HBO
Eureka, Bob the Drag Queen and Shangela set up camp in the heart of the Bible Belt in this week’s We’re Here as the trio bring their drag therapy to Branson, Missouri, home to wholesome shows the entire family can enjoy backed by a strong religious conviction. And where the Queens were welcomed with mostly open arms during their previous two stops, they come face-to-ugly-face with prejudice and bigotry that really takes them aback … although they really aren’t surprised but some of the hostility is still shocking. After being rebuffed by practically every theatre in town, the trio finally find some acceptance by the owner of a hall with dressing rooms on a yacht anchored next to the hall, appropriately named The Princess and giving Shangela some Goldie Hawn in Overboard vibes. With their venue set, it’s on to transforming their subjects.
This episode gets into some really deep situations. The less serious of the three comes with Shangela’s subject, Charles. Charles is a dancer, out and proud, but still finds that living in Branson with his partner comes with its problems, namely that if any of the theatres even suspects any of their performers are gay they will be tossed out of the show and blacklisted in town. Charles wants to break down barriers and let the almost invisible LGBTQ community in Branson know that it’s okay to be out and he will be there to help anyone who needs an ear to listen or a shoulder to cry on. Charles is also ready to give Miss Shangela a run for her money in the dance department.
Eureka’s subject is Chris, a straight father of a young daughter whose marriage is on its last legs. Chris’s daughter has some kind of disability, but his biggest problem is connecting with her emotionally. Chris was brought up by a stereotypical ‘macho man’ father who instilled in his son that real men don’t show emotion and they most definitely do not cry. This put Chris into an emotional prison and affected his own mental health which led to thoughts of suicide. With his marriage on the rocks — and the couple puts on a front for their daughter — and wanting to really connect with his daughter on that deep emotional level he’s never been able to achieve, Eureka has her work cut out for her.
HBO
Bob the Drag Queen has a very unusual subject this week in Tanner. Tanner is a performer in musical theatre, having recently moved back to Branson. While Tanner was living his life, he identified as queer but when he came back to Branson, he found religion and now identifies as Christian, which leads to not only an inner conflict but, surprisingly, a conflict with his non-believer mother. You’d think that in Branson, she’d be happy her queer son has found God, but this is the exact opposite and Melissa is more upset that Tanner isn’t accepting of who he is, and even more upsetting to her is that he’ll never allow himself to find love. Bob’s challenge is going to be breaking down Tanner’s walls to get him into drag for the show and trying to get him to accept that he can be both queer and Christian … and he hopes mother Melissa will be willing to help.
This third episode of We’re Here is probably the most emotional one yet, especially with Chris and Tanner. As we’ve seen in the previous episodes, they make us quite aware that it takes a village to build a drag queen, and often the behind-the-scenes artists are able to bring some of their own experiences into the conversations with the subjects during costume fittings and makeup sessions. Each of the Queens really connects to their subjects, really listening to their stories, connecting with their families and putting them through their paces in rehearsals. There are some surprises on the stage this week, some heartfelt emotion and some lessons learned and by the end, perhaps, we as viewers have also learned a little more about ourselves.
Branson, Missouri may not have been the friendliest of towns when the Queens arrived, but they have certainly left their mark on Chris, Charles, Tanner and their families and hopefully they will carry that message of love and acceptance to the people of Branson.
What did you think of this episode? Tell us in the comments section below!
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