RECAP: RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars Season 10 FINALE
“RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 10” finale aired this weekend, and boy, do people have thoughts. I do, too – and spoiler, I do not agree with much of the full-throated bitching I see on social media. Read on for my takes on the finale, the season’s switch in format, and how I think each of the 18 contestants came out now that the competition is concluded. Warning: this is a long-ass blog. (Welcome to my TEDTalk.)
SPOILERS AHEAD
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When considering “All Stars 10,” it’s important to understand why producers switched to the tournament format. Queens had become increasingly reluctant to return for “All Stars.” The typical format required queens to be sequestered for 6 or more weeks, which for the top-tier RuGirls – who are the primary draw for “All Stars” – is quite literally tens of thousands of dollars in missed gigs and other money-making opportunities (especially during Pride season, when “All Stars” typically films). And it’s not just the opportunity cost – it’s actual cost. At this point, the viewers have expectations for what an “All Stars” runway package should look like, and pulling a season full of those looks will easily run a contestant five figures. In “All Stars” 1-6, if you got eliminated early, that meant you spent serious money on looks most people would never get to see. That’s brutal.
You could see Production starting to address these issues as far back as “All Stars 6.” The returning-queen lipsynch battle royale was meant to be a lifeline to early outs. “All Stars 7” is an outlier, because “All Winners” was always going to be non-elimination. But “All Stars 8” gave us the “Fame Games,” where the eliminated queens were invited to show off the looks they would have won for the challenges had they not been eliminated – although I don’t think it worked out the way anyone wanted. For “All Stars 9,” Production was essentially over a barrel, and the requested cast knew it. They negotiated massive appearance fees to compete AND a generous wardrobe stipend. But the nonelim format for non-winners lowered the stakes to basically nothing, and while the season had its bright spots, it was also a frustrating experience for viewers who watched some queens give up in challenges they weren’t feeling (like half the girls in Snatch Game), underdeliver on the runway (Roxxxy for most of the run), or look unprepared (Plastique not knowing the words to seemingly any of her lipsynchs).
So they had to do something different for “All Stars 10,” and I think the solution was genius. By switching to the tournament and brackets, the time commitment for these queens was massively reduced. Each bracket took just over a week to film. The queens who did not advance to the semifinals got to show every look they paid for. There was very real drama – both genuine and manufactured – thanks to the MVQ points and the third-episode chops. And by expanding the cast to 18 queens to fill three groups of 6, we got to see the return of queens who I don’t think would have ever been booked on a traditional “All Stars” otherwise.
That said, I knew as soon as I heard about this format that the semifinals – and the finale especially – were going to set viewers off. Going from 9 queens to 1 winner in the span of 3 episodes is crazy, and indeed, several of the semifinalists were given short shrift in the semifinal episodes. Having a comeback queen fast tracked from pre-merge to the final episode is actually crazy – and I have some theories as to why they picked who they picked, none of them good – and then having the crown being determined by a LaLaPaRuZa feels ripe for riggory. And indeed that is exactly the criticism the show and the winner are facing now.
But before we get to that, let’s look back at the best part of the season: the brackets. I didn’t love all the brackets equally. In fact, I think my enjoyment diminished from Bracket 1 to Bracket 2 to Bracket 3. But that was less about the format and more about increasingly lousy challenges, my lack of interest in some of the Bracket 2 and 3 queens, and the heavy hand of Production becoming more apparent, for ultimately, I think, no reason.
Bracket 1/Orange Bracket
I thought Bracket 1 was pretty much flawless. These were underdog queens (except Bosco) who were all hungry for this opportunity, and most of them came ready to play. The challenges were largely good – the murder-mystery improv challenge was one of the best improv challenges we’ve ever had on the show. My thoughts on each queen in Bracket 1, ranked from least-impressive arc to most:
Phoenix: A second out from Season 3, Phoenix would likely have not been cast on any other “All Stars” season had the format not changed. I’m glad she got this shot. Phoenix seemed to struggle more than the other girls, which is understandable – it had been 14 years since her season, and the show has changed significantly in that time. Still, I think Phoenix acquitted herself well, and had that great moment in Episode 3 where she realized that she ultimately would be the person determining the outcome of the third spot.
