Xazeal

I completely missed that this show was back, and was surprisingly excited when I found out. Just as I remembered, it's terrible, and perfectly enjoyable. The introductions of the new characters were cringey as fuck. I could barely watch the scene where New Guy randomly showed up at Noah's locker and blew his mind with some clunky "the killing never ends" crap that is clearly going to be the theme of the season. And with them giving Jake the asshole treatment, I thought it was fairly predictable that he was being prepped for murder. I really hope they go there and have one of the remaining five be a killer. It won't be Aubrey because it's too easy, so she's likely making it through the season. It's not Brooke because she's the angel bitch who I'm convinced will be the actual final girl. I don't think it's Kieran, because I think he'll be a mid-season victim. It could be Noah, in which case he'll die in the finale. But mostly, I think and hope that it's Emma, who I'm pretty sure is dying in the finale either way.

Bob is very talented and a deserving winner, but brings nothing I haven't seen before. She doesn't excite me nearly as much as most past winners have - including Violet, who at least set the house on fire with unique looks. It's also hard to get excited about this result when it's exactly what I predicted before the cast was even announced - Bob as the winner, Kim and Naomi as runner-ups. But RuPaul has gone with the predictable outcome every single season, so I guess it was foolish to get my hopes up for anything else. I'm at least incredibly happy that Cynthia won Miss Congeniality.

Redmond hinted on twitter that a final three is not out of the question. If it is a final three, we know Michele is a finalist. The popular theory seems to be that if this is true, the second TC of the finale will actually be about a jury twist, which has been so widely speculated at this point that I can't remember if there's any solid information backing it up. Like others have said I assume the twist involves voting out a juror, or one player gets to remove a juror as a reward. I'm leaning towards this being true. I've been wondering what that Ponderosa footage was about and I really can't find nine people in those photos. I can see Jason, Joe, Julia, Nick, Cydney, Scot, and one other person where there should be three. If it's actually a F3 of Michele/Aubry/Tai and a juror is voted out, it could mean either Debbie or Neal is actually missing from the picture, having been removed from the jury. Neal is also a likely choice for Michele/Tai to remove, being a surefire vote for Aubry.

I guess this could be considered a potential spoiler even though it's from the preview - the new preview shows Michelle wearing the immunity necklace at 18 seconds in. Now, I'm not entirely pretty damn sure it's from this next episode. It might be old footage from her last win in Julia's boot episode but probably not. I've gone back and forth on this at least four six times. We see her walking to tribal in front of Aubry and at least one other person. When she won immunity last time, she did walk in front of Aubry, followed by Joe. Michele's hair also looks identical except from a flower that might just be hidden due to the angle, and the lighting is very similar. However, in the preview clip Aubry is wearing her blue triangle-patterned shirt, whereas in Julia's boot episode it looks like she's wearing her blue vest while they're walking - although she is wearing the triangle-patterned thing at the actual tribal. The shape behind Aubry also looks like it might be Cydney's face and braids. I originally thought this was Joe's arm and the straws from Cydney's torch behind him, but more and more I'm leaning towards it being Cydney. Basically, right now I believe this actually is new footage, and Michele is heading to tribal wearing immunity followed by Aubry and Cydney. We don't know if Tai is with them. I also don't know how much the interns were drinking when they put these clips together, because the immunity necklace is front and center. ETA: Added picture. ETA2: Aubry seems to be wearing a bag on her left shoulder in the preview, but in Julia's boot episode it looks to be on her right. I also 99% sure she was wearing her buff around her neck (like she was at tribal) but here it's on her head. Barring any photoshop magic, this is new footage.

I tend to disagree with that - I think several female winners in recent years have been gamebots and/or static characters. We got no real development from Sophie, Kim, or even Denise, while characters like Monica and Lisa got tons of story and development. This season, I see Aubry being essentially a female version of Spencer, a "growth arc" character who falls just short of winning. On the flip side, Michele got an average of two confessionals per episode pre-merge, mostly narrating her current position, reading the people around her, and looking towards the future. She was objectively irrelevant throughout this entire phase, never even going to tribal prior to the merge, so there was no reason to keep checking in with her thoughts on her tribe or how she felt about the tribe swap. She's only grown from there and it has been incredibly consistent. Basically, I think Aubry would have the exact same edit if she didn't win, but I can't say the same for Michele. Michele is exactly the kind of player that the show ignores, and this season they had every reason to, and they didn't. I agree Cydney hasn't gotten much character-building, and she hasn't gotten much about her game as an individual, either. I haven't counted her out, but Michele is definitely in the top for me followed by Aubry.

