RECAP: “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 9" FINALE
As I write this, the two-part finale for “All Stars 9” are the lowest-rated episodes of any U.S. episodes across the “Drag Race” franchise. For last week’s episode, that was because it was, essentially, all filler — I don’t even think the queens got in DRAG (BTW that’s why there was no recap, there was nothing TO recap). For this episode, the actual FINALE finale, that low rating is due to the controversial decisions made in it, which resulted in a surprising winner being crowned, and at least one of the other queens getting pretty obviously robbed.
I don’t know if I agree with the low ratings for this last episode overall. I thought most of the variety show performances were very good — although we need to stop calling it “variety” as there’s very little of that in the talents — and we had some lovely moments, including a great visit with “All Stars 6” winner Kylie Sonique Love. But people are reacting with intense negativity to the end of this season, and we need to talk about it.
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I’m going to go over each queen in alphabetical order, offering my thoughts on their variety show number, their finale runway, how I think they fared with the twists in this last episode (3 badges for variety show winners, a “double diamond” that doubled the badge count of one queen, voted on by the cast members). And then we’ll get to the ending, which has the fandom tearing at itself even as I write this.
Angeria Paris VanMichaels
Like the vast majority of this cast, Angeria did an original song for her variety show number, called “Park and Bark,” a reference to her lipsynching style; it also wove in most of Angeria’s catchphrases. While several of the other queens incorporated secondary talents or gimmicks into their numbers, Angeria’s was fairly one-note. Let me say this right now: nobody did poorly this episode. They were all successful in their talent routines. But given the fairly limited scope and imagination of this number, and the fact that it was a surprisingly detached lipsynch from Angeria herself, I would put this toward the bottom of the group. I thought her finale gown, a massive feather garment with a kind of ombre effect, was stunning. It was a return to form for Angeria, whose runways have been wildly inconsistent for me this season overall. Angeria was one of the winners of the talent show, adding 3 badges to her existing 3, putting her in overall first place with 6. I respectfully disagree with the judges’ decision to give her this win — I would put at least four other talents clearly ahead of hers — although there is no doubt that Angeria was one of the strongest and most consistent performers this season. So I’m not shocked she made the Final 3. I just don’t think this variety show should have been what got her there.
Gottmik
For Gottmik’s variety show, she did an original song called “So Gorge,” a punk-inspired number about fashion. It ended with Mik grabbing an electric guitar and riffing on the chorus, live. I appreciated that extra talent at the end, and I thought the song was a solid encapsulation of the Gottmik aesthetic. While the guitar work was unrefined — if this was a baking show, I would call it “rustic” — it was at least novel and gave the performance an edge over Angeria’s. Gottmik gave us an incredible S&M-inpsired finale look, capping off what I think will will go down as one of the all-time best season-long runway packages in “Drag Race” history. Has Gottmik had a single off week on the runway? I don’t believe so. Mik did not win the variety show nor did she get the double diamond, meaning she ended the season with the 2 badges she earned early on. I do think it’s worth mentioning that Gottmik dominated the first quarter of this season, coming in VERY strong in the Ball, Snatch Game, and doing well on several other challenges. Overall I think it was a good season for Mik (minus the Roast controversy), and she exits “All Stars 9” with a much-needed reputation cleansing, and a reminder that she’s very funny, very creative, and one of the most fashionable queens to ever grace “Drag Race.”
