RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 10, Episode 3
"Hoop Queens Makeovers"
Director: Nick Murray
Cast: Aja, Bosco, DeJa Skye, Irene the Alien, Olivia Lux, Phoenix
As we enter the third and final episode of Bracket 1, I've developed a lingering, nagging feeling in the back of my brain: Will All Stars 10 have the same legacy as All Stars 1? And yes, I mean that in a bad way. There's very little oxygen for an "All Stars 1 was actually good" take. But this is through no fault of the queens! Maybe it's worth a whole separate thought piece ...
But first — we have to finish up last week's narrative and see who the four bottom girls give their points to! After the peaceful transfer of points last week, the queens could feel a stunt coming — but did anyone expect a stunt from sweet, all smiles Olivia??? Aja gives her point to Olivia (#OperationMiMu in effect); Phoenix gives to DeJa, acknowledging that DeJa did great in the improv challenge despite her inner saboteur; and then Olivia ... also gives her point to DeJa, prioritizing #MelanationStation over #OperationMiMu.
Aja is plucked, and even more plucked when DeJa gives her point to Olivia. All that point swapping and Aja and Phoenix come out with zilch. Olivia tries to reason with Aja, saying that she wanted to even out the points — which happened. Olivia, DeJa, and Aja are now in a three-way tie with 3 points each. But still, this was not part of Aja's All Stars, All Alliance fantasy.
The Werk Room
This week's Maxi Challenge — lady baller makeovers with college basketball players — seems to confirm what I suspected about the structure of each bracket: we're getting a performance, comedy, and fashion challenge each round, I bet. And Bracket 1 got the music video, the improv, and the makeover. I don't know for sure, but I'd put all my non-existent points on Bracket 3 — the one with Denali and Ginger Minj — being the one with Snatch Game.
The queens compete in a free throw challenge to see who gets to pair the competitors with a player. Irene wins by sinking eight shots in a minute which — impressive. I'm only in the presence of sports when I fly 800 miles south to visit my family, and then they still adhere to their very rigid sports-watching schedule. I don't know how any of these bitches even made one basket, let alone eight. It feels impossible to me.
But I did clock RuPaul trying to do a "layup" (I think?), missing, and then running away at full speed, arms flailing. Girl, where is that energy during literally any one of your performance numbers? "Cake and Candy" could use some of that verve, mama!
Irene doesn't sabotage any of the girls, and everyone looks perfectly paired. The twist, though, is that the usually inconsequential "performance" that they put the baby queens through actually matters this time — because each pair has to write, record, and perform a verse. That's some above-and-beyond shit right there — but this is All Stars.
The storylines start storying, with Irene getting the "uuuuuuuhhhhhh what" vibe from her lady baller Hunter. Which, considering Irene wants to put this gorgeous woman into "fantasy sci-fi clown" drag, you can see where she'd be worried. But we all know how this goes: the most WTF concept usually results in a slam dunk (basketball).
I'm most worried for Olivia and her twin, Nevaeh. First of all, they're perfectly matched and working together magically on their number. But Olivia has potentially committed one of the makeover challenge's unforgivable sins: the mod '60s mini-dress. Along with having different color hair, the '60s mini-dress is almost always clocked as being the easy way out since it's flattering (or at least passable) on so many body types. But also, girls come into the Werk Room on Day One knowing there will be a makeover challenge but having no clue whether they'll be making over burly cameramen, senior citizens, or six-foot-tall female athletes. There's a reason they go for the mini-dress!
As the ballers are put in drag, DeJa goes for broke by asking if her partner Abby would be willing to shave her eyebrows — which, the look on every other queen's face is of utter shock. These queens hit the runway practically naked, take every opportunity to joke about prolapsed anuses, strut around the Werk Room with their jeans unbuttoned looking to stir up shit, and somehow shaving off eyebrows is the thing that stops them dead in their tracks. Irene — who is putting her doll into alien clown makeup — says, metaphorical pearls clutched, "I would never." This is so funny to me.
And, after three episodes, I finally realized what Aja's out-of-drag look is giving: she looks like she belongs in the 1998 half of Lauryn Hill's "Doo Wop (That Thing)" music video.
The Maxi Challenge / The Runway
DeJa Skye & Sophie Rocious: DeJa did right by Sophie in the mug department, and Sophie could feel it. But the outfits felt too bodysuit-by-Amazon, and DeJa made the fatal mistake of having two different hair colors.
Irene & Estelle the Alien: The "uh-oh, it's weird" storyline pays off as it always does with a really sickening runway moment. The looks are weird, yeah, but they also look expensive. And Irene was right to choose Estelle, because Estelle's face in Irene's paint looks outstanding.
Bosco & The Goddess: Coming soon to ABC Wednesday nights, right after Hart to Hart! Sorry, "Bosco & The Goddess" just screams "Aaron Spelling murder mystery series." But like, holy hell, Bosco turned this woman out and they leaned all the way the fuck into The Goddess' stature. This is some Themyscira shit right here.
