RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars Recap: Good Tuck, Babe

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Life in Bracket Two was tranquil before we encountered the Troublesome Spots. When Mistress seemed as stripped as a Thanksgiving turkey after losing last week, we should have foreseen turbulence. If you observe the distance, it appears all birds have altered their migration paths away from the Drag Race studio. Darling, a storm is coming.

Initially, inside their workspace, Mistress leads Kerri and Nicole towards a disputed area where decisions are made, just as Mistress and Jorgeous utter, “Ding dong, you’re mistaken!” There was uncertainty surrounding a Brooks family alliance, leaving the Texas girls perplexed about who would support Kerri. Mistress’s boisterous bluff confuses Nicole, causing her to relinquish her point to Mistress in an attempt to quiet her down. This triggers a chain reaction: Kerri graciously gives her point to Jorgeous from Texas, and then Jorgeous and Mistress counterpoint each other, leaving Kerri and Nicole with no points at all.

Skipping past the initial politeness, Jorgeous and Missy share a secret chuckle, reminiscent of Pinky and Brain from cartoons. This playful act might be sly and daring; they could use those points later, but given their ruthless action, I don’t expect them to receive any goodwill. Consequentially, this bold move will undoubtedly lead to some repercussions, marking one of the most audacious middle-finger gestures in the history of Drag Race.

If I were to praise the gameplay (even considering the lackluster moves in round one), it would be more enjoyable if it weren’t accompanied by such irritating behavior. Now could be an opportune moment for NPB(FAG) to recall her season-two reunion remark, “malicious gay faggotry.” For Tina and Lydia, the advantage of lip-syncing in this setup is that they avoid the chaos of the Messy Points drama.

In this episode, Mistress boasts, “I rule the roost in drag race feuds.” Raven, Phi Phi O’Hara, and Kandy Muse are eager to engage with her! She excels at pushing people’s buttons, but it seems that for the first time, her manipulations could impact the game. Mistress isn’t the queen of chaos, but she certainly loves being the center of attention, and this episode was another triumph for an unbeaten champion. Meanwhile, Jorgeous is content to go along with things – she gets to enjoy her villainous role while Mistress takes most of the criticism.

The queens receive a visit from Chappell Roan in the workspace. [Michelle Visage’s exaggerated voice] “My kink is karma?! I don’t even know-a!” Shush, Michelle! Now, am I the only one who isn’t thrilled when pop stars appear in the workspace? It can be delightful to witness queer icons expressing affection towards the queens and for the queens to reciprocate appreciation for a star’s vocal support of the LGBTQ+ community. However, even for a short, well-intentioned moment, the focus shifts away from the queens, which means less drag entertainment on my screen. But since Chappell has provided work opportunities and a vast audience for local drag queens as opening acts for her shows, I’ll make an exception this time.

In this week’s rap battle compilation, it seems reminiscent of the transformation-songwriting contest in round one: once more, the queens are positioned to either triumph or falter based on the judge’s arbitrary decisions and ambiguous requirements. This situation has left us puzzled: Is it the humor in their roasts or the skill in their songwriting that holds greater weight? Can all these queens be fairly evaluated using a vague yardstick? Why is Lydia adorned in motocross attire, and could stunts possibly be part of the performance as well? Let’s dive into this rap session!

In summary, all queens delivered impressive performances this week, creating a vague judging standard based on whom the judges are conversing with. The most hilarious raps were delivered by Lydia (“Tina Burner, people scatter when she turns the beat on”) and Jorgeous (“everyone knows you as Nicole Paige Who?”). While Mistress might have rhymed “Tranos” with “Thanos,” her distinctive ’90s hip-hop flow during songwriting set her apart, making her appear more comfortable and natural.

In her song, Kerri didn’t mention the queens by name, which made it easier for the judges to criticize her. This is unfortunate because if it were just a songwriting challenge, her verse was strong and she could have won. Additionally, her runway performance was the best of the week, with an evil flower theme that perfectly matched the “Little Shop of Whores” prompt. However, it seems like Kerri faced disadvantages in all areas during this episode, leaving a sense that she may not have received the recognition she deserved.

Regarding the rest of the runway, it’s quite intriguing: Tina pays tribute to her mother with lilies, Lydia takes a literal approach referencing Audrey 2, and Mistress seems like an elegant version of Ginger Minj’s controversial glamour toad from ‘All Stars 2’. However, Jorgeous steals the show for the best look, channeling Poison Ivy as a Venus fly trap.

