in here.

- This is sick.

- I am so overstimulated right now. It is insane.

There's so many colors, so many pictures,

and not to mention so many other kings, it's a lot.

In a good way, but it's a lot.

- Twinka Masala. - How are you?

We're doing it. We're on "King of Drag."

- I can't believe it.

I'm here. Like, what?

It's amazing seeing familiar faces.

Chase Lounge, that's my brother.

Wait, is your packer secured?

- Yeah, I might have to try and tape it down later.

- I love you. - Oh, how are you?

- Oh my god. - I love you.

- My name is VERA!, all caps with an exclamation mark,

and I'm from the Bay Area!

My nephew and me. - Yes, period.

- Papi Culo is my nephew.

That's my drag nephew.

- To the end, baby! - Yeah!

- I'm from San Antonio, Texas!

I am here to represent San Antonio,

to represent my community, my city.

- Can I see this mask? - Yes.

Yes. - Did you paint this?

- Yes, it's made out of paper-mache.

- Fucking incredible! - Yes.

Every piece of my drag that I brought to this competition

would not have been possible without the hands,

and the time, and the energy

of so many talented San Antonio artists, the cultura,

the heart that that city has is so unique.

We don't have beaucoup money, but we make it happen.

This is all thrifted, honey, and I look fabulous.

- Hi, I'm Papi!

- I'm Lollygag.

- Lollygag. Okay. - Nice to meet you.

I'm from Brooklyn, New York.

When people find that out, they're like,

"Oh, yeah, your drag is fucking weird, that makes sense."

Being a newer drag performer,

like, I just started a year and a half ago,

so immediately I'm just like,

"Who can I befriend?"

- Lollygag. - What's her name?

- Oh, I'm gagging right now.

It's Trade.

Why is there a hot clown in the room?

Like, I'm gonna ask them for tips and tricks already

'cause like they look cool.

I love your makeup. - Thank you.

- Oh my god. - It's not makeup,

it's actually just my face.

- Really? - Yeah.

- Oh my god. - It's just skin.

Why am I attracted to them?

No, I'm just kidding.

I'm kidding. I'm kidding.

I have a girlfriend.

We're monogamous.

- It's nice to meet you. You're fierce.

Oh my god. Look at you. - Can you give a little twirl?

- You know, just a little something.

- Capes. - Come on, little pimp daddy.

I'm Cyrus. I'm from Philly.

I'm pretty shy in real life

and Cyrus is just bigger, bolder, sexy and cool,

and gets all the chicks kind of person.

And Simone wishes that she could be Cyrus,

I think, on most days.

- The, like, hang pin is everything.

- Excited to be here.

- I'm so excited! - There's so much to look at.

- Everyone is so hot! - Right?

- What inspired this outfit?

Because I love the '90s and you're giving it all to me.

- I was born in the '80s.

I lived through it all. - Oh, '80s and '90s.

- And now it's all on my body.

- Oh, fanny packs all the way down.

You got the kicks! You got them kicks!

Oh my god!

- They call me the Bay Area Drag Grandpa,

and I feel it because I have been around for 15 years.

Somebody once wrote about me negatively

saying that, "The beard and the dress will never be cool,

you'll always be the old man at the club."

But that is actually the highest compliment,

because that's all I wanna be is the old man at the club.

- I know, my beard's falling off.

- Do you need some primer?

Do you need some other primer?

Do you need some tanning spray?

I'm from Nebraska, but I live in Iowa.

- Oh, really? - Yeah. Yeah.

- Midwest Kings. - Wait, where are you from?

- Kansas. - Shut the fuck up!

Are you serious? - Yeah!

- And I was like, "Not again."

There was Dick Von Dyke and now there's just me.

- I needed Midwest blood.

My name is D. Vour.

I am your favorite insatiable glampire,

and I am from Wichita, Kansas.

I like to think of myself as a vampire prince

lurking around in, like, this feathered robe,

this goblet of wine,

and, like, just a little bit drunk on power.

Just a little bit.

There's not a lot of alt performers in Kansas.

But there are a few.

I actually host an alternative drag show.

It is called Eat Your Heart Out.

It's super punk, super cray.

There's usually like a splash zone,

if that gives you an idea.

It feels lucky, in a place like Kansas,

where drag is often seen as very taboo already,

to have other alternative performers to lean on.

We're all holding claws

and skipping all the way home at the end of the day.

So I am on "King of Drag" to show the world

that alt kings can do it, too.

Also, non-binary alt kings,

creature kings, mind you.

- Oh yes. - Swing it.

- Oh yeah. - Oh, leg, too.

- I wanna a leg, too.

- Oh my god, yes! - We're twins.

- I love your hat so much.

- It's a DiGiorno's pizza box. - The attention to detail.

- And that's drag, baby. - That's right.

Yeah, that's right. - That's right.

This is a stacked cast. - It really and truly is.

- This is insane. - Stacked.

- Season one was amazing, but this is fucking crazy.

There's not a weakling in the bunch.

These are kings that are at the top of their games

in each city.

I can't believe that I beat out

all of the other L.A. kings to be here.

I mean, I can believe it, because I'm the king of L.A.,

but I can't wait to compete with these people

because they are also so iconic.

- For you.

- Yes.

I can't talk now. I'm on "King of Drag."

- Kings!

- Oh my god! - Oh my god!

- Well, you all look amazing.

- Yeah, yes, they do. - Yes.

- Okay. - I am a lesbian. I am a dyke.

Of course, I'm a huge Cameron Esposito fan.

- I heard there were kings here.

I thought you might need a prince.

I'm Cameron. I'll be your host.

Very exciting.

- Cameron is super funny and really pretty,

and also really short, but really funny.

- Welcome to the Man Cave!

This is your home base to do whatever it is dudes do.

You talk sports, chug whole milk,

pat each other's butts platonically.

- Dude it up!

- Oh, and work on your looks, of course.

I am so honored to host this season.

That is really real.

Last year, I was a guest judge.

