Canada's Drag Race: All Stars Season 1, Episode 2
"Song of the Summer"
Host: Brooke Lynn Hytes
Judges: Jimbo, Priyanka, Rebecca Black (guest)
Cast: Aurora Matrix, Jada Shada Hudson, Juice Boxx, Makayla Couture, Nearah Nuff, Pythia, Sami Landri, Tiffany Ann Co.
In last week's recap, I compared this season of Canada's brand new All Stars spinoff to the iconic RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 2. After this week, though, there are definitely some U.S. All Stars 4 vibes at play here, too. It's giving "life's not fair." It's also still giving ghost, where Jada Shada Hudson's confessionals are concerned. Whichever P.A. is standing by the light switch during Jada's talking heads deserves Miss Congeniality.
I kinda want to just cut straight to the gag of the episode, perhaps the season (although it is too crazy early to tell): Pythia, the undeniable frontrunner, going home second. Why? Because these girls are actually playing the game — and the show isn't only letting them, it seems to be empowering them to play every card in their hands. It's resulting in, so far, the best Drag Race we've gotten all year.
SPOILER FOR U.S. DRAG RACE ALL STARS 11/ The comparison to U.S. All Stars 11, which wrapped up its run a mere six hours after this episode dropped, is actually kinda crazy. In that instance, production seemingly shielded the (according to fans) predetermined winner, Crystal Methyd, giving her wins in every single episode where there was a chance other queens could send her home. And in the final lip sync smackdown, Crystal — who I think would admit that lip sync performances are not her strength — came out on top against a super skilled dancer (Joey Jay) thanks to some kooky reveals. But Pythia, maybe the only queen in the Drag Race franchise who can really match Crystal's freak? Canada's All Stars said straightaway, "We aren't shielding no one, honey." Pythia's kooky reveals did not save her from the force of nature that is Makayla Couture — and her kooky reveals were actually kookier than Crystal's. Wild. /END SPOILER
So how did we get here? Well, the episode started by setting up a plotline that I know is going to pop off next week. When all of last week's votes come to light, it's revealed that Jada Shada Hudson and Sami Landri voted to save Jackie Cox. Everyone else voted for Juice Boxx. In Survivor, it's considered one of the worst moves to not vote with the group, and Makayla Couture brings that energy to Drag Race when she pulls Jada aside and tells her that she can't keep voting with her emotions because it's going to put a target on her back.
*pssst* Past Makayla: Not only are you going to have a knock-down, drag-out with Jada this episode, Jada is also not going to take your advice and not vote with the group, again.
As gaggy as this episode's ending ended up being, Pythia's writing was on the mirror the instant we found out that this is a girl group challenge. Pythia herself even mentioned that she was worried about this challenge; her being made captain of one of the girl groups only highlighted these fears. After a World Cup-inspired Mini Challenge (those soccer balls were soft, right? If not, Jesus, the danger!!), Mini winner Nearah Nuff and last week's Maxi winner Pythia are named girl group captains.
In true girl group fashion, the groups shake out to be the A-Girls (Nearah Nuff, Aurora Matrix, Tiffany Ann Co., Juice Boxx) and the Grab Bag (Pythia, Sami Landri, Makayla Couture, Jada Shada Hudson). But as the last picked, Jada gets to pick the song; she opts for an original body-positive banger called "Body Tea," and famously (infamously?) names their group The Tea Bags. The other group gets the electropop bop "Diva Down" and opts for the name [checks Wiki] The Kitty Katz. No one flips that girl name into an epic read later on, so it's easily forgettable.
It's Episode 2 and we're already reaping the benefits of having Priyanka on the judges' panel. This week: Priyanka gets to produce the girls in the "recording studio" (getting usable vocals out of these sessions on an open soundstage feels dubious). Love seeing her give clear advice, like telling Jada — she who can't stop bragging about being the "only" singer — to, uh, actually sing in her verse.
