Hey gurl! RuPaul is back, along with some of the favorite drag queens from seasons past. All of the contestants on RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars made it THIS close to the ultimate crown, but ultimately failed. Well, ok, Tammie Brown and Mimi Imfurst didn’t really come close, but they were interesting dragtestants. All right, Tammie was interesting. Mimi got crappy editing to look like an insecure drama queen. Perhaps they will both be exonerated this time around.
RuPaul’s All Stars Drag Race features:
- Pandora Boxx (Season 2, top 5)
- Latrice Royale (Season 4, top 4)
- Yara Sofia (Season 3, top 4)
- Shannel (Season 1, top 4)
- Raven (Season 2, top 2)
- Alexis Mateo (Season 3, top 3)
- Chad Michaels (Season 4, top 2)
- Manila Luzon (Season 3, top 2)
- Mimi Imfurst (Season 3, top 11)
- Nina Flowers (Season 1, top 2)
- Jujubee (Season 2, top 3)
- Tammie Brown (Season 1, top 8)
The season starts like most others – each contestant comes strolling down the street into the workroom. The girls get reacquainted with each other, and we get little clips to remind us just who these fabulous queens are. Manila serves up some Cruella de Vil realness. Jujubee feels underdressed. Shannel wears too much everything, although it was the beast’s costume in Beauty and the Beast. A little shade gets thrown, mostly in Mimi’s direction, but for the most part things are positive.
Ru lets them know that this time, the girls need to add an ‘S’ to their Charisma, Uniqueness, Nerve and Talent. That ‘S’ is for Synergy. Like Jem Synergy, I’m sure. You see, my queens, thou shalt complete in teams of two this season. Looking at the schedule and seeing that there are only 6 episodes in this season and 12 contestants, this wrinkle totally makes sense.
Teams are selected via fans. Not internet fans or anything, actual paper fans. These paper fans come in a large box. Latrice points out if Shangela is in that box again, she’s going to sit on it & then no more Shangela. Nope, no Shangela, just fans. Each contestant select who they’d like to be paired up with by selecting that person’s fan. Where there’s a match, there’s a pair. No match = try again until there’s only 2 girls left.
Not surprisingly, drag queens that have known each other for-ev-ah select each other. This includes Team Shad – Shannel and Chad Michaels (two perfectionists on the same team? I’m sure that’ll work well). Most other teams just like each other. Until we come down to the final 2 – Pandora Boxx and Mimi Imfurst. Poor Pandora. She is not liking this whole team competition very much. Instead of putting on her big girl panties, though, she’s allowing herself to have a bit of a table for one pity party. Unattractive, Pandora, play nice.
Here’s the team breakdown:
- Team Latrila (Latrice Royale & Manila Luzon)
- Team Yarlexis (Alexis Mateo & Yara Sofia)
- Team Mandora (Mimi Imfurst & Pandora Boxx)
- Team Rujubee (Raven & Jujubee)
- Team Shad (Shannel & Chad Michaels)
- Team Brown Flowers (Tammie Brown & Nina Flowers)
The teams have a 2-part challenge: first, to be photographed with each other not fully in drag and second, to do an “opposites attract” photo shoot. They also have to do each other’s makeup. It’s at this point that Manila questions her choice and Pandora wonders why Mimi’s giving her ginormous lips. Many strategies are discussed – some good, some naked, some overthought. Ok, most overthought.
During the first photo, Chad and Shannel of course direct their own photo shoot, much to the irritation of their actual photographer. Manila and Latrice do a prom pose. The second photo features black rain. For most queens, this means running makeup, falling wigs and soaked sequins. For Raven, only two of those three things apply because she’s completely naked. Makes for easy cleanup!
Time to get ready for the mainstage! Pandora and Mimi make up, sort of, in a very “we’re stuck in this team together” kind of way. Much discussion happens about Raven’s nudity. And Tammie Brown talks about a lot of things – moons, saving grandmothers, and various other things that make no sense whatsoever. Between this All Stars episode & the Untucked that followed, Tammie seems to have her own brand of Tourettes – perhaps it’s Tamrettes, the random spewing of unrelated things (“I saved my grandmother!”) at inappropriate times.
With all the talk, our dragtestants pull it together & show off some fabulous outfits on the runway. In the cartoon corner, team Latrila goes with a Teletubbies theme and team Mandora is inspired by neon green Muppets. Rujubee goes burlesque and Brown Flowers loves leather. Yarlexis mostly used photos of themselves as costume. And Team Shad goes with the more-is-more theme with their Welcome to the Jungle meets Dungeons & Dragons.
