RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars season 3 explained

Season Number:3
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  1. DAA520
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Host:RuPaul
Num Contestants:10
Winner:Trixie Mattel
Runner Up:Kennedy Davenport
Num Episodes:8
Network:VH1

The third season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars premiered on January 25, 2018. The season was announced in August 2017, with 9/10 of the cast revealed during a VH1 "Exclusive Queen Ruveal" special, airing on October 20, 2017.[1] [2] [3] This season of All Stars featured ten "all-star" (or “champion”) contestants, selected from the show's first season through to its then-current ninth season, competing again to be inducted into the "Drag Race Hall of Fame".

As was the case in the previous All Stars season, rather than the two lowest-scoring queens for each episode engaging in the usual “Lip-Sync for Your Life” battle for their right to remain in the competition, the two highest-scoring queens on each episode competed in a “Lip-Sync for Your Legacy” performance, the winner of which earned the right to choose which bottom queen gets eliminated (in addition to receiving a $10,000 “tip”). A new twist on how the top queens of the season were chosen was revealed in the previous season's last episode, in which the previously eliminated queens would return during the finale and vote for the top two contestants of the remaining top four; from there-on, the two queens with the most votes advanced while the other two were subsequently eliminated. The prizes for the winner of the competition were a one-year supply of Anastasia Beverly Hills cosmetics and a cash prize of $100,000, and a bejeweled scepter and crown.

The winner of the third season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars was ultimately Trixie Mattel, with Kennedy Davenport being the runner-up.

Contestants

See also: List of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars contestants. Ages, names, and cities stated are at time of filming.

Contestant! scope="col"
AgeHometownOriginal season(s)Original placement(s)Outcome
Trixie Mattel28Los Angeles, California6th place
Kennedy Davenport35Dallas, TexasSeason 74th placenowrap
36Minneapolis, MinnesotaSeason 13rd place
Shangela35Los Angeles, CaliforniaSeason 212th place
Season 36th place
Morgan McMichaels36Los Angeles, CaliforniaSeason 28th placenowrap5th place
BenDeLaCreme35Seattle, WashingtonSeason 65th place nowrap6th place
Aja23nowrapNew York City, New YorkSeason 99th place7th place
Chi Chi DeVayne32Shreveport, LouisianaSeason 84th place8th place
29New York City, New YorkSeason 69th place9th place
33New York City, New YorkSeason 86th place10th place

Notes:

Contestant progress

Jury vote

In the finale, the eliminated queens were invited back as jurors. They were given two votes each to decide which of the remaining contestants would make the final two, with their first vote worth two points and the second one point. The finalists were given the chance to plead their case prior to the vote.

Legend:

Jurors! scope="col"
BeBeKennedyShangelaTrixie
Aja21
BenDeLa2 1
Chi Chi21
Milk12
Morgan21
Thorgy12
Votes1515
Results

Lip syncs

Legend:

EpisodeTop All Stars
(Elimination)
SongWinner(s)BottomEliminated
1Aja
(Chi Chi)
vs.BenDeLaCreme
(Morgan)
"Anaconda"
(Nicki Minaj)
BenDeLaCremeChi Chi, MorganMorgan McMichaels
2BenDeLaCreme
(Thorgy)
vs.Shangela
(Thorgy)
"Jump (For My Love)"
(The Pointer Sisters)
ShangelaKennedy, ThorgyThorgy Thor
3BenDeLaCreme
(Chi Chi)
vs.Kennedy Davenport
(Milk)
"Green Light"
(Lorde)
nowrapKennedy DavenportAja, Chi Chi, MilkMilk
4BenDeLaCreme
(Chi Chi)
vs.Shangela
(Chi Chi)
"I Kissed a Girl"
(Katy Perry)
BenDeLaCremeChi Chi, Kennedy, TrixieChi Chi DeVayne
Shangela
5nowrapBeBe Zahara Benet
(Aja)
vs.Trixie Mattel
(Aja)
"The Boss"
(Diana Ross)
BeBe Zahara BenetAja, ShangelaAja
6BeBe Zahara Benet
(Trixie / Morgan)
vs.nowrapBenDeLaCreme
(BenDeLa / Morgan)
nowrap"Nobody's Supposed to Be Here (Hex Hector Dance Mix)"
(Deborah Cox)
BenDeLaCremenowrapKennedy, Shangela,
Trixie
7Shangela
(Morgan)
vs.Trixie Mattel
(Morgan)
"Freaky Money"
(RuPaul ft. Big Freedia)
ShangelaBeBe, Kennedy, MorganMorgan McMichaels
EpisodeFinal All StarsSongWinner
8nowrapKennedy Davenport vs.Trixie Mattel "Wrecking Ball"
(Miley Cyrus)
Trixie Mattel
Notes

