I don't know if it's because Landis and Eve are so strong already, and clearly so creative, but I feel oddly protective of them as I watch the show, being kinda vigilant towards the other gay boys putting their foot in their mouth.
It's a little difficult to put into words - and my saturday beers don't exactly help - but there is a somewhat analogue situation going on with AFAB-performers/people going into traditionally male-dominated gay/queer spaces that feels very akin to minorities (of any stripe, really) existing in "liberal/woke spaces".
There is, on the one hand this nervous energy of "yes, yes, of course we're all the same, ha-ha-ha! isn't this great? Us all being here and being the same?", and on the other hand, a palpable undercurrent of "ok, let's be real here, you don't belong" and those two strands of thought (one overt and slightly performative, and the other more implied and ambient) constantly crashing into each-other.
It's a little like a queer version of "Get Out", if you want to be elevator-pitchy about it.
The other contestants are probably aware of the larger discussion pertaining to forced segregation/self-selected-segregation within LGBTQ+ spaces, and certainly with this show's habit of sometimes directly commenting on Drag Race, so it wouldn't surprise me if everyone is basically self-moderating, and being on their best behavior.
Hopefully, we'll get some good, earnest workroom-discussions about this in a few episodes, rather than this weak-sauce, basic-bitch reality-show editing this season is currently doing with singling out a mumbled, innocuous comment and struggle-editing it to be something a viewer could ostensibly care about (rather than focusing on the treasure-trove that's right there).
As for episode 2, Landis's vampire-interpretation was the only fresh take, and Eve's was a step above anyone else's in terms of traditional interpretation, execution-wise (attention to detail). Max should have painted his whole body blue; especially because Bitch Puddin did just that in the sci-fi challenge of season 2, and past winners of a "creative reality-show" set the standard "for excellence" whether any individual contest likes it or not.
EDIT: What I do really like about this season though, so far, is that we get a moment with each contestant talking about their design and inspiration for the main challenge. Even with "weak" contestants, it's interesting to get a sense of where they're coming from, and affording them the opportunity to speak freely about their design.