Olivia Luxx: Olivia was one of three Season 13 cast members on this season to get chewed up and spit out, in different ways. In Olivia’s case, she seemed to be trying too hard in both the challenges and in her interactions with the other queens. Season 13 is my least-favorite season, by a wide margin, and Olivia’s arc on that season was frustrating. I always thought that when she had more time to “cook” she could come back and be an amazing “All Star.” I somehow found her even less sincere this time, and in fact borderline offputting. I think she’s talented, she’s certainly gorgeous, but I don’t think “All Stars” worked out for her the way she would have liked.
DeJa Skye: Conversely, Season 14 is one of my favorite seasons, and I loved almost that entire cast. DeJa was the queen I had the hardest time vibing with on S14, but after seeing her in “Drag Race Live” in Vegas, I softened on her considerably – she has real star power, I’m just not sure it translates on screen. DeJa generally did well in the challenges on “All Stars 10,” and she improved on the main area where I had issues in Season 14: her runways were great this time around. If we focus solely on what happened on the season, I think DeJa came out of “AS10” looking good – her story of nearly dying due to a botched medical procedure certainly made me more sympathetic to her. Unfortunately, DeJa did herself no favors between her aggressive approach to the pre-season promo interviews, and with her social media posts during and after her brackets. These were unforced errors that turned a lot of people off, and I respectfully suggest that DeJa get some media training. She squandered a lot of good will generated on the show.
Aja: It had been 7 years since Aja last competed on “Drag Race,” which is frankly crazy. While Aja did well in most of the challenges, and gave us one of the best lipsynchs of the season in Episode 1, she was rarely the best in either the bracket episodes or the semis, and her runways frequently did not measure up to most of her competitors. BUT! Aja became the unexpected heart of this season, particularly in the semifinals. Aja was not a queen who I would have ever described as “vulnerable” in her previous two seasons, but she really opened up here, and I think she won over a legion of new fans by sharing her struggles with transitioning, with finding her place in this industry, with financial insecurity, etc. I respected Aja after “All Stars 3,” but I loved Aja after “All Stars 10.” This was a great season for her and I hope she remains booked and blessed for a long time to come.
Bosco: Bosco came into “All Stars 10” as one of the biggest threats. She was a fan-favorite after Season 14, which is remarkable because – in hindsight – her performance wasn’t among the strongest of that season, even if she was a finalist. But Bosco is and always has been incredibly likable, and post her transition, she is absolutely fucking radiant. She jokingly calls herself “God’s favorite transsexual,” but honestly, where is the lie? Bosco had a nearly flawless “All Stars” run. She could have easily been Top 2 in every challenge in her bracket, she gave some of the best talking heads of the cast, her runways were exceptional. Bosco came into “All Stars 10” as a threat, she leaves it as a legend.
Irene the Alien: As amazing as Bosco was in Bracket 1, I still give my MVQ point for the Orange Bracket to the Artist Formerly Known as Irene Dubois. Like Phoenix, I doubt we would have ever seen Irene back with the traditional “All Stars” format. Not only was she first out of Season 15, lasting ONE EPISODE, she is literally the lowest-placing queen in “Drag Race” history, as she came in 16th on the largest cast we’d ever had prior to “All Stars 10.” And yet, Irene exemplifies what “All Stars” should be about: talented performers getting a do-over, a chance to redeem themselves over a stumble in their original season. Irene smoked Bracket 1; I thought her performances in episodes 2 and 3 were among the best I’ve ever seen in those kinds of challenges, and her runways were consistently next level. Irene went into “All Stars 10” as a punchline and walked out as a well-respected RuGirl. I expect big things for Irene the Alien going forward.
Bracket 2/Pink Bracket
Kerri Colby: Kerri remains one of the most beautiful contestants we’ve ever had on “Drag Race,” and to be fair, she did better in several of the challenges than I expected her to. Unfortunately, she didn’t push through the crowd, and I think she ended up the least-memorable member of her bracket. Kerri was picked by two out of three regular judges as the wild-card pick, which I find highly dubious. First, I doubt the judges had any actual say in that – it reeks of Production. Second, you’re telling me that of the 11 eliminated queens up for consideration, Kerri Colby was the one two out of three judges felt deserved another shot in a lipsynching competition? Given that Kerri has lost almost every lipsynch she has ever participated in on this show? Come on, now. She was picked for the drama surrounding the points in Bracket 2, and because she would be a non-factor in the LaLaPaRuZa (which is hilarious, because spoiler, I think she actually won the first lipsynch in the finale).
