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. With the semi-finals coming to a close in All Stars 10 episode 11, the remaining Queens face off in the long-awaited lip sync battle. From the underrated performances to the big winner, we discuss it all in our All Stars 10 episode 12 breakdown.
Note: This breakdown includes spoilers for episode 12 of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars Season 10.
Okay, first things first, let’s talk about the wild card vote. How did you feel when Kerri Colby came back to the competition?
Jeanette: Can I just say, “Thank God it wasn’t Mistress?” I love Kerri, and I’m glad she got a shot to come back, even if she was only there for a hot second. Personally, I think she slayed her lip sync, but more on that later.
Shana: I was relieved and happy for her, but I also felt like she was going to get done dirty. Fairly often, queens who get eliminated and then return to the competition don’t last long. This situation was no different, and it was kinda shady that the girls had her ranked last on the Rate-A-Queen. She’s a fierce competitor and a threat to anyone who wants a crown. That’s why Mistress and her minions did what they did to her in the first place!
Lyra: I’m with Jeanette and Shana. Thank God it wasn’t Mistress. Because this whole bracket thing is such a mess I didn’t understand who was coming back. But Ms. Kerri Colby. I love her. Truly do. Think she’s a fierce Queen. But I knew she wasn’t going to make it through. Has a Queen ever returned at the end and knocked a main contender out of the competition. Truly asking because I can’t remember.
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What was your favorite moment between the queens in All Stars 10 episode 12?
Jeanette: The queens talking about what drag and being on Drag Race means to them got me a little emotional, and I’m going to drop what Aja said because I think it’s something we can ALL relate to:
“Winning is just the ultimate F you to anyone who didn’t believe in you or anyone who didn’t see it, but more than anything, it’s a big F you to the little part in ourselves that actually believed it.”
That right there is calling out that “inner saboteur” that Ru speaks so often about. All those queens have it. We all have it, and I think it’s so important to remember that it doesn’t speak for or represent our true selves.
Shana: Weirdly, I don’t know if I have anything specific. Maybe I’ll just go with their support for each other/the little compliments they made about the lip syncs?
Lyra: The best moment from the finale… was Daya Betty and Bosco. There’s a lot of stuff that ends up on the cutting floor. And I think that’s why I didn’t clock how close Daya and Bosco were. But this moment was lovely and a reminder that this is reality and there are real people behind this. Once they leave All Stars, they continue working together. That doesn’t take away the hurt though of eliminating your sister. And that’s what happened with Daya and Bosco.
Did anyone else feel like the vibes were off this episode? Do you think All Stars should continue with this Bracket formatting going forward?
Jeanette: When the queens were in the Werkroom commenting that it didn’t feel like a finale, I wholeheartedly agreed. Eight queens going into an All Stars finale feels like A LOT, and I think it hurts the stakes. Usually, when Drag Race whittles it down to three or four queens, it feels more personal. The suspense is heightened, and I’m sitting on the couch like a bundle of nerves. Here, it just felt… blah?
Like, okay, I love, adore, and worship Ginger Minj (you know this if you’ve been reading our breakdowns since episode 7), and she undoubtedly deserved to win, but the process leading up to it was pretty lackluster. Did I know it would come down to Ginger and Jorgeous? Yes. Did it seem like we were watching other meaningless lip syncs just to get to that point? Also yes. At times, it felt less like reality TV and more like a scripted series. I think All Stars 10 wanted us to be like, “This is the moment you’ve been waiting for,” but instead, I just kept thinking, “Well, yeah, Ginger should’ve been crowned in All Stars 6, and why are there seven other queens here?”
Hopefully, they ditch the Bracket formula going forward. It was okay enough for a one-off season, but I like the more traditional format of All Stars 2 (Will we ever have a season like that again?). Send people packing. Free up Werkroom space. Make it a true competition series where the best compete against the best. The Brackets could work in theory, but they need a longer season. Cramming all the good stuff into the last three episodes felt too rushed.
Shana: I honestly feel like the majority of this finale could’ve been an email. The melodrama of whose ball gets picked, the Rate-A-Queen, Ru repeatedly explaining things like everyone was new…it was a waste of time. Going into the finale with eight queens was too much, too. Maybe four queens, less chatter, and one final runway would’ve made it work better.
Overall, the tournament/bracket style was interesting to try once, or maybe even every so many seasons, but I don’t think I’d want it to see it every single All Stars season. Honestly, we should be switching it up as much and as often as possible anyway. There are 298374938743 things in this franchise. Make them stand out and be memorable, please and thank you.