And the winners are – Team Latrila! Santino comments that Team Shad collectively has a questionable taste level. Other things are said about other RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars contestants behind their back. So shady.
The bottom two teams are revealed to be Team Shad and Team Mandora. In keeping with the team twist this season, one member of the team will lip-synch and one will watch. The team member that watches will be able to stop the lip-synch during the first minute and take over but each team will only be able to use this power once during the season. This is only to be used in a shemergency; use that power thoughtfully! Oops, wrong show. Sorry Tim Gunn.
This match-up pits Mimi Imfurst versus Chad Michaels. Mimi does not pick Chad up, but she doesn’t win lip-synch either. Mimi Imfurst and Pandora Boxx are the first two queens eliminated. Boo! Of course, Pandora really did bring this on herself with her attitude.
Until next week, good luck, and don’t f*** it up! May the best bitch win.
RuPaul’s Drag Race All Star Photo Credit: Mathu Andersen
Pandora deserved to go home. She is NOT funny she just tells everyone she is. She had a revolting attitude. Her attempt to motivate her team mate to come back in and win was a poor attempt at trying to say what Chad had just said moments earlier. Why when she saw how bad the lipsync was didn’t she buzz in ? Because she was to scared to have to go up against a real star.
Love your name Penny Tration!
Pandora didn’t get a chance with,”MeMe,I’m First”as her partner! What a tragedy! 🙁 Pandora got taken advantage of by that bully MeMe & was set too be miserable from the get! How could she possible bring out her best being weighted down by an Opressor, MeMe I’m First!
We are sorry to see the most fun & bubbely Super Star Drag Queen never had a chance…..bring her back! Please bring her back! She is 1 of your best Performers hands down! She deserves another chance….please RuPaul, don’t send her home yet?
Have you checked out Pandora’s Twitter feed?
https://twitter.com/ThePandoraBoxx
She’s got a new video out, which is hilarious, if a bit naughty. (Not the safest for work, depending on where you work.)
From what I know of Pandora her attitude was circumstantial, and probably justified. For years I saw her perform in Rochester, NY and admired her wit and humility. The format of this season and her subsequent departure are a incredibly frustrating. Pandora has a lot of talent and I can’t help but think she was railroaded. How Mimi got back on the show will remain a mystery.
To the shows producers: you’ve taken a wrong turn. In your quest for more drama and excitement you’ve over complicated a good thing and pulled an amazing talent from the spotlight. You and RuPaul also lost a few loyal viewers of the show.
I agree – if you look at both of their Twitter feeds, there doesn’t seem to be any hard feelings.
https://twitter.com/ThePandoraBoxx
https://twitter.com/MimiImfurst
I love RuPaul and have been watching her show from the first season (actually since she was on Project Runway as guest judge promoting the show). As a white straight married woman with children (ie, not the typical viewer, I suppose), I absolutely fell in love with Pandora. Her sense of comedic timing (sometimes accidental, perhaps, like when she dropped her cigarette into the fried chicken during one skit) left me hysterical. I was a true fan and loved seeing her in Orbitz and other commercials and followed her blog religiously. Until last nite. It mat have been the editing. But I was so disappointed to watch Pandora’s sullen behavior after she was matched with Mimie Imfirst. I was no fan of Mimie’s, but my first reaction was, damn, Mimie looks really good and has definitely improved since we’ve last seen her and she is really bringing this on. I wasn’t in Pandora’s position, but I was most surprised that the lady that I admired so much because of her empathy, strength, kindness and sense of humor that was Pandora from the second season was lost on me now. I did not recognize nor like this self pitying, selfish, ungrateful woman who bullied her partner. Did the fame get to Ms. Pandora? Because I can not fathom how, when after Pandora expressed her thoughts of suicide after stating that people didn’t understand her and criticized her on a previous season how she now could turn around and treat someone similarly. And I cannot understand how, even if it was in part due to the editing, how RuPaul could show this awful side of an once fanned persona, for the reason why At least this fan has watched RuPaul religiously throughout all these seasons is because of the constant affirmation that we are all special, irregardless of our gender, our nationality, our sexuality, our size, our color, our creed, our socioeconomics, our politics, etc.
I don’t know about you, but I’m voting for the Green
Let’s face it, there will be a boo every week as these are some fierce queens. I just wish Pandora had left her piss-poor attitude at home!
Not boo! No! Not boo at all! When we get down to Team Latrila versus Team Shad, then we have a problem for sure. Could they not have paired up and spared me a Season’s worth of heartache? Also, I’d like the Half-Baked photos made available for cubicle art. And Chad’s final outfit for slow days at the office.