{"id":77899,"date":"2019-02-02T10:25:48","date_gmt":"2019-02-02T15:25:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gayfriendschat.com\/socialblog\/drag-race-all-stars-swerves-with-another-elimination-shocker-recap-and-rankings\/"},"modified":"2019-02-02T10:25:48","modified_gmt":"2019-02-02T15:25:48","slug":"drag-race-all-stars-swerves-with-another-elimination-shocker-recap-and-rankings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gayfriendschat.com\/socialblog\/drag-race-all-stars-swerves-with-another-elimination-shocker-recap-and-rankings\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Drag Race All Stars\u2019 Swerves With Another Elimination Shocker [RECAP and RANKINGS]"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u2018Drag Race All Stars\u2019 Swerves With Another Elimination Shocker [RECAP and RANKINGS]<\/b><\/p>\n

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Just when you think you\u2019ve been gooped with all the goop there is to give, another elimination shocker reshuffles the entire deck!<\/p>\n

It was a shocking conclusion to an otherwise lackluster episode. I don\u2019t blame the queens though; I blame the challenge.<\/p>\n

The weakest part of last night\u2019s makeover episode of RuPaul\u2019s Drag Race All Stars<\/em> was actually the strength of the competitors\u2019 subjects.<\/p>\n

In the past, we\u2019ve watched some incredible makeovers (WINTERGREEN, WE STAN). Their transformations were impressive because of the distance their journey took them on. They lacked the grace and confidence we\u2019ve come to expect from queens.<\/p>\n

Last night, our remaining competitors made over their \u201cBest Judys,\u201d and most of them were young, hot gays<\/a> that \u2014 regardless of drag experience \u2014 understood the drag culture enough to bring it to the ball.<\/p>\n

The results were good, but lacked some of the punch of previous makeover installments.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s recap.<\/p>\n

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The theme of the episode is JUDY, as in Garland. The queens arrived to a work room where all the portraits were replaced with pics of Judy. Ru gives the ladies<\/a> a little Queer History 101 about Judy\u2019s lasting impact and effect on the LGBTQ community<\/a> before introducing this week\u2019s challenge.<\/p>\n

Out came the Judys for their makeovers, and Ru charged with them with, of course, presenting a family resemblance and a Judy-inspired duet performance.<\/p>\n

Naomi got to work with her buddy Ricardo, but in the workroom she struggled with nerves. She confessed to Ru that she worries about saying the wrong thing or acting like a fool. Ru assured her that doing and saying the wrong thing is the exact sort of thing she should be doing. Methinks that\u2019ll be Ms. Smalls\u2019 arc for the episode.<\/p>\n

(Naomi also shared my favorite line all night: \u201cBeards are like masks. Men hide behind beards like women<\/a> hide behind makeup.\u201d YA HEAR THAT, BROOKLYN?)<\/p>\n

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Both Trinity and Manila were paired with their partners, and it was very sweet to watch. But the most touching pair was surely Latrice and her friend, Tim. As Tim described their relationship, he told the story of how all of Latrice\u2019s things were auctioned from her storage unit when she went to prison. Tim rallied the troops to create new lewks for Latrice so she could start working again as soon as she was released. Hearing them talk about the kinds of friends that are there for you when you need them, Mama Ru herself got teary. It wasn\u2019t quite the iconic \u201cAs queer people, we get to choose our family,\u201d but it was another memorable emotional moment.<\/p>\n

On the runway, each pair did one of those hokey original Drag Race<\/em> lip sync to a Judy Garland-\u201cinspired\u201d number. I hate when they show us these numbers all edited together. It makes it feel very inconsequential. Everyone seemed mostly fine.<\/p>\n

The judges \u2014 including an adult Frances Bean Cobain, RuPaul serving Auntie Entity realness and a charmingly game Ellen Pompeo \u2014 loved Monet and her partner, \u201cPatty Cash.\u201d Michelle in particular sings the praises of their dance number. Carson tells Monet she\u2019s never looked better, and I have to agree. In a gold sequin FANTASY, Monet was flawless. Her makeup was exquisite. This was her moment, and I lived.<\/p>\n

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Joining Monet in the top was Naomi. Not only was the makeup on her partner stunning, but she also gave us some concept on the runway. Her and her partner came out as a pair of Chers, but then Naomi revealed a short wig and mustache, going from Cherilyn to Sonny Bono with exactitude. Her Sonny boy<\/a> drag was still feminine and elegant. It was great.<\/p>\n

Less fortunate was Manila and her husband. In one of Manila\u2019s more DIY-looking lewks, the pair walked the runway in essentially togas with some diamond and clubs flourishes. It just wasn\u2019t up to snuff.<\/p>\n

Her best Judy, Latrice, also struggled. As lovely as their story was, their resemblance is a lot less inspiring. Latrice claimed it was a \u201cfire and ice\u201d theme, but their clashing outfits didn\u2019t inspire sisterhood. (Also, I was so frustrated that Carson conceded the eye makeup was similar, when one clearly had a big exaggerated wing and one did not. Come on, guys<\/a>!) The judges also called out their sloppy performance wherein Latrice seemed more concerned with Tim\u2019s toework than her own.<\/p>\n