Lyra: The finale was sooooo weighed down by too many competitors. That made it feel like there were no stakes because we still had a bunch of episodes to go. But we didn’t have a lot of episodes. It just felt like it. Truly the bracket system was so disorienting. It made it feel like the points the Queens earned throughout the season meant nothing.
Alsoooooo it kind of felt like the Queens were also listless. Because these lipsyncs, they weren’t it. (Besides Daya and Bosco, of course. That was magic.) I’ve seen better lipsyncs in day one of regular seasons of Drag Race. For All Stars 10 I was expecting EVERYONE to bring it. But it felt like they were dancing at a drag brunch instead of on the RuPaul stage.
Were there any queens you think were overlooked in the lip sync smackdown?
Jeanette: I’m… maybe… going to say something controversial, but Kerri and Aja slayed. Truly, I thought they both won their lip syncs, which is ironic since they competed against Ginger and Jorgeous, respectively. That said, I like to think that Ru considers track record here, as well. Would it have been fair for Ginger—who won every Bracket 3 challenge, multiple lip syncs, and one of the two semi-final challenges—to lose a shot at the crown to a previously eliminated queen? That’s a big no from me. Realistically, I would have flung my remote across the room.
In the case of Aja vs. Jorgeous, that’s where I whisper… favoritism. It’s Jorgeous, and it’s a lip sync battle, and, well, we all know how much Ru loves Jorgeous. However, if this were purely RuPaul’s Lip Sync Extravaganza, I’d argue Kerri and Aja had a real shot at going forward. (But also, I agree with Irene—Kerri, why didn’t you take your hair down???)
There’s also something to be said about Lydia’s performance of Shakira’s “Whenever, Wherever.” When I rewatched the lip syncs, that one stuck out to me partly because it was so weird. Like, it’s not how I’d expect anyone to dance to a Shakira song. It was giving cutesy Harley Quinn, and yeah, it worked for me, even though I agree it didn’t deserve to win.
Shana: Kerri Colby. Full offense: I don’t even care that Ginger Minj beat her. In fact, I’m glad she did because that meant she could go to the next round. On the other hand, since she was brought back as the so-called wild card, it would’ve been nice to actually get to see her lip sync. I feel like, instead of production being honest about it being close and the judging being totally subjective, they heavily edited the performance to just show Ginger slaying while barely touching on what Kerri was doing. What little bit I saw, I think, fit the song. I would’ve liked to see more. Period.
My second one would be Aja. As much as I adore Jorgeous and think she absolutely slayed her second two lip syncs, I thinks she did too much too soon against Aja…and repeatedly missed the words. Aja, on the other hand, gave us plenty of moves—while also slaying the actual lip syncing part of the lip sync. What she did was just way more balanced. Period.
Lyra: Overlooked Queen was definitely Aja. She was this close and almost had it in the bag. Also, her outfit was intriguing. But I knew it wasn’t going to end her way because of how much Ru loves Jorgeous. Not enough to let her win. But enough to invite her to Drag Race over and over again. Which, that in itself is really annoying because Jorgeous is a fierce Queen. But the way they treat her makes it seem like they don’t think she’s actual competition or someone who can handle that crown.
But back to Aja. I think if it was another song, she would’ve absolutely destroyed Jorgeous. Aja needs a little edge and punk in her music. But there’s always next time.
Who was your favorite lip sync performance in episode 12?
Jeanette: Bosco really hit me with some whiplash. The feathers. The t*ties. The song. It all worked, and I screamed about as loud as Kerri did in her confessional when Bosco did that little feather peek-a-boo thing while lying on the ground. It was soooo good! (Why did she then give me awkward, outstretched Pearl arm movements in the following lip sync? Why, Bosco? Why????)
Shana: I hate to say it, but Jorgeous and Butthole with the Shakira lip sync. First of all, I will forever be bitter that Butthole had these past couple of episodes in her, when her movement quality has otherwise been the loose and lazy type. If she hit the runway and stomped it the way she did during her battle with Jorgeous, she might wind up being one of my favorites. Dangerous.
And Jorgeous, I mean…come on. The whole lip sync smackdown was totally manipulated to make RuPaul’s faves square off against each other, and the fact that Jorgeous got that song told you who was going to win immediately. She’s made for it.
Lyra: Firstly, I disagree with Shana. You think Lydia Butthole Collins did good at Shakira?! Yeah, if she were one of those wacky long floats that dance outside of card dealerships. Like I said earlier, a song can kill you, especially if not part of your style. Shakira wasn’t part of Lydia’s anything. So her lip-sync didn’t work at the end of the song. But at least she had fun.
