RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars Season 10 features the franchise’s biggest cast yet. This time around, 18 Queens assemble into three groups of six to twirl and whirl their way to the finale. Before they even get the shot, though, the top three Queens of each bracket must compete in the semi-finals to earn a spot in the big lip sync smackdown. With a point-based system back in play, that means alliances, drama, and plenty of shade. After Bracket 2 came to a close last week in All Stars 10 episode 6, All Stars 10 episode 7 kicks off with a new roster of Queens.
Note: This breakdown includes spoilers for episode 6 of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars Season 10.
Bracket 3 means new queens. Who are you most excited to see?
Jeanette: Ginger Minj! I don’t care if we’ve already seen her four times. I don’t care if she comes back every season (and yes, I know that’s hypocritical after what I said about Jorgeous in episode 4). To rip off Rick and Morty, “Ginger Minj forever and forever a hundred years, Ginger Minj.”
Shana: Ginger. Effing. Minj. She was robbed in her original season, and I’m taking that grudge to my grave. Period. If anyone has a problem with her being back, back, back, back, back again, I’m happy to fight them. So there.
As a lifelong figure skating fan, I also have to give a shoutout to Denali — especially after choreographing those programs for Amber Glenn a few seasons ago. Make us proud, please!
Lyra: I’m with Jeanette and Shana. It’s about Ginger Minj! I don’t care how many times she’s returned, I always welcome seeing this glamour toad again and again. And I know they say third times the charm. But maybe the fourth time really is the one where things change for Ginger Minj.
So far, there has been little talk of alliances and drama. After the utter chaos of Bracket 2, do you suspect it will last?
Jeanette: Well, it’s Drag Race, so there’s a good chance it won’t, BUT I’d like to think it might, mostly because Mistress and her antics exhausted me. That’s especially true in RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars Season 10 Episode 5. I need a good, long break from that kind of toxic drama…at least until she returns in the semi-finals. Plus, a good portion of these queens are older. With age comes wisdom (sometimes). Maybe that will keep things relatively chill…maybe?
Shana: I…don’t see the peace lasting, unfortunately. We’ve got some queens who were known for being pretty witchy on their seasons in this bracket, and ultimately, this is a game that everyone wants to win. I feel like the first points exchange is going to tell us a lot, actually. Not only is that where it all went irreparably wrong in Bracket 2, but after RuPaul had everyone pair up for this episode, the best way to see if folks are looking to double-cross each other will be if partners don’t exchange points.
Lyra: With Acid Betty and Daya Betty there… the peace isn’t going to last long. But hopefully it’s going to be the fun kind of drama and villainy and not malicious like other Queens…
Cynthia Erivo. Ariana Grande. As dictated by the gay gods, we need to talk about these guest judge appearances. What did you think of the Wicked of it all?
Jeanette: Full disclaimer: I haven’t seen Wicked yet (although I have seen The Wizard of Oz close to a billion times), and I’m not much of a musical/Broadway person. That said, it’s always fun to see the queens get a proper visitation from the guest judges, especially ones that mean as much to them as these two (like, they made Ginger cry, and Ariana looked genuinely horrified by it). Cynthia and Ariana both had some sweet things to say backstage, but I enjoyed Ariana so much more during the actual judging when she seemed to let go of her Glinda persona and just vibe.
I found the challenge itself a bit generic, particularly with the whole opposites concept. However, the Wicked backdrop made it feel a little more unique.
Shana: I read Wicked a lifetime ago, it feels like, but I still haven’t seen the play or the film. I want to, but life just…gets in the way. The concept of this design challenge was way too much fun for me, regardless, and the storytelling aspect was a huge part of that. I think, to some extent, it didn’t have to be Wicked for Ru to give the queens the exact same assignment? But let’s be real: I don’t even care. Make it Wicked! If you can get two stars like Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande on the show by merely finding a loose connection to their film? Do it.
It also helped that Erivo and Grande were pretty solid guest judges, and while I usually hate when the camera cuts away from the performers in a lip sync, I was kind of living for their reactions. (But, like, make it picture-in-picture so I can watch the queens move! Same goes for shows with any kind of dancing, whatsoever!) Not to mention, that throwback to the All Stars 2 mirror face crack was magical.
Oh, and Cynthia Erivo had the line of the night: “Ginger Minj, I love you.” OMG. I have something in common with an absolute legend.
Lyra: Unlike Jeanette or Shana, no shade, I’ve watched Wicked. I didn’t watch it with the wave of the first movie coming out. I didn’t even really like the play. But there was something so magical about the movie with Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande that the final song made me burst into tears. So when they both entered the workroom it was a welcome surprise. I especially love their reaction to Ginger Minj.
