S03.E08: A Jury of Their Queers

[ElectricBoogaloo]

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The queens must write and perform a rap on RuPaul's new hit single and attempt an unparalleled one-take choreography performance. But before a winner can be crowned, RuPaul invites the eliminated queens to weigh in.

[Jeopardy15]

This is bull$#!+! I don’t even care who wins since Shangela is not in the top two. 

[rlc]

It should have been Shangela and Trixie. I hate this format!

[DasFlavorPup]

If you need any further proof that Bebe was coasting through this entire season, take a look at what she wore on tonight's runway, and compare it to her finale runway look from season 1:

https://giphy.com/gifs/rupaulsdragrace-season-1-rupauls-drag-race-l1KVaNfCNTycUcwww

 

Beyond that, I'm fine with the outcome of this season, just not the route it took to get there in the last 5 minutes.  Kennedy's a trooper, but she just never was on the same level as most of the other queens and to have her place higher than Shangela is a damn travesty.  I really hope the haters can keep their claws sheathed, but this is the internet.

Edited March 16, 2018 by DasFlavorPup

[Stardancer Supreme]

I'm annoyed. Trixie is awesome, don't get me wrong. Shangela should have gotten the crown.  Hopefully she won't have to pop out of any more boxes! Shangie is my All Star!  

[Princess Sparkle]

This season seemed so good on paper, but man, this whole thing was a real let down. That crown should be Shangela’s; she was the most consistent contestant left by a mile. And to not even end up in the top 2? Bullshit. No wonder they’ve been pushing Season 10 so hard; this whole season was such a mess. 

[Jeopardy15]

Did Trixie’s career really need this bump? I don’t understand the eliminated queens reasoning. I figured they would not pick BeBe. But they seemed to feel sorry for Kennedy and gave her a shot, but there was no way she would win.  Sooooo pissed about this result. What a waste of Shangela’s Charisma, Uniqueness, Nerve, and Talent. 

[PeaceLily2]

I thought it would be Trixie and Shangela as the top 2, with Shangela taking the crown.   

Edited March 16, 2018 by PeaceLily2
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[2727]

What was Ben sneering about during the pageant interview portion? She looked like she was about to vomit, and if she had much to say we didn't hear it.

Like Thorgy, I want to know who each of the eliminees voted for. I thought it would be Shangie and Kennedy after the panelists talked about choosing the final two based on who would use the opportunity for more growth. After Kennedy, I still thought it would be Shangie based on the season's report card. Sigh.

I can't really argue with Trixie since she's done so much for Drag Race outside the show ... but I do. I'm pretty let down on Shangie's behalf.

Did Ru take against Kennedy for all her gymnastics at the expense of emotion during the lip sync? I thought Trixie overdid it, honestly.

Edited March 16, 2018 by 2727

[PeaceLily2]

I hope if there is anymore All Stars, the judges, will be the ones who makes the decisions on who stays and who goes.  I like Trixie, but it should have been Shangela.  

Edited March 16, 2018 by PeaceLily2

[annewithaneee]

Since the ratings have been high and Ru's getting those Emmys, I doubt it will happen, but people need to be straight-up fired after this season. 

I've felt like the most recent seasons have been a steady decline, but this was some absolute nonsense that undermined the thesis and purpose of the entire show. I'm actually disgusted by the show that normally gives me so much joy.

For the finale, a half hour was dedicated to the preparation and presentation of the final performance and runway? Are you fucking kidding me?!?!

Fine, this is a reality show, and not the actual Olympics. They need to tell a story as well as crowning a winner. But they were fucking awful at telling a story this season. Nobody really had an arc, especially not one pushed and reinforced by judging. Where was Bebe being told to show vulnerability? Why wasn't Shangela given any encouragement for something to improve? Trixie's "stretching herself" arc was sold by her and her alone.

Shit. I haven't been feeling great about Ru lately since she decided yet again to shove her foot in her mouth about trans issues, but she sold off her credibility. Making the other contestants pick the final two? Get the fuck outta here. That shit has no place in a talent competition stocked with a panel full of judges. What are they there for?!?!?