Mistress Isabelle Brooks: Season 15 finalist MIB was one of the biggest names to come back this season, and she leaves the season as one of the most-discussed members of the cast. Mistress would likely tell you that, so long as people are talking about you, it doesn’t matter what they’re saying. I don’t think that’s the case here. Mistress’s antics in Bracket 2 were shitty but could be justified as strategic gameplay, even if it’s not in the spirit of this show. Her behavior in the semis was simply rotted. From her childish response to being put in the Bottom 2, to her flopping both semi challenges, and especially her gross, aggressive attitude with Aja, she has repelled many viewers. Mistress has always been polarizing. Her brand is literally troll. It’s not for me, but she has vocal supporters – and lots of them. She now has extremely vocal critics who want absolutely nothing to do with her, and I think ultimately coming back for “All Stars 10” will hurt her career. I guess we’ll see. Or, other people will. Personally, I am permanently unsubscribing from The Mistress Show after this.
Jorgeous: She may be this season’s runner-up, but I think Jorgeous had one of the overall weaker runs of the semifinalists. Not that she did poorly – she didn’t. She didn’t flop any of the challenges, and she showed significant growth even from “All Stars 9” in her confidence and attitude toward the competition. She was also wonderful in the finale LaLaPaRuZa, eating up most of her lipsynchs. I have two issues with Jorgeous’ “AS10” run: 1) I think she did better in “All Stars 9” on the whole, turning in several WOW moments that season, compared to mostly solid-to-good here; 2) I think her relationship with Mistress in the Pink Bracket turned some people off. The points-manipulation scheme of Episode 4 left a sour taste in many viewers’ mouths, and Jorgeous was an active participant in it. I also don’t know if both of Jorgeous’ bracket Top 2s were justified. If we’re going to call out Production pushing the winner, we have to similarly call out the pretty blatant favoritism toward Jorgeous in Bracket 2.
Lydia Butthole Kollins: I came to enjoy Butthole by her elimination in Season 17, but I was absolutely blown away by her on “All Stars 10.” The growth she exhibited in her confidence, in her performance ability, in her star power, in her runways was remarkable, especially since she had only a handful of days in between her elimination on S17 and leaving to film Bracket 2. I think Lydia leaves “All Stars 10” as a fan favorite – and Ru favorite – who is a major threat if she ever comes back. And I expect she will, one way or another.
Tina Burner: Tina, another of the cursed Season 13 girls, came into “All Stars 10” as a “Drag Race” punching bag and left it as a robbed icon. Tina’s performance in Bracket 2 was consistently strong. She could have been Top 2 for at least one more challenge, and she gave us a flawless runway package. She was openly disrespected by Mistress and held her own, and I think her successes were downplayed while other queens (especially Jorgeous) had their faults overlooked. Tina should be extremely proud of her performance this season, and she gained a LOT of new fans. I think many viewers would love to see The Revenge of Tina Burner on a future “All Stars” or “Vs. the World” season. She may not have made the semi-finals, but she made the most of this opportunity.
Nicole Paige Brooks from Atlanta Georgia: NPBFAG is arguably the biggest winner of “All Stars 10.” The 10th queen to ever enter the “Drag Race” work room, Nicole was largely forgotten by the fandom prior to this season; it had been 15 years since her season, and she was a second out. Nicole caught viewers’ attention with that dramatic promo look, and once Bracket 2 started, she was instantly a meme queen. NPBFAG is definitely The Moment of this season, and is leaning in heavily with her social media posts and collaborations. If you have not watched her YouTube video in which she watches you sleep while box fans produce white noise, you are missing out. Nicole has a legion of new fans who had previously never heard of her prior to this season, and everyone is now eager to take a bite out of Mother Brooks’ cherry pie. We love to see it. If only we had resolution to the missing 8”x10” of Shawna Brooks!
