| "Squirrel Games" | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| RuPaul's Drag Race episode | |||
| Episodeno. | Season 17 Episode 1 | ||
| Directed by | Nick Murray | ||
| Presented by | RuPaul | ||
| Featured music | "Woman's World" byKaty Perry | ||
| Original air date | January 3, 2025 (2025-01-03) | ||
| Guest appearances | |||
| Episode chronology | |||
| |||
| RuPaul's Drag Raceseason 17 | |||
| List of episodes | |||
"Squirrel Games" is theseventeenth season premiere of American reality competition television seriesRuPaul's Drag Race, and the 224th episode overall. The episode first aired in the United States through cable networkMTV on January 3, 2025. It was followed by an episode of the companion seriesRuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked.
The episode's main challenge tasks the contestants with peforming in atalent show; afterwards the remaining contestants ranked their competitors. American singerKaty Perry is a guest judge, alongside regular panelistsRuPaul,Michelle Visage, andCarson Kressley.Suzie Toot is declared the winner of the main challenge, after placing in the top two and winning alip-sync contest againstJewels Sparkles to "Woman's World" (2024) by Perry.
According toNielsen Media Research (NMR), nearly 671,000 household viewers saw the episode and it gained a 0.24 ratings share among adults aged 18–49. "Squirrel Games" received positive reviews from critics who praised its parody act of South Korean dystopian survival seriesSquid Game (2021–2025). The episode earned two nominationsfor Outstanding Directing for a Reality Program andPicture Editing for a Structured Reality or Competition Program categories at the77th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards.
The episode opens with 14 contestants transported to an undisclosed location where severalprevious competitors from the franchise join them. To continue in the competition, the drag performers play the children's gamered light, green light.[1] In place of the game's traditional rules, contestants have to dance across the field when music plays. When the music stops, theystrike a pose. Any movement detected results in the player beingpied in the face and eliminated. Afterwards, the remaining 14 contestants who "survived" the game are allowed to enter the workroom.[2]
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As the contestants meet each other,RuPaul revealed that they had unknowingly competed in their first photo shoot mini-challenge.Lana Ja'Rae is deemed the winner, earning a cash tip of $2,500.[3] RuPaul announces the first main challenge, tasking contestants with forming two groups to participate in atalent show that will span two episodes. The next day, as the contestants prepare for the show, American singerKaty Perry enters the workroom requestingtucking tape; the singer immediately recognizesJoella.[4] Perry offers the queens advice for success.[5]
RuPaul introduces Katy Perry as the guest judge, alongside regular panelistMichelle Visage and alternating judgeCarson Kressley.[6] "Masc for Masked Singer" is the runway category, which requires contestants to presentmask-themed outfits. During the talent show,Acacia Forgot performed and played guitar andArrietty wore a traditional and dancedbaile folklórico (lit. 'folkloric dance'). Next, there were three original lip-syncs:Jewels Sparkles choreographed amilk-themed song,[7] Joella performed a song referring to her drag name, andLucky Starzzz lip-synced about makinglemonade. Finally,Lydia B Kollins performed aburlesque-comedy routine and Suzie Toot performed atap dance number that included a joke about reciting the "Gettysburg Address" (1863) inMorse code.[8]
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Acacia Forgot was revealed to be in last place based on the rankings from her fellow contestants. She was informed that she would be lip-syncingnext week against the lowest-ranked queen of the second talent show group. Jewels Sparkles andSuzie Toot were ranked as the top two contestants for the week and faced off in a lip-sync contest to Perry's "Woman's World" (2024). Suzie Toot won the lip-sync contest and earned a cash prize of $5,000.[9]