The real losers here are really all of the queens. Trixie gets a win with an asterisk. Bebe's return was a big swing and miss. Kennedy is probably going to be seen as taking Shangela's place. Shangela got fucking robbed. Just awful.

Also...the Hall of Fame conceit made a glaring lack of sense when Bebe was told to argue for her place in it. She's already there! The fictitious "Hall of Fame" should include all winners. Regular seasons are unarguably harder to win -- longer, more girls, frequently more difficult challenges, and the contestants have never been through the unique grind of filming the show before, and most of them are much poorer and don't have a wardrobe full of custom outfits. Especially after this shit show, All Stars deserves less hype than the vanilla seasons, really.

[JayD83]

I have cussed every body out associated with Drag Race out.  With this...I'm done. Shangela was robbed and they can kiss my ass.  Season 10?! Gurl please!

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[PaulaO]

What the fuck???  Shangela should have won, with Kennedy second.  Trixie?  Not the best by a long shot.  DeLa smirked the whole time like she had an axe to grind.  She can shove it.  I'm done with the show.

Edited March 16, 2018 by PaulaO

[PeaceLily2]

I’m assuming how well they did or didn’t do in the live dancing & singing with Todd, and their final runway look had NO standing in how they picked the top 2?  Shangela rocked both!  Ugh!  

Why aren’t the judges judging?  UGH!

[Ananayel]

I really hope Morgan blew up Bebe's spot about the girls "agreeing" that she should reveal her choices. Did she forget Morgan was there for that? Did she tell herself that so sternly she began to believe it?

I like Kennedy and Trixie very much, but this was Shangela's crown - she absolutely earned it.

[HunterHunted]

8 minutes ago, annewithaneee said:

The real losers here are really all of the queens. Trixie gets a win with an asterisk. Bebe's return was a big swing and miss. Kennedy is probably going to be seen as taking Shangela's place. Shangela got fucking robbed. Just awful.

This makes Dela's decision to leave seem smarter and wiser in retrospect. That someone like Shangela or Dela could essentially win or top every challenge and still be denied the top two because someone else told a better Food Network-esque sympathetic sob story, just highlights how dumb the voting on All Stars is. Turrible. Just turrible.

[Adeejay]

That was utter and complete bullshit!

[annewithaneee]

Also I sincerely doubt that "Kitty Girls" was actually performed in one take in one and only one try. The production on this show is seriously suspect at this point so I don't believe anything they tell us, plus other than Bebe - the music-cued queen to hate of the remaining four - there wasn't a single flub or someone searching for their mark. Also we would have seen cameras not getting shots so perfectly. Shenanigans. Yeah, there was no cut there, but that wasn't the only take.

Thorgy continued to not win me over. I'm so white I'm see through, but did anyone else think her hat/headpiece looked like a Coming to America-style vaguely tribal ripoff? Not a fan of what seems to be casual and thoughtless and unattractive appropriation. That whole ensemble was ugly. 

[JayD83]

As much as I have been into this show since it debuted in 2009, I'm done. I can't even say I wish it well because Ru has his picks and it's always obvious.  I hope VH1 takes it behind the barn and shoots it. 

#Shangelawasrobbed.

[rustyspigot]

First of all, Ben quit. That shouldn't mean you can come back and have a say in who should be final two.

Second of all, what the fuck was Milk wearing? A crocheted bodysuit that seemed to be falling apart in the background when someone else was voting? I'm glad she didn't talk much.

That one take video. Everyone else is running around flipping, doing back bends over boxes and then we cut to Bebe slowly getting up from a sewing machine and slowly voguing. Alright.

I don't care who Bebe picked!!!!!

Oh and Trixie won. Fine whatever. RuPaul: Trixie, you're in the Hall of Fame!!! (pause) Ok, strike the lights and let's get the hell out of here. The end.

