The weeks are flying by and I don’t know if it’s a good thing or a bad thing, because I wanna savor every moment of this season of All Stars 3! Morgan McMichaels was eliminated last week, and with the clear villain gone right away, we need to know who is gonna bring the drama—and this week didn’t disappoint. The queens entered the workroom ready to take on a new challenge!
RuPaul enters as always in a suit tailored to perfection and the queens gathered round. The main challenge this week was to put on a VH1 Divas Live show dedicated to Ru. Rather than go for the usual drama by allowing the queens to decide for themselves, Ru assigned each queen a role as an iconic Diva. Milk would be Celine. Thorgy as Stevie Nicks. Shangela as Mariah. Bebe as Diana Ross. Kennedy Davenport as Janet Jackson. Chi Chi as Patti Labelle. Trixie was Dolly Parton. And finally, BenDeLaCreme as Julie Andrews.
The queens were given lyrics and music and it was time to get ready to prepare for rehearsal with the one and only Todrick Hall. Most everyone was thrilled with their casting with the exception of Thorgy, who felt that Stevie wasn’t high energy enough for her to have the chance to shine (and she was kind of right). In rehearsal with Todrick, Kennedy struggled to nail choreography, claiming that all her dancing is improvised. Which may be true, but she’s definitely had to do choreographed numbers before, right on this very show. Shangela came to rehearsal in character and the queens were not having it. They weren’t just throwing shade—they were firing it. It was very Team Too Much, but also iconic. Living her full diva fantasy, Shangela made the entire rehearsal entertaining to watch but ultimately probably a distraction.
Showtime!
First up was Milk, who’s Celine fell a little flat (something Celine never is). The dress wasn’t right and neither were the mannerisms. It wasn’t a disaster, but it certainly wasn’t a triumph. Kennedy took the stage as Janet and managed to get the choreography together. Sort of. Her Janet Jackson makeup was honestly the showstopper though. Coco Montrese is somewhere shaking! Chi Chi’s Patti Labelle redeemed her from her major fail last week. Everything was perfect Patti from the styling to wild stage behavior. Trixie, though no fault of her own, essentially had to give the very same performance she did the week before. It was good, but not memorable.
Thorgy was her own saboteur. She was already set on the idea that she was set up to fail and so she failed. Shangela’s Mariah stole the show, because just like Mariah, she spent the entire performance doing whatever she wants. Her "method acting" definitely paid off. Bebe had quite the challenge in being the legendary Diana Ross but she sold every single moment of it. From the hair to clothes to the walk, it was peak Diana and the judges ate it up. BenDeLa did what she does best to close the show as Julie Andrews: comedy. It was a hilarious performance honestly. Literally laughed 'til I cried.
For the runway, the queens had to remake a failed outfit from their past. These were generally very good on the whole but Shangela and Kennedy stole the show. Shangela came out in a bubble (which was refreshing because at least it wasn’t a box). But Kennedy did what she does best, the most. She had two looks, and like any great diva, walked the entirety of the runway twice. It was marvelous. The judges were gagged.
It was time for evaluations. Shangela and Ben were top two (as expected), and in a surprising turn of events, Kennedy ended up in the bottom two with Thorgy. The queens headed backstage to discuss. With Shangela and Ben in the top, Thorgy decided to offer an "I owe you" to both queens in exchange for her safety citing how much more she wanted to compete. Kennedy, however, simply pleaded her strengths and her passion for the competition. Shangela and Kennedy cried as they discussed their friendship and how much more important it is than the competition. Meanwhile, on the other side of the room, Milk was spoiling over the fact that she did not win. There were fake tears and dramatics. I’m not sure whether she was trying to convince the other queens or herself but literally no one was buying it.
The lip sync was to "Jump" by The Pointer Sisters and the two queens showed up and out. Shangela gave a polished and professional interpretation while Ben relied on her comedy genius. In the end, Shangela took home the $10,000 tip and title for the week. For the second week in a row, the queens chose to eliminate the person viewers were most annoyed with. Shangela sent Thorgy home.
Next Thursday, the queens will compete in a Drag Race version of The Bachelor which already sounds like the best challenge yet!
