Review: Canada's Drag Race, S3 E1 Sidewalk To Catwalk

Look! Up in the sky! Is it a bird? Is it a plane? NO! It’s the new Canada’s Drag Race promos! And they’re swooping in to give us another season with a bigger budget, more sponsors and a Brooke Lynn Hytes mullet.

While the panel of judges will not be getting Amanda Brugel back, and Stacey McKenzie seems to just be lost to the sands of time, Traci Melchor makes her final ascent from “Canada’s Squirrel Friend” to full-time panel person, and we absolutely love to see it.

The cast this season is super strong, with a lot of personal favourite queens — hi Bombae. While nature healed and casting reverted to putting too many Toronto queens over too many Vancouver queens, there’s an eclectic mix of queens from all over the country. 

Between the absolute overwhelming eyegasm that is Kaos, another Couture coming in fiercer than ever, the legend that is Jada Shada Hudson and finally an east coast queen coming covered in bucket of slime, it’s truly hard to suss out who’s better than everyone else because they’re all so specific to what they do.  

The premiere was off to a strong start, with a fun flip on the typical sewing challenge that we’ve become accustomed to. It was also a smart way to figure out who were the true fashion girlies and who were just… the models with money.

From this episode, the judging seems to be better balanced this season. After over correcting in season one, to being too nice last season, they all gave measured and balanced critiques with proper placements of everyone. 

I’m also glad they didn’t let Miss Fiercalicious get away with wearing a dress that essentially looked like what my Greek grandmother’s head scarfs look like when I dig them out of the back of her closet (frayed and mouldy). I mean, yes, she looked absolutely beautiful, but still an absolute miss from the assignment.

As for the elimination, I feel like it’s a personal attack to have Halal Bae be the first girl out. Like, you take my favourite Meet The Queens interview and promo look, combine it with one of the hottest people I’ve ever seen, have her do well enough in the challenge and then just… eliminate her because she “lost” such a close lip sync? 

I guess I have to root for Jada now, because she has the best taste…but Halal, my DMs are open if you wanna talk! Take your beauty and beat me with it!

Overall, this was a fun premiere! Not only are they also giving out real prize money for maxi challenges, but mini challenges too? And, while a completely wild lip sync song choice, they got a Justin Bieber song? Guess Bellmedia is just funnelling all their money and resources into this show now. Headline: Children Ruin Everything’s Season Two Production Budget Found Dead in a Ditch.

I’m hopeful this season will be better than the last one, as barely anyone watched season 2, so how would you know? If you made it this far, you have to give every season 2 girl a follow and contribute to Eve 6000’s transition fund — sorry I don’t make the rules.

Canada’s Drag Race season 3 premiered July 14, 2022, with nine weekly episodes.