SPOILER ALERT: This article contains details about episode 10 of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars.
Jimbo is flying high on her first baloney-slinging lip sync win and Alexis is gone. Jimbo based it on track record, but I base it on karma.
The final three queens gather round the lip stick box and the votes are counted: two for Alexis, and one for Jessica, courtesy of Alexis who of course did not cast a vote for Kandy because of their one-way alliance. Kandy is playing a strategic game like she’s on Survivor and I think she should win just for that.
The next day in the Werk Room, RuPaul gives Jimbo, Kandy, and Jessica a mini challenge: they must transform their torso into a special edition Jean Paul Gaultier bottle. They must also name their fragrance and pitch it. I love these blatantly sponsored challenges – because we all need to pay the bills.
Jessica ends up winning the challenge and $2,500 with her “Forbidden Juice” fragrance and her glamorous pineapple-themed torso.
Now it’s time for the maxi-challenge: the queens must make over lesbians! It’s about time Drag Race honors the often overlooked queer part of the community. Ru introduces the makeover recipients: writer Amanda-Faye Jimenez, café owner Angie Evans, and non-profit employee Lisa Changadveja.
Amanda-Faye, Angie, and Lisa randomly choose the queens who will give them their makeovers. Amanda-Faye gets Jimbo, Angie gets Kandy, and Lisa gets Jessica.
It’s your typical makeover challenge: they must give their lesbians a fabulous makeover that makes them look like they are part of their drag queen’s family. Kandy did well in her season during the makeover challenge with Gottmik so we know she can beat a face. Angie is a very masculine presenting lesbian and tells Kandy that returning to a being feminine presenting is going to be a challenge. Kandy totally understands – she has two mommies, remember? And one of them is very masculine and refuses to do anything feminine. They are going to work it out. This is a good pairing because Angie is open and ready to get into drag. The pair are going to dress as‘60s divas and this inspires Angie’s name: Kookie Muse.
Jessica and Lisa are getting to know each other and they are bonding over trauma – I love it when we get to do that. Lisa is excited to work with Jessica and hopes that it bolsters her confidence. This is another good pairing – as is Jimbo and Amanda-Faye.
Similar to Jessica and Lisa, they bond over trauma in a different way. After they discover they share a love for the color pink, Jimbo follows up with “Was your life traumatic?” Amanda-Faye and Jimbo immediately start laughing. They bond over their similar sense of humor and Amanda-Faye also hopes that this drag experience makes her feel seen and more comfortable in the spotlight. Even though their personalities are a good match – the clothing is not. Amanda-Faye wants something sexy but everything Jimbo has is, of course, wildly outlandish.
It’s very interesting that they decided to put a makeover challenge right before the finale. Kandy frustratingly points out that she does not want her spot in the finale to be dependent on someone else and she has a point. But I love that the Drag Race producers put this challenge on them in the final stretch of this All Stars marathon.
Ru gathers the queens and their lesbians around and drops a bomb on them: they must also do a lip sync routine! Actually, it’s not that much of a surprise. Ru has always pinned a surprise lip sync performance with the majority of the makeover challenges in the history of the show.
The runway training and lip sync choreo sessions prove to be a struggle for all the queens and their lesbians. The major challenges are heels and being “sexy” – which is difficult for the majority of us.
Finally, it’s elimination day and there is pressure on EVERYONE. The queens need to show their talent with these makeovers and make their drag daughters feel beautiful. Meanwhile, the lesbians want to succeed for themselves and for their queens. It may look like they are all kiki’ing and having fun, but it’s intense!
While they are getting ready for the runway, everyone has a nice Werk Room mirror moment as they talk about being a lesbian, being gay, being queer and how we all interact with each other. They even go as far to talk about the use of the term “faggot” and “dyke”, a very nuanced conversation that you don’t see a lot between gay men and lesbian women. It’s giving “on a very special episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars” and I love it.
After taking that walk on the mainstage in a pink drapey floral wonder, RuPaul welcomes judges Michelle Visage and Carson Kressley as well as extra special guest judge Zoey Deschanel.
The results from the lesbian makeovers are impressive. Jessica Wild and Kitty Wild are fierce. It is, as Jessica says, a “Lady Gaga Lesbian Fantasy”. I’m not feelin’ Kitty’s shoes though. Jimbo and Sissy Delicious are full of personality and they seemed like they had the most fun on the runway, which makes up for their beautiful, yet simple lewks. Kandy Muse and Kookie Muse are giving swinging ‘60s fish and Kandy beat Kookie’s face for the GODS.
At this point in the competition, the judges are splitting hairs and each queen gets a good helping of critical praise and some notes on what to improve. After they perform their fun lip sync routines, Ru makes some decisions. Kandy is the top All Star of the week. By default, this puts Jimbo and Jessica in the bottom.
It’s time for the lip sync assassin to Ru-veal themselves and it is…Priyanka, the winner of Canada’s Drag Race season 1! Kandy goes head-to-head in a lip sync smack down to the tune of the classic club anthem “Jumpin’ Jumpin’” by Destiny’s Child.
Ru chooses Priyanka as the lip sync winner. To no surprise, Priyanka pulls Jimbo AND Jessica’s name out of her bra, which puts the responsibility back on Kandy. She is the tiebreaker. Kandy ultimately pulls Jessica’s lip stick out of her bra. Jessica is heartbreakingly sent home.
And now, we officially have a top two: Jimbo and Kandy!
Who do you think will take the crown for All Stars 8 and be inducted into the “Drag Race Hall of Fame”?