Jorgeous
In my opinion, Jorgeous was a contender for the talent-show win. I could see some anxiety in her eyes — she talked at length about stressing over teaching her choreography to the back-up dancers — and she performed to an original song that she didn’t sing/rap. I always find that odd. BUT, you cannot deny that Jorgeous gave us one of the best moments of the episode when she was picked up by one her dancers, and then thrown across the stage almost like a bowling ball. And the bitch GLIDED. It was fucking fierce, as was the hair-whipping in the number. It was a good showing for Jorgeous, as was her final runway, a bold red dress inspired by late Tejano icon Selena. Jorgeous did not win the talent show, nor did she get the double diamond, so she ended the season with 4 badges — 2 for challenge wins, 1 for a mini-challenge, 1 gifted by Shannel. Not bad at all, especially given how much she struggled throughout Season 14. Jorgeous would win my Most Improved award for this season. The queen exiting it is on a whole different level than the uncertain queen who entered, and I am personally so excited to see what she does next. One last note: having seen Jorgeous perform in the Vegas Live show, she has an electricity in person that doesn’t translate fully via camera. I suspect that talent performance was jaw-dropping for the people in the room — the reaction shots certainly suggested that.
Nina West
Nina gave us — as Ross Matthews noted — a talent show that hit all the major elements of Nina West: camp, musical theater, and a message. I think Nina executed exactly what she set out to do here, and she even borrowed from some of her legendary Miss Continental talent performances, with the viral “living dress” moment (TBH I thought she could have done more with that here), and a section reminiscent of her “Step in Time” talent. Nina should feel good about this performance, even if I know that some younger and more cynical viewers (and Ru Girls — hello troll queen, Mistress Isabelle Brooks) have been dismissive of it. Nina knows exactly who she is, and the type of drag she wants to present. I celebrate that. I also thought Nina looked great this whole episode. Her finale runway was probably the most lovely we have ever seen her. Nina was the winner of the double diamond twist, meaning her 2 badges became 4, still not enough to get her into the Final 3. The double diamond is not quite the honor I think it was intended to be. It was clear from talking heads that several of the other queens were using strategy in their vote, selecting someone who had the least chance to leapfrog them to the finale. But other queens (Roxxxy) absolutely voted for Nina as thanks for her previous work. And I want to once again underline this: Nina West has been a charitable and politically involved queen for DECADES. Long before she was on this show, and long before many of her detractors even EXISTED. She has done incredible things for the LGBTQ community, especially in Ohio, and it has been difficult to see the online discourse around her this season. I suspect Nina would herself agree that this “All Stars” run didn’t quite pan out the way she would have liked. But Nina West is a legend, and she will remain a legend long after the highly exaggerated narratives around her this season have dissipated.
Plastique Tiara
Here we go. The Plastique situation is one of the most controversial elements of this episode, and honestly, I get the criticism. If you asked me to name the three queens that defined “All Stars 9,” Plastique would have to be in the mix. There is no question that she and Gottmik redefined what an “All Stars” runway package should look like. Every week was some new stunning garment that raised the bar, including not one but TWO self-created looks that blew the competition away. She also distinguished herself in comedy and performance, two areas in which she previously struggled. For her talent show, she did another original song, but this time she incorporated some wonderful stage craft — dramatic long sleeves that revealed to a metal boustier that, ultimately, shot sparks out of her bosom, and in the end, roasted marshmallows. That’s bold and creative! In fact, so much was going on I completely missed the confetti moment in the beginning, and if you asked me what the back-up dancers were doing, I couldn’t tell you. I was transfixed on Plastique. The one major flaw in this number was, again, the lipsynch was not strong. I suspect Plastique (who is, in her defense, performing all of these numbers in a second language) focuses so much on performance that she loses both the words and her face. But I thought this number had enough other successful elements that it should have at LEAST been in contention for the variety show win — I certainly would have put it over Angeria, without hesitation. Plastique ended the competition with 4 badges, every one of them earned from a challenge win; none gifted, none from mini challenges. That’s impressive. I believe that history will look back on Plastique getting passed over for the F3/possible win as a massive mistake on behalf of the show. Her social-media following is already incredible. She is bringing reputation for Vietnam that is sorely needed. She has an incredible arc. The fact that she missed out on the F3 despite being one of the best overall performers of the season, and arguably THE new defining fashion queen, is an unforced error here. (Mind you, she would have still needed to win the lipsynch for the crown…or maybe not, as we will get to in a minute.)