Let’s get straight to the point: “the essence of the issue” is more like what Nicole intended. When a cactus sheds its skin, it’s an apt metaphor for Nicole letting go of her supposed prickly demeanor. And just as a plant discards its outer layers, it isn’t far-fetched to say that this mirrors Nicole revealing herself! It’s all so delightfully circuitous, charmingly unaware, and possessing an indefinable charm – a touch of the “untranslatable something” (which, if translated by Google AI, would be “the essence of the cactus”).

Every so often, “RuPaul’s Drag Race” delivers a memorable and zany catchphrase that demands our focus – like Kennedy Davenport’s “After a long night of hooking…” or Tammie Brown’s “walking children in nature.” No matter their best efforts, they can never make me dislike Nicole Paige Brooks from Atlanta, Georgia. If she departs the season with nothing else, she’ll undeniably become one of the most quotable queens.

In essence, my criticism of the judging on ‘Drag Race’ feels like an old man scolding the clouds. Let’s move past it, as we’re dealing with the world of ‘Drag Race’ here! However, this week’s contention that the judges couldn’t comprehend the queens due to excessive vocabulary seems more like a “because I said so” justification. It’s a weak argument that allows the show to favor any queen they wish. A more accurate description would be to label this competition as a close race rather than suggesting Tina or Lydia significantly lagged behind. The highlight of Chappell Roan in this episode is her challenge of Michelle on this unfounded criticism.

It’s challenging to predict who might come in third place, but the judges announced Mistress and Jorgeous as winners. After they performed Chappell’s “HOT TO GO,” a tie was declared for the schemesters, forcing them to share the point earned from the lip-sync battle. In this setup, we’re now giving half points. I sense some behind-the-scenes tricks aimed at maintaining suspense over the competition’s outcome. I’m Goldilocks, as the balance of drama in the format is either too obvious or too manipulated—it needs to strike a more balanced approach.

This situation might have been even more disappointing given that it wasn’t a genuine lip-sync performance; my apologies to Mistress and her energetic dance moves, but Jorgeous seemed to outshine her with her vibrant enthusiasm. To put it another way, it was like comparing a ready-to-go dish with a take-and-bake one – neither would be thrilled about this tie! Their strategic performances were so similar that they became indistinguishable from each other, and this isn’t the kind of gameplay we saw on All Stars 1. Even in an alliance, it’s important to stand out and make a name for yourself.

Back in Untucked, the Mistress suggests Tina and Lydia manipulate the allocation of Messy Points against Kerri and Nicole next time. I’m worried that the harm has already been inflicted, and they might both end up on the losing side regardless of any twists of the knife in the upcoming week. While Nicole claims she is unreadable due to her awareness of her own flaws, it doesn’t seem like she doesn’t care, but I do believe she’s content with merely showing up and giving her best. In contrast, for Kerri, I think she’s advancing in the competition without any tangible achievements, just accumulating disappointment instead.

Lydia finds herself in a dilemma, having to choose between her new bond with Mistress and an earlier commitment to Kerri, which positions Lydia as an unexpected battleground for the final outcome of this competition. Will she ultimately identify as Lydia Brookshole Kollins or Colon Colby?

Extra Two Pieces and a Biscuit

Are all these queens about to turn into burnt toast?” Ru, it seems like you’re having a moment of confusion! Let’s get someone to check on you, maybe a doctor?

In her rap performance during the competition, Kerri might not have directly called out specific individuals. However, when discussing strategies for the challenge in her private interviews, she demonstrated her knack for blunt and unintentionally amusing remarks, similar to the Utica school of rudeness. For instance, she said, “Tina Burner is and will always be a man wearing a wig.

Perhaps the most scathing roast throughout any episode, regardless of the challenge, occurred when Nicole criticized Mistress for casually adopting new drag children as if it were a light breeze. “We don’t flaunt our lineage so carelessly! Does your mother allow you to bestow names so freely, as though they were water?

Revisiting the flashback moments from Jorgeous’ All Stars 9 roast are the only instances from that season I’d care to revisit! Yet, it seems odd not to share her side-splitting card tosses as well!

Chappell strutting into Untucked with an inflatable doll that complements her ensemble? If you remember Chad Michaels’ famous words, then you know: she’s got the look!

Initially, when Kerri attempted to form an alliance with the newcomer Lydia, it seemed as though ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ took on a similar dynamic to ‘Survivor’, where one contestant enters post-merge and due to existing rivalries, becomes less likely to be eliminated. However, it could also be that Lydia has become the crowd favorite or sweetheart in ‘All Stars 10’.

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2025-05-30 08:55