RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 4 episode 2 Ru-flections: Bottom who?

RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 4 continues to titillate with twists, turns and tribulations. Does the second episode live up to the first?

We break down the breakdowns, bitching and buffoonery from RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 4 episode two.

All Stars 4 Episode 2 Super Girl Groups, Henny: the verdict

How much Charisma, Uniqueness, Nerve and Talent was episode two packing?

Overall: C. U. N.

Nearly everything—challenge, lewks, drama, shade—was right, America.

But the judging, for the second week in a row, was not brown cow stunning.

Challenge: C.U.N.t.

The return of the notorious SLM had me clicking my fingers and yassing with delight.

Did she actually add to either performance? Not really. She was outshone on-stage and the producers quickly lost interest.

But the All Stars slayed this challenge with some iconic bops.

Season 3 icon Stacy Layne Matthews returns to Drag Race to spice up the competition—and audition for season 5 of All Stars. (VH1)

Lewks: C.U.N.T

This is what earns All Stars its name. There is no other episode in the canon that features more fly fashion. But hats, gloves and wigs off for Manila. Gagged is an understatement.

Manila wins the Drag Race runway with this stunning look (VH1)

Bottom who?

Yes, I’ve admitted Monique has my heart.

But even if I try to look at it objectively there is no way she deserved a place in the bottom three, let alone two.

Her style, vocals and lyrics in the challenge were superior to Farrah, Manila and Gia. And her runway lewk was dripping in eleganza.

But while Manila’s runway saved her from the bottom—and rightly so—it was Gia’s potential for creating drama that spared her the axe.

Farrah may have come for Gia with the piping hot tea that she has to “force storylines,” but clearly it works.

All Stars 4 episode 2: Unfair edit of the week

It’s a Ru look again, henny. The shade is pouring from those pores.

RuPaul’s icy stare of death during Monique’s Drag Race performance (VH1)

But no matter how much they try and tell us otherwise, facts are facts, and Miss Monique was what? Stunning.

Drag Race All Stars 4 episode 2: the shade of it all

Full tea? I’m living for the Farrah/Gia drama.

There’s no doubt Gia was encouraged by producers to start the drama—we saw their strings through Manila, too—so they could easily cast her as the villain.

Manila gives the producers of Drag Race what they want by telling Gia to run towards the drama with Farrah (VH1)

But I also feel that Gia is creating her own narrative here. She is owning the part with a cheeky glint in her eye that makes her far more alluring to the viewers than Phi Phi was on All Stars 2.

It also allows Farrah’s professional, no BS side to shine through and win the day.

Gia tries harder than a drone at Gatwick to halt Farrah’s rise from the bottom.

But Farrah ascends to new heights and flies away from the competition with the slay of the day: “You really don’t love me.”

All Stars 4 episode 2: woking up?

Woke wins

It looks like—hopefully—the old trans-exclusionary RuPaul is dead and buried.

This challenge—a celebration of trans queen Stacy—saw Gia again stating unequivocally and unapologetically her right to be in the competition.

“Ladies and gentlemen” indeed.

Gia continues to educate those who think trans women should not compete on RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1)

Winners and losers

Lip sync, lip sink or split lip?

Lip sync, just. After a fairly dull start where Monet had the edge, Valentina twirled her way to the front. We need tricks we haven’t seen before, Monet, stop relying on those death drops.

A tribute to our fallen victor

She might have fared pretty poorly in points but—like Jasmine—I think Farrah comes away a winner.

Mining her queer culture cupboard to pull out a voice she used working as a phone sex operator is the kind of choice that—had it been executed right—could have won her the challenge, as well as break down taboos.

She leaves having demonstrated beauty, professionalism, a quick wit and the ability to trend worldwide.

Have we seen the last of her? Definitely not.

Valentina, watch your back.

Farrah expertly trolls Valentina one last time on RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1)

All Stars 4 episode 2: Who is on top, who is the villain? A Queen-by-queen ru-view

We continue to map who is leading VH1’s fantasy league. 

Valentina: 305 points

Edit: Villain-lite to kooky potential winner (see: Jinx, Sharon).

She’s got her winner’s edit. My favourite in the challenge. Announcing her fashion lewk to a barely-listening room is a mood. I live for her telenovela schtick: that performance of picking the lip sticks—where did she hide them in the lip sync though?—was pure icon.

Trinity the Tuck: 286 points

Edit: The one to beat / lip sync assassin (see: Alaska, Ben DeLa Creme).

I stick by this edit, but add that Trinity also has the true rudemptive arc of the season. She has taken her season 9 villain-lite image and morphed it into a queen of grace and positivity. I stan.

Monet X Change: 234 points

Edit: either iconic victim of format (see: Tatiana, Aja) or comeback queen (Katya) to comeback queen.

YAS! Although if Monique is eliminated she has the narrator spot down. Those looks to Gia when she was playing with Farrah gave me life.

Monet is not buying what Gia is selling on Drag Race (VH1)

Monique Heart: 179 points

Edit: Narrator (see: Trixie).

Mother of group. Teller of truth. Winner of my heart. The narrator tends to do well, and I hope tonight’s (unfair) placement lights a fire under her so she can make everyone eat it.

Latrice Royale: 116 points

Edit: Fan favourite that loses out on a top place (see: Alyssa, Chi Chi).

Looking likely. Latrice continues to charm us all, but is yet to prove she has what it takes to win the damn thing. I’m also bored of black gowns, so can we stop.

Naomi Smalls: 83 points

Edit: High-fashion but not the winner (see: Detox).

She’s doing better than these stats reveal. But despite being placed in the top 3—rather generously—two weeks in a row, she’s been claiming hardly any minutes of air time. Not a good sign for a winner, fits with the edit.

Manila Luzon: 73 points

Edit: All there on paper but not a winner (see: Ginger Minj).

After her dressing down from Ru I’ve got no reason to doubt this edit. But after that runway I don’t think she’s in any serious danger of leaving soon.

Gia Gunn: 72 points

Edit: Full-blown villain (see: Phi Phi).

Ha. Yes, I think this may be the edit she’s stuck with.

• Nov 29 2023

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