And I gotta say, being around the artistry

that drag kings are bringing to the table,

I mean, you all are amazing.

"King of Drag" has made history with millions of views,

countless watch parties,

and fans all over the world.

The message is clear.

People want more drag kings!

- We're making history right now.

I'm pinching myself.

Like, this is something I've literally always wanted

and I didn't think was possible.

- Where are you all from?

- San Antonio, Texas.

- And what's it like in San Antonio right now?

- Probably hot.

- And that's what I say about you.

- Ah, thank you.

- Where's anybody else from? Yeah.

- Wichita, Kansas. - Wichita, Kansas?

When they see you walking thusly, what's the response?

- They usually pray under their breath.

- Do you feel like you are then freed from the devil?

- No, then I can bother them more.

- Okay. Good, good, good.

Somebody jump in and tell me,

what's important for you

to represent in this competition?

- I am representing all my queer South Asian

and Middle Eastern siblings around the world,

and I am also representing everybody struggling coming out.

- Was it a struggle for you?

- My mom found my drag page, like, a week before this.

She was really, really upset.

And I was like, "Well, I'm going on TV for it, so..."

I successfully hid my drag career for six years

from my conservative mother.

She basically told me to just take the whole page down.

And it's complicated,

'cause Twinka wouldn't even be here without her,

because of what she's taught me about culture,

spirituality, and community.

It's hard because there's, like, so much of what I do

that she would be proud of.

I really wanted to prove to myself

that I don't need to keep hiding myself,

and my art, and my identity anymore.

I'm lucky I have a really strong support system,

and these kings included. - I was gonna say-

- You're in the brotherhood now.

- Yes! - Absolutely.

- I'm SWANA, Middle Eastern as well.

I'm Armenian, so we're representing together.

I love being Armenian.

It is the best.

It has given me my nose.

It has given me my ass.

My cultural heritage is beautiful,

but biological family-wise,

there's a lot of homophobia there.

Moving to California

and finding queer and trans Armenian community

really brought me and my Armenian culture together.

- What has drag meant for you?

- Drag has meant coming into my body and embracing it.

Like, I stand for fat and trans liberation

and all bodies are good bodies,

and the body is a protest.

- Hell yeah. - Yeah.

- Being confrontational with my body is a pillar of my drag.

Fat liberation is just the idea

that all people deserve dignity

no matter what their body size is.

There is a lot of ableism and fat phobia

in the queer community.

Especially as a trans masculine person,

I feel pressure to be thin

and have a flat chest to be valid.

I can have huge transmasc titties and be valid.

- Drag has, it's meant a lot for me.

Transitioning was really confusing.

And I felt like when I first started,

I had to be, like, hyper-masculine just to prove in society

that, you know, I was a man.

I'm Trade. I am from Des Moines, Iowa.

I had a very untraditional start when it comes to drag.

I started at a queer strip night.

So I came up with this idea

that I wanted to be the Magic Mike of the Midwest,

'cause I didn't really see crazy masculine energy

amongst the majority of the entertainers,

whether that be like male entertainers,

drag kings, drag queens.

So I was like, "I wanna do that."

The more I started to become passable,

it really changed my perspective.

So sometimes I am very masculine,

and then, other times, I'm super soft and feminine,

and I'm like, "Oh."

- I love it.

Okay, shall we?

Let's do it. Let's go.

- Each week, you will face themed challenges

that test your daring, innovation,

creativity, and kharisma with a K.

- Yes!

- And, at the end of the season,

one of you will be crowned King of Drag!

The winner of "King of Drag"

will receive a custom crown from Elea's Closet,

two tickets for a Mediterranean cruise with OUTbound,

and an all-expenses paid trip to Palm Springs

to be the first drag king

to perform at the legendary queer women's festival,

The Dinah!

- I've always wanted to perform there.

- And you get a year's worth of unstoppable beauty

from e.l.f. Cosmetics and e.l.f. SKIN.

Oh, and, of course, $10,000.

- Wow! - Yes!

- Cold, hard cash.

- Yes! - So cold, so hard.

And while there's only one "King of Drag" crown,

the celebration of drag kings belongs to everyone.

Kings, are you ready to get started?

Yes!

- Well, great news.

We're sinking our teeth into something so meaty,

so juicy, so beefy

that we have to cut to commercial.

No!

Come on!

♪♪ Yeah, I'm a real king ♪♪

- Kings, this week's theme is where stars are made,

dreams come true,

and the Botox flows freely.

Hollywood!

- What does that mean?

- Your Hollywood themed Beefy Challenge

is lights, camera, action!

That's right. We're getting some action.

Well, you are.

Yes!

- Just me.

- And it's gonna be filmed.

- I didn't know it was that kind of show, damn.

- For this two-part challenge,

you'll be working in randomly assigned pairs

to create an original movie starring you and your partner.

- I'm nervous to do a partner challenge

for the first challenge.

This could make or break all of us.

- First, you will have one hour

to come up with a movie title,

plan out your blockbuster poster,

and prepare a climactic trailer-worthy scene

to be performed live at the Kings' Court.

- Wow. - Okay, okay, okay.

- At the end of the hour, each team will have three minutes

to make your poster come to life in a fabulous photo shoot.

- You know, the more photos, the better, you know?

- Who here deserves a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame?

Squire.

Yes.

- This is B Sharp, aka my new Squire.

He's here this season to look cute

and make sure things run smoothly.

- Wow. - Okay.

- Wow.

- Wow.

Thank you, Squire.

B is also the photographer for this challenge,

helping you bring your movie magic to life.

That's right. He can switch.

- Wow. - Okay.

- But, for now, you may go.

- Aw. - Bye.

- Come back. - So obedient.

- It's time to pick your genre.

The two kings who pick the same genre

will be paired together.

- I love working with other people. It's so fun.

But it scares me a little bit,

especially knowing that I have to be paired up

with somebody that I don't know.

Sci-fi.

- I am doing sci-fi with D. Vour.