[CaioF]

They tried to write this season to please the fans, and seems they even made the queens agree on 100% follow the script.. Like, last couple All Stars seasons, people felt the winner was too obvious, last season in particular, alot people rooting for the wierdo/underdog (Katya).. This season they made sure to have a clear frontrunner that would ask to leave, now at this finale, they made sure to have a competition of Trixie (the one producers assumed the audience wanted to win) VS Kennedy (the one drag race fãs like to hate)... Like, we all know theres a heavy level of script going on, but this was too much. Everything this season came of as planned, they tried to make the fans gag and be excited to have the popular queen winning against the ´´villain`` but daammm, they missed the mark.

Every reality show will have something scripted, producers will try to manipulate stuff, but cant be so heavy hand on the outcome, otherwise it will look unfair, unatural... Thats how it felt, they have being on the show before, envited to get back, so everyone got a script on day 1 and heard from producers ´´look, you know the gig, you are here just for more airtime and some extra cash, this is how the season will play of.. Get in your characters and lets start with week one: Morgan´s elimination``.

Edited March 16, 2018 by CaioF

[PeaceLily2]

6 minutes ago, rustyspigot said:

First of all, Ben quit. That shouldn't mean you can come back and have a say in who should be final two.

Second of all, what the fuck was Milk wearing? A crocheted bodysuit that seemed to be falling apart in the background when someone else was voting? I'm glad she didn't talk much.

That one take video. Everyone else is running around flipping, doing back bends over boxes and then we cut to Bebe slowly getting up from a sewing machine and slowly voguing. Alright.

I don't care who Bebe picked!!!!!

Oh and Trixie won. Fine whatever. RuPaul: Trixie, you're in the Hall of Fame!!! (pause) Ok, strike the lights and let's get the hell out of here. The end.

What WAS Milk wearing?  

[JayD83]

I have not been this mad at a TV show since ALL MY CHILDREN and ONE LIFE TO LIVE were canceled!  

[HunterHunted]

16 minutes ago, annewithaneee said:

Also I sincerely doubt that "Kitty Girls" was actually performed in one take in one and only one try. The production on this show is seriously suspect at this point so I don't believe anything they tell us, plus other than Bebe - the music-cued queen to hate of the remaining four - there wasn't a single flub or someone searching for their mark. Also we would have seen cameras not getting shots so perfectly. Shenanigans. Yeah, there was no cut there, but that wasn't the only take.

There was at least one cut in the video. When we see the queens walking to the stage and get in position for the last part of the number, there is a cut to a camera in front of the stage. There are other cuts to the different queens when they are all dancing on the stage. But yeah, I don't believe they only did one take of the backstage oner. The worst part of the oner is that they could have used some cuts, especially to give us close-ups of the queens as they were lip sync'ing their solos.

Edited March 16, 2018 by HunterHunted

[rustyspigot]

3 minutes ago, HunterHunted said:

There was at least one cut in the video.

And when they cut to Bebe's sewing machine choreography (why?) they did the Spice Girls "Wannabe" trick with the camera swing/blur.

Oh, and for all the critiques the judges give to the queens, their own moment in the video was LAME and poorly acted.

Edited March 16, 2018 by rustyspigot

[Stardancer Supreme]

I wonder if they even bothered to look at how many hashtag hits each Queen got, especially on Twitter. 

[Dani331]

I am pissed!  I have never had such a visceral reaction to a finale in all of the past seasons. Throw the whole season away.  Trixie didn't do shit!  Those bitter heffas robbed Shangela because she's successful. 

[Aerobicidal]

Last week, I was shocked to realize that I was rooting, and rooting hard, for Shangela.

Now, I am not shocked to realize--and admit--that of all the winners of this show, I would rather pay money to see Tyra Sanchez than Trixie. And of all the contestants from this show, I would have a hard time choosing between Trixie and Nicole Paige Brooks.

I just do not get and/or appreciate Trixie's drag. To me, it's about as funny and interesting as an episode of Everybody Loves Raymond. But lots of people do love Raymond. And Trixie--who seems like a great person, so I'll take comfort in that.

