‘RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars’ season 9 episode 11 recap: ‘Grand Finale Variety Extravaganza: Part 1’
“RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars” continued its 9th season on Friday, July 19 with the 11th episode featuring returning queens from seasons past. Making their way back into the Werk Room for the second time are Angeria Paris VanMichaels (season 14), Gottmik (season 13), Jorgeous (season 14), Nina West (season 11), and Plastique Tiara (season 11). Three queens are returning for the third time: Roxxxy Andrews (season 5 and All Stars 2), Shannel (season 1 and All Stars 1), and Vanessa Vanjie Mateo (seasons 10 and 11).
In addition to their chance at the coveted crown, this season the queens are competing to have a $200,000 contribution, provided by The Palette Fund, to a charity of their choice. Series judges RuPaul Charles and Michelle Visage will be joined on the dais by friends and series regulars Carson Kressley, Ts Madison, and Ross Mathews as well as a rotating cast of guest judges to help determine episodic winners and their choice for “next drag superstar.”
In episode 10, the queens battled in a tournament of lip synching champions in a Lalaparuza Smackdown. After seven face offs, Shannel and Roxxxy earned badges as the top two, but it was Roxxxy that maintained her undefeated status as the overall winner.
In the race to be one of the three queens with the most badges by the end of the season, Roxxxy is at the top with five, Jorgeous and Plastique both have four, Angeria and Shannel have three, and Nina, Vanjie and Gottmik all have two.
Now, check out our recap of episode 11, titled “Grand Finale Variety Extravaganza: Part 1,” below:
Last week Ru teased a last minute twist that had the girls gagged and guessing, so when they arrived in the Werk Room this week to find a Pink Furry Box on the table they were prepared for the worst. Luckily it was just a game of pulling cards and doing the task it asked of you to bank extra money for your charity. Nina did impressions of her sisters, Angeria did interpretive dance, Gottmik had to critique Shannel in the style of Michelle, and Roxxxy had to pole dance.
Ru’s arrival a bit later officially began the Grand Finale with the announcement of a makeover mini challenge where each queen would turn a crew member into a Ru girl using quick drag transformation. After 30 minutes, the new daughters made their re-entrances to the Werk Room in a short runway showcase. As a way of giving thanks to the crew, all of them were named winners and then, naturally, asked to return to work.
For this week’s final maxi challenge, Ru told the girls to prepare performances in a Variety Extravaganza worth a chance at three Beautiful Benefactress Badges to the top two queens, meaning anyone can still make it in to the overall top three. The three queens with the most badges by the end of the week would perform in a final Lip Sync for the Crown. Before leaving, Ru loosely teased a twist agin, but gave no hints as to what it could be.
Over the course of the day while the queens prepared, each one stepped out for a Tic Tac Lunch one on one with Ru as well as a rehearsal session with dancers. In the conversations, Shannel opened up emotionally about the newfound confidence Ru helped her gain this season, Angeria discussed how much more competitive All Stars is than her original season, Nina talked about coming back to drag after two years doing “Hairspray,” Vanjie agreed with Ru that she showed a “deeper side” of herself this time, Jorgeous admitted to learning more about herself and an ability to be freer this time around, Gottmik explained to Ru how thirsty she is to do many different artistic ventures in her career, Roxxxy described the rollercoaster of being on the show for a third time and the devastation she felt in her family after her second appearance, and Plastique talked about her journey from Vietnam to the United States.
Unexpectedly, the girls received Ru-Mail from Ts Madison with news of a Double Diamond, an opportunity to double the amount of badges. But instead of her or any of the judges making that decision, the queens themselves would be voting for the queen of their choice to receive the power. Using lipsticks, we saw each queen cast her vote and share thoughts on their decision. With only two badges of her own, Gottmik knew she’d be best voting for someone else with only two and she chose Nina, Roxxxy knew immediately that she could repay Nina for the badge she gave her by voting for her, Jorgeous chose Plastique for how welsh did in the competition, Plastique “let her heart decide” by picking Roxxxy, and Nina thought her best strategic decision would be to vote Roxxxy thinking no one else would.
To be continued next week…
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