Despite the controversies of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars Season 10, All Stars 11 continues with the bracket format. Again, 18 queens divide into three brackets of six, competing against each other for those coveted MVQ (Most Valuable Queen) points until the two highest point holders move forward to the semi-finals.
All Stars 11 has a good mix of queens from various seasons, with Bracket 2 featuring multiple queens from Seasons 6 and 15, along with queens from Seasons 11 and 12. The full roster is as follows:
- April Carrión (Season 6)
- Aura Mayari (Season 15)
- Crystal Methyd (Season 12)
- Salina EsTitties (Season 15)
- Silky Nutmeg Ganache (Season 11)
- Vivacious (Season 6)
Unlike Bracket 1, which featured two All Stars alum in A’keria and Morgan, Silky Nutmeg Ganache is the only Drag Race ultra veteran in Bracket 2. In addition to competing in All Stars 6, she also represented the US in Canada’s Drag Race: Canada vs The World.
With Bracket 2 coming to an end with All Stars 11, Episode 6, we rewind, revisit, and review the bracket. Are we happy with the semi-finalists? Read on to find out.
Let’s talk about the Salina drama? Having too many alliances NEVER works out, it seems.
Jeanette: Truthfully, I haven’t watched the drama circulating from Untucked yet, but from what I’m hearing, Salina and Aura got in a tiff. I’m not surprised. The second half of Episode 6 primarily focused on Salina going around the room and trying to forge alliances with pretty much the entire cast—Crystal, April, Aura, and Silky. Vivacious seemed like the only one spared? And yet, it didn’t work out. Not a single queen gave her their MVQ point in the end. I swear this kind of thing happens every season, and no one seems to learn. But, hey, I guess… keep trying?
MORE: Catch up with our ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 11’ Bracket 1 Review (& Who Makes It to the Semi-Finals)
Lyra: Firstly, I would like to thank Salina for bringing the drama to the Bracket 2. Even though I liked it better than Bracket 1, it was getting a little too sweet for me. Salina brought the entertainment and messiness. Because after all, this is reality. And if you’re not playing a game and trying to win, what’s even the point?
Keeping all of that in mind, Salina’s biggest mistake is that she was super obvious about asking everyone for an alliance. And the other queens clocked that. It made it so Salina didn’t come off as loyal. She came off as opportunistic. And yes, this is reality TV and I appreciate the hustle, but you also need to have trust. Because this is also a popularity friendship game, especially with those MVQ points.
It’s like that saying goes: a friend to all is a friend to none.
Shana: Is it weird if I say it somehow…didn’t bother me? Like, it made for good TV and all that. It just didn’t feel outwardly mean the way some of what happened in All Stars 10 did. Or, maybe, this is just what counts as “normal” now after that. Either way. Obviously, like Lyra said, Salina was way too obvious about what she was doing. If she’d just played it a little smarter, who knows?
Do you have an all-time favorite runway look in Bracket 2?
Jeanette: Gah! This is hard. Honestly, I’m torn between Salina EsTitties’ and Aura Mayari’s runway looks in the “You Butter Ask Somebody” category. Both are absolutely stunning, and I love that Salina’s outfit pays respect to her late mother. That said, Aura’s period-set Filipino dress and umbrella are also jaw-dropping. It’s truly a “Sophie’s choice” for me, so don’t make me pick!
Side note: I also really loved Silky’s pink, sparkly body suit in the Duets challenge. What a gorgeous color on her!
Lyra: I think Crystal’s “You Butter Ask Somebody” is my favorite outfit. And it’s because it found a beautiful balance between all the crazy that is part of Crystal’s style and the elegance and craftsmanship that the stage demands. If anything, Crystal needs to remember this look and help it guide her from going over the top like she did with the Family Resemblance challenge. Cuz that was a mess.
The Butter challenge also gave me another favorite in Salina’s look. It was refined and elegant. And it goes to show you how far this queen has come when it comes to her craft. 10’s all around for that look.
Shana: Honestly, I was kind of obsessed with the look Vivacious brought to “You Butter Ask Somebody.” The lip didn’t bother me. At all. Sorry, not sorry, to Michelle Visage.
What was your favorite challenge in Bracket 2?
Jeanette: This is a tough one because I do love the connections the queens make with the guests in the Family Resemblance challenge—they’re always some of the most emotional episodes. However, the disconnect between each judge’s opinion on “family resemblance” drives me crazy (cough, cough, Michelle). With that said, I’m sticking with the Duets challenge in Episode 4. I always love hearing the lyrics the queens come up with. And, for the record, Aura and Crystal were my favorite—Aura, specifically, like holy cow!