Bracket 3/Purple Bracket
Alyssa Hunter: Alyssa arguably peaked with that outstanding “All Stars 10” promo look. She has always given us great runways – it’s one of her strengths. I don’t think she did particularly well in any of the challenges this season (her character for The Bitchelor is total nightmare fuel, with the multiple teets and puppies hanging off of them), and I don’t think her personality really pushes through on TV. But she did give us some drama, so…yay? It was hilarious watching her try to sell the “trade of the season” persona given that Denali was literally right there. I was hoping to vibe with Alyssa more this season than I did on Season 14, but I still struggled to connect with her. All the best, though.
Cynthia Lee Fontaine: On the one hand, “All Stars 10” was great for Cucu. She had been off our screens for 7 years, and she reminded us why she is probably the most congenial of all Miss Congeniality winners. Cynthia really is the loveliest person. Unfortunately, there has been very little growth, if any, in her drag, and when she got boosted into the semifinals – despite not winning or even doing particularly well in a single challenge, it did not sit well with many viewers. Myself included. Cynthia is beloved, and I love that for her. But she is not good at “Drag Race,” and I think I have seen enough of the Cucu for quite a while.
Daya Betty: Daya came into Bracket 3 with great energy and seemed like a real contender. She did well in most of the bracket challenges, and I thought she consistently looked great on the runway. Unfortunately by Episode 9, I was pretty much over the constant haranguing over MVQ points, and the beef with Alyssa went on far too long. I respect Daya’s talent, I respond well to Daya’s look, I bet she puts on a great live show. I even thought she was quite sympathetic in the finale. But I don’t think the redemption arc Daya seemed to be gunning for quite played out the way she hoped.
Acid Betty: It’s crazy that it took 9 years for Acid Betty to get booked on “All Stars.” She was one of the strongest performers on Season 8 prior to her ouster, and a great reality-TV character. Acid got lots of new fans out of “All Stars 10,” some of them for her outstanding runways, but also because of her surprisingly warm personality. Acid proudly wore her bitch cred on her lapel in Season 8, but here we got the softer side of Sears – and also the smarter side – as Acid correctly realised that pooling MVQ points could genuinely impact the outcome of Bracket 3, and coordinated with the queens who were very clearly not going to advance. While people may have been frustrated with Cynthia for getting the spot, interestingly I have seen very little pushback against Acid for orchestrating it. (Although Acid has had some controversy relating to allegations made by the creator of her paper look.) Personally I hope Acid gets another shot down the line. I don’t think Production ever looked at her as a contender, and I thought she did well here, AGAIN, and now has considerable fan backing.
Denali: Denali came into “All Stars 10” as one of the most robbed queens of Season 13 (honestly, that season felt like a prolonged psy op to break multiple queens, including Denali), and leaves it as one of the most robbed queens of “All Stars 10.” Denali showed considerable improvement in her aesthetic from Season 13 – and her runways were already pretty good. Her challenge performance was also strong. I thought she was one of the better queens in that god-awful Bitchelor bit – the criticism over not getting her character, despite her adhering completely to the assigned logline is crazy – and her losing the lipsynch in Episode 8 is one of the most controversial decisions of the season. If she gets one criticism from me, it’s that she was also trying a bit too hard, and her competitive nature can sometimes come across as prickly. Denali SHOULD have been one of the wild card picks, but wasn’t, because Denali could have been a very real threat in that LaLaPaRuZa. Bottom line, Denali supporters became even harder supporters, and I think she impressed a lot of new fans.
The Finale/Winner
And that leaves us with our season winner, Ginger Minj. There is a lot here to unpack. I have a hard time knowing where to place Ginger in terms of success this season. She won the crown, the title, the $200,000, so from that perspective, she did great. But when I tell you that people are furious about this win, I mean they are FURIOUS. Ginger being cast at all this season turned a lot of people off. This was her fourth stint on “Drag Race,” having been a finalist twice before (Season 7, “All Stars 6”) and getting cut early on “All Stars 2” simply because of a bad outfit (that’s the T). So Ginger was already operating with negativity from the fans as soon as the cast was announced. That was amplified by arguments of favoritism after she won FOUR CHALLENGES in a row, every Purple Bracket challenge and then Snatch Game.
