Claws are out in full force! It's only RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 5 Episode 2 and the queens have already let the drama of the competition get to them.
Side-eye, shady confessionals, and cutting remarks were the name of the game. And most of it inadvertently came from Miz Cracker.
The All Stars format can sometimes bring out the worst in a competitor.
A lot has changed since the days of RuPaul's Drag Race Season 10. Miz Cracker went from top queen/Miss Congeniality potential to now potential season villain.
Her arc throughout "I'm In Love" spanned from shady boots to redemption forgiveness. Usually, this takes a couple of episodes to happen, but the story rounded itself by the end to give her character humility.
What she said to Ongina at the Werk Room table was shady.
Miz Cracker may have thought another queen should've gone during RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 5 Episode 1, but the act of wanting to white-out the lipstick didn't need to be said. The decision had been made and Ongina wasn't at the bottom that week; even Ongina acknowledged her poor performance.
There's no point in kicking her when she was down.
Plus, the entire way she delivered the line came off as dramatic and rude. It's a big change of pace from her previous personality.
Miz Cracker is lucky that she acknowledged her words and apologized to Ongina. This is the type of clarity that helps to repair any damage she caused and grow as a person.
She wondered why people sometimes think she's difficult; conversations like that don't work in her favor. Her behavior during the rehearsals and choreography seemed on par with her perfectionist side. And there have been other queens who have done worse to ruffle feathers, so it seemed like an editing move to push the story.
I haven’t made a friend in years because in my head, I’m like, “Don’t get used to this. There will come a day when they don’t want to talk to you anymore.” If I knew why people thought I was difficult, I would fix it.
Miz Cracker
[Miz Cracker tears up]
All Stars is a different game than the regular series. Relationships are needed to win, especially when the queens are voting each other out.
Miz Cracker can't afford to burn any bridges on the path to the top.
However, the biggest concern is her villain edit. Villains may have won in earlier seasons, but if her edit doesn't turn around to be likable, she won't have a chance without the fans by her side.
The girl group Maxi Challenge was a great way for the queens to work together and show off their talents.
Like RuPaul said on the judging panel, this week was splitting hairs about who was at the top and who was at the bottom. The majority of the queens did great and pushed through with their singing and dancing when they hit the main stage.
The rehearsal footage was essentially editing tricks and red herrings, except for Ongina losing her voice. Everyone came out looking great, so much so that it made most of the early preparation pointless.
Only the beats about Ongina feeling low/unable to sing and Miz Cracker's tension with her group stood out as strong plot points.
Shea Couleé served it on the main stage and dominated the week. Between her energy during the song and her breathtaking outfit, there was no competition. The prize could've easily been handed to her by the start of rehearsals.
Though, when she started dancing and dishing out her lyrics during the girl group performance, that's the moment when she snatched the win.
Shea brought out the fire in full force.
It's no wonder that both her teammates (Mariah Paris Balenciaga and Ongina) ended up at the bottom; they paled in comparison when performing next to Shea. Plus, her outfit was incredible!
Blair St. Clair: Remember too, if Shea wins the lipsync and not the assassin, our vote doesn’t matter.
Alexis Mateo: Gosh, I need to have sex.
[All the queens laugh]
Alexis Mateo and Blair St. Clair also killed it on the main stage too!
Alexis is a performer and showed the kids how it's done, while Blair captured our attention with her high-energy and dramatic moves. Their runway looks stood out as some of the best of the week, but Blair did take a risk by utilizing that pink color.
She's lucky Carson Kressley defended it and applauded the look. Blair stood the most different from the runway theme; RuPaul is inconsistent about rewarding that type of risk.
The bottom three queens of India Ferrah, Mariah Paris Balenciaga, and Ongina wasn't surprising to stay the least.
They lacked the most energy on stage and they faded too much into the background. Much of their lines and dance moves seemed phoned in. When you're competing against performers like Shea or Alexis, you have to always bring it.
I am furious about you giving up so fast in the competition. I cannot let it go. So, my vote is for you to go home.
Alexis Mateo
[Alexis raises Ongina’s lipstick and votes her out]
India and Mariah didn't look too comfortable with their dance moves; it didn't feel cohesive with their group. Ongina, on the other hand, had a few gleaming moments, but she couldn't match any of the energy to Shea or Mariah.
Plus, with her defeatist thoughts, it was obvious that she aimed for safety instead of trying to win the round.
Ongina wasn't ready for RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 5. She might've done better in an earlier All Stars season, but she wasn't prepared for how tough the competition and game had become since her first appearance.
However, the real detriment to this was her confidence and belief of not measuring up.
I have so much more to give and I want to give it, and I know I have the hunger and the drive. I want to be here so bad! But you don’t have to deliberate with me because these two do not deserve to go home tonight. This is not me giving up, this is the fairest thing for me to do.
Ongina
Ongina might've had the outfits available and could've served it in challenges. But, after a shaky reading challenge, she got too much inside of her head and felt that she wasn't bringing it.
When she tearfully threw in the towel and told everyone that she would vote herself, that's when she lost the game.
Anything can happen on All Stars.
One week you're winning the round, but then the next you're getting eliminated. If Ongina had believed in herself and truly served everything, she possibly could've clawed her way to the top. (The producers and audience do love an underdog story, after all.)
We'll never have that story now. Ongina's performance expectations and lack of confidence became her biggest inner saboteur.
For the lipsync performance of "Neutron Dance" by The Pointer Sisters, Shea Couleé danced circles around Alyssa Edwards. Seriously, did Alyssa even have a shot to win?
Shea wanted to win that $20,000 tip and nothing was going to stop her.
Also, the editing gave it away that Shea was winning the lipsync. Much of the footage was focused on her, and Shea's moves outshined Alyssa at every turn.
Alyssa's footage, on the other hand, only focused on walking and subtle movements. Alyssa is a lipsync assassin; she could've brought it so much harder against Shea, but she didn't deliver it.
Shea easily snatched the win that was rightfully hers.
Last Thoughts From The Werk Room:
- There is some major tension brewing between Mayhem Miller and Miz Cracker. Mayhem is going to speak up to Cracker one of these days and it's going to be heated.
- "I'm In Love" was an alright song. The energy stayed pretty mellow and consistent throughout the number; it's not one of the best that the show has had.
- Hannibal Lecter? Really?!
- If India Ferrah had used her fiance's name in the song, she would've been sent packing. RuPaul isn't into cute tricks like that. Mama Ru would've wanted to hear a celebrity's name.
Now, over to you, Drag Race fans!
What did you think of "I'm In Love"?
Will tensions come to blows between Miz Cracker and Mayhem Miller? Is this Shea Couleé's competition to lose? Did Ongina ever have a chance to stick around?
Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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