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.
With Kennedy Davenport and Sam Star going home during the semi-finals, six queens entered the finale for a disco-themed lip-sync smackdown:
- A’keria C. Davenport
- Crystal Methyd
- Dawn
- Jasmine Kennedie
- Joey Jay
- Silky Nutmeg Ganache
With only one queen taking the crown, here’s who wins All Stars 11 as we rewind, revisit, and review the big finale. Are we happy with the results? Read on to find out.
Before we get into the details, is there one queen you’re still shocked didn’t make it to the finale?
Jeanette: Kennedy going home in the semi-finals utterly took me by surprise. Was her storytelling performance the best? No. However, it was one mishap in a really strong run. If Ru had been the judge instead of that dastardly Rate-A-Queen, who knows? Maybe Kennedy would’ve been in the finale, where she surely could’ve stomped the lip-sync.
Oh, also, I’m still PLEADING for justice for Morgan McMichaels!
MORE: Catch up with our ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 11’ Bracket 3 Review (& Who Makes It to the Semi-Finals)
Lyra: Jeanette took my answer because yes, I’M STILL THINKING ABOUT MORGAN MCMICHAELS! Out of everyone, I feel like she should’ve gone further. She has the charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent. And as much as I like Dawn, she is given leeway because Ru likes her. That doesn’t take away from her talent. Just means that when she doesn’t do as great, she still does great.
And if there were one queen I was bamboozled that didn’t make it past the first round, Morphine Love Dion. She’s a superstar, and just woah, how didn’t she make it?! But that’s what we have to deal with when it comes to this bracket system on Drag Race. Talented, occasionally messy, queens don’t make it past their bracket.
Do you have an all-time favorite look in the finale?
Jeanette: Again, Jasmine Kennedie! The gold was absolutely stunning on her. I’d argue Crystal still bested her in the lip-sync even though Jasmine was great. Still, it was hard to yank my eyes away from Jasmine because she looked so hot!
Lyra: I actually really like the outfit Joey Jay wore during the finale. It moved really well and it matched her personality. But if I’m being honest honest, none of the outfits actually wowed me. They could’ve fit in any other episode of the season, which takes away the ooomph of the season finale.
Which lip-sync did you find the most tense?
Jeanette: All the ones Joey Jay was in. Joey grew to have such a strong place in my heart over the course of All Stars 11. While I still wish Morgan had a chance to come back, I wasn’t disappointed that Joey showed up instead. Joey was absolutely right. She was the wildcard, so when Joey got matched with Silky, I thought, “This is going to be a massacre.” However, as the lip-sync went on, I was like, “Okay, I think Joey has this!” Silky is a fierce competitor and lip-syncer all around, so it’s a huge win for Joey, never mind her going on to the Top 2. It’s about time we had a gay runner-up on RuPaul’s Drag Race.
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Lyra: I’m with Jeanette again on this. Sorry not sorry but Joey Jay did an amazing job on her lipsyncs. So much so that I think that if we based the winner of season 11 on the lipsync… SHE WOULD’VE WON THE WHOLE THING! She embodied every song, was fun, was funny, oh and she lost herself so much in the song that I forgot that she wasn’t singing the song. And Joey did such a good job that it showed how the other queens need to elevate their lipsync skills. Sorry, not sorry.
Are you happy with Crystal Methyd winning All Stars 11?
Jeanette: Listen, go back to our All Stars 11 Bracket 2, and you’ll see I’ve been a Crystal fan since the beginning. Funny enough, Crystal’s drag isn’t normally my thing. However, she’s stolen my heart. She seems like a genuinely sweet person, and I was always looking forward to seeing what zany antics she cooks up. Honestly, Crystal is a great All Stars winner. She’s shown growth, and she is unapologetically herself.
That said, I’m absolutely thrilled Joey came in second. I felt like Dawn, who was cheering her on hard from the Werkroom. Crystal’s track record was better, so that always felt like the right choice, but I love that Joey got to come back as a complete wild card and show everyone just who the heck she is. Plus, I now have a whole repertoire of Joeyisms. Joey undoubtedly had the BEST quotes in All Stars 11. Period.
Lyra: I’m ehhh on the Crystal Methyd win. On one hand, of course I’m glad we got a Latina winner, especially one so in touch with her community and identity. And I love how Crystal lives her own life on her own terms, especially when it comes to her drag. But if we’re going to say that it’s the lipsyncs that determine the winner in the finale, Crystal wouldn’t have won. Track record, sure. But lipsync, no.
Also… I don’t think Crystal has the charisma needed to be the face of Drag Race. She’s got the uniqueness for sure. But I don’t think it’s enough to form a fully rounded queen. But the fact that Drag Race feels like it’s on its last legs means that they need to shake things up, even if that means setting up who is going to win at the beginning of the season or at the end by making it so Crystal didn’t have to lipsync in the first round.