Favorite favorite lipsync was 100% Bosco and Daya. Bosco embodied the burlesque song and was completely in her element. It was sensual, fitting for her style, and she used her props masterfully. As for Daya, she manages to transform based on the song, a rare feat. And there’s this edge to her that works for whatever she throws herself into. I’m definitely going to keep an eye out for this Queen in the future.
Did you agree with RuPaul’s final decision to pit Jorgeous and Ginger against each other in the final lip sync battle?
Jeanette: I mean, yeah. Once we got through the first round of lip syncs, my spidey-senses told me it would come down to Ginger and Jorgeous. Both are fierce performers in very different ways. And, really, it became a battle between old-school drag and new-school drag. Ginger has 15 years on Joregous, and that experience shows.
I avoided the internet at all costs before writing this, but I bet—no, know—that some fans will say Ginger got outperformed by Joregous. Still, I stand by what I have said previously, Jorgeous can get lost when she goes against queens like Ginger, who don’t necessarily dance but have enough stage presence and magnetism to make up for it.
Shana: As a surprise to absolutely no one, yes. (Aside from Aja being robbed earlier, at least.) I came into this season very excited about both of these two queens, so I would just like to say thank you to production for doing my bidding.
Lyra: I don’t know. Honestly. And it’s not because I don’t think that Jorgeous and Ginger aren’t fierce Queens. They are. But the entire lipsync showdown felt weird and out of place. So by the time we got to the end, I was looking back at the whole season, and this episode, and going, “What was the point, again?”
I know we are all Ginger fans here. Any closing thoughts about her big win?
Jeanette: I’m thrilled! I’m crying! I’m clapping!
From the moment I saw Ginger in the cast list, I wanted her to win, and I’m glad she did while looking like a mash-up of Dolly Parton and ‘80s Stevie Nicks. Still, I wish she had gotten a more thrilling finale, which (as I said above) I blame more on the Bracket formatting than anything else. You know when you watch a really good movie and you’re completely engaged and loving every second of it, but then the ending sucks? That’s kind of how I felt here. And let me be clear, when I say the “ending sucks,” I’m not talking about Ginger winning, I’m talking about the lip sync smackdown as a whole.
Listen, I know there is a lot of controversy about Ginger Minj winning and coming back to All Stars in the first place. But guess what? I don’t want to hear it. The woman is damn talented and has come pretty darn close to winning multiple times (other than All Stars 2). That “favoritism” everyone keeps crying about? It’s called Charisma, Uniqueness, Nerve, and Talent, honey—don’t get it twisted. If we are going by track record, Ginger outperformed these girls, and they all were intimidated by her. She’s a rare talent and the complete package. *Opens new tab to buy Ginger Minj merch.*
Also, it’s about time a big girl got a crown!
Shana: On a serious note, I just hate that it was soooo painfully obvious that Ginger Minj was basically going to win it all along. They might as well have called this “All Stars 10: Crown the Minj.” It’s just going to fuel more haters. That’s the last thing someone this talented, who could’ve earned this on her own (and did in Season 7 when she was robbed!), needs.
I also hate that, after all this time, Ginger only won after losing weight. Coincidence or not, it’s certainly some kind of look for the series.
However. With that being said…*clears throat*…
OUR LONG NATIONAL NIGHTMARE IS OVER. Between this and Raven’s crowning during Snatch Game, I live. Now, how do I rig some competitions to get justice for Jujubee and Kennedy Davenport while also drawing up my conspiracy board on how Marina Summers can still win Slaysian Royale while actually being a judge?
Lyra: Firstly, congratulations Ginger. You’ve worked very hard to get to this place and I’m proud of you. Secondly, the fans need to relax. Seriously. They have been the worst part of this season. And it’s become abundantly clear that if you’re not white or skinny, you’re going to get absolutely obliterated. Ginger won. You’re disappointed. But that doesn’t give you permission to leave her vile comments. Check yourself. Seriously.
Any closing thoughts about All Stars 10 as a whole? Drop them now!
Jeanette: Justice for Tina Burner!
Shana: Needed more Nicole Paige Brooks and less Mistress. Also would’ve liked Ginger’s triumphant “we did it, Joe!” to have not been a little heartbreaking, considering. Alas.
WE DID IT, GINGER.
Lyra: I know Drag Race is always trying to reinvent itself to viewers watching. But I think they misunderstand the fact that we watch this show for the Queens. Not the format. Not the points. We watch for the Queens. And if you’ve gotten this far as a franchise, trust yourself and stop reinventing yourself. Please.