Y'all didn't have Bollywood?

I'm nervous because this seems like their cup of tea.

- Rom-com. - Rom-com.

- I can do romance.

Like, Papi's a lover.

- Let's dig into these straps.

- Oh my goodness.

Action.

- I'm trying to name an action movie right now.

- I am so excited to be partnered up with Chase Lounge.

That babe looks like a hot latex watermelon,

and I'm here for it.

- Whodunit mystery? - Whodunit mystery.

- Oh my god!

- I think this whole challenge feels scary.

To be the first challenge where we have to act

and be bold on stage is very terrifying for me.

- While you will be judged individually for this challenge,

it's not a one-man show.

And remember, Kings, there are no small actors,

so bring that big dick energy.

All right, Kings. Everybody in!

On three.

One, two, three!

Long live the kings!

- Your time starts now!

- Where to? - Wait, wait, wait.

Let me get a notebook.

- Do you watch any sci-fi movies at all?

- Mm, yeah. "Godzilla."

- Oh, shit.

I wonder how this is gonna go.

We should look at props and get inspired by props.

- Okay, cool.

- We're action. Are we superheroes?

- My idea was like,

"Indiana Jones: Legend of the Golden Packer."

- Oh, yes. Oh, I love it.

- Okay. - I love it.

- Title for the movie,

tagline and graphic design.

- What the fuck is a tagline?

You gotta make a movie, get a tagline, get a title.

Also, model while you're doing it.

Like, I love doing everything in just one hour.

It really just pushes you to your limit.

- I'm gonna have to shake in my boots here.

- What sci-fi do you feel?

- There's alien, there's, like, substances.

- I do like aliens. - Maybe some sparkles?

Sparkly aliens. - With, like, giant drag king,

I think we could do a lot of, like, comedy

with, like, stomping on things.

I'm really into the idea of "Godzilla," "50 Foot Woman,"

and D. Vour is going more of like an alien route.

We're sort of going back and forth.

It feels a little hard to land on a concept.

- We have two brothers on a quest to save their brothers.

Two brothers- - Wait. Yes.

Two brothers on a quest to save their brothers.

Yes.

And then, we have the action montage.

- Who are we fighting, you think?

- We're fighting men. - I'm obsessed.

I am paired up with VERA!

Are you fucking kidding me?

I'm such a fan!

- There's a cis man!

There's a cis man!

There's a cis man!

There's a cis man!

Yes. Yes. - Ha!

A trans woman- - I hope my vagina

doesn't come out. - I hope it does.

- The rommiest of coms.

- The commiest of roms.

So there's this thing that I've learned in clown school

where it's a really old clown gag.

And it's like we're on opposite ends,

we go in to do a handshake and we miss hands.

I am a clown school graduate

from the Coney Island Clown School,

which ultimately changed my life.

Initially, it felt like I was approaching drag as a dancer.

That's what I grew up doing.

But when I first started transitioning,

I kind of took a step away from dance.

I felt like there wasn't a level of understanding

as a trans person in the dance community.

I wanted to be in community

with people who, like, understood.

- Are we doing, like, a circus theme?

- Yeah, yeah. - Okay, cool.

Cirque.

- De So Gay.

- Love it. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!

And I just think clowning is so genuine.

To develop your own clown

is like to really carefully think

about, like, how you want to present yourself to the world.

So it's been really interesting to bring that into drag,

because drag is so big.

- Like, I don't know how heavy you are,

but I would love to pick you up.

- Ready? - Ready.

Nope.

- I had an idea, drag detectives.

- So I had spy and assassin.

But maybe a detective

and, like, a jewelry store owner.

- Durag Daddy's Diamonds.

- There we go. Great.

I love it. Love the alliteration.

- Whodunit, a mystery.

- I think we're coming up with a variety of ideas

that touch on different segments of Black culture.

- Think Madea.

Think Madea.

We just have to really act it up.

- Yes. - And I hope they just

don't say anything about, like, the stereotypes.

I've been doing drag for four years.

I feel like a lot of people

have, like, a distinct character that they do.

But, for Trade, it's just an energy.

He could be femme, he could be masc.

Trade is like a shape shifter.

I love brimmed hats, I love durags, I love bandanas.

I love throwing, like, my personal culture into things.

The drag community in Iowa,

it's really nice, but it is small.

It's not crazy diverse.

Living in the Midwest,

you don't always have the resources and the opportunities

like people who live in the bigger cities.

I had to YouTube stage presence

and just like figure out how to get better.

I had to teach myself everything.

Do you feel like it's not funny enough or not?

- I think we need one big climax in there.

- We do. We do.

- You know, like, when people have those dowsing rods

and they're like, you know,

trying to figure out where they're going?

- Yeah. - Boop-boop-boop-boop-boop.

And, like, looking around, looking around,

and then we bump into each other.

- Okay, we should definitely get these guns.

- Oh, for sure. For sure.

- Stick those balls together. - Together.

- Yeah. - Brother.

- Brother. - Just like us.

Two balls in one sack.

- Two guys in a sack.

- Can I offer you a dick and ball?

- Oh, thank you, sir.

Thank you, sir. - Yes.

Let's just test it for shakeability.

- Yeah.

- Okay.

- Like a Shake Weight.

I think it's typical for drag kings

to fall in love immediately and have a bromance,

but I can tell that VERA!

is going to be a very special friend to me.

- Listen, I'm not a comedian.

- Nor am I. - Okay.

This whole improv thing-

- Like, I'm fucking scared as fuck with that shit.

- So am I. - Good.

Okay. - So am I.

- Your time's halfway up, Kings!

30 minutes left!

- I got you these flowers.

Let's fight, brother.

- Ooh. - Sorry.

- Papi found, like, these play knives.

Somehow we got on the topic of being like,

"Ah, like just the tip."

- I kind of wanna make something on my body seem robotic,

like a robot dick or something.

- All right, hold on. Let me get your chain real quick.

- I know, I got a lot going on.

