‘Canada’s Drag Race’: Season 5 sends its first queen packing — 'to be eliminated first really hurts the heart'

When it comes to notable personalities who’ve hailed from Newfoundland, the list is thin: Rick Mercer, Gordon Pinsent, Shannon Tweed and… drag queen Tara Nova? Indeed, the East Coast queen was keen to let viewers of Canada’s Drag Race know, even just two episodes into its fifth season, that she is from Gambo, Newfoundland and proud of it.

As the first one out the door, it was a key part of her final words on that glitzy stage. She declared small-town queens don’t always get opportunities like these, making it all worth it.

“I’m glad that I made such a big impact in such little time,” she shared with Yahoo Canada. “I felt like I had a lot of weight on my shoulders, like I was carrying the East Coast; I was its representation. To be eliminated first really hurts the heart, because I put so much effort into this. I can't believe I couldn't have stuck it through a bit longer.”

Canada's Drag Race recap: First queen goes home

To catch you up, for this week’s Maxi Challenge, all the queens had to create instructional videos on human life for the alien life out there. As last week’s bottoms, Tara, Tiffany and Pearla were team captains. There were tears (over Makayla being picked last), jeers (Tara goes full purple) and fears (over a select few having never acted before and unlikely to start soon). Team Tara’s video was ultimately fine, but stiff, while her fellow queens questioned where her initiative was, as Xana took on much of the leadership.

On the runway, the judges weren’t mad at Tara’s purple alien, but had more appreciation for her catwalk look, which was an homage to Joey Smallwood, who confederated Newfoundland to Canada. His signature style? A polka-dot bow-tie and little glasses. Who knew?

Pearla won the challenge, while Tara, Xana and Tiffany made the bottom, with Pearla granting the beaver to Xana, keeping her safe for the week. The final two lip synced for their lives to Peaches’ “F-ck the Pain Away”, with Tara ultimately getting sent home for simply not bringing enough…oomph.

Tara Nova: 'I, as a small town drag artist, really stood out'

So, what would she have done differently? “For the video, I may have added a few more lines, but it was sold to us as if the aliens were very stupid. … It could have been filled out a little bit more, but I played into the physical comedy of it and we made it work.”

One of Tara’s strengths from the start was that she can sew, which not many queens can say, and is a big point of pride for the Newfoundlander, who shared that, back home, resources are limited, basic supplies can be much pricier, but still she managed to put together pieces that “stood up against the girls’ top-tier designs.” Still, given a re-do, she might have outsourced a look or two.

Another way Tara might have been able to push further through — at least according to her co-stars — was to gab a little less. Again, in just two episodes, the point was made several times that she spent a little too much time focusing on everyone else and their work than on herself and her own.

To that, with a sharp side-eye, Tara said, “I just like to say what I see. Yes, I like to read the room. I like to speculate, I observe. I was focused on myself, but you have to size up your competition, right?”

Mmhmm. Who, then, does Tara see as not quite measuring up? The queen hit out at Sanjina: “I love my sister, but her looks didn't seem like fully thought out ideas. I'm a seamstress, a designer, so I can eye fabric and know exactly what it is, what it costs. I was like, some of this looks a little cheap. You went to Claire’s, you got some rhinestones, a corset and a bra.”

Ouch. Now, even though Pearla didn’t hand her the beaver in the end, Tara’s rooting for the diminutive queen, who she said has the personality and whose runway looks she can’t wait to see more of.

Ultimately, for this ousted East Coaster, there’s a lot to be proud of. As she shared, “There's not many people who get sent home first and are able to, in two episodes, really make an impact. So the fact that I, as a small town drag artist, really stood out, and that people looked up to me as an inspiration and an advocate, somebody who is using their voice on this platform? It has been crazy and so special.”