A lot of times the Queens have no idea who the guests are. (I’m talking about you Nicole Page Brooks when Chappell Roan appeared in All Stars 10×05. You didn’t know who that woman was.) But Ginger’s reaction was grounded in loving the core themes of Wicked: belonging, being yourself, and friendship.
As for the challenge itself, I love that they told them that they couldn’t be predictable green and pink. It’s cute for Wicked. But we need some originality, people!
What was your favorite moment between the queens in All Stars 10 episode 7?
Jeanette: Call me scarred from Bracket 2, but I really enjoyed the simplicity of the queens deciding who was going to work with who during the good witch/bad witch challenge. Alyssa Hunter got a little screwed over in her revenge fantasy with Daya Betty, but she recovered fast and got to work with her bestie, Cynthia Lee Fontaine, anyway. Also, seeing Acid Betty express her shock at feeling wanted put me right in my feels. For once, it was nice to see the queens picking partners based on perceived strengths rather than alliances.
As an aside: I would have loved to see a Daya Betty and Acid Betty collab. Daya is right. They exist in the same universe, and I bet they would have delivered something beautifully bonkers.
Shana: This is such a tiny thing to point out, but I’m kind of obsessed with Ginger Minj biting one of the spikes on Acid Betty’s Werk Room look.
Same goes the Ru/Ginger/Daya Betty walk-through exchange: Look how suntanned you are!” “Ohhhhhh, no, it’s just rosacea.” “There’s an ointment for that, Ginger.” See how you can make good TV without being horrible? Certain other queens could never.
Lyra: The best part of All Stars 10×07 was how the Queens divided up into groups. Like… there was a little tension. But it was all grounded in wanting to do the best and work with the best. Can’t believe we’re getting drama that isn’t toxic trash and that is entertaining. Who knew that was possible? *stares at the camera*
So, there wasn’t exactly a full runway this week, but what did you think of the outfits the queens made? Who did you love, hate, or feel was just meh?
Jeanette: Daya Betty was giving me sea-witch Maleficent, and I dug it! Unfortunately, Ginger’s outfit didn’t have quite the same oomph. When I started thinking of it as Creature From the Black Lagoon meets Pageant Queen, it helped. Still, it definitely lacked compared to Daya’s, and I wish they had either gone more far-out with the camp or more fashion-forward.
The other outfit I loved? Cynthia’s. Costumey? Sure, but it was also stunning and just plain fun.
Shana: I thought Ginger was gorgeous, and Daya Betty was her perfect, evil opposite. Kinda obsessed with Cynthia Lee Fontaine’s magic cucu chancla, and while I thought her and Alyssa Hunter’s looks were overall not on the same level as the other two teams’, I still loved their creativity and pride in who they were.
Full offense to my taste: As I was watching the presentations, I was going to say Denali’s was a little bit simple for me (especially as someone coming from the figure skating world…girl), whereas Acid Betty’s stunned. But now that The Law Roach totally read Acid Betty for her drape with a safety pin…nevermind.
Lyra: As much as I love Ginger… her outfit wasn’t it. The hair, physicality, and voiceover was 10/10. But her look was pedestrian and kind of… off the rack looking. (Somewhere I feel Shana’s eye twitching.) Cynthia and Alyssa were also a bit disappointing. It felt like they were on two different wavelengths even though they agreed to this concept. All of the other Queens looks were… a bit forgettable. Like so much so I can’t remember them unless I look through these photos in this roundtable. But Denali’s arms in that dress tho… now that was an absolute vision. And yes, a vision even though the back of the dress needed work.
Do you agree with RuPaul’s top two All Stars in episode 7?
Jeanette: Totally! Ginger’s outfit was the only thing keeping Daya and Ginger from a perfect score, really. However, it didn’t matter. Their comedy was top-notch, and I knew even before I saw the other performances that they won, unless someone pulled out something really surprising.
Denali and Acid had a cute story that definitely resonated with the theme of Wicked, but they lacked that charisma and confidence that comes so naturally to Ginger–and Daya kept right up with her. And I mean, come on. That Ginger Minj lip sync was powerful. She put her soul into that one, and I felt every second of it. Win well-deserved.
Shana: I mean, obviously. Ginger Minj or bust. If she has nobody rooting for her to win it all, I’m dead.
Lyra: As soon as I saw Ginger’s reaction to Cynthia and Ariana, I knew she was going to win. And I was right. That always happens when a Queen connects with talent. It also helps that Ginger’s voiceover comedy work was fun and connected with all the judges.
RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars airs new episodes every Friday on Paramount+.
