by J †Johnson, Staff Writer

Dragula: Season 666
A Boulet Brothers’ Dragula Season 666 Serial Commentary
Episode 3 “Holiday of Horrors”
Now streaming on Shudder

Haunted Baby is not a holiday.
—Dracmorda

I’m the mean one.
—Swanthula

I’m so good at drag.
—Yuri

I’m not a botanist.
—Asia Consent

I’ll get ready in a little fuckin mirror for you.
—Grey Matter

I might be starting to crack.
—Majesty

I need somebody to fill up a room—groargh!
—Jaharia

Why was the chicken thrown across the room?

To get to the other side.

You can try tarot, you can use a witch board, but you aren’t reaching that bird. She has flown where we can’t follow. Like an infamous vegan drag zombie bunny was misquoted way back in Season One, somewhere in the desert of Southern California: Not tonight!

Loris was about to eat brains, just as Desiree Dik does all these seasons later, before fisting and then throwing a chicken at a were-bear. It’s a full circle moment.

Of course, we fist turkeys across America late every November to rebrand foundational genocide, and perhaps historical commentary is embedded in Desiree’s performance, though it’s no doubt lost on the chicken.

John Waters once said we shouldn’t feel bad for the chicken in Pink Flamingos (1972) because it got fucked and lives forever on film. We’d argue it dies forever onscreen, but we could also argue Dragula’s most famous fowl did something in death that it never did when it still had feathers: It flew.

Welcome to Chicken Chucking at Camp Filth. We’re here all week. It’s no holiday, but we’re making friends like we’re on vacation and can hop a plane and escape (or take a dive) any time. It’s week three, and all through the theater we’ve arrived at that pre-nostalgic moment when we reflect on the relationships we’ve established over these first two weeks. Look at Pi and Asia with their conspiratorial glances and wrist-tapping gestures: It’s only a matter of time before their deep bond is tested by the curse of fate. Meanwhile Asia is making eyes at Grey, Grey is rolling their eyes at all the instant kinship, Majesty is spilling tea and wringing tears, and Jaharia has an idea for a clown look.

But let’s not be so jaded. Maybe some of these monsters did come here to make friends. Dragula is a community. But Dragula is a competition. Someone is going to win 100K, a few monsters are joining the Season 666 tour, and everyone (including the chicken) just got a lot more famous. Money, as Cindi Lauper reminds us, changes everything.

Is Aurora about to be eliminated for doing a little advance publicity? Now everyone’s getting into Majesty’s coy act, playing “I Heard but I Can’t Say What.” Auntie heard it in Rockford (not Chicago)! Jaharia heard it in Kansas City! Even Aurora joins the bit, pretending she doesn’t know who told her something or other, while Majesty stands beside her cooing That sucks sis, it’s so unfair, who does that! Majesty might be running out of time to turn heel, so it’s a pity they don’t take a single opportunity to sneak a smirk at the camera. This is profoundly boring meta-rumor NDA drama, but with everything else going on, a little zone-out time to process the last on-set murder (and fantasize about the next one) is appreciated.

It’s chaotic in here, but patterns are emerging as Season 666 takes shape. We have what appears to be an established spooky parlor intro with the Boulets, who are no longer Chucky dolls, as they do a tag team Log Lady Intro and make with the horror puns & threats. “One of your favorites is about to get the chop” cuts deeper on rewatch and, again, we are being addressed as both audience and participant. Feels nice to be seen even while we’re being taunted (right Pi?). Desiree is in the bottom for the second week in a row, Grey is overlooked when the winner is announced, and Asia wins again. Desiree gets the kiss of death from the Boulets—twice! once from each of them! an X on both cheeks!—who tell her during judgment that she belongs on Dragula. When you hear that, pack your bags, and get ready for your close-up. Grey gets the respect of their peers and has nothing to show for it but this lousy curse. So far, the Boulets are soft balling these arbitrary constraints, following up Doll Parts (which Jaharia uses to tape down Auntie’s arm) with Mirror, Mirror (which Asia uses to flirt with Grey, making them get ready with a compact). Neither has much effect beyond serving beef, and it still feels relatively playful. The curses, though, are another emergent pattern, and we expect them to become more consequential.

Oh, but we told you to look out for that camera! And indeed, the Apparatus appears, and it’s taking names. Desiree, you belong on Dragula, now go home. We’re here though for the genuine hug between Desiree and Yuri during the end credits, once they hit the ground. It did get intense in the cauldron, with Yuri talking about self-harm and Desiree coming off mercenary in the edit. The competition is fierce from top to bottom, and three weeks in they might not all be BFFs, but there’s real care and consideration in the room, despite the flying carcasses and dollar-sign eyes.

Things to watch for:

† Grey should be desperate for a win next week, and Asia needs to look out for green-eyed monsters (including her so-called ally—though we do love Pi!). The other top performer in week 3 is Vivvi, who had a real chance to take the win if not for the pig face (masked monsters seldom survive, much less win challenges) and the overlap with Majesty (well, Vivvi did 4th of July and Majesty did Independence Day). Is Vivvi turning it on?

† Speaking of overlap, there were two babies in the floorshow (Aurora and Pi), though Pi had the superior stage waddle. Aurora’s look inspired one of the best Boulet exchanges of the season (indeed, Haunted Baby is not a holiday—yet), but Aurora was barely safe from another extermination challenge. If she’s in the bottom next week, that might be it for her. Meanwhile, the monsters got a pass after last week’s warning from Drac—“change it up if you see a common theme amongst your peers”—but do notice how clear the Boulets are being with their instructions. That dupe shit will not fly in the future.

† Auntie had a relative off week with an underwhelming (for them) Halloween candy look, but was able to pull off a tricky stage vom. Past contestants have been less successful giving it up on cue, so that’s a win in itself. If you never thought you wanted to see someone puke, try watching them fail to puke on stage. It’s not pretty. Anyway, look for Auntie to bounce back next week, which should put them right in Grey’s path. Only one cooler head will prevail.

† If you’re looking for knowledgeable and hilarious inside-drag Season 666 YouTube recaps, we recommend Nina Bo’nina Brown (@NinaBoninaBrown), OBITUARY by Sigourney Beaver (@Sigourney-Beaver), and RECAPITATION by Jay Kay (@JayKayBK). RuPaul’s Drag Race alum Nina Bo’nina Brown brings perspective from outside but adjacent to the Dragula community while being 100% in the spirit of high-level DIY monster drag performance, honey. It’s ridiculous and inspiring to see what she can do from her living room couch. Personal shero and Dragula Season 4 finalist Sigourney Beaver has an impressive range of weekly guests to chop it up and delve into the details and drama of drag competition, and this week’s discussion of the elusive Filth tenet of Dragula, featuring Philly’s fabulous Onyx Ondyx, is must-see teevee. Dragula Season 5 double-exterminee and adorable smartass Jay Kay’s weekly guest list proudly represents the peanut gallery of the monster drag community.