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Recapping Queendom2 Episode 7



TL;DR: Episode 7 is the "cleanest" episode of Queendom 2 thus far - with a clear winners announced for VOCALS and DANCE Units, as well presentation of all three DANCE Unit stages.

Also featured earlier on in the episode, were PREVIEWS of the teams' "FANtastic Queendom" Stages (for Part 2 of Round 3), which shows off stage performances and songs!

*SPOILERS ahead* = but you already knew that coming in, didn't you? Bless You :)



WHERE TO WATCH
Queendom 2 Episode 7 were first live-streamed on Mnet's YouTube channel on Thursday May 12th, 2022 (at 9:20pm KST), and is NOT "VOD / Video-On-Demand" and cannot be watched now. There are mirrored streams, and this episode was relatively consistent (previous Episodes were pulled due to Cease-and-Desist claims).

The episode can currently be watched legitimately on VIU.com, as well as other non-licensed channels. One thing is for sure, the English subtitling is somewhat different all around, as are most streams and broadcasts even beyond music programs into KDRAMAs etc. Moving on...



We start off the program with a RECAP of what transpired in Ep6, with a quick glimpse at the 3 VOCAL Unit stages, leading to them being provided with their placing/ranking in envelopes - which we are then brought back to the "now", and the units present their results to their own respective teams.

RANKING:
#1: Galaxy in Universe
#2: 33
#3: SUN AND MOON.

The teams and members congratulate and calm themselves.



Loved Chuu for "thanking" the production (I've not heard anyone else do this so far, or maybe they were edited out), while folks elsewhere were edited to commenting about being voted over Hyolyn - who had thus far achieved "All-Kills". A new narrative is formed.

My heart is still with SUN AND MOON, but I'll move forward with this recap regardless, cheers.



Mnet uploaded a full "Hot Clip" of GALAXY IN UNIVERSE before the Thursday night premiere of Ep7 (see below), and subsequently uploaded another "Hot Clip" of the QUEEN IS NA segment (alo below). Did they purposefully "SPOIL" the show's results indirectly? LOL




Got to get'em eyeballs tuned in tho! Can't deny the tactic otherwise. We are only a few episodes to the end of QUEENDOM 2, so I can imagine the timeline for reacting and realising directions have become more urgent (?).

Would be interesting to see a post-show assessment (agter Queendom 2 has ended), versus what the producers had initially learnt with Season 1 of Queendom tho... If not from Mnet (*of course it would not happen LOL), but interested too see any commentary or reaction channels will pick this up. I'm not smart nor informed wnough to do this, so... :p



DANCE UNIT BATTLES BEGIN

PURR BY KEV1Z
We are brought thru each individual DANCE Unit's stages, with each performance preceded by their behind-the-scenes, and are presented as per their cue sheet (as decided on in Ep6). We begin with "KeV1Z" (케비지) - which are formed by SinB & Umji (of VIVIZ), and Xiaoting, Kim Dayeon, Hikaru of Kep1er.

Their chosen song was "Purr" (Choreographed by HolyBang's Honey J and Hertz), with Honey J appearing in this episode to guide the girls. Hertz appeared in Ep6 in the Queendom Workshop episode to guide the girls instead.

All three DANCE "behind"-segments feature a protagonist with "problems related to the choreo", which'll eventually lead to a breakthrough and victory story. In KERV1Z, it was Umji, who had a harder time adjusting to the choreo.



Emphasis was put on Hikaru, for helping to guide Umnji - which one might attribute to Mnet editing skills, but it is a testament to her character when she turned away from the camera and facing both Umji and SinB to thank them to their face, shows her sincerity and what she does, IMHO. Same for Xiaoting and Dayeon, whose actions here are deeper than their tears, IMHO. They are good girls.



ABOVE: Stage performance (with reactions)
BELOW: Full Fancam has been uploaded (you don't see this in the edited broadcast),
along with individual fancams (Watchable on Mnet KPOP YouTube-channel).



I was all prepared to screengrab any instructions to stream videos, at the end of the stages, but it never appeared. No prompts for votes for tracking, but instead a notice that the live stages will be uploaded (*and they immediately were once the show finished), and as well tunes to be available digitally on Spotify from May 13. All three stages had no specific prompts for tracking.





KABOOM BY EX-IT
We are next presented with the DANCE Unit dubbed "Ex-it", with the three person unit consisted of Hyolyn, Eunseo and Yeoreum of WJSN. The chosen song "KA-BOOM!" was choreographed by Gabee, Rian and Simeez of LACHICA.

That somewhat awkwardness of Hyolyn revisiting her former company Starship felt well, awkward. We had studio practice scenes and a dinner mukbang for the three ladies.



What Eunseo and Yeoreum shared about their cute concepts for WJSN were both entertaining, and held a deeper realisation of what the performers are able to achieve within the time in the entertainment industries. So for a show like "Queendom 2", they are able to legitimately do something they do not normally do - which is catered specifically to a preconceived or set expectation and perception by their fans - and hopefully for everyone involved, experience and evolve as performers, IMHO.