Edited March 16, 2018 by Aerobicidal

[Ruby Gillis]

Did they show who voted for who?  Did I miss it?  

I'm thinking:

• Ben - Kennedy because needed it the most and Shangela.  Not Trixie because she badmouthed the others
• Chi Chi - Kennedy and Shangela because they are her friends
• Milk - Trixie and Shangela because they are the least old school (unless she felt guilty about her fight with Kennedy and gave her an apology vote)
• Thorgy - Kennedy and Trixie because she would never vote for Shangela who voted her off

Then I would have to assume Aja and Morgan voted for Kennedy and Trixie to make the math work but I have no idea why.  I assume no one voted for BeBe because she already won and didn't seem to make any friends.

Edited March 16, 2018 by Ruby Gillis

[Cosmic Muffin]

I read a work of fiction where a guy had tied fishing lines to typewriter keys, and claimed the fish wrote poetry. He cleaned up the stuff they typed, because he claimed you can't expect fish to spell.

I feel like fish were in charge of this whole season. Nothing made sense to me. I'm not even really mad, but I'm not wishing for another season of Drag Race or All Stars. I just feel tired.

I had thought at the beginning they were going to set Trixie up as obviously as they set Alaska up (which still pisses me off, I prefer Katya, although the way things have gone maybe it's better...). And then Trixie did not that well. And so bad in the snatch game. And then she won? 

Get rid of the judging twists and have the judges do their one job. 

Get better fish to script this stupid show.

[BarneySays]

16 minutes ago, Aerobicidal said:

I just do not get and/or appreciate Trixie's drag. To me, it's about as funny and interesting as an episode of Everybody Loves Raymond.

Heh.  That line is funnier and more amusing than anything in this finale.

Nobody told me this was RuPaul's Charity Case!

That horrible final lipsynch was the most fitting end to this train wreck.

I'd love to know how the votes went.  But I doubt we'll find out.  Probably picked by production.

I said before I had no sympathy for kennedy and her poor me! whining.  Now I do, because she is going to get a lot of unfair beatdowns.  It's not her fault.

Good riddance.

[CheetaraThunder]

No wonder Ben wrote her own name down in episode 6...Imagine if she was still there. Probably would have been a final four of Trixie/Ben/Shangela/Bebe, and I could imagine the jury finding a way to not have both Ben and Shangie in the finals. Smart cookie...but she was also giving some Blanche Devereaux realness in Red...ravishing 

I’m just going to keep on thinking it was Ben vs Shangela and They both got the Hall of Fame.

[2727]

If I could step outside myself (which I can't right at the mo), I'm not even mad at Trixie winning. I'm mad at the fucked up circumstances that conspired to give it to her.

I don't watch Game of Thrones, but I'm looking forward to whichever character has been shit on who Shangie can now uses as her allegory.

2 minutes ago, Ruby Gillis said:

Then I would have to assume Aja and Morgan voted for Kennedy and Trixie to make the math work but I have no idea why.  I assume no one voted for BeBe because she already won and didn't seem to make any friends.

Someone at Aja's viewing party said Aja (purportedly) told everyone she voted for Trixie and Kennedy. She said Kennedy had given the best interview answers by far and she felt that Shangela would be successful no matter what. So hers was a bit of a sympathy/solidarity vote for Kennedy.

[dyanad]

Wow, as Tatiana would say #CHOICES and those final 2 were some CHOICES. The only worse pairing I could see is Bebe and Kennedy. Sorrynotsorry, but there is no way in hell Kennedy deserved to be in the final 2. 

[annewithaneee]

2 minutes ago, 2727 said:

Someone at Aja's viewing party said Aja (purportedly) told everyone she voted for Trixie and Kennedy. She said Kennedy had given the best interview answers by far and she felt that Shangela would be successful no matter what. So hers was a bit of a sympathy/solidarity vote for Kennedy.