Phoenix & Heron: A homage to the infamous same-wig, same-look Werk Room entrance moment with India Ferrah? Points to Phoenix for this bit of self-referential self-awareness. But the looks look like they belong on Season 3, and Heron looks a little overwhelmed and underwhelmed simultaneously.
Olivia & Octavia Lux: This is how you do a mini-dress in a makeover challenge. Damn, this worked for me! The looks were embellished to the heavens and gave us such a theme, that carried through to the props (those headphones!) and those amazing tilted, coordinated afros.
Aja & Teeva: Aja clocked Teeva's one wilted wing, saying, "let the amniotic fluids settle ... fairy language baby." Nothing I write will compare to that.
And as for the "Shoot Your Shot" performance, I thought DeJa and Sophie turned it out. Olivia and Octavia served choreo and were equally energetic. And you have to give props to Aja in any performance challenge, because she ate (and lots of respect for Teeva, who held her own with this season's scene-stealer).
The Critiques
What a gift! Every makeover challenge, I wait to be infuriated by the judging, and this one gave us Kate Beckinsale playing audience surrogate in just the best way.
Perfect. No notes on Kate's note on Michelle's note. And underscoring the bizarre, unfair, indecipherable, and confounding nature of the "drag family resemblance" category, we then get Michelle looking at Irene and Estelle and saying, "You're not twins."
Michelle! These two literally have the same face and hair color, but tiny differences in styling make them not twins? DeJa and Sophie have the same hairstyle, mug, silhouette, and costume, but they're not even related?
And just to make all of this make even less sense, Michelle gives a round of applause to Olivia and Octavia for being a perfect example of "drag family resemblance" that isn't twinning — which, Michelle is correct!
They are the perfect example of that, but Olivia and Octavia are different in the exact same ways that DeJa and Sophie are different. Same hairstyles, different hair colors; same silhouettes, different designs. I don't know why Michelle didn't just state the obvious: the problem with DeJa and Sophie has nothing to do with resemblance, the looks are just basic. That's the critique.
Of all the queens, though, Aja — in her third season of this bullshit — had the perfect response to the nitpicks: "I say drag is a costume, and I love it! Do you love it? We love it! Yay!" That is exactly the amount of respect that makeover challenge critiques should be given.
Anyway — the winners are declared to be Bosco and Irene the Alien and ... I don't agree. I think Olivia absolutely should have been in the top two, possibly in place of Irene. Olivia got zero negative critiques and come on, give someone else a win.
The Lip Sync
So we get a second Bosco vs. Irene lip sync in a row, to Jennifer Hudson's "Pocketbook," which ... is a choice for these two queens. Olivia would've ate this. Irene wins, and, sure — we get the gag of the first-out of Season 15 leaving Bracket 1 in first place. That's great storytelling. I'm fine with that — and I honestly think that Olivia was denied a win to ensure that this specific story was told.
Let's just speculate for a second.
- If the top two were Bosco and Olivia, then Bosco is at 6 points and Olivia's at 5.
- Olivia wins the lip sync, and Bosco and Olivia are now tied at 6, in the lead.
- Then it's time for the MVQ points. The queens don't know who gives what to who, but their point-recipients are revealed in alphabetical order.
- Aja goes first. Aja has two alliances in play, with DeJa and Irene. But Aja wouldn't give a point to Irene, because that puts Irene in the top three. So I think Aja gives a point to DeJa, hoping it will be reciprocated.
- I think DeJa, who goes next, reciprocates. This leaves Aja, DeJa, and Irene with 4 points each — and RuPaul decides in the event of a tie.
- Irene goes, and Irene has previously said she would give a point to Aja as part of their week one winners alliance. But Irene doesn't want to give Aja a point and have them be tied, so Irene throws her point away and gives it to Phoenix.
- And it comes down to Phoenix to decide, with Aja, DeJa, and Irene all tied at 4. Phoenix would take this vote seriously, because she literally said in the Werk Room that mathematically, one of these bitches would need her point in the end to break a tie. And Phoenix could go for Irene (track record) or Aja (the person she actually gives a point to).
Granted, a version of this actually plays out in the episode. It ends with Aja, DeJa, and Olivia all giving their points to each other, tying them all at 4 and giving the deciding vote to Phoenix. And in this reality, Phoenix votes for Aja, advancing Aja to the finale.
And it's justified! As much as I'm advocating for Olivia in this episode, I am in love with Aja moving forward. She is legendary TV, a killer performer, and a real competitor. And TBH, it's time for Aja to make it to a finale. She's put in the hours. Olivia and DeJa deserve a normal All Stars season. Consider this their audition.
Next week, it's Bracket 2 time.
Next: RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 10×04 Recap: Shenanigans and Chaos
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