ABOVE: Stage Performance (edited+broadcasted) with Reactions
BELOW: Full fancam







TAM-I-NA BY QUEEN IS NA
The third and final Dance unit to close Round Three was QUEEN IS NA (comprising Eunji from Brave Girls, and LOONA's HeeJin, Cheorry, Yves and Olivia Hye), which is also "QUEEN IS ME", with song since titled "Tam-I-Na" (seen in Mnet's thumbnail) - which frankly isn't a "big" issue in itself, except for when we want to hashtag them on socials LOL

DISCLAIMER: There are tons more clips and tweets for this group here, simply because I am LOONA--biased, cheers.




Personally for me, the "treat" was being able to see LOONA's individual practice rooms - which we had seen in their VLIVES, but not the entire room!

The protagonist with the "problem" in this team, was focused on Olivia Hye, which then switches to HeeJin - so Mmnet was really pulling in the hurdles for the girls to face, before achieving their victory!

The studio training sequences with Monika was so satisfying, seeing the fruits of their efforts.






ABOVE is the Stage Performance, while below is one with Reactions from the rest of the competing teams. The full FanCam and individual fanacams will be posted in their own dedicated blogpost, cheers.








RESULTS
Mnet did viewers a solid with the reveal of the results of the LIVE AUDIENCE VOTING (by not delaying til the next episode, like they did VOCAL Units). The winners are:

RANKING:
#1 QUEEN IS NA
#2: EX-it
#3: KEV1Z







Show comes to an end, and we are previewed with stage performances for Part 2 of Round 3: The FANtastic Unit Battles, and we see and hear previews of what each team'll perform!



To be honest, the above stages had been spoilt online for over a week now (sorry for folks who'd missed them), and in some ways I'd rather Mnet "spoil" these stages now, than risk folks seeing the inferior recordings of the leaks (which no doubt were from Global Evaluator), moving forward.

With the "Hot Clip(s)" upload, and these sneaks, perhaps Mnet has embraced that "leaks" are inevitable, so instead will attempt to get ahead in the game, by spoiling the shows themselves - at the very least will drive traffic to their socials more than before?

I have read/watched multiple commentary and reaction videos, in realising folks perhaps has already formed opinions of the show, that "Hyolyn will win it already", and folks might just choose the "winner" regardless ... but seems the tide is slightly shifting (as seen in the last 2 episodes, and the way Mnet has edited the teasers, moving forward) - giving both the other teams having the "hope" to grab at victory, and as well for folks to see if Hyolyn'll "fall from grace". None of these are malicious comments on my end (I insist), but are no doubt the possible narratives concocted to ensure the program is still watchable by the masses (not only just the teams respective fandoms).

I have a feeling, each episode is where they try different marketing approaches, to see the response from viewers and fans, to be honest.



In part two of the third preliminary performances, the six acts will each perform a song suggested by the audience. The maximum points an act can obtain is 15,000 points.

According to the Wiki page, the "FANtastic Queendom" is listed as being in two episodes: Episode 8–9, so I will not be surprised if the stages are again split up. Which makes sense IF there is a period needed for TRACKING STREAMS and LIKES (regular timeline thus far is 4 Days per stage, split 3 stages per episode).

The "break" in streaming for Ep6 and Ep7 more likely set a "habit" for folks who are not in fandoms, who'll access the episodes over and after the weekend on various other streaming / VOD platforms, so whomever teams are performing for Ep8 really need their fandoms to get the word out.

Also, by the end of Ep7, the CUE SHEET for the "FANtastic Queendom" stages are not yet revealed. No doubt we will see a entire portion of Ep8 dedicated to this, possibly based on their calculated rankings? Or at least the team/group with the highest possible points after Part 1 of Round 3.

Also note that the "FANtastic Queendom" stages were physically performed and recorded on the NEXT DAY of the Vocal and Dance Unit stages - so major props to the teams and everyone else involved in this undertaking!

While WE the viewers had a one to 2 week break in-between watching the streaming shows, the girls were performing and filming back-to-back, and my heart goes out to ALL of them! Reading the fanwars on socials, quite literally took away the girls' efforts in bringing everyone entertainment, IMHO. "Queendom 2" is about crowning "QUEENS" and not "A Queen" (*unless it's Hyolyn, of course :p).

It'll be time soon for fans/fandom to STREAM and VOTE again, for everyone to show their dedication to the teams and soloist. You know when folks say "Next Time We'll Do Better"? THIS'll be the "next time", as there'll be no more QUEENDOM 2 voting episodes to be had soon!

I've mentioned this before, they've done THEIR part by performing on stage for US... time soon it'll be our turn to show the girls we are worthy of being their fandom!

Cheers,
Andy TOYSREVIL
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