Do I think Ginger was favored by Production? I do, although I also think Ginger genuinely did well this season, with no real weaknesses in the challenges (runways are still iffy). Do I think Ginger was cast this season with the specific intention of winning it? I do not. I think Production would have been happy with any number of of the cast queens taking it, it just so happened that Ginger ended up with a lot more pros and a lot less cons. I think Jorgeous was pushed just as heavily, if not more than Ginger – Ginger did better in the challenges than Jorgeous did, certainly. The argument that, “They only brought her back for a fourth time to give her a crown!” is fallacious. People said that when they brought her back for a third time in “All Stars 6,” and she lost that season. I genuinely do not think it was always the plan to crown Ginger.
(Also, let me address another allegation I’m seeing, regarding the “obviously fixed” results of Rate-a-Queen to put Ginger in 1st seed – Ginger came into that finale the obvious frontrunner, and has a great track record when it comes to lipsynchs on this show, winning almost all of them. Her “Phone” lipsynch from “All Stars 6” is an all-time great, and the “I Think We’re Alone Now” lipsynch from Season 7 is a chaotic delight. Just because she doesn’t do flips and tricks does not mean she is a not a strong lipsyncher. Do you consider Sasha Velour a strong lipsyncher? She doesn’t do flips and tricks. Ginger knows how to connect to a song and sell it, and that makes her very much a threat, including to the queens voting in a Rate-a-Queen. Not everything is a conspiracy.)
But do I think Ginger won that LaLaPaRuZa? I don’t, not based on what we saw. I thought Kerri outperformed Ginger on “Disease” in Round 1, but I also think it would have been nuts for the clear frontrunner to get knocked out by the wildcard. I DO think Ginger beat Bosco on “Raise Your Glass” in Round 2. That was just not Bosco’s song, especially not in that outfit. (Bosco’s “Show Me How You Burlesque” was an instant top-tier lipsynch, however.) In that final lipsynch to “It’s Raining Men,” it was ultimately a preference thing. The dancing by Jorgeous was excellent; she moves better than just about anyone who has ever been on this show. But there was a lack of connection in the face to the song – this has consistently been an issue for Jorgeous – and the mouthing of the words itself was not great. Still, if you put a gun to my head, I think I would have given that win to Jorgeous.
Would that have been a satisfying ending, though? Outside of the LaLaPaRuZa, tell me one thing Jorgeous did better this season than she did in “All Stars 9.” Name an exceptional moment from Jorgeous this season, that was not part of the LaLaPaRuZa. I honestly cannot do it. And despite the Sasha Velour of it all, I hate the idea of an entire season coming down solely to a lipsynch. That’s unsatisfying as a viewer, at least to me. I get that it is the format of the finale that the producers have chosen, but it is ultimately for the TV drama of it all. There must be a performance. There must be a final element to be factored into the win. It’s how the show is built.
The final lipsynch has become a serious problem for this show. Onya Nurve gave us one of the worst finale lipsynchs in the show’s history in Season 17, getting absolutely smoked by Jewels Sparkles – Onya still won. Jinkx Monsoon was notoriously trounced by Monet X-Change in “All Stars 7,” and Jinkx still won. Marina Summers clearly outperformed Hannah Conda in “UK vs. the World 2” but Hannah advanced to the Final 2. I do not understand why this show does not do the very easy fix of having RuPaul state plainly, “The final lipsynch is your last chance to impress me, but I will take your performance all season long into consideration when determining the win.” I know they did that for “All Stars 7” and it still didn’t calm the tits of Monet stans, but this is such a simple situation that would at least provide a justification for why the loser of that last lipsynch could still win the whole season, if they had performed overall significantly better.
That said, it wouldn’t have mattered here. The Ginger Hate Train is intense, and nothing would have stopped it once she won. I’m not sure what people sending her truly loathsome messages online expected from her. Should she have turned down this opportunity? It had been four years since she last competed. Jorgeous has competed in three seasons in four years – should she have said no? Roxxxy has been a finalist THREE TIMES and never won, so why would Ginger just *assume* she would win this? Should she have declined some of her Top 2 placements? (BTW I don’t think any of those were outrageous; she was clearly the best in Bitchelor, was great in the country girl group, and she and Daya had the best story/presentation in the awful Wicked challenge, which other queens have said was stressed as more important than the looks themselves.) I genuinely don’t know what the critics wanted her to do here. Based on the comments I’m seeing, I doubt they do, either. I see people criticizing her age, her size, her looks, her talent, her love life, etc. None of that is based in any kind of reality. It’s just vitriol, and it is disgusting.
