Nick Murray’s name is as synonymous with RuPaul’s Drag Race to me as Michelle Visage and Ru herself. The two-time Emmy Award winner has been directing for the juggernaut since season three (the first time Raja took a crown), and he has no plans to stop any time soon. For Drag Race‘s record breaking fourteenth season, Murray directed multiple episodes, but “Moulin Ru” stakes its claim as not just the best Rusical of the franchise, but one of the strongest episodes of the franchise.
It’s no exaggeration to say that “Moulin Ru: El Rusical” has everything that Drag Race fans love. This drag re-imagining of the Tony-winning smash is one of the well produced stage musicals, but everything around the time on stage is dripping with drama. Before the queens take the stage, Bosco and Lady Camden bicker over who should play the lead role of Saltine. The part eventually goes to Bosco much to Camden’s chagrin, but she uses that disappointment as fuel to win the challenge.
After the challenge, we get the “Who should go home tonight…and whyyyy” question, and the episode ends with The Golden Chocolate Bar being opened by Bosco. The Seattle queen goes through it this episode, and Murray never treats her journey with a snide hand. You need someone like Murray to usher in such a thrilling ninety minutes of television.
We need Murray for Drag Race. He respects the artform, and he wants to see how it evolves and changes as the show continues to get bigger and bigger. For a season as sweet as number fourteen, an Emmy sure would be the golden ticket.
RuPaul’s Drag Race is streaming on Paramount+.