RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars Recap: Free-Throw Shots Fired

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To set the record straight, I wasn’t merely complimenting the structure of this current season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars” last week; I was singing its praises like a choir!

It appears this week’s edition of All Stars might not be as bad as initially thought, but if the two premiere episodes highlighted the advantages of this bracket system, this final week of the first bracket exposed its shortcomings quite clearly. To start off, the queens distribute the four remaining “MVQ points” – or perhaps they are better known as “Messy Points,” as Aja rightly suggests.

In this installment, the focus primarily shifted towards the transformation of Operation MiMu into a MiMon’t. Aja and Deja scored a point each against Olivia, while Olivia and Phoenix reciprocated with points for Deja. Aja felt somewhat squeezed, yet not to an extent that could be compared to Linda Evangelista’s level of discomfort. Even though Olivia has been emphasizing her storyline about Not Playing Nice, she was surprisingly cordial in not siding fully with Aja during this episode.

Isn’t it understandable that Olivia wanted to create fairness in the competition? Awarding a point to Aja would have resulted in a three-way tie for first place, potentially hindering Olivia’s progression since she herself was aiming to advance. The action wasn’t as ruthless as Olivia had vowed; being ruthless would mean giving her point to Phoenix, setting up a direct contest between them and Aja for the anticipated final spot to move forward. Yet, it’s only the start of the episode, and it seems that Olivia’s prospects have come to a standstill.

It’s less certain that Phoenix will continue in the competition compared to others, given her limited score and the unexpected nature of the gameplay required for All Stars. Her lack of anticipation of alliances is surprising, but it’s hard not to question this when the show presented Most Valuable Queen points as if they were based on merit. After all, the show has its fair share of unpredictable scoring systems – Messy Points!

The mathematical sum doesn’t seem right in regards to the main concept. Prior to the final episode of the first round, there’s a growing sense that if a queen doesn’t rank among the top two during the initial episodes of each round, their chances are significantly diminished. This leaves me concerned that the remaining episodes might feel anticlimactic and dull since it appears the winners have already been determined. I’m genuinely worried that the third episode in each round will be routine and uninteresting.

However, to turn this into an official event, it’s time for a transformation – Makeover Week! Instead of Lady Bunny, we’ll see Lola Bunny, or college women’s basketball players in drag! They appear like a fun group to be around! The episode gains momentum when these athletes discuss the pressures of conforming to gender norms they’ve faced as athletes. Now, let’s join them: It’s time for a game of basketball!

Makeover challenges can sometimes feel like placing an anchor around the queens’ necks and asking them to swim, as their partners may bring baggage such as insecurities and mismatches, whether it’s shy behavior, heterosexuality, or being Tyler Oakley. However, when queens are paired with athletes, half of the challenge is already conquered due to the players’ innate competitiveness. Unlike some previous contestants, these athletes are more willing to sing and dance because they are driven by a desire to win, rather than being reserved or merely tagging along for the ride.

For instance, Deja’s partner Abby remains unfazed when Deja suggests shaving off her eyebrows. It takes some guts for Deja to even propose such a thing, but Abby appears so open to experimentation that it’s surprising she didn’t suggest Deja buzz her entire head to create a matching look between them.

Reducing screen time for the queens to include their partners makes a makeover challenge inappropriate for this All Stars edition. It seems odd to position the basketball players as the main characters in an episode with such significant implications for these queens, especially in the final episode. The premiere was rich in personal stories for all six queens, but this week neglected almost all of those narratives.

On the runway, we have Drag Family Resemblance, a category with decreasing impact throughout the show’s run. When contestants are required to create a matching look without knowing who or what shape will wear it, it’s not surprising that the results can be quite basic. Deja and Browless Abby, also known as Sophie Rocious, contrast in understated neutrals and vibrant neons, while Irene and Estelle present traditional yet polished steel harlequins, and Bosco and the Goddess opt for regal-toned appliqués. [Carson Kressley voice] AppliqHey, girl, hey! (This version tries to simplify the sentence structure and make it more conversational while maintaining the original meaning.)