- No, it's perfect.

The accessories are everything.

- I appreciate it. - You truly are a king

up and down. - I appreciate it.

Back at you. - Well, thank you.

- You look sharp, man.

- His drag is what I always envisioned my drag

to eventually be.

Huge hats. The huge suits.

How avant-garde and how grand it is.

It's beautiful.

- "King of Drag" is an opportunity

for me to challenge myself,

to step up to the biggest batting plate that there is

and showcase pieces of myself

that I feel like I haven't showcased.

I want to represent a different version of Black kings

than I think was represented last season

and show that we are diverse.

Our art is beautiful.

Oh my god.

What is happening over there?

- Yeah. - Oh my gosh.

I'm so hot.

I've never been blown by a clown before.

- Five minutes, Kings!

You got five minutes!

Oh my god!

- Five minutes, five minutes, five minutes!

- I don't know what they doing.

I think the time is making our heartbeat extremely fast.

- The lines is the hardest part.

- Right. - Do you wanna practice

this one more time? - Let's do it again.

- What would your Oscar acceptance speech be?

- Thank you.

- That's it. Time's up!

Kings, are you ready for your closeup?

Because it's time for your photo shoot.

♪♪ Yeah, I'm a real king ♪♪

- Kings, it's time to get that movie poster shot.

Twinka Masala and D. Vour, you're up first.

You've got three minutes to get that money shot.

- Let's go. - Yeah!

- I'm really excited for the photo shoot.

We're basically two giant drag kings coming to invade,

bring kingery to humankind and stepping on men.

But, yeah, I can serve face and body.

- Is that a sword or are you happy to see me?

We don't condone gun violence,

but that does look good.

- Normally, I love to do a photo shoot,

but the fact that I have to go first is scary.

Twinka and I just wanna step on things,

but I am like trying to find my balance.

I'm having a hard time in these six-inch platforms.

- Lollygag and Papi Culo, you're up next.

Let's go!

- Yeah, let's do it. - Oh wow, okay.

- Come on. - Oh wow.

- Wow, guys. - Yes.

- Gorgeous. - Yeah.

- I'm having a great time.

I feel like this is my bread and butter,

and we're just giving some telenovela,

like, cirque realness.

Give us the win already.

What is happening with the knives?

- They're touching tips. - Touching tips.

- I was just going with the flow

of what was happening naturally between us.

Maybe the knives are even closer to your body.

Absolutely.

- Give me one leg.

Over the achilles.

- Oh! - Oh my god!

- People are, like, usually shocked

when I tell them I'm a trained dancer.

- That's your leg up there, right? Not your arm?

- I enjoy shocking people and confusing people.

- It's Cyrus K. Stratton and Trade!

This is a mystery.

- Oh. - Oh wow.

- First split of the season. - Goodness.

- You want me to drop a split? All right.

I think we executed well.

- Not enough detectives are doing the splits.

I've always said that's one of the biggest problems.

- We brought pimp daddy realness,

and I think that that worked really well

for both of our aesthetics and both of our vibes.

- I know you all are wondering who will be next.

- Cameron, who is it?

- It's you! Chase Lounge and VERA!

- The photo shoot is amazing.

I love performing in a photo shoot with my brother.

Our movie title is "Legend of the Golden Packer."

- We must save our kings. - We must save.

- Save the kings. - Save the kings.

Hold it in one place for me. Yeah.

20 seconds left!

- VERA! and I are already in love,

and we've known each other for about an hour.

Let's kiss.

- All the other kings are intimidated,

and it's beautiful, and everyone is jealous.

- And cut!

- Kings, tighten your drucks and fix your beards,

and meet me in the Royal Hall!

- Watching everybody, you're already seeing,

like, what they can bring just from a photo shoot.

It's exciting, but I'm a little nervous.

- Woo! - Woo!

Okay, let's do it.

♪♪ Yeah, I'm a real king ♪♪

- Welcome to the Royal Hall.

Now, let me introduce you to our esteemed panel of judges,

the Kings' Court!

Coming directly from the enchanted island of Puerto Rico,

this king confidently thrusts his Caribbean heat.

That's no small feat.

Welcome to the stage, Vico Suave!

No stranger to strutting runways

and challenging gender norms,

one of the fiercest all stars of "RuPaul's Drag Race,"

it's Gottmik!

He's here to bring you comedy, social commentary,

and dad jokes galore.

"King of Drag" season one Mr. Congeniality,

it's Perka Sexxx!

Queer style icon and GLAAD award-winning executive producer

and judge of "Drag Latina," Damian!

And, now, our extra special guest,

Academy Award-winning director, screenwriter,

and producer, LGBTQ+ rights activist,

and the creator of the documentary, "Rock Out,"

it's Dustin Lance Black!

Kings' Court, you all look incredible,

and so do I, that's kind of my thing.

No, stop. I'm married.

Let's get to business.

It's the first day of a brand new season of "King of Drag."

Perka Sexxx, what is it like being on the Kings' Court?

I mean, you were on the other side last year,

and here you are today.

- I mean, honestly, I think this is harder,

because I know what it feels like the first day,

meeting new people

and you have a chance of getting sent home.

Not looking forward to that.

- So you're just too nice. - I am too nice.

- Yeah, I know, I remember that from last year.

Well, you were Mr. Congeniality, and we know why,

but, tonight, you'll have to give somebody the ax.

Vico, you are looking, dare I say, suave.

How are you feeling about being here?

- I am feeling very suavelicious.

- I've said that three times about myself today.

Gottmik, you look so chic. - Oh, thank you.

- How's it walking in those shoes?

- So gorgeous. I'm so excited to be here.

I need to see the king artistry.

- Damian, specifically, how are you doing?

- I am feeling so great,

and so wonderful to see you!

- I feel wonderful to see you!

- Ha-ha. - Look at us.

Lance, congrats on your new documentary, "Rock Out."

- Oh, thank you very, very much.

It's a big labor of love.

