An “All Winners” season had loads of expectations to stay as much as throughout RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars Season 7.
These weren’t queens returning for his or her redemption and a spot within the Drag Race Corridor of Fame. These have been all winners, honey! Everybody had a crown and gained their season, so we knew they may carry it and win the entire thing.
But when the queens have been competing in opposition to the perfect, did they bring about their greatest? That is the large query the competitors needed to reply.
Now that each one has been stated and achieved, RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars Season 7 was an exciting and upbeat competitors that left its mark on Drag Race herstory.
An thrilling 12-episode run that showcased the perfect of the perfect when it got here to tug. And the sport served up hilarious and iconic moments that immediately turned classics.
We’ll always remember Jinkx Monsoon as Judy Garland on RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars Season 7 Episode 2! Or a number of the legendary runways that hit the stage, just like the neon lights runway.
We have been handled to a season that targeted on the competitors and drag. Ending with a powerful and unimaginable winner was the cherry on the sundae.
Jinkx Monsoon got here out as a powerful frontrunner early into the season (see above about Judy Garland). Nevertheless, she saved that momentum and rode it excessive to the finals.
She was the perfect of the perfect for Drag Race, particularly throughout this string of challenges.
Every time we thought per week would hinder her or the queens would continuously give her the golden plunger, Jinkx bounced again the next week. Some rounds have been questionable in her High 2 placement, just like the dance problem on RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars Season 7 Episode 9. However she nonetheless gave a powerful efficiency regardless.
[In confessional] It has been a protracted laborious highway. And belief me, I like issues which are lengthy and laborious. However at this level, there’s nothing left to do however simply fucking win every part.
Jinkx Monsoon
Even the queens acknowledged that Jinkx was a drive to be reckoned with this time.
Her robust observe document in the course of the season elevated her to the top. She was one of many few queens that would get a common stamp of approval to win based mostly on her efficiency. Jinkx is a wonderful winner alternative.
Jinkx’s return, together with the return of all of the winners, showcased why this season was legendary: development.
Many contestants hadn’t competed in over three years, with Jinkx and Raja being virtually a decade. All Stars’ profit is that we see how queens have grown since their unique look.
Since these have been all winners, their strengths and aptitude for runways kicked up a severe notch. The abilities that gained them the crown acquired higher. Plus, all of them had one thing to show to justify their reigns.
The eight queens all have been powerhouses of their manner.
Working example: the challenges and the runways.
The challenges throughout RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars Season 7 have been all acquainted and customary Drag Race challenges on paper. You had the Roast problem, the Ball, the woman group, the performing skit, and so forth.
The distinction right here got here from what the queens dropped at them. Some memorable challenges got here from Snatch Sport, Fairytale Justice, and the Roast problem.
These video games had catchy and now-iconic strains served by the queens. Relying on the problem, the complete solid did an awesome job; typically, it could be Jinkx dominating along with her improv jokes or Monet X Change and Trinity the Tuck bringing the comedy with their quips.
For the runways, this time was the place the extra fashion-oriented queens knocked it out of the park.
The neon lights runway? Unforgettable. A lot of the appears to be like will go down as the perfect in Drag Race herstory.
The redesign of RuPaul’s legendary appears to be like? Perfection. Peak style that strutted the runway.
Raja: How does it really feel to have essentially the most stars out of everybody right here?
Monet X Change: In the end, what it does imply to me is that I’m higher than each legend. Interval.
[All the queens laugh]
We have to give queens like Raja, Shea Coulee, Trinity the Tuck, and Jaida main kudos for his or her type selections. They proved but once more why they’re impeccable style queens.
And the runways elevated what ensembles future queens may carry to All Stars.
The winners’ solid wasn’t the one new facet for this version.
Two key rule adjustments have been made: (1) no queens can be eradicated till the finals, and (2) queens can be competing to earn factors (i.e., the Legendary Legend Stars). Queens who earned sufficient stars would get a spot within the Lip-Sync For The Crown within the finals.