Then things got real weird. Did they slip a bunch of CBD in the vodka-crans? Everyone seemed super chill as they chatted backstage. Monet, of course, was still a little salty over Manila picking her lipstick a few weeks back. At the same time, Monet was also unimpressed with Latrice\u2019s performance thus far in the competition.<\/p>\n

Naomi, meanwhile, was a bit of a wild card. On the one hand, Latrice just saved her last week. On the other hand, she idolizes Manila. <\/p>\n

The lip sync was to Judy\u2019s \u201cCome Rain or Come Shine,\u201d and it was a weird one. Monet made the choice to make no choice at all, really. She did almost nothing the entire track until opening a glitter-filled umbrella at the very end. Naomi came out swinging, almost a little too wildly at first, but once the track caught up to where she was at, she was electric. There were a few signature tricks that didn\u2019t necessarily feel appropriate for the track, but, considering the competition, at least she was PERFORMING.<\/p>\n

Naomi won with ease, and she coolly eliminates \u2026 Manila?<\/p>\n

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Shock washed over the panel, but Ru followed through and sent her packing.<\/p>\n

Now, if I could put my tinfoil wig on for a second, something don\u2019t smell right. First, that deliberation backstage was shockingly easy-breezy considering two of the frontrunners were in the bottom. Neither Manila nor Latrice seemed particularly desperate or worried. Then, it feels like Monet truly throws that lip sync. Did seeing her husband make Manila miss home a little too much? Surely she didn\u2019t throw herself on the sword to save Latrice. (There\u2019s no way they wouldn\u2019t catch that on camera<\/a>.) Something just feels amiss. <\/p>\n

Let\u2019s try and take stock of where the rest of the queens are in relation to their quest for the crown.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Despite barely escaping (a fourth) elimination, Latrice<\/strong> still seems most likely to win this whole thing. Take that, \u201creport card\u201d queens! We have been beaten over the head with her reputation since the jump, and her narrative this season would lead to an incredibly satisfying crowning. While she and her partner didn\u2019t quite share a resemblance, they at least were two polished looks. It was classic Royale: big jewels, big hair, lots of sparkle. She IS an All Star, and just on stature feels like the most worthy addition to the Hall of Fame.<\/li>\n
  2. Hot on her heels, Trinity<\/strong> has been a powerhouse this whole season. While Manila was never in the bottom (a lot of good that did her), Trinity\u2019s only time vulnerable for elimination came in the episode where everyone not in the top was automatically in the bottom. It doesn\u2019t really feel like that should count, honestly. Last night, Trinity turned out her boyfriend in a gorgeous, matching Ver-sayce ensemble that looked great. Based on where we\u2019re at today, I think Trinity is now most worthy of the win this season, but it just doesn\u2019t seem to fit our narrative thrust.<\/li>\n
  3. Once again, Naomi<\/strong> comes out of nowhere to steal the show. Going for boydrag is always a risky move, but she pulled it off perfectly. She looked great, and she was having fun up there. I loved her green lip sync lewk. She is also a fierce lip sync performer, but the more I see her do it, the more repetition sticks out. Naomi needs to mind any upcoming acting or comedy challenges (like next week\u2019s Sex and the City<\/em> satire). If she doesn\u2019t fade into the background or bomb, she could soar to the finale.<\/li>\n
  4. Damn, Monet<\/strong>. Well done! I adored her dripping gold sequined runway, and she did right by her partner as well. Michelle was dead-on about the little Judyisms in their little dance duet. It was the only performance that stood out in any way. But, you guys<\/a>, what was up with that lip sync? There definitely can be an argument made that sometimes less is more, but that track lends itself to a build, and Monet took it nowhere. She made exactly ONE choice that entire song. I know she can do better than that. Despite this week\u2019s weak lip sync, Monet\u2019s biggest threat is a big swing and miss on the runway, so hopefully she\u2019s got more eleganza like she showcased last night.<\/li>\n
  5. Someone\u2019s got to be next to go, and I think it\u2019ll be Monique<\/strong>. Yes, the preview for next week\u2019s episode may be telegraphing, but even before that, I was just feeling sort of done. Like Valentina, I think Monique had her chance and redemption, and she\u2019s done really well with it. But now, we\u2019ve seen all there is to see. She is creative and crafty, but now she has elevated her style. She\u2019s a fierce as hell performer and a bonafide star, but I just don\u2019t see her outlasting the competition. I liked the avant garde, weird eyeball dress, and I\u2019ll just take the judges\u2019 word for it that the performance wasn\u2019t up to par.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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    • *I can\u2019t in good conscience rank Manila<\/strong> this week. She was eliminated, so obviously her chances of winning are awfully low. However, based on her performance in this competition, I do not think she was the bottom bottom. That runway was a big miss, but did it erase all the brilliance she brought us earlier? I don\u2019t think so! The problem this week was there was so little to actually judge, it had to be perfect. She really fell short, and she really paid for it. (Boy, I bet Ru wishes she didn\u2019t burn the \u201cno one goes home\u201d card back in episode 5.) <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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      How would you rank the queens?<\/p>\n

      The post \u2018Drag Race All Stars\u2019 Swerves With Another Elimination Shocker [RECAP and RANKINGS]<\/a> appeared first on Towleroad Gay News<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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      ‘Drag Race All Stars’ Swerves With Another Elimination Shocker [RECAP and RANKINGS]<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n