MORE: Revisit the franchise with our RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 18, Episode 10 Breakdown
Lyra: Despite how messy it is, I love the Family Resemblance challenge. Because despite the judges split opinions on… well, everything, the actual non-drag competitors save the episode every time. We get to learn so much about the competitors but also the communities they impact. Also the transformations are always fun, with Vivacious and her family looking great. Same thing with Salina.
For creativity, I have to say the How-To challenge. It’s different for us as a viewer. But behind-the-scenes it shows how you work with a team and whether you have a clear vision of your drag or not. Do I agree with the winner? Nah. But I’d like to see more creativity like this.
Shana: The mini challenge from this final week had me wheezing way too hard. So, I’m going with that.
Who was your frontrunner going into All Stars 11 Bracket 2 and did that change by Episode 6?
Jeanette: Crystal Methyd was the queen I was most excited to see in Bracket 2. Not only does Crystal seem like a genuinely nice person, but I also love that she has this golden retriever-esque vibe that conceals this deeper, more calculating side of her. She’s competitive, she’s weird, and she’s just an overall delight.
That didn’t necessarily change as Bracket 2 progressed. However, what surprised me was how Silky started to steal my heart. Previously, I’d classify my thoughts on Silky as complicated. She is a talented queen with whip-smart humor. However, we all know she had a bit of an attitude problem in Season 11 and, if you’re asking me, a bit of one in All Stars 6. But people grow and change, and I can see a lot of growth in Silky. She came back trying to be more authentic and polished, and it shows. Like Ru, I have now fallen under the spell of the Reverend Doctor Silky Nutmeg Ganache.
Lyra: Begrudgingly, I knew that Crystal would make it far in Bracket 2. She already has Ru’s favor because of her past time on the show. But like I wasn’t feeling her in Bracket 2. Ok, your drag is nice. But what else is there? What are you like as a person? Who are your friends? What are the connections you’re making with the other queens. Because I understand being calculating. But she continuously gave us nothing in actually seemingly liking anyone. And half of this game is drag while the other half is personality.
This is why I think Silky is a more balanced queen. She’s not in her drag at the Crystal level, but who is? But her drag is good, she understands her proportions like no one’s business, and she’s fun to watch. Also, she makes Ru laugh and has connected with the other queens to the point where she seems like she’s having a genuinely good time.
Shana: I knew Silky was going to be up there because she’s been here so many times and absolutely wouldn’t come back again without bringing something special. Between Alyssa Edwards winning Global All Stars and Ginger Minj winning last season of All Stars, I also figured the pattern would hold. No surprise here—so far, it’s holding. (But All Stars 11 simply has more than one person who could fit that pattern, so, that next bracket had better deliver the way I both want and anticipate…)
Are you happy with the Bracket 2 queens moving forward to the semi-finals?
Jeanette: Overall, yes! I do really like Aura and wish she got higher marks, especially because she was so iconic in the Duets challenge. However, Crystal was my frontrunner coming into this, and Silky ended up being a surprise favorite. I didn’t necessarily vibe with every runway choice Crystal made, but her vibe overall outweighs any of that for me. If she had toned down her look in the family resemblance challenge, she probably could’ve won that, too, which would’ve given her a three-out-of-three win.
Still, I’m relatively happy with the queens moving forward in Bracket 2, but best believe I’m still mourning Morgan McMichaels disqualification from the semi-finals in Bracket 1. #JusticeForMorgan
Lyra: Omg Jeanette it’s like you read my mind. Justice for Morgan from Bracket 1! But yes, for Bracket 2, I’m kind of satisfied. Crystal is the logical choice. And Silky too. I do wish we got to see more of Salina being messy. She makes good TV.
Shana: 50%, yes. Silky makes sense to me, given both her vast experience (no shade) and what she brought here. But I’m just…not a fan of Crystal. Her drag is extremely hit or miss for me, and while I understand that not all art is going to be loved the same by everyone, I’m just like, there were better options. I think Salina was robbed in last week’s challenge, and if All Stars 11 actually followed the traditional Drag Race format, I’d be sending her home for what she did to that pediatrician in the makeover challenge. It was just messy, cluttered, and the only “family resemblance” to it was “two hoarders chilling in the same basement.”