I would love a Michele win and I'm about 80% confident that it's happening. From both a game logic and edit perspective I actually think all the women have a shot, but Michele really, really sticks out. It's been a while since a player like Michele has won, but I always love when it happens because it hammers home the fact that there's no one right way to play the game. We've seen a lot of aggressive strategists and scrappy heroic underdogs in recent years. Rarely do we get a winner who just kind of elegantly floats through the game, making the right connections with the right people at the right time, never necessarily being in control but always being in the mix. I get why production tries to encourage players to make big moves - it's makes for great TV moments - but there's a lot to be said for Michele's more subtle, well-executed gameplay. In a way Michele's game reminds me a lot of Sandra's, but it took me a while to see it because of their wildly different personalities. And like Sandra, I could see Michele doing very well on a second season even if she wins this one. Unlike Sandra, I unfortunately don't think Michele will be asked back.

I am incredibly delighted about Miss Congeniality. Well deserved. Regarding the winner... generally, I think it's decided way, way in advance. I never really believed social media "votes" counted for anything. Bianca won when she stepped into the workroom. Adore could get all of the votes and Bianca would still win. Violet won when she did the tartan reveal - Trixie and Katya have both mentioned that they realized very early on that the writing was already on the wall and they weren't being given the winner treatment, while Violet was. And even in earlier seasons, the entire cast of season 3 seemed pretty sure Raja was winning from the get-go. In recent years, the finalists have seemed very confident about who the winners were, aside from Alaska and Adore who seemed to think they had a sliver of a chance. This season, I'm not quite sure, but I think that once again, the finalists probably do have a hunch about who the winner is, I'm just not sure who it is anymore. Some winner speculation based on what we've seen/heard:

I really hate that they seem to have completely replaced the Tic Tac lunch with the childhood pictures on the runway. It's emotional exploitation typical of the reality TV that the show used to make fun of. One of the things I really respected about Pearl last season was her complete unwillingness to play along when they tried to get her tragic backstory. I hope they get rid of this romper room fuckery. Also, as much as I can appreciate RuPaul's Best Friend Race, I wish at least one of the queens would've thrown someone under the bus during the final speeches. There's a way to do it without being too shady - Alaska did it amazingly well, and in my opinion it's still the best speech of all time. Aside from all that, it was... solid. These music video episodes are never that interesting to me. Still, it's a fantastic final three, and even though I want to believe Kim has a shot at winning, I know it'll go to Bob, which is fair. ETA: And speaking of emotional exploitation, I will flip a table if Kim's mother is in any way involved in the reunion. From what I understand that situation hasn't improved at all, but it's exactly the type of thing RuPaul would try to use for an emotional moment.

Predictable outcome, kind of boring challenges, but some nice character moments. I liked it. I'm torn between wanting a Michele/Aubry/Cydney final three and wanting Michele to go to the end with someone who's easy to beat. I really enjoy those three and I'd be fine with either of them winning, but I was one of the ones who pegged Michele as the winner from her first confessional and I very much enjoy being right. That said, I understand the sentiment that she'd be a less satisfying winner. She's never really been challenged - she hasn't had a single vote cast against her and everybody seems to trust her at this point. Maybe she'd be more interesting if she ever had to scramble. Also, I'm pretty sure Mark the chicken had more screentime than Joe this week.

I have to say, I've had a hard time really connecting to Bob throughout the season, but I really warmed up to him this week. Earlier in the season he was always "on", really loud and obnoxious, always reaching for the joke, and generally it all came across as kind of forced and desperate. I feel like he's relaxed a lot, and I'm really enjoying him now. I especially liked him in Untucked and how open-minded he was to all different forms of drag - acknowledging that whether you're doing comedy, dancing, singing, celebrity impersonation, acting or modeling, it's all drag and it's all valid. We so often see queens bashing the other queens and telling them what they do "is not drag" (I love Naomi, but that was kind of bullshit) so it was refreshing to hear Bob say that really, drag is just dressing up and making art, whatever that art may be. So yeah. I thought I'd have a bit of a problem with Bob winning, but I appreciate him now. Still rooting for Kim, even thought it's likely hopeless.

I think this season has had really, really good villains. In earlier seasons there was always someone who was just a straight up horrible bitch (I'm a big fan of Roxxxy and especially Phi Phi now, but they were awful back then) and in more recent seasons the editors have blatantly tried to force a villain edit onto queens who were clearly drama-free (Courtney comes to mind). This season, we simply had some strong personalities in Acid and Derrick, whose insecurities made it difficult for them to get along with the other queens. Perfectly non-terrible people who started drama and were fun to root against, yet gracious in defeat. I hope we can keep this up in future seasons. Kim rocked it this week. Since they essentially did four looks (including the Jerri Blank drag) I'm guessing they had a bit less time to do their makeup for each look, and I'm actually glad she kept it somewhat neutral and focused on her outfits. I have previously felt like she might've been resting a bit on her makeup skills, but this week was a good reminder that she's a true artist and polished as hell. I also loved Naomi's looks, liked Bob's, hated Derrick's and was underwhelmed by Chi Chi's. Probably would've put her in the bottom, but they needed to find a flaw in Bob at some point. This is still the Bob coronation show, though. They did a good job of evening the playing field here, if only for appearances' sake, but Bob is winning. As much as I'd prefer Kim, Bob is the winner and that's fine. I'm convinced that Chi Chi leaves next week and Team Best Friend Race get to share the runner-up spot.