The choreo is where things start to fall apart for the Tea Bags. Makayla become choreographer by default — although, woulda loved to see Sami teach all of them a clog routine. Honestly, might've worked out better! Makayla hoped to have Jada to lean on, but Jada kinda just stood there and, to hear Makayla tell yell it later, contributed nothing. And apparently during the seldom acknowledged off-camera rehearsals, Jada and Makayla had it out. Tears, storming out, the whole shebang. Not the best energy to bring to the Main Stage!
"Body Tea" ends up being ... fine? I could see this be in the running for a win on a weaker season because all four queens shine on either lyrics, vocals, or performance. Sami Landri's verse tells haters they can "eat my shit," which is such a choice. Jada's verse is kind of a mystery (who is Frank?), but the voice and choreo is so on point. Pythia's verse is maybe the best written, and the flow really slays. She just can't perform it, and the choreo does her no favors. They couldn't even edit around her missteps. Sigh. Makayla nails it all, except she doesn't take focus when her verse starts, resulting in a bit of confusion and killing the energy for a sec. Makayla and Pythia wind up in the bottom and I get it.
And then "Diva Down." Well, here are your winners. Good lord. Real talk: all four verses were mid at best, aside from Aurora reappropriating the term "pussy posse." But the looks and choreo and performances were so tight, so right. There was a real feeling of girl group, well, pussy posse energy to their movements; the "split, split, dip, hair flip" moment was just so so so good.
Clearly, they win — except Tiffany Ann Co. ends up in the bottom because, sure? Why not?
On the runway, category was CAMP — or maybe it was "big suit"? I don't know what prompt these girls were given that resulted in Makayla, Juice Boxx, and Tiffany all wearing highly stylized, vintage-inspired suits. Makayla's served, even if the sheen on the fabric kinda cheapened it; Juice's was serviceable, well put together but not extravagant enough; I actually liked Tiffany going from wearing a bodysuit in the performance to a suit with a body on it, but it could've been better executed.
And then Nearah Nuff dressed as a flower and Jada was a chicken. Camp? Where? Camp Nowhere to be seen. Pythia gave us zombified Cleopatra, complete with sarcophagus, an unraveling mummy moment, and big regalia reveal. The makeup and green bodysuit served Goosebumps, which (IMO) made this more camp.
The only two to really nail it, though, were Sami Landri (who wore a gown covered in her own insanely airbrushed and warped selfies) and Aurora (who came as the most regal lamp you've ever seen, complete with cord and light-up feature). Aurora wins; Jada is in the top; and Makayla, Pythia, and Tiffany end up in the bottom. Who will the girls vote to save?
But Untucked is where things really pop off, and prove that Canada's All Stars is really gunning for glory. First, it's a clash of dispositions. Tiffany and Nearah do not think Pythia is fighting hard enough, overlooking the fact that Pythia is clearly a cerebral, comparatively introverted person. Then Makayla chooses to spend her time not pleading her case so much as just coming hard for Jada. She airs out all her feelings about Jada apparently not doing anything, to which Jada points out that she did name the group. Cue the response:
Obviously with a contender as strong as Pythia in the bottom, the smart thing for all the queens to do is to save either Tiffany or Makayla. Makayla absolutely shoots herself in the foot by popping off, and Tiffany ends up with the save.
And then Makayla absolutely dominates a lip sync to Rebecca Black's "TRUST!" BTW: Can we just fawn over Rebecca Black for a minute? How did she come out of one of the most intense viral moment crucibles of all time as a seemingly well-adjusted, self-aware, and hella talented diva??? But anyway, Makayla wins just by being Makayla, one of the best to ever do it (and one of the queens who could, potentially, send Nearah packing; you know the other queens were clocking that on the backline).
And Pythia goes home. Stunner. And right before a design challenge, one that seems to pull even more inspo from Survivor with an auction format. If Canada's All Stars keeps this energy going, it could end up being an All Stars of All Stars seasons.