I feel for Ginger. She won, but she cannot possibly be enjoying this. I’m sure she’s thrilled about $200,000, but if she’s paying any attention to the discourse – and her response to “UKvsTW2” winner Tia Kofi, who suffered a similar situation, suggests she is – this cannot possibly feel like any kind of a “win.” Ginger Minj is extremely talented. Ginger Minj has been consistently good to great on “Drag Race,” including a strong run this season, regardless of alleged favoritism. Ginger Minj is a deserving winner of this show. Her only sin was, apparently, saying yes to this opportunity, and succeeding. That is crazy.
This fandom needs to get its shit together. Almost every modern winner of this show has had to deal with a flood of negativity online, for any number of supposed “reasons,” and it needs to stop. On our podcast, we always say, “Everyone is entitled to your wrong opinions.” And you are. You are entitled to think whatever you want about the outcome of any given season. But you are not entitled to send hateful messages to a performer on the internet because of how they did on a television show. If you have ever done that, please take a moment and think about why you feel justified in that behavior. Look at your life, look at your choices. Eat a cookie. Suck a dick. Consider what is going on with you, that you think this is appropriate behavior. It’s not. Think whatever you like in private, but stop yourself from inflicting your antisocial tendencies on a performer who you have probably never met, who has done nothing to you except succeed (or sometimes fail) on a TV show you happen to watch.
Which leads me to my last soapbox moment: there are very real villains in the world today who are actively working to make life much, much worse for the LGBTQ community. There are people working right this minute to strip away your rights, your voice, your freedom. There are people of color in America right now being hunted down by masked paramilitary units and sent to literal concentration camps abroad or in this country. There are very real bad guys who are sharpening their knives, and there’s a sizable chunk of this community that is instead hurling virtual boulders at a reality show that has done more for LGBTQIA+ visibility than probably any other show in my lifetime. Get some fucking perspective, please. We are truly blessed to live in a time where this show exists at all, and if you think that’s a guarantee in this political climate, let me introduce you to Mr. Stephen Colbert. And he’s just the first, trust and believe.
“All Stars 11” is currently filming its semifinals and finals, and it is reportedly keeping the tournament format, with some minor tweaks that, I think, will improve things and address some of the issues around the semifinals. We will see. Maybe this fandom can do a better job of mitigating its intensity next time around and just enjoy the show for what it is. Regardless of who won this season, I think half of the “All Stars 10” cast walked out of it with a great boost in not only visibility, but a new spin on their “Drag Race” narrative. I personally consider that a success.
One final parting thought, in the hopes that someone involved in Production might happen to be reading this: I am so glad that this new format is tailored to make the process more accessible for these queens. I think it would be a great show of support if the queens’ Venmo/CashApp/Zelle handles were put on the screen as a chyron whenever they are walking the runway, competing in a lipsynch, or being eliminated. Now that Drag Con seems to be a thing of the past (remember that part about not just expecting that these opportunities will always be around?), this would be a chance for the viewers to quite literally show their love and appreciation for these queens. Megami published hers on social media after the Season 16 LaLaPaRuZa and reportedly was able to pay off all the debt she incurred prepping for that season. This should be the rule, not the exception, and it might further encourage queens to come back for the exposure. And it literally costs the show nothing.
Apologies for not recapping this season as it was airing. I was traveling for more than 50 percent of the episode releases. But I am hoping to recap the “Drag Race Philippines Slaysian Diva Smackdown,” which looks like it’s going to be an absolute blast; watch for those recaps when it debuts in mid-August. In the meantime, if you love pop culture, please make sure you’re signed up for our weekly newsletter, which tells you about what’s new in TV, music, movies, and video games every Tuesday, and subscribe to our podcast so you don’t miss any upcoming episodes. We’re going to video for Season 12, coming this fall, and we WILL have a new “Drag Race”-related episode releasing in early 2026. Catch up on the ones we’ve already released here!
What did you think of the finale? What did you think of “All Stars 10” overall? Let us know in the comments.