I think we're in a time when we see spaces

that we feel welcome in as queer people shrinking.

And this is a documentary that says, "Guess what?

We're everywhere, including rock and roll,

punk, and heavy metal.

If that's your jam,

you got a home there, baby, and you always have."

- Absolutely queer people are everywhere,

including, surprisingly, the WNBA.

Well, speaking of great films,

this week, our kings were asked to create a movie poster

and act out a trailer for their own original movie.

So, Kings' Court, what are you looking for

out of this first performance?

- I am looking for silliness, for whimsy.

I am looking for collaboration.

I know that they're doing team combos.

- I wanna see the looks.

I wanna be so blown away

that I need to see them next week.

Also, working with a partner

and trying to show who you are,

that's some stressful stuff.

- Absolutely, it's like a date where you gotta make sure

people don't think you were catfishing, right?

- And they look like this on the first date.

- That's what you wear on the first date?

- That's scary.

But it's 'cause it's coffee, so you're casual.

Perka Sexxx. - I'm looking for fun.

I'm looking for camp.

I'm looking for sexy.

I'm looking for goofy.

- Sexy and goofy? - Yes.

- Oh, yeah. - Wow.

- The ideal man. - Yeah, yeah, yeah.

That is the ideal man.

- Hi, Perka Sexxx. - Yeah.

Hi.

- Damian. - I'm looking for fun, energy,

and I wanna see something I've never seen before.

- Lance, come on. Run me through it.

- I love movies. - Yes.

- So I wanna see how they take what we know about movies

or think we know about movies and break that shit up.

- All right. Are you ready for the show?

Yes!

- It's a star-studded night

at the second annual "King of Drag" Academy Awards!

With talent so hot, we need an intimacy coordinator in here.

That's a Hollywood job that deals with sex.

And the nominees are...

For Best Sci-Fi Movie from "The Kings Invade!,"

it's Twinka Masala and D. Vour!

In a universe full of drag queens,

the drag kings rise!

- Woo! - Yes.

- It's your way! - Incredible.

- I'm really nervous that the director of "Milk" is here.

I'm hoping he doesn't judge our acting too harshly.

But, obviously, he's an expert in the field,

so I'm excited to see what he has to say.

- Beep, beep, beep.

Beep-beep-beep-beep-beep-beep-b.

You, state your name!

I wasn't expecting to see any other life forms here.

- I am Twinka Masala from Planet Twink,

where twinks run free and our atmosphere is made of poppers.

I can tell.

- All right.

- Who are you?

- I am D. Vour from Uranus.

Take your mission, Twinka Masala.

- I am here to smash the patriarchy

and to spread the seedling of drag kingery to humanity.

- I am also here to smash the patriarchy

and spread the seed of drag kingery.

Perhaps we should join forces.

- Let's maximize our joint slay.

Oh, that was good.

- That's one small step for drag kings!

- And that's one giant leap for transkind!

- All right!

- I'm nervous, even though I am a theater king,

'cause we're the first kings to walk the runway.

I am always worried, especially as an alt king,

that people aren't going to get it.

But, honestly, we did better

than I thought we would on stage.

Ah, I feel like I'm flying.

- For Best Rom-Com, from "Cirque de So Gay: Just the Tip,"

it's Lollygag and Papi Culo!

Oh my god.

Work!

- I get very nervous before I go on stage.

I have an anxiety med that helps me

with, like, the physical symptoms.

Otherwise, I'll feel like I'm gonna shit my pants.

And when you're wearing tiny thongs,

it's not a good feeling to have.

Not fun.

- Woo! - Really great.

- Culo! - The cape!

- Yes!

- Vico!

Yes!

A Latino I appreciate.

I just really wanna show him the cultura,

like, un poquito pressure,

but I'm hoping Vico loves what I'm giving.

I'm a serious person,

but I don't need my drag to be that serious.

Woosah.

We got this.

Have fun, Papi.

- Hi, Papi.

- Ola, Lollygag.

- Papi, I actually have something for you.

- Oh, si, what is it?

- I brought you these flowers.

Oh! Oh my god!

Papi, I'm so sorry!

Here, let me help you!

- No worries. No worries. - Oh wait, hang on.

Oh, Papi.

Oh, here. - Okay.

Ay, dios mio.

For you.

They're beautiful!

Thank you, Lolly!

Oh my goodness.

I actually have something , for you.

- For me?

- Yes.

- What?

Oh, please! I'm just a clown!

- Lolly, Lolly, honey!

It's for you, baby!

Take it. Take it.

- Okay. - Take it.

- Thank you so much. - Yes.

Actually, I've been meaning to tell you something.

I have a matching set as well.

Lolly, ever since I've seen you at the circus,

I've been madly in love with you.

Please, touch my tip.

- Oh, Papi.

It would be an honor. - Yes. Yes.

Aye yai yai!

Yes! You've made me so happy.

Let's run away together.

Okay.

Yeah!

- Really solid clown running.

- I think the performance went well.

One of my little knives

that I had dropped and I was like, "Ooh!"

But we recovered.

I think Lolly did a great job

of kind of maybe pulling me out of that.

- I'm feeling confident in what we did.

I think our chemistry was really there.

- It kind of showed the judges that,

"Oh, this sexy luchador can also get nervous."

Maybe after this experience,

I'll be modeling and acting, who knows?

- For best original whodunit,

from "Who Done it Daddy:

Daddy & Detective T Search for That D,"

it's Cyrus K. Stratton and Trade!

Oh my god.

- It's exciting to see Perka Sexxx.

I had a feeling that things from season one

were going to be incorporated in some way,

and cool to see them as a judge.

- Woo! - That's absolutely stunning.

- We feel so many nerves right now.

We know the words,

but really what's gonna sell it is the confidence.

Whether it's fake confidence or real confidence,

just hold your head up.

Fake it till you make it, baby.

But like you don't wanna be overshadowing each other.

What's up, brother?

I am Detective T.

- What's good? I'm Daddy Durag.

