Frayed or Fab? 'RuPaul's Drag Race' Episode 5 Goes Off the Rails

This week, the contestants were tossed into the fire to present not one, not two, but three runway looks for RuPaul's Bag Ball Eleganza. Look One: Mixed Bag, a "punny look of your choice"; Look Two: Money Bags, a "boss-bitch look that says, 'I own everything' "; and From Scratch, a "high-fashion show-stopping look made entirely out of bags."

Mama Ru missed the mark to school the less experienced queens – as well as viewers – on ball culture and its impact on Black and Brown queer communities. Leave it to Tamisha Iman, this season's den mother, to give a quick lesson of how and why these environments have provided a safe and welcoming haven for the past 50 years. Instead, Ru leaned into the often-heard, inner-saboteur speech, which has become a common theme as he grooms the queens for success.

Ru threw another curveball in the way of blatant product placement, partnering with Coach to task the queens with accessorizing an oversized tabby bag to promote the brand's new Coach Create line of customizable bags, wallets, sneakers and jackets.

"Style is about self-expression," said Coach creative director Stuart Vevers. Cold, hard cash doesn't hurt either. At $395, a tabby shoulder bag may be aspirational more than accessible for the average drag queen, whose out-of-pocket expenses can soar into the tens of thousands per year.

Self-expression and self-dignity run deeper than an accessory, though. The workroom took a turn when the subject of the Black Lives Matter movement was broached, a somber reminder of the very real threats facing our communities of color.

The Rayshard Brooks police shooting in a Wendy's parking lot last year was just a few blocks from LaLa Ri's home.

"I could easily have been in that drive-thru," said Ri. "... to be a Black person in the world, you could just get killed for nothin'."

The jarring behind-the-scenes "Untucked" episode followed this week's competition as Kandy Muse's vitriolic outburst – a raging rant against accusations of arrogance – dismantled solidarities among the queens.

Kandy Muse has received an extraordinary amount of airtime from the show's producers, who are perhaps hoping to capitalize on her aggressive pursuit of the crown. Still, cumulatively, her energy and attitude feel at odds with Ru's philosophies for success. One's inner saboteur can be cunning, Ru. Feelings of "less than" or the practical challenges of not knowing how to sew are but a few of the ways that insecurity can rear its ugly head.

But back to the runway. Here's a look at some of this week's looks:

Denali was no dummy with this clever take on an airbag, designed by JforPay Designs.

Category is: Gift Bag. Elliott with Two Ts wrapped herself up as a gift to Ru (even though it was Elliott's actual birthday during shoot week), with a monogrammed bag.

Gottmik's body bag reminded viewers, once again, that she's a top contender for her modern and stylized takes on each challenge.

Joey Jay's DIY bag look didn't wow the judges, but we get the sense that the contestant fluttered the hearts of several of her competitors, including Kandy Muse and Utica.

Kandy Muse stepped up her game in her "Bag of Tricks" magician's outfit, but no illusion could mask her hot temper, as revealed in "Untucked."

In the spirit of "less is more," we won't pain you with LaLa Ri's runway disaster, but we can appreciate her call-out to her Higher Power for help.

Olivia Lux called upon her superpowers to create this verdant vixen ensemble.

Ros� displayed both style and substance this week, with three looks, including this bag-tastic creation, that kept her at the front of the pack.

In a stylized tribute to Diana Ross, Symone inflated her silhouette to epic proportions.

Tamisha Iman was all glitz and glory in her finely crafted, Real Housewives of "RuPaul's Drag Race," made-from-scratch ensemble.

It's always refreshing when Tina Burner diverges from her McDonald's palette of red and yellow, such as this outfit, designed by Florence D'Lee and David Dalrymple.

Is Utica this season's dark horse? Her runway looks are emerging as quirky and finely crafted, such as this Carol Burnett-meets-"Chicago" glamour look.