Roxxxy Andrews
Roxxxy came into the finale with the most number of badges, 5, 4 earned in challenges, one gifted by Nina. (Sidebar: I bet Nina regrets that. Had she not given Roxxxy that badge, there’s a good chance we would have had a multiple-queen tie for the 3rd finalist spot, and that would have included Nina after the double diamond.) For her talent, Roxxxy did the Pokemon evolution of her “All Stars 2” burlesque number, which earned her a win. She reminded us of that fact in the song, which also included multiple other catchphrase references. I understand why the queens do this, but from a fan perspective, it’s pretty unexciting. That said, Roxxxy’s actual burlesque was as good as we remember it, and I absolutely loved the body positivity. If Roxxxy is not doing a one-woman burlesque tour, she should consider it. It’s delightful. On the finale runway, she looked probably the best she has all season in a sun-inspired gown. That said, I would put it among the weakest of the finale looks; I genuinely don’t think Roxxxy counted on these girls going so hard on their runways. Roxxxy did not win the talent show, nor the double diamond, so she ended with 5 badges — still enough to get her into the Final 3. More on that in a bit.
Shannel
If Plastique was robbed of the F3 from a season-long-performance perspective, Shannel was robbed based specifically on this episode. In my opinion, Shannel was the CLEAR winner of the talent show. It was her, a huge gap, then the other 7 queens all doing original songs with some added element. Shannel, meanwhile, gave us a full Cirque du SoGay fantasy — a costume reveal, followed by juggling pins, followed by juggling knives, followed by balancing a massive cube on her nose. Now THAT is talent. And variety! Shannel also gave us the runway of the night, a jaw-dropping garment made up of individually soldered stones, that featured absolutely no fabric but still somehow moved as she slinked down the catwalk. She also did it while pushing a fucking ceramic DOG. Your fave could NEVER. Nobody else is doing what Shannel is doing, and she’s been doing it for decades. The judges had lovely things to say to Shannel, but she received no additional badges, meaning she ends the competition with 3 — 2 from challenge wins, one gifted by Jorgeous. I am delighted that Shannel had such a strong last act of this season. She and Gottmik basically swapped edits. After being ignored in S1 and AS1, she finally had her moment here, and the fandom seems to be responding with tremendous positivity. Shannel deserves it! Kudos to you, icon! Can’t wait to see what you do for Christmas.
Vanessa Vanjie Mateo
Vanjie came into this episode tied for last place, with 2 badges — one from a challenge win, one gifted by Gottmik. For her talent, she also did an original song with dancers, but Vanjie performed the fuck out of it. The dancing was sharp. The star power was undeniable. The judges joked that she was up there giving Beyonce, and Vanjie said that if you can’t afford the Renaissance tour, come see her, she’ll give it to you. Vanjie, please launch the Renee Sauce Tour and do exactly that. For her final runway, Vanjie gave us an immaculate, custom hookin’ outfit — but elevated. That FUCKING JACKET, Vanjie. Obsessed! Her aesthetic is so well defined and she is absolutely ravishing. Vanjie was named the winner of the talent show, along with Angeria, taking her from 2 to 5 — and earning her a space in the Final 3. This is, again, controversial. Vanjie has been an absolute delight this entire season. She has been an essential ingredient in the positive energy of the competition. But you can’t deny that in terms of performance, she was outclassed by many/most of the other girls. So for her to make the finale is honestly a shock. That said, I don’t necessarily begrudge her this. She maximized the potential of that number, and was dazzling on the runway. This is a case of winning the episode, if not the war.
The Final 3
That left us with Angeria, Roxxxy, and Vanjie lipsynching for the win. Definitely not the F3 you would have guessed at the end of Episode 10! We should acknowledge that the talent show coming this late in the game, with the game-changing number of badges awarded, essentially paves the way for the showrunners to push whomever they want into the finale. It’s just the truth. The talent show is nearly as subjective as the other great production stopgap, the makeover, and the judges can decide to reward something safe and ignore something far more interesting. I would argue they did that here, and that’s a big source of the controversy over this episode.