"Squirrel Games" was previewed in a lengthypromotional trailer for season 17 on December 12, 2024. This included various scenes of the rankings format and talent show.[10] An online video was released throughYouTube that featured the first 10 minutes of the episode. It showcased the reappearance ofLil' Poundcake, a fictional character created byAlaska Thunderfuck andLineysha Sparx in a previous season of the series.[11]
Theseason 17 premiere episode was directed by Nick Murray.[12] The episode opens with a comedic challenge and anironic imitation of the South Korean dystopian survival seriesSquid Game (2021–2025).[13] This coincided with the season two premier ofSquid Games; its second season was released a week before the episode.[14] There were various cameo appearances from past contestants such asAngeria Paris VanMicheals,Aura Mayari,Jaymes Mansfield,Kerri Colby,Kylie Sonique Love,Mayhem Miller,Morgan McMichaels,Trinity the Tuck, andVictoria "Porkchop" Parker.[15]
Perry entered the workroom in an all-blackpunk fashion ensemble that resembles tofetish fashion. Her outfit features sunglasses, ahoodie bearing the all-caps phrase "sex symbol", andknee-high boots.[16] On the main stage, Perry wore a champagne "boudoir-inspired" outfit that resembled theJean-Paul Gaultier pink conical-bra corset made for American singer and record producerMadonna. The "part-avant garde" gown was designed by Judassime, and herchoker featured an "oversized silver ring detail" customized by Zana Bayne.[17]
For the runway presentation: Acacia Forgot wore a whitecatsuit with a grumpysnowman helmet, Arrietty presented a white mermaid dress, dripping in blood with an arrowed mask, withCrystal Envy dressed as aporcelain doll, which revealed a cracked skull as her mask.Hormona Lisa wore a black-and-white gown with a helmet resembling askunk,[18] Jewels Sparkles showcased anAriana Grande-inspired bluetulle gown with a masquerade piece, meanwhile Joella had an outer space-inspired illusion catsuit including a crescent moon disc, andKori King wore a black feathered gown with a train, wearing a raven mask.
Lana Ja'Rae dressed as her cat Gouda featuring a stoned catsuit with a cat mask,Lexi Love appeared as an astronaut suit resembling the Moonman statue from theMTV Video Music Awards,[19] with Lucky Starzzz carrying apizza box and wore a pizza-inspired catsuit, with Lydia B Kollins wearing a silver stone dress over a black catsuit and a totem mask. Lastly,Onya Nurve wore a beauty supply mask and a black decorated dress with a red-orange train,Sam Star wore a rainbow one-shoulder gown and a beaded cloud mask, and Suzie Toot wore atuxedo mini dress with a custom-made coin shield.[20]
"Squirrel Games" was originally broadcast throughMTV in the United States on January 3, 2025. The episode was seen by approximately from 671,000 viewers, according toNielsen Media Research (NMR). The viewership received a five percent drop compared to itsprevious season premiere.[21] The episode was later released on January 4 through streaming services:Crave for Canada,Stan for Australia, andWOW Presents Plus internationally with next-day availability.[22] This episode, alongside others, were released through video sharing platform YouTube on June 2, as part of afor your consideration advertisement.[23]
Jason Frank of the entertainment websiteVulture wrote that he laughed when previous contenders were "pelted by pies" in the parody challenge. He described most of the talent show performances as "forgettable" and noted that they did not "steal control of the camera's eye". Frank criticized the lip-sync song selection as "actively bad to the point ofcamp" gave Suzie Toot an opportunity to win against Jewels Sparkles.[24] Belen Edwards of the digital media platformMashable enjoyed the lip-sync contest in which Jewels Sparkles performed a flexible, "high-energy" choreography, adding that Suzie Toot "breaks out a perfectly timedCharleston".[25] Kevin O'Keeffe of the LGBTQ publicationXtra Magazine called the episode "solid" and said that it "does a good job of introducing us to the queens, it breaks up the talent shows nicely and it’s just twisty enough to keep things interesting." The episode's lip-syncs were repetitive, but O'Keeffe soon realized that "those performances win", mentioningthe premiere episode for season fourteen.[26]
"Squirrel Games" earned two nominations in theOutstanding Directing for a Reality Program andPicture Editing for a Structured Reality or Competition Program categories at the77th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards (2025).[27]