Phoenix and Heron creatively reference their shared entrance in season three, both dressed alike as they did when they entered the competition as “prison, honey.” This time, they’re both styling mini-dresses. Meanwhile, Olivia and Octavia exude elegance with their outfits reminiscent of Casio and Fender. Aja and Teeva present a captivating “hood fairy fantasy,” even though Aja is nursing a damaged wing.

For their “Shoot Your Shot” performance, they have to maintain these diverse looks. Each of them excels, yet collectively, they create an eccentric, chaotic scene reminiscent of a Hieronymus Bosch painting in the Drag Race world. A mix of clowns, fairies, and party girls performing on stage rapping about basketball – let’s call it High School Musical 3 reimagined. It’s like when that creative yet unconventional student in class would blend crayons, colored pencils, and markers all at once on a single canvas. It’s no surprise the judges find themselves delivering varied opinions.

A hidden joy found in the show Drag Race is when Michelle receives criticism or disrespect from a guest judge, which she sometimes can’t hide. In this episode, Kate Beckinsale provides both instances, dismissing Michelle’s expectations for “family resemblance” and offering her own peculiar interpretation of the task at hand. Meanwhile, as the queens prepare themselves backstage, Michelle will be seen burning her DVD of The Last Days of Disco in the parking lot.

Even though Bosco and Irene were largely absent from the previous parts of the show, they ended up leading the pack, reinforcing the assumption that the leaderboard wouldn’t significantly change. They moved forward for a lip-sync performance of “Pocketbook,” a popular tune by Jennifer Hudson, although I must say it was a bit disappointing they didn’t choose “Spotlight” for their routine. Irene clinched her first ever lip-sync victory, making a fine addition to her three consecutive challenge wins in a row. Bosco might not advance to the semifinals with the highest points from her group, but I’m confident she has what it takes to claim the title in the end.

At the end, the significant Points are presented on the central stage, and it’s generally an underwhelming conclusion. During the final votes, Aja transforms Operation MiMu into a failure-operation by voting for Deja, while Olivia casts her vote for Aja. It’s hard to deny that these three queens weren’t working together as an alliance and intentionally leaving the outcome in Phoenix’s hands. The fate vote goes to Aja – if there was a tie, it would be challenging to imagine RuPaul not choosing Aja to progress given she won the initial challenge, while Deja, Olivia, and Phoenix came up empty-handed. It has been announced that each regular judge will pick a queen for a draw, with a winner selected randomly to participate in the final Lip Sync Smackdown for the Crown. This could be seen as utterly, entirely, completely, audaciously different, but it’s the case.

It seems that Deja, Olivia, and Phoenix might be departing (perhaps temporarily), while Aja, Bosco, and Irene move forward. I can’t help but wish for a more balanced competition, as their final episode felt a bit lopsided. The queens will determine the success of this new format in next week’s upcoming episodes.

Extra Two Pieces and a Biscuit

Kudos to Kate Beckinsale, however, this turned out to be a ladies’ basketball event. It seems like Sanaa Lathan might have been tied up?

The mini-challenge for free throws seemed to rekindle memories of middle school gym class struggles for some of these queens. Once again, RuPaul’s Drag Race demonstrates the subtle use of psychological tactics against its competitors.

Perhaps the closing line “Bitch, return to your seat” contributed significantly to Olivia’s high ranking, but unfortunately, it didn’t quite do the trick.

In my admiration, I find myself marveling at Aja’s iconic white boots, a staple that graced her performances as a Lip Sync Assassin during RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars season eight. Remarkably, these boots have been showcased in just as many episodes of RuPaul’s Drag Race as Irene the Alien – an accomplishment that underscores their enduring appeal and Aja’s extraordinary presence on the series.

I’m sorry if you’ve been hoping for deeper insights about what’s truly unfolding on Untucked, but there hasn’t been much going on there this season – it’s been quite uneventful so far.

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2025-05-16 15:54