And this is why I feel shitty for Kennedy. Had this season been a legitimate one with LYSFYL's and the judges/Ru deciding the bottom two and eliminating, Kennedy could have made it to the finals anyway. Yes, it sucks that social media and the fandom has largely fucked up this show and made it so black queens like Kennedy get an absurd amount of hate and left out in the cold for meet and greets. But that's no reason to advance her to the final two -- she could have earned it, had the show trusted in the queens' talents enough to make an entertaining show. Kennedy did not deserve to be put in the position of a pity vote and presumably taking Shangela's spot. She really is a talented queen. Not the best in the field necessarily, but I think had this been more of a straightforward competition we also would have seen more reason to root for her rather than feel sorry for her. 

Ugh, I just hate this. I was admittedly pretty annoyed Alaska got away with on-camera attempting to bribe her way out of an elimination - something that would have been an automatic DQ on most competition shows with contestants eliminating each other - and now this...Chad isn't my favorite queen to win All Stars, but she's now my favorite win, if that makes any sense. And AS1 was terrible.

[CheetaraThunder]

I did feel like the Queens wanted Kennedy to win cause of much they truly felt like she needed it, and I respect that. 

Rupaul and producers found a way to not only fuck over the queens ( all these fucking twists) but the show itself.

[JakeyJokes]

The only part I liked about this finale format was Aja doing her best Barbara Walters. Come through, journalism fish!

[rustyspigot]

2 minutes ago, JakeyJokes said:

The only part I liked about this finale format was Aja doing her best Barbara Walters. Come through, journalism fish!

If only Aja had said she was Barbara Walters. In her true form.

Edited March 16, 2018 by rustyspigot

[bobbyjoe]

This whole season has been total garbage.  The format robs both the contestants and the viewers of any sense of fairness.  Not only should Shangela have won, but let’s not forget that there were queens like Aja, who was often killing it this season, who didn’t even get close to the finale in favor of the bland unsalted cottage cheese that is Trixie Mattel.  Let’s  do get on to Season 10, where the judges actually judge, as quickly as possible.  I think a lot of us would like to pretend that this season of AllStars did ‘t even happen.

[Cosmic Muffin]

Aja was great as Crystal Labeija, but Crystal is best known for her part in The Queen, about an obviously rigged drag pageant, and her reaction to losing to someone who knew they would win who didn't even try. History has repeated itself a bit here.

[CheetaraThunder]

Some t from Aja’s viewing:

Aja picked Kennedy and Trixie

Said Kennedy gave he best interview by far

Talked about how Kennedy has to deal with a lot of racist fans from the show and picked her over Shangela because she needed it more and Shangela is already successful without the crown.

Felt like Dela was the true winner of the show and Shangela was second. Felt like it would have been a Trixie ca Shangela and her vote was more symbolic. 

[rustyspigot]

That's fine, but it makes for bad television viewing.

[Corgi-ears]

How the queens voted, a segment the show thought wasn't worth including in the actual episode:

 

Edited to add the info, for those who would rather not click play:

Aja: 1. Kennedy 2. Trixie

Ben: 1. Kennedy 2. Trixie

Chi Chi: 1. Kennedy 2. Trixie

Milk: 1. Trixie 2. Kennedy

Morgan: 1. Bebe 2. Kennedy

Thorgy: 1. Trixie 2. Shangela

Which gives Kennedy 8 points, Trixie 7, Bebe 2, and Shangela 1 giant shaft.

Edited March 16, 2018 by Corgi-ears

[Michichick]

4 minutes ago, Corgi-ears said:

How the queens voted, a segment the show thought wasn't worth including in the actual episode:

Thanks for posting this. One lousy point for Shangela. What a travesty.

[Cosmic Muffin]

How they voted was interesting to me, more so than a lot of the episode. thanks, Corgi-ears!

[violet and green]

Well... It's over. Glad I'm not alone in thinking that that was a load of cobblers and utter bollocks. In what unknown universe did Trixie 'need this' more than Shangela?! And how did Kennedy, bless her, even land in the final four, let alone final two!? I always hate the format of All Stars but I hated this one the most - and then that? I am spewing!