From the texts posted by a contestant's ex-boyfriend, there are no teams. I want to say we've heard this from other sources as well but I'm not sure. This was way back in October, memory's getting hazy. However, the texts revealed another format change: Personally, I'm still hoping the whole "bitter ex-boyfriend leaks the entire season" was some sort of big, dramatic hoax designed to throw people off, but that's a reach. I personally don't mind spoilers, but I hate the way these spoilers came out. It was just an ugly situation and I feel bad for the queens.

Yeah, I was unsure whether to post it since it's not exactly a Spoiler thread, but here goes. Social media absence has spoiled pretty much the entire casts of the past three seasons, and with the limited pool of viable contestants, this is most likely 100% certain. Rumored cast:

The entire cast of All-Stars 2 is actually pretty widely known by now and easy to find. Social media absence was a big clue, and then half a year ago one of the contestants' bitter ex-boyfriend posted screenshots of a private conversation (I think; might be misremembering how this happened) that revealed who the finalists are and how the competition was structured. Lying for shits and giggles? Maybe. I'm still taking it with a grain of salt, but I can't deny it seemed pretty legitimate. Regarding Willam, I believe he's stated quite a few times that he wasn't even asked for AS2.

I can see it. I think this has the potential to be a very bitter jury - Julia/Jason/Scot in particular, all of whom are likely to vote for Michele at the end. We keep hearing about Aubry's indecisiveness and always making the wrong decision (not so much in this episode) and if she wins final immunity and has to take someone to the end, she very well might make the "wrong" decision and take Michele because she's "easy to beat", only to lose the votes of the people she cut along the way. This could simply be the story of why Aubry lost, not why Michele won - we've seen this before.

Yeah, that was not great for her. But she was legitimately out of the loop regarding the vote, so Aubry's comment may simply be the editors' way of explaining why they left Michele out. Not taking credit for this interpretation - Stephen brought it up in the Edgic place - but it's definitely possible. They could've done a lot worse by including some confident "we're totally all voting Tai for sure" confessional to emphasize how clueless she was And someone like Michele beating someone like Aubry is definitely a plausible reason for Probst to hate the season. As of now, I'm still believing it.

Now that you mention it, it reminds me a bit of her friend Trixie. Trixie was never able to really shine in the rehearsed, structured format of RPDR, but on stage and in Youtube videos she's really witty and charismatic (arguably outshining Katya), similar to what we see from Kim in Untucked. I think the reason Kim is making it further is that she's really giving it her all in every challenge, whereas Trixie seemed to be holding back despite being more comfortable with performing. Yeah, I don't see Kim beating Bob. At this point I'd argue that Naomi has a better shot at it. I still don't think Chi Chi can be a serious contender considering her track record - she's a great lip syncer, but she's only been in the top once. She's basically Coco Montrese or Darienne Lake.

Stellar episode all around! Fun drama, solid challenge performances, great runway and incredible lip sync. This is what RPDR should be. Losing Thorgy is unfortunate, but I don't think we'll get nearly the outrage we got when Dela or Katya went out. Her elimination was entirely justified and the editors even softened the blow by amping up her bitter side. I still think she has Miss Congeniality on lock unless Kim leaves before the finale. My initial prediction for top 3 was Bob, Kim and Naomi, and now that Thorgy's gone I'm starting to believe it again. Chi Chi hasn't been in the top since Pitch Perfect, and Derrick is obviously not really a contender. Still, though - incredible cast this year. Since next week is likely the ball, I'm guessing Kim and Naomi knock it out of the park, and Bob beats Chi Chi in a lip sync, evening things out a little bit for the finale. If not, Bob has this in the bag, which isn't terribly exciting even though it's deserved.

I thought it was fair that Bob didn't lip sync. She looked fucking awful, but Elena looked pretty great, so she clearly beats Chi Chi and Derrick who didn't manage to make anyone look anywhere near decent. However, I thought Robbie looked somewhat acceptable, so I was surprised to see her in the bottom. Naomi and Kim killed it and continue to be my favorites. Thorgy was surprisingly shady and approaching bitter this week, but I don't think it hurts her odds since they seem to be giving most queens a more balanced, multi-dimensional edit this season. Solid episode, basically. Not much more to say.