Thanks for coming to my jewelry shop.

- Yeah, I heard you were missing a watch.

- Yeah, that's crazy.

A watch went missing out of my case last week.

- Oh my god, no, can you please describe

that watch for me, sir?

- I sure can.

It's 24-karat gold. - Okay.

- It's dripping in ice. - Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

- And what's wild is it looks a little something like that.

- Nah. - Is that my watch?

- Nah. Man, your glasses must be fogged up.

Look, check it. This cubic zirconia.

- Let me see that.

Let me see that real quick.

That's wild because my whole shop is cubic zirconia.

- Man, you just said it was a 100K watch.

- You know what? Sometimes that's how we advertise.

- I'm done with you.

Man, get down!

Like that? Come on, brother.

- It is your watch. - That's wild. What?

This your ring!

- Come on, not all my cubic!

- I'll say that it was a little bit messy.

- The battle is always being big and bold and confident.

It's a huge stage to be on,

but I feel confident next to my partner

in what we've come up with.

- We feel really, really good about it.

We're thinking this is our challenge.

- For our final nomination,

for Best Action Movie,

from "Legend of the Gold Packer:

Two Brothers on a Quest to Save Their Brother,"

it's Chase Lounge and VERA!

- Oh my god. Okay, Vico Suave is a judge.

- Yeah. Oh my god.

- He was actually in the first full drag king show

that I ever saw that made me wanna do drag.

So Vico is a huge reason why I'm here.

- I also watched some very steamy drag videos of him

during COVID times and that really helped me out.

So thank you, Vico.

- I just keep telling myself,

pretend like a Real Housewife is out there watching you,

because I love all of the Real Housewives

and they're who I wanna give my energy to.

- Brother! - Brother!

- Where are our king of drag brothers, brother?

- They're stuck in the cock cage of the transphobic cis man!

- How can we save them, brother?

- The golden packer.

It's the only way to free them.

- Here it is.

- Oh no, it's surrounded by the transphobic cis man!

Let's fight, brother!

Long live the kings!

Forever may they pack!

- And fanny pack!

- Wow! - Yeah!

- Oh, we crushed it.

We saved our king of drag brothers in a 30-second time span?

How incredible is that?

It couldn't have gone better.

- Wow.

- We made the judges laugh so much.

I think we're gonna win.

- Let's give it up for the kings!

The reviews are in!

It's time for the Kings' Court Critique!

♪♪ Yeah, I'm a real king ♪♪

- This element of gay within the music business

was changing society.

- Why did all these lads end up with all these gay managers?

- If you want a manager to give you full attention,

get a gay manager.

- These guys were all disruptors,

because youve been an outsider,

youre not beholden to the system.

- Gay people have been unbelievably influential

in the look of rock n roll, the sound of rock n roll,

the soul of rock n roll.

What a show!

- Yes, yes, yes! - Wow.

Kings, tonight you performed in pairs,

but you'll be assessed individually.

Kings' Court, what is your royal decree?

- Papi Culo, Chase Lounge,

you are both...

Safe.

- I am very thankful to still be here.

I am someone who is a ham,

I love an audience,

so this is everything for me.

I love you, brother. - I love you, too.

- I'm safe!

I live to see another day.

- The remaining six of you represent the tops and bottoms.

Court, we request your feedback.

Please begin with VERA!

- Hi, Dad.

- Hi, kiddo! - Hi, Dad.

- What?

- Yeah, VERA!'s my dad.

They are the father.

- Perka Sexxx and Pressure K are my sons.

I love them so much.

Watching them on "King of Drag" was a highlight

just to see your son shine.

Just crying thinking about my children.

Just crying thinking about my children.

I am that king in the confessional crying about his kids.

- VERA!, how many drag children do you have?

- 44. - 44?

- Wow. Time for a vasectomy.

- A VERA!sectomy.

- A VERA!sectomy!

- Never!

- All right, so you came in with the energy,

with the action, and also I love a good pun,

so I loved the double entendre

of packer and then the fanny pack.

- Yes.

I'm obsessed with you.

- Everything is so chaotic that I would kind of love

if you had some crazy hair,

like color. - Okay.

- But everything is so great,

and I'm excited to see some really cool,

crazy, kooky looks out of you, diva.

- Excellent.

- From the moment you walked out here,

you thought about what kind of action adventure

you wanted to be.

You got to play the absolute lunatic.

The funny guy.

It was so great, and I was here for it.

- Thank you.

It's hysterical that he thought I was playing a lunatic,

'cause I really just was being myself,

which is a lunatic, yes.

Cyrus K. Stratton.

- Holy fuck.

Cape, feather, glitter.

The way that you're just standing right now with that cane,

truly, you are commanding attention.

But, in that action sequence, we lost you for a second.

There was a little bit of like shift in energy,

but you went back up again.

So know that you have it in you.

- Cyrus, it was everything we fricking needed.

It was for the culture.

My only thing, it's just a technicality,

you told me who did it in the trailer.

- But there's more coming, Perka.

You gotta watch the movie.

- I do?

- At the beginning, I could feel a little nerves.

If you can figure out how to forget we're here,

you are going to slay this competition.

- When I got out there, I felt big and bold and bad.

And then, I saw the judges staring at me,

and I think I forgot my first line.

It shook my confidence a little bit,

but I think I was able to end strongly.

Trade.

- You are dripping in all of the things

that I am obsessed with,

but I think you can take your time.

You wanna give a second for a reaction.

- I love your intention with your details,

especially the fact that you glammed up a durag,

because traditionally durags are not seen

as, like, prim, proper, but you made this glamorous.

- As someone who leans into their sensuality and sex appeal,

you definitely have that.

But the second you moved toward your scene partner,

that's where we lost you.

Open that up so that we continue being hooked in

by that delicious sex appeal.

- You're one of the most handsome human beings

I've ever laid eyes on, and I love that you own it.

The performance you were giving was a screen performance.

So was it maybe a little small for this stage? Yeah.

