By Thomas Weaverling
Yes, it’s true that you can ask any veteran drag race fan which season of the show is objectively the best and the majority will not hesitate to say All Stars 2. This season gave us Alyssa vs Phi Phi, the Shut Up and Drive lip sync, Tatianna’s “The Same Parts,” Read U Wrote U, etc., there is far too much to love and obsess over from this season. However, I think that the story of the top three, Alaska, Katya, and Detox, is far too overlooked and not appreciated enough as the cinematic perfection that it is.
Each of these three grew noticeably from their original season and represent something so unique, each radiating talent beyond belief. The crown could have grown to any of these three and no one would have been satisfied because the other two were just as worthy.
Alaska took the competition by the neck, annihilating challenges while being laser focused on getting that crown and scepter from Fierce Drag Jewels. Her portrayal of Mae West is still recognized as a top Snatch Game performance that I reference everyday. Her comedic timing, incredible wit, and pure drive for competition are unlike anything that had been seen on the show. Even her idea to bring back Little Poundcake was brilliant and was one of the many things that displayed her raw talent as a competitor.
Katya is easily one of the most lovable, charismatic, and creative queens to grace the werkroom. Her Russian prostitute persona is one of the most unique and versatile aspects of a queen that we have seen. She had one of the fastest All Stars turn around times, with only a few months between her original season airing and the filming of AS2, making her performance this season all the more impressive. Her impersonation of Bjõrk, the makeover with her mom, and her commercial were beyond fantastic. Katya’s journey of being anxiety-riddled on season 7 to the dark horse of All Stars 2 exemplifies her growth as a contestant.
Detox is one of the most unique and interesting queens with her aesthetic, camp performances, and intriguing personality being nearly unmatched. Out of this top three, she is the certified look queen that tore up the runway with looks like her breathtaking latex look and her forever iconic, silver-bodied “Future of Drag” look. Her iconic “Tell it to My Heart” lip sync and performance as neon Marie Antoninette are simply unforgettable. She considers herself to be the queen of the weirdos, a sentiment that encompasses her drag persona and all that she brings to the table.
The final lip sync to “If I Were Your Woman” by Gladys Knight and The Pips is what really propelled me to write this. Each of these queens fought so hard through the most talent-packed cast we’ve seen in Drag Race herstory, the Hunger Games of Drag as Chad Michaels would put it. These three queens delivered a fantastic final three lip sync, with Katya and Detox beautifully embodying this ballad, while Alaska literally and metaphorically destroys her image to leave one last impression on All Stars 2.
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