Another Friday, another episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars Season 8. This week, the girls are fighting! Almost. Looks like we’ll be seeing a lot more of that next week. For now, Heidi N Closet is feeling some kind of way. We may only be three challenges deep, but she feels underappreciated by the judges. So much so, that she almost left the competition on her own accord. Thankfully, she stuck around. Let’s dive into the chaos of Episode 4.
Another split vote
It seems as though this season of All Stars won’t see a single unanimous vote. Turns out four queens tried to send Darienne Lake home over Mrs. Kasha Davis. Jimbo, Jaymes Mansfield, and Heidi all immediately owned up to their votes. They said they had based it on “track record,” which is fair enough.
Darienne may have been top four in her original season, but she’s not exactly been setting this All Stars season alight. Now, she’s feeling the pressure “like a fat kid on a wicker couch.” I laughed, but felt a twinge of sadness for this powerhouse queen, willing her to do well.
Ryan Murphy has nothing on these queens
RuPaul arrives to ruveal the Maxi Challenge for the week. The queens will be split into teams of three, and tasked with creating their own scripted series. It can be any genre, so long as it is “must-she” television. The teams are randomly allocated, as Pit Crew members Bryce and Bruno almost run through many of the girls in a hilarious balloon popping minigame. We end up with LaLa Ri, Kahanna, and Heidi on Team One, Darienne, Jaymes, and Alexis Michelle on Team Two, and Kandy Muse, Jessica, and Jimbo on Team Three.
Most of the teammates seem to get along. Kandy and Jimbo have some tension when it comes to casting the Pit Crew in their series. Kandy wants one to play a murderer, but Jimbo thinks that’s a role best given to somebody actually competing. As is usually the case, Jimbo was right!
All three ideas for the shows could have been excellent, but some are executed better than others. Michelle Visage’s face is a picture when she sees Heidi’s costuming, and hears LaLa’s hilarious accent. They feel like the frontrunners of the episode, which makes the judging decision all the more confusing.
If Heidi wasn’t mad before, she is now
As the queens get ready to walk the runway – category: Ass The World Turns – Kandy brings up Heidi thinking about quitting the competition. Heidi doesn’t appreciate her weak moment being brought up – again – in front of everybody. To the point where she threatens to expose the crap Kandy has been saying about somebody (Jimbo) when cameras are down. She doesn’t spill the tea just yet, but it’s coming.
On the runway, the toots are EVERYWHERE. Only Jessica really seemed to go for something safe and mid. Heidi came out in the outfit of the week, taking the category literally and turning herself into a slutty Eeyore from the One Hundred Acre Wood. Coupling this with all of the laughs they got during their Run Queen Run sketch, she seemed the ideal winner. Production had other ideas. Her team was deemed safe, while Jimbo won the challenge.
Can Jimbo win a lip sync?
The Lip Sync Assassin for the week arrives to take on Jimbo. The queens have all voted, making their decision on who they want to send home out of Darienne, Jaymes, and Alexis. The writing’s on the wall for Darienne at this point.
Jimbo points out that they have never won a lip sync in their Drag Race career, despite competing in five. That doesn’t change in this episode, as Shannel enjoys a ruveal that captures the heart of Mama Ru. Another $10,000 rolls over into next week’s prize pot, but Jimbo just seems happy to be storming through the competition.
As predicted, the group sends Darienne home. It’s a bittersweet moment. Her track record this season speaks for itself, and she was the only fair choice. But knowing what she can do, it just felt wrong. Thankfully, she has the Fame Games to keep her going.
RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars Season 8 continues on Paramount+ in the US, and on WOW Presents Plus in the UK.
TELL US – WAS THE RIGHT QUEEN SENT HOME THIS WEEK? DID HEIDI DESERVE THE WIN OVER JIMBO?