Guest judges

Listed in chronological order:[4]

Special guests

Guests who appeared in episodes but did not judge on the main stage (in order of appearance):

Episodes

See also: List of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars episodes.

Leak

On February 15, 2018, the series production company World of Wonder filed a lawsuit against an anonymous leaker using the alias RealityTVLeaks.[5] According to the lawsuit, RealityTVLeaks posted several visuals from the season on various social media websites such as Reddit, Twitter, and Instagram before each episode's airing—including runway themes, challenges, episode titles, and eliminated queens.[5] Additionally, a producer from the show stated that the leaker removed "information identifying [World of Wonder] as the copyright owner and author" before adding "misleading copyright management information falsely identifying [the defendants] as the copyright owners and authors."[5] World of Wonder launched the suit because of the defendant's "unlawful theft and public dissemination of episodes of the popular and critically-acclaimed reality television show," and the production company confirmed it is seeking damages of $300,000, including $150,000 for each infringed episode and $25,000 per violation of "actual damages" and defendants' profits.[5]

Critical reception

Although a ratings success, the season was panned by the critics, following the high bar set by All Stars 2. Vulture, in writing a summation review, described the season as "truly one of the roughest seasons of the show ever. After a stellar, jaw-unhingingly good All Stars 2, this season felt more like an embarrassing cousin you brought to gay happy hour who wears double polos".[6] The A.V. Club similarly described the season as disappointing; in their final review of the season, they wrote, "I should be celebrating the crowning of a new queen in the Drag Race hall of fame, but Drag Race All Stars season three has left me feeling totally underwhelmed and wondering, What’s the point?"[7]

Vulture did however make the point that although the season did not live up to expectations, "even at its worst, it’s still one of the best, if not the best goddamn reality competition show on television".[6]

Notes and References

  1. RuPaul to Reveal 'All Stars' Season 3 Cast on Upcoming VH1 Special: 'Prepare to Be Gagged'. Billboard. October 15, 2017.
  2. 'RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars' season 3 cast to be revealed during TV special. October 13, 2017. Entertainment Weekly. October 15, 2017.
  3. Web site: TV News Roundup: 'RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars' to Launch Season 3 with Hour Special. Matt. Fernandez. October 14, 2017. Variety. October 15, 2017.
  4. Web site: 'RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 3' Reveals Guest Judges, Releases New Sneak Peek. January 18, 2018. January 18, 2018. Kevin. O'Keefe. IntoMore. January 19, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180119001210/https://intomore.com/culture/RuPauls-Drag-Race-All-Stars-3-Reveals-Guest-Judges-Releases-New-Sneak-Peek/f78e0291d66146f9. dead.
  5. Web site: Moore, Matt . RuPaul's Drag Race producers are suing an anonymous leaker for $300,000 . Gay Times . February 17, 2018 . February 19, 2018.
  6. Web site: Where Did RuPaul's Drag Race Go Wrong This Season?. 16 March 2018.
  7. Web site: A mediocre season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars ends with a robbery. . 16 March 2018 .