Stream It or Skip It: ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race: UK vs. The World’ on Wow Presents Plus Lives Up to the Hype

RuPaul’s Drag Race: UK vs. the World is the logical follow-up to the nonstop international iterations of the Emmy-winning series. RuPaul and Michelle Visage are back alongside UK regulars Graham Norton and Alan Carr, and this time they’re judging the ferocity of queens from five different Drag Race shows. But is this the Olympics of drag or is it a global catastrophe?

RuPAUL’S DRAG RACE: UK VS. THE WORLD: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

Opening Shot: We are on the main stage of RuPaul’s Drag Race stage, baby! Where else would we be?

The Gist: Nine queens from five different Drag Race series — RuPaul’s Drag Race, RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, Drag Race Holland, Drag Race Thailand, and Canada’s Drag Race — come together to compete in the franchise’s first international competition. This is the series that Drag Race fans have been anticipating for years, and now it is here.

What Shows Will It Remind You Of? Obviously this series has big RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars vibes to it. Only time will tell if UK vs. the World ends up being as stunty and unpredictable as a lot of All Stars seasons.

Parting Shot: I have no idea, because Drag Race screeners always stop short of showing you the end of the episode. Nearly every other episode of every Drag Race series concludes with the remaining queens dancing on the main stage to a RuPaul song. Will UK vs. the World flip the script?

RuPaul’s Drag Race: UK vs. The World Queens Are Back in the Gig and Ready to Stunt

Sleeper Star: This is truly a cast of personalities, and nearly everyone gets a real moment in this first episode. But since this is actually her first time competing on a season, Pangina Heals is truly the standout. Pangina’s a judge on Drag Race Thailand, so no one knows exactly what she can bring to these challenges. She’s the one to watch and she ultimately may be the one to beat.

Our Take: Drag Race is always trying to outdo itself, and the franchise really makes it hard. Instead of coasting on autopilot, Drag Race regularly levels up by tossing in lip sync assassins or a RuPaul-branded candy bar that completely upends the game. UK vs. the World has a lot to live up to, especially since there’s years of anticipation to account for. And while I don’t know if any gags and goops are in store for these global queens since those reveals are often held until the part of the show that I did not get to see, UK vs. the World still lives up to the hype because of the cast, period.

That’s honestly the gag of the season! The talent on display is the only twist this series needs (but I’m here for other twists too). These nine queens are all serious competitors and they are all clearly aware of the stakes. There’s no prize money (thanks, BBC!), but these queens all know that getting this crown, the first-ever worldwide title, is a major deal. They act like it, too.

While there are the usual “getting to know you” kikis in the Werk Room, there’s a real immediacy and tension to every interaction. Granted, every All Stars season starts with queens talking strategy and track records, but there’s an added level of gravitas to these proceedings. This race feels exactly as intense as it should, and that carries through to the maxi challenge and runway. Reminder: I don’t know who’s in the top or bottom in this episode, and I couldn’t even guess. The competition is that tight.

Drag Race Queens Spill on the Cross-Cultural Kiki of UK vs. The World

That being said, this is also Drag Race. There’s some bonkers tomfoolery and shady reads that will have you cackling. This is especially true of Baga Chipz and Jimbo. They were both the clowns of their previous seasons, and now they’re on the show at the same time. On top of that, they’re buds IRL. Every time the two of them are onscreen together, the likelihood for chaos skyrockets.

And that brings me back to the fact that this cast is a blast. Not only are we getting different drag styles, we’re also getting different drag energies and backgrounds. The mirror chats in the premiere involve these queens learning about drag in other countries, comparing notes and talking about things we’ve never really heard discussed before. By now, we’ve seen dozens of first episodes, including a half dozen first episodes of All Stars seasons. There’s definitely a formula that we’re familiar with — and UK vs. the World takes that formula and gives it the kind of glow up that all of these queens have had since their original seasons.

Our Call: STREAM IT. RuPaul’s Drag Race: UK vs. the World gives the All Stars brand a glow up — and it’s a winner, baby.