Now Drag Race has become the pop culture phenomenon that it is- the more spin off's we are beginning to see of this beloved show, with its influence now spanning the globe and exploring the world of Drag from Holland to Australia! This is so exciting to see, and every season I see of these new iterations just seems to get better. Which makes me very excited for the day when we finally get an international 'All Stars'. Because I for one, really enjoy the 'All Stars' formula. Seeing your favourite queens return to the show, with more polish, more experience and ready to show the world even more of their Charisma, Uniqueness, Nerve and Talent than ever before! I love that you get to see the development that these drag personas have undertaken since being on the show the first time, and its so nice to see the queens you love get another chance at the crown! Needing my weekly fix of Drag Race, I am really looking forward to seeing what AS6 will bring. And that got me thinking about the other seasons... and the specific triumphs and pitfalls they had.
So, In honour of All Stars 6, which is set to release later this month, today we are definitively ranking all series of 'All Stars' to date, from worst to best!
5. All Stars 1
I'm sure this placement won't come as too much of a surprise to fans of the franchise, as it is generally regarded as the weaker of the series. This essentially boils down to its formatting. For some slightly bemusing reason- for 'All Stars' first outing, they decided to have the queens compete as teams, their fates- both good and bad, being effectively tied together. Its safe to say that this was not a popular decision, and was (thankfully!) scrapped after the first Season. It seems a real shame looking back, as All Stars 1 had some of the most talented queens of Drag Race herstory, who really deserved better. Chad Michael's win was most definitely well earned, but I would have loved to see queens like Nina Flowers and Pandora Boxx get a fairer shot at reaching the crown too.
4. All Stars 5
All Stars 5 was Shea's season to win, and boy did she ever deliver- with stunning look after look, comedy chops and all round Charisma, Uniqueness, Nerve and Talent. It was also amazing having Jujubee back on our screens, as a fan favourite who did better than ever before! The 'lip sync assassin' twist brought something a little different to the show, and it was nice seeing some familiar faces back on our screens- even if only for a single lip sync. However, sadly not all the challenges were up to the usual 'All Stars' standard and the drama between the cast was much more sad than it was entertaining with poor Alexis Mateo's chance at the crown being effectively ruined by a string of untruths. It was all just a little hard to watch at times. Despite there being some genuinely enjoyable moments in there, the roast and 'snatch game' being huge highlights of the season- it just wasn't quite as riveting as some of the previous seasons.
3. All Stars 3
I personally really enjoyed this Season of All Stars, and felt that it was on the whole a strong Season. Shangela shone throughout, the talent contest was one of the best- with Aja, Dela and Trixie slaying, and Dela's epic farewell?! This season was full of iconic moments. I know that certain fans were really unhappy with Trixie's win, but honestly when taking in to account all she had done in the real world leading up to her All Stars appearance, it was not all that surprising to me. Plus I love Trixie, so it wasn't exactly an outcome that I was unhappy with. However, I think everyone can agree that the jury idea was not a great one, and I'm glad that that particular twist only lasted for the one season that it did. For me, the one thing that really bothered me about this season was the favoritism... something that always niggles at during certain seasons, and in this one I really did feel sorry for Thorgy, who seemed most effected by the production shenanigans this time around.
2. All Stars 4
I remember turning to my partner as they were about the crown the winner of AS4, and saying 'I just wish they could crown them both', 'Because I really can't chose who deserves it more'. AND THEN THEY DID, and I was honestly so gobsmacked it still gives me goosebumps thinking about it. I know that this is not exactly a popular twist, by any means but its one that I personally was a fan of. Manila was of course a huge stand out this season dominating challenges and runways, in a way that even she had never done before. Her early elimination was of course a blow, and the less said about that 'Sex and the City' sketch the better. But generally the standard of the season was pretty great- with Monet and Monique bringing the heart, and the comedy by the bucket full, fan favourites like Manila and Latrice making re-appearances, and Valentina living in her own hilariously delusional fantasy world. The series was all in all a very entertaining one indeed.
1. All Stars 2
I think we all knew this was coming- AS2 is of course the undeniable winner, not only being the best that All Stars has to offer, but perhaps even being one of the best Drag Race series of all time. This particular iteration just seemed to have it all. The shows newer, better format of having the queens lip sync for their legacy was new and exciting, every episode seemed to be strong and memorable and every cast member was not only a fan favourite, but a fan favourite bringing their A game. Detox brought the fashion every single week, Tatianna took us all by surprise with her immense growth and brought the house down with her performances, Alyssa was Alyssa- which is always a laugh riot, and Katya did what she does best and brought heart, soul and a little vulnerablity to the werkroom. From Tatianna iconic talent show performance, to the infamous 'Read U, Wrote U' challenge. It was all sheer perfection.
Do you agree with this ranking? Let me know in the comments below! And tell me who you think will snatch the win in AS6!
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