And that continues to the final lipsynch, to Janet Jackson’s “Rhythm Nation.” It’s important to note that this lipsynch was done solo, with each of the finalists performing on their own, and the editors cobbling together the footage to one single lipsynch. This again allows the showrunners to create whatever narrative they want, to help justify the win. That’s not a criticism; it’s smart producing.
It is especially perplexing, then, that the queen who ended up winning the whole season STILL appeared to do the worst on that lipsynch, even WITH the editors being able to construct the footage however they pleased. In my opinion, Vanjie was hands down the winner. She had FIRE. She was feeling that song. I would say Roxxxy came in second, giving a solid, more classic interpretation of that song, with a couple of old-school dance moves.
Then we had Angeria, who seemed to be flailing her way through the final lipsynch…and yet she was named the winner of the season. I was gagged. Gooped. All of the Gs. I genuinely do not understand how the editors thought they were selling this victory to the viewers based on the footage shown, and furthermore I’m not clear why they decided to push Angeria to this final win.
Let me be clear: Angeria had a very good season. As I said above, she was among the most consistently good queens, she never had a bad week, and she WAS the most-snipped queen. But the edit was that the other queens found her delusional. Her confessionals the past few weeks have veered on a villain edit, as there were numerous negative comments that didn’t need to be there. The talent show was perfectly good, but there were better presentations, and queens who would have brought something new to the Winner’s Circle.
The best thing I can come up with is, this is a charity season. (BTW congratulations to the National Black Justice Coalition, which took home more than $230,000 via the Palette Fund, thanks to Angeria’s efforts.) One of the things I have consistently heard about Angeria in the fandom is that 1) she is an incredibly kind, compassionate queen; and 2) she is renowned for building community between the RuGirls, especially with the international spinoffs. “Drag Race Italia” Season 3 winner Lina Galore specifically went on social media to praise Angeria for her positivity, saying that Angeria reached out to her when Lina was receiving backlash after HER win. “UK Vs. the World 2” winner Tia Kofi has echoed that. While Roxxxy and Plastique may have been the fan favorites going into the finale, in terms of season-long performance, Angeria was right on their heels. And when you factor in her history of positivity within and without the “Drag Race” community, I can see it.
But many in the fandom do NOT, and this has truly gotten quite ugly. Angeria is being besieged with negative comments on social media, and that’s just unacceptable. This fandom — like many fandoms — has a real problem when it comes to this kind of harassing behavior, and we have to figure out how to address it. You don’t have to love that Angeria won. She may not have been your choice for winner. But she is a wonderful queen, and this is her moment. The fact that it is being overshadowed by all of this negativity is completely contrary to the spirit of the entire show these “fans” purport to love. We can do better, and we MUST do better.
For those disappointed that Roxxxy and/or Plastique did not win, I think it’s important to remember that both of them exited this season with their legendary status fully cemented. Roxxxy is now a three-time finalist, and unlike her previous two seasons, leaves with a reputation that’s better than ever. Plastique has shown everyone that she is peerless not only in aesthetics, but an incredibly well rounded queen in comedy and acting. If “Drag Race Vietnam” actually happens, she HAS to be first in line to host. And Vanjie was just happy to be there, and now can say she’s a legit finalist!
All in all, “All Stars 9” will — like seemingly all “All Stars” seasons — likely be remembered as polarizing. Congratulations to all the charities who benefitted from it. Congratulations to al the queens who reminded us about how amazing they are. But I think we can all agree that a non-elim season maybe should be reserved strictly for “All Winners.”
Now that “All Stars 9” is done, we only have a few weeks until “Global All Stars” begins! We’ll be recapping that here on Great Pop Culture Debate, so make sure to come on back August 16!
What are your thoughts on this season? Drop your thoughts in the comments.