I don't care what the instagram fans supposedly want (Trixie to win, apparently), I'd like to see a fair competition judged appropriately and efforts rewarded commensurately.  I could care less that Kennedy as a seasoned pageant queen made a good pitch; she seems like a decent person, but it's not a pity contest to give sadsacks a leg up in the world; they should have judged on the work of the season, and not the pitch. Bitter bitches punishing the one who gave them the flick is all I can think, after this.

If this show was produced in a reasonable manner, we'd have had Ben along with Shangela in the finals, and Aja would have been there, also. Bebe would be long, long gone, and Trixie would have got the cut as deeply underwhelming and one note some time ago as well. So freaking cross on Shangela's behalf. That just stank.

Edited March 16, 2018 by violet and green
typos

[CaioF]

If I was you guys, I wouldnt be sad for Shangela or any of the queens.. Doesnt seems like they take this as serious or if this prize mean as much as they had to pretend on the show.. Just see them outside the show..They are fine.  It sucks for the viewer that wants to see the best of these queens and the closest of a real competition, for that, we can get upset. The second I saw Ben´s eliminating herself commin, I just became anesthetized with this season, even on that episode I was mad/angry, I just turned of like ´´nah, too scripted/forced for me to watch the rest of this episode``. Than last week I watched but not expecting much. Tonight, I actually missed the episode/got spoiled, and again, my reaction was ´´ok, even more scripted that I thought, but....whatever``... The season already was meh (The Bitchelor episode was a exception) and than just managed to go downhill to get the end they expected the audience to applaud.

Edited March 16, 2018 by CaioF

[BarneySays]

1 hour ago, annewithaneee said:

Yes, it sucks that social media and the fandom has largely fucked up this show and made it so black queens like Kennedy get an absurd amount of hate and left out in the cold for meet and greets.

I think this is absurd.  I would bet that most of the most popular alum from this show are queens of color:  bob, latrice, bebe, jujubee, ongina, bianca, adore, chichi, the list goes on.  in this season alone, three of the final four were black.  kennedy simply has not demonstrated that she has the "it" factor.  That has nothing to do with her race, but all to do with her dour personality, whining, and one-note old school drag.  There has never been a dearth of drag queens of color with huge fan bases.  Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar...

[CaioF]

3 minutes ago, BarneySays said:

I think this is absurd.  I would bet that most of the most popular alum from this show are queens of color:  bob, latrice, bebe, jujubee, ongina, bianca, adore, chichi, the list goes on.  in this season alone, three of the final four were black.  kennedy simply has not demonstrated that she has the "it" factor.  That has nothing to do with her race, but all to do with her dour personality, whining, and one-note old school drag.  There has never been a dearth of drag queens of color with huge fan bases.  Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar...

Agreed and you gave perfect examples. The problem is how she comes of on the screen. In on minute shes very quick on criticize/roll her eyes over other queens problems the next minute shes all ´´oh, poor of me..``. It doesnt go together.. No waaaay she should get the hate she gets from these crazy fans (actually, no hate at all) but want to have her as a endearing contestant is hard and its not her race.. The self entitlement because of how long shes doing drag only makes it worse. If this is such a big factor, queens should be eliminated based on how long they are doing drag? I just feel for her because she could turned people´s mind around if wasnt for her placement in the final two based on sympathy votes from the other queens. Like someone mentioned above, on a regular season, maybe she could have earned her spot by her own merits. It totally wasnt the case here.

[kissedbyarose]

Nah. Kennedy for sure didn’t belong in the top four much less top two. I hate sob stories and pity votes in my competition shows (and real life) so all this boo-hooing didn’t endear me to her. Trixie was absolutely right about Kennedy’s drag. Besides, some of the more successful queens didn’t even win their season so I’m confused as to how this clearly sympathetic vote was supposed to help Kennedy.

I’m not Shangela’s biggest fan but I’m objective enough to know that she definitely deserved to win that crown at the very least be in the top two.

Throw the whole All Stars series away. 

Edited March 16, 2018 by kissedbyarose