But boy, I say get ready for the silver screen,

'cause you got a future.

- Thank you for that. - It's good.

- Thank you. - I love your makeup so much,

the blush and the glitter,

but I could tell that you wanted to be hot the whole time

and you didn't, like, lose yourself in that scene.

- I didn't wanna be known as the body king.

Nothing in the scene was sexy.

I came in with the intention that if I make it to the end,

that's when I wanna show it.

I'm tired of people almost overly sexualizing me

no matter what I'm wearing.

There's so much to me.

I'm not trying to sound like an asshole, y'all,

but, like, that's crazy to me.

- Next up, Lollygag!

- Oh my freaking goodness.

The way that your whole body transformed

the second you stepped on that stage,

every single movement was so deliberate.

"This is what I want you to see,

and you're gonna watch it until the very, very, very end."

Ugh, love that.

- I just had so much fun watching you.

I saw your eyes right away

and they were incredibly expressive,

and that's what clown makeup can do.

And you used it, you didn't hide behind it.

- Obviously, I might be biased,

but I love a clown in some white face paint.

People are always looking for versatility,

so I can't wait to see where you're gonna take us.

- Look, drag is clownery.

This is high drag right now.

- Thank you.

I'm surprised that I was so seen

in a challenge with a partner.

So, sweet.

Sweet.

- D. Vour, I love your outfit.

The different fabrics and moments is so good.

- The way you came out, your energy was high,

eyes were captivating.

But it sometimes felt like

you were acting in different shows.

- I will say I wasn't getting sci-fi from the performance.

There could have been a lot more specificity.

- With the sci-fi theme,

I was lost on who your character was.

Coming into the competition,

first challenge, you have your look.

You could've been a space pirate.

You could've still been a pirate,

'cause that's what you're dressed as.

But that's when you have to take the challenge

and make it work for you.

- It's not a great feeling.

I felt solid in my head

and I thought it's giving character actor,

it's giving goblin, it's giving gremlin,

but, apparently, the judges didn't think so.

- And, finally, Twinka Masala.

- I love your choice in outfit.

It's hard to show your culture and who you are,

'cause you might get questions of,

what is that, what is that, what is that?

But you're telling us who you are

and that is very important for a first-day entrance look.

- What's the watermelon meaning?

- It represents solidarity with the Palestinian people.

- Gorgeously camp, and stunning, and having a message,

that's absolutely what drag kings are about.

- I wanna know what's the rest of the look inspired by?

- I wanted to go with another color

that was in the Palestinian flag,

and then this is also the same colors of the Pakistani flag.

I just wanted to embrace my culture,

show the world what, like, male South Asian fashion is.

As drag kings,

this is the biggest platform we currently have.

I'm a protest king.

I'm an activist king.

A lot of my art is rooted in community organizing

and social justice.

I want to bring my culture to the stage.

- I love, obviously, when people

embrace their culture in their drag,

'cause there are going to be kids in Pakistan watching this.

The one note, the trailer and the acting didn't sell for me.

I wanna see you bring it and go even bigger.

- Kings, please head to the Man Cave

while the Kings' Court deliberates.

How y'all feeling after that?

- I thought we did really well.

I totally understood a lot of their critiques

when it came to the technicalities.

- So what I'm getting is you're hot.

- Getting that critique, I'm like,

I don't know actually where to go from there,

because most of my outfits aren't showing anything.

It's just, like, my demeanor, I guess.

And it took me so long to get this confidence,

because I grew up feeling very ugly,

and it took me years on testosterone

to even feel attractive.

Growing up, I just always hated myself so much.

And then, I had body struggles.

You know my mom, she was also an exotic dancer,

and she was very keen on, like, the best you look,

you get way more money.

So she was always taking us to the gym with her,

and then she would make us protein shakes

and grilled chicken spinach salads.

And I, unfortunately, got an eating disorder in high school,

and it's just been a whole journey.

My entire performing career

has just been centered on sexualizing me.

It has held me back in a lot of ways,

because when I try new things,

I don't get tipped as much.

I mean, I've even felt diminished by other entertainers

saying that I'm getting booked 'cause I'm fuckable.

- I hear what you're saying,

because I feel like a lot of us

sometimes it boils down to just us being hypersexualized,

and I don't feel like that's what you were giving on stage.

- You're so much more than just a pretty boy.

I was watching you dance backstage.

I was like, "Oh my god," like, full performer.

- Thank you so much. Yeah. - Yeah.

I know you have a lot to offer.

- Okay, Kings' Court, we have to choose our winner

and the two bottom kings.

- Let's talk about some of our favorites of this night.

How about VERA!?

- Being able to do physical comedy like that,

especially in an action category is brilliant.

- And they had the courage to go absolutely apeshit nuts.

- The reason why they're my dad, y'all saw it on the stage,

they have that fire, that passion, so much boundless energy.

They really got a good genre that they can shine.

- How did you feel getting judged by your son?

- I'm so proud of him.

You know, he's an inspiration to me.

And watching him out-dad-pun me in real time.

- Lollygag, what do we think about him?

- The moment that Lollygag walked in,

I was completely enamored.

Every single detail in their body,

their face expressions, their toes.

- A lot of drag performers need to take notes

from other type of performances like clowns, burlesque,

because when you're on stage,

it's not just your mouth that has to do the working.

Your body has to talk,

your makeup choices have to accentuate your features

so it reads to the drunk people in the back

that came to the show late,

and Lollygag showed all of that.

- Lollygag is a fully formed character.

And to be able to do that on day one,

it's really difficult.

- Being such a perfect clown character,

that kind of puts you in a box so early in the competition.

All right, how are we feeling about Twinka Masala?

- 10s across the board.

- The moment I saw their whole fit,

I was like, "Oh, this is someone that knows who they are,

who is carrying their culture."

- Vico, I heavy relate.

We're both Caribbean,

and just being queer is not something

that's accepted at all.

So just to be able to take your culture back

and embrace your queerness in it

is something that's powerful.