The format change was attention-grabbing in principle, and it did work for this competitors with this group of queens. Nevertheless, I might restrict this format to solely this season and choose future seasons with particular themes.
Monet X Change: When Ru introduced, was there a component the place you thought I wouldn’t name you?
Trinity the Tuck: Ummm … no! I belief you. We had our alliance.
Monet X Change: We certain did.
Eliminations carry loads of drama. That kind of pressure and chaos was sorely missed for 12 rounds.
Positive, it is unhappy to see a queen go house early and never present their full potential. However typically, cutthroat and strategic gameplay encourages gamers to work more durable when there’s extra on the road.
Plus, the celebs system solely shined as a result of there was a powerful group of queens competing right here that would theoretically win these stars.
In previous seasons of RuPaul’s Drag Race and RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars, there is a refined divide between which queens are frontrunners and which queens are filler. You’ll be able to inform part-way by way of if a queen has an excellent shot to win or not.
In a season of no eliminations, that reality would develop into so apparent when sure queens are amassing all the celebs whereas others battle to achieve the highest. And that is not even together with judging manipulation to drive queens to the highest for storyline functions.
Why push contestants to the top in the event that they have no probability to get the celebs? Eliminations make it really feel like a contest with actual stakes.
Introducing the golden plunger was a good way to inject some pressure and strategic blocking.
I beloved when a queen acquired blocked from incomes stars as a result of they got the golden plunger the spherical earlier than. It was a minor type of gameplay that the queens may make to have an effect on, which stayed true to the All Star vibe.
My want for every of you is that you just depart figuring out that the one Legendary Legend Star that actually issues is you.
RuPaul
Although, it is stunning that not one of the contestants tried to recreation the system.
What would’ve occurred if the queens saved bouncing the golden plunger between a small group of queens? Like, if Jinkx Monsoon, Yvie Oddly, and The Viviene have been solely given the plunger again to again? Would a brand new rule be thrown in?
The plunger may’ve hindered the sport and made it not possible. The latest format of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars Season 5 and RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars Season 6 is the perfect model of the All Stars format.
Manufacturing must also look into their inclusion of twists.
The “Lip-Sync For The Crown” and “She Accomplished Already Accomplished Has Herses” units have been a wonderful stability for the finale on RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars Season 7 Episode 12. I beloved seeing the queens getting their shot at a prize and exhibiting off their lip-syncing expertise.
Nevertheless, essentially the most problematic twist got here when the worth of the successful stars modified from one to 3.
It was too late within the recreation to abruptly bounce the worth by thrice. And by that time, most of the stars have been evenly unfold, so ending up within the High 2 basically gave away two spots within the finale.
This shady twist robbed Jaida Essence Corridor, Raja, and The Vivienne. They labored laborious within the challenges; it is a disgrace they acquired compelled out due to the twist.
Plus, it did not make Shea Coulee look good by successful it.
It is not her fault that she had the bottom variety of stars. She labored laborious too, and she or he wasn’t going to show down the chance of competing within the finals.
This twist would’ve labored higher had it been added a spherical or two earlier than; that manner, extra stars can be earned and given out. As an alternative, there was side-eye suspicion heading into the finals for what was a powerful season earlier than that second.
Final Ideas From The Werk Room:
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Damaging critiques ought to’ve been added to the episodes. Solely exhibiting the constructive remarks from the judges made everybody look good, but it surely took away from making it a balanced competitors.
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Monet X Change and Trinity the Tuck’s alliance paid off. It was so poetic that Monet introduced Trinity to the finale, after which they needed to face one another within the lip-sync.
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Wintergreen must be a contestant on a future season!
Now, over to you, Drag Race followers!
Are you cheerful that Jinkx gained? What was your favourite second of the season? Which queen do you wish to compete in a future All Stars?
Share your ideas within the feedback beneath.
RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars Season 7 is offered to stream now on Paramount+.
Justin Carreiro is a workers author for TV Fanatic. Comply with him on Twitter.