The possibility of Sandra coming back makes me very nervous. If she wins? Indisputably the greatest player of all time. If she loses? Perfect track record tarnished forever. Too risky, girl. Stay at home. I'm a big fan of this list, actually. All the returning winners are strong players (except Mike and possibly JT) and I'd be especially excited to see Danni and Sophie return. But most of all, I need Natalie Bolton to get on. One of my favorite things about Micronesia is how she was invisible all the way up until the final episodes, where she emerged as a batshit psychopath. Of the non-winners, I think at least Tai, Caleb, Carolyn, Andrea, and Malcolm are locks, which I'm fine with. Andrea has had the misfortune of only getting cast on terrible seasons, so I've blocked out all memories of her, but I'm pretty sure she's okay. The only one on the list I really don't want to see again is Ozzy. My money's on Danni to win if she's on, as I think she's a highly capable player but not memorable enough to be seen a threat.

Assuming a F3 like that, a Michele win is definitely plausible. Unless something happens she has Julia's vote for sure, and Jason/Scot seem close with her and so far we have no reason to believe they have any connection with Aubry or Debbie. Nick seems to like and respect her now, so unless she brutally backstabs him and he's momentarily bitter about it, she should have his vote. She really only needs those four, and there are a few more she could potentially get. Then again, I was already convinced by the edit that Michele was the winner, so I'm obviously inclined to be optimistic about her chances.

I'm not going to call this sabotage, but I'm not not going to call it sabotage. Bob has even talked about playing mind games with the competition, and although I don't think he did this intentionally, he probably would have if he thought of it. Which, again, is fine - it's not RuPaul's Best Friend Race - I'm just surprised he does it. This would not surprise me from Derrick, Robbie, or anyone else who is unsure about their place in the competition. Bob says he has no competition. Why mess with the other queens? Still, it's pure speculation since I don't see him actively messing with people, and I don't want to make it seem like I'm dragging Bob through the mud here. I like him, I just kind of want him to chill just a second. I don't want the competition to just be about who's the loudest. There's something to be said about finesse and subtlety.

I only have myself to blame, but I feel like this season is just starting now. This top 7 was spoiled weeks ago with very slight uncertainty (it was either Acid or Chi Chi, and Acid's elimination was spoiled separately) but from this point on there's pretty much zero knowledge, which is exciting. It could be a double elimination of Bob and Thorgy next week if Ru gets drunk enough. I don't mind people hogging the spotlight - you do whatever you need to do to win, girl - but I'm surprised Bob feels the need to do it. Bianca was confident enough that she could even help the other girls shine yet outshine them at the same time. Bob's constant camera-hogging, although understandable, comes across as a bit desperate. Like I said, I don't have a problem with it, but it doesn't necessarily impress me, and I understand why he's getting called out. Thorgy has also said during viewing parties that Bob does. not. shut. up which actually endears me a bit towards him but must be hell to be around. I think it's a bad sign that it's being brought up, though. Bob hasn't had gotten any real story or development typical of a winner. I would even argue that the show might just be portraying him as the loud, confident, showboating obstacle for the overlooked Thorgy. If there's a Thorgy/Bob lip sync with a shocking Bob elimination, I wouldn't be surprised based on his edit. Thorgy is definite top 3 material and likely winner in my eyes. Quiet week for Kim, who has been doing solid work in challenges that would trip many "look queens" up. I suspect she'll have a late-game resurgence as we get into fashion-heavy challenges like makeovers and the ball, earning her a spot in top 3 with Thorgy and maybe Chi Chi, because Ru loves the driven, crafty queens with troubled pasts. Derrick is fucked because he's just... not that great. Robbie and Naomi failed Snatch Game, which basically means they can't win. I feel like they're likely going next. Too bad, I like them both.

Man, this show got real dark. Kind of expected Ariel and the son to actually die (it is horror, after all) but ultimately I'm glad they didn't. I really liked this episode, although it was weird to have it be so Vaughn-centric. It felt like our supposed protagonist barely had any scenes, and the executioner was literally on screen for one second. I've been suspecting Cam since the very first episode (mainly because the actor looks like he could be Tom Winston's son), so I hope it's not him. The other one I suspected early on was Alan Henry (for anyone who watched Nikita, how could Roan not be the killer?) but since he's the most obvious candidate, it's clearly not him. As for the possibility of it being Sarah, I'm all for it at this point. It's the kind of ending that everyone brings up for all mysteries ever and consider it to be cliché, but I almost never see it happen? Like it's so cliché that nobody ever really does it, so to actually do it would be weirdly mindblowing? I don't know, I still expect it to be Cam, and I'd be fine with pretty much anyone else.