This is a reprint from Wig!, Xtra’s monthly newsletter that takes an inside look at the fabulous world of drag. If you want access to exclusive content just like this, you can subscribe to Wig! here.
More than any other factor, a Drag Race season is judged by how it lands the plane. An unsatisfying endgame—not just the finale but the last part of the season before it—can undo a lot of goodwill built up in previous episodes. You need not look far for an example of that; Season 18 ended with a whimper after an enjoyable first half. One might be tempted to ascribe this to problems specific to that season, like an undesirable boot order and bizarre editing choices.
But it’s hardly the only recent Drag Race season to stumble near the finish line—this is true of the last All Stars season too. When All Stars 10 debuted, the bracket-based Tournament of All Stars format actually had the fandom in a delighted frenzy. The orange bracket was a breath of fresh air! The pink bracket was perfectly devious! What could go wrong?
Well, the purple bracket could, and did. And while the finale itself was entertaining, it wasn’t enough to make up for a deeply unpleasant merge phase (the period when the top three of each bracket came together to battle it out). Plus, it featured one of the most controversial crownings of all time—but more on that in a moment.
The bigger question: why is Drag Race going with the Tournament of All Stars format again, which brings on a huge cast of 18 and makes them compete in six-queen heats, when the previous season to do it wound up so widely disliked? And what does it mean for All Stars if this season also fails to land the plane properly?
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