The watermelon also just powerful statement.

We know who this is already.

And the thing that put Twinka in the top for me

was the thing I was telling D. Vour to do

was make the theme work for you.

Your face is covered in glitter.

You can't move that much.

Robot is the perfect logical conclusion.

- Just flawless to me.

- It's like it's gonna be hard to pick a winner.

Can they all win?

No.

Let's talk about Trade.

- I enjoyed watching what Trade was doing,

but he was too easy to miss,

and this isn't a place you wanna miss anything.

- Yeah, we get you're attractive. What else?

Because you cannot rest on that.

I felt like he was like winking at the camera

the whole time basically,

so I'd love to see him grow more in the competition.

- Loosen up.

Let go of that control of having to be,

"This is what masculine is."

Masculine can be silly, it can be loose.

So many things.

- When you're in drag,

it's different than your trans experience.

You can be any kind of man that you wanna be,

and I just wanna see him explore that more.

- Let's talk about Cyrus K. Stratton.

- I see a glimmer of greatness in Cyrus.

It happened when we were talking to him, in that walkout.

- I mean, that presence came in

and all of a sudden just like dropped.

I wanted him so badly to match the confidence of his outfit.

- I lost the illusion in the acting.

- Yeah.

- Okay, what about D. Vour?

- I was stunned in a great way.

The energy was there, the outfit was cool,

but what is this about?

Where are they?

What's the story?

- When you're doing something like this,

you have to be able to flow with your partner

and shift with the scene,

and it felt like he was just waiting for his line.

- It felt mechanic. - Yeah.

- Like the anxiety was winning.

- How are we going to make a decision?

♪♪ Yeah, I'm a real king ♪♪

- Now it's time for some results.

Gottmik, please announce this week's winner.

- The king we have chosen as the winner is...

Lollygag.

- Yeah, you did it, you ate that.

- Oh my god.

We just got here day one and I, like, did so well,

it was almost, like, I didn't even get to process it.

- Congratulations, Lollygag!

You are first in line for the throne this week!

- Yes! - You nailed it.

- I was just really thankful to not be in the bottom,

because the entire day I was like,

"All right, just got here.

Can't go home immediately."

So it was validating, it was exciting,

and it was also, like, a huge relief.

I'm just excited to keep clowning around.

- VERA! and Twinka Masala,

you are both...

Safe. - Thank you.

- I'm thrilled to be safe and in the top.

I put a lot of effort into the aesthetics

of what Twinka does,

and I feel very seen and celebrated.

- Now the part that breaks my heart.

Which kings are in danger of leaving the competition?

- Cyrus, you have a presence on stage

that is truly stunning.

We want to see that presence

and that energy you bring to your costume

on your performance.

- It is disappointing,

but I think I did enough to keep my spot in the competition.

- Trade, your sense of style

and attention to detail

is absolutely impeccable.

Sometimes in that pursuit for detail,

we get a little rigid.

Loosen up and lean into that vulnerability.

- Being in the bottom, it shocked me.

I feel defeated.

- D. Vour, you are exuberant

and it shows in the way that you adorn yourself.

We want to see you hone in that exuberance

and find specificity in your performance.

- I get the feedback,

but also some of the things they said

did not resonate with me.

I wish I would have nailed down like a more solid character,

but I know I can show more,

and I know that I'm a kick-ass performer,

and I know I could do more challenges like this,

just not this one.

- With all of that said,

oh god, I hate doing this in the first week,

we have decided that...

Cyrus K. Stratton,

you're safe.

- Thank you.

- It's sad to see that Trade's in the bottom two.

It makes me feel like I've let them down a little bit,

and I don't want them to go home

because I feel like I now relate to them.

So I'm, like, in the back with my fingers crossed,

hoping that they're able to stay in the competition.

- Trade and D. Vour, you are up for elimination.

- My intention coming here

was to not be stuck in this box of body,

but that's the first thing I'm judged on

and I'm put in the bottom because of it.

- Trade and D. Vour, you have one last chance at redemption.

As you know, each week,

the bottom kings must go head to head

in an elimination battle known as...

The Final Thrust.

This week, your Final Thrust Challenge

will be...

- Stop!

Oh, Tuna!

- Don't do this!

We can't send anyone home yet.

It's just the first episode.

We haven't had the chance

to see the breadth of everyone's talent.

The girth, the length. Okay?

Let me point something out.

I went home first and I didn't get to show

as much as I'd like.

Please don't tuna can these kings.

- Oh no. - Oh my god.

- Wow.

- Please.

- What is about to happen?

Because one of us has to go home, right?

- Both me and D. Vour,

the only two homies representing the Midwest,

are, like, about to kick rocks.

Yeah!

- The Kings' Court decrees

that no one gets eliminated this week!

- No one's going home!

You're staying.

- Oh my god!

- Thank god for Tuna.

I love fish.

- Oh god, I fucking thank you.

Relief, relief. Oh, I love Tuna Melt.

- Oh, thank fucking god.

- Let's all be manly and hold hands and celebrate!

- We're fucking safe!

♪♪ Nobody goes home ♪♪

- Well, it's the start of another great season

of "King of Drag."

Tune in next time, folks.

But, for now, good night, sleep tight,

and don't let your partner bite,

unless you're into that.

♪♪ Say youre gonna be there right on time ♪♪

♪♪ But when I look for you, I never find ♪♪

♪♪ My Houdini Queenie ♪♪

♪♪ Where did you go? ♪♪

♪♪ My little Houdini Queenie ♪♪

♪♪ Ill never know ♪♪

♪♪ Wear you heart out on your sleeve ♪♪

♪♪ But Ive never even see you leave ♪♪

♪♪ My Houdini Queenie ♪♪

♪♪ Where did you go? ♪♪

♪♪ My little Houdini Queenie ♪♪

♪♪ I'll never know ♪♪

♪♪ You tell me all the things I wanna hear ♪♪

♪♪ But when I turn